D:hive Takes International Journalists For An Inside Look of the Motor City

Over 5,000 journalists from around the world have come to Detroit for the 25th North American International Auto Show. Many are here for the very first time, while others have lived in the area the entire lives. The folks at D:hive hope to make everyone feel welcome. "Too often media barely scratches the surface," said Jeanette Pierce, D:hive's director of community relations. "We want to show the media what's happening on the ground level in Detroit." The one-hour tours are customized to fit a particular media person's schedule. Pierce said every tour will visit places like Campus Martius and The Guardian Building, while others will stop at lesser-known places, like the Atwater Brewery and Detroit's Midtown retail district. Attendees 21 and older can also join in for a three-stop bar tour on January 18 that includes the Anchor Bar -- a Detroit journalist's most infamous stop. Related: Detroit Auto Show Unveilings Underscore Auto-Makers' Retooling Efforts "The goal is to help the media go Beyond the Bankruptcy and really get to see Detroit from a resident's perspective," Pierce told Benzinga via email. As of January 15, D:hive has given three tours, all to German visitors. They were also featured on WXYZ, the local ABC-affiliate, which Pierce cheerfully pointed out that even "the local reporter didn't know any of the places we visited." "We know they're busy, which is why we wanted to let them make the schedule instead of us," said Pierce in a press release. "We want to make it easy as possible for them to get an insider's understanding of Detroit." D:hive is located along Woodward Avenue in the heart of the downtown's central business district. Its storefront is across the street from the vacant space (now an underground parking garage) that was once home to the J.L. Hudson building, the second-largest department store in the U.S. before its 1983 closing (it was imploded in 1998). The storefront has individuals ready to assist others with information, connections and "key tools they need to live, work and engage in the city."

Thank you Dave & Jeanette from @PureMichigan and @DhiveDetroit for the passionate Tour in this wonderful Motorcity Detroit! cc @VisitDetroit

— Heike (@KoelnFormat) January 13, 2014