Imagine in 2023 standing on Michigan Avenue in the middle of the day opposite Grand Central station in Corktown Detroit and only seeing about 1 car every 10 minutes. That was the scene 20 years ago.

There were no cocktail bars, restaurants and modern condos. Corktown and downtown Detroit was a place many stayed away from. Ryan and his brother Phil saw opportunity and purchased a building for $40,000 which they then built out a number of businesses into, including Slows BBQ. Slows started to gain some local and national attention as they and a few others became the green shoots of growth in a city that had been arid for too long.

Even though Slows started doing well, it certainly wasn't plain sailing without a number of challenges.

Hear how Ryan has been a driving force for growth in Downtown Detroit and specifically Corktown over the last 20 years. His company, O'Connor Real Estate does commercial and residential real estate and he has been a resource for many businesses as they decide on the best location.

Ryan is more excited than ever about the growth of the city and he shares some of his favorite places you should visit next time you are downtown.