Google Maps Now Has 45 Degree Images Of Detroit

Because you might never get the chance to ride in a prop plane over downtown Detroit, Google Maps is offering new views of the city from on high with images that are better than straight satellite shots.

In July 2010, Google Maps took a break from cruising every street in the world in its magic Street View camera car to get a different perspective: aerial and from a 45-degree angle.

The mapping arm of the search engine giant released the first 45-degree images of a handful of cities last year. Google explained the move at the time:

As you may have guessed from the name, 45 [degree] imagery is imagery depicting a location from a 45 [degree] angle rather than from the top. This type of imagery allows you to explore the sides of buildings and other locations -- you can even rotate around a particular point of interest using the compass ring to view it from four different perspectives.

Now, parts of Detroit have been mapped from the new angle, so that you can "explore for yourself the wonderful revival that has happened in Detroit's downtown core," writes Mike Pegg on Google's Lat Long Blog.

So far, Google Maps has limited the new views to greater downtown, extending "a few neighborhoods in each direction of the downtown area." The rest of the city is mapped on Street View and can bee seen from above in Satellite view.

We've collected some highlights of this new perspective below. And you can go explore for yourself on Google Maps.