I think you're conflating avant-garde with world class. Take restaurants for example - super easy to start a new inventive restaurant in Detroit (low rent, low

I think you're conflating avant-garde with world class. Take restaurants for example - super easy to start a new inventive restaurant in Detroit (low rent, low labor costs, etc.), but it's nearly impossible to make a $500/head prix-fixe work there (and that is, for better of worse, the type of food that causes people to flock now-a-days). Even Portland sees most of it's 'starving artist' chefs decamp to NY / SF / LA once they gain a national brand.