Techno Boulevard (Metroplex, Transmat & KMS)

Once the Belleville Three were ready to release records, they set up their labels on one stretch of Gratiot Avenue near Eastern Market — close enough that Derrick May nicknamed it “Techno Boulevard.” In a small two-story red-brick building at 1492 Gratiot, shaped a bit like an old clothes iron, May’s Transmat and Juan Atkins’ Metroplex shared space; Kevin Saunderson’s KMS sat one building over.

This unassuming block is where “No UFOs,” “Strings of Life,” and the blueprint for a global genre were pressed into being. The buildings are still standing. Transmat’s old home — spot it by the multicolored chevron brick at its base — is now La Ventana Cafe, so you can order a coffee on the most important street in techno history. Most people walking past have no idea what happened here.