1/4 of CART now lives in Detroit, and though I'm pretty new here, I'm starting to learn about a lot of cool things to do around the city. I'm also continuing to learn that a lot of people have a skewed image of what Detroit really looks like. So, inspired by M. Walle, here is my advice on exploring the D.
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| Heidelberg Project exhibit |
10 Things to Do in Detroit
- Eat Well
You have to eat
anyway, so you might as well make it enjoyable. I am convinced that this city
has the best restaurants in the world, and the most diverse food choices you
could ask for. You MUST go for dinner in Southwest Detroit. Start with a
Mexican restaurant (Vernor Hwy is lined with them) and finish that meal off
with some
tres leches. For more Latin American cuisine, grab some
pupusas!
Detroit has a rich
history as a destination for immigrants and migrants, so the food choices go
on. There is a soul food restaurant on almost every corner, probably with a
Coney Island on the other side of the street. Even if you don't like hot dogs,
you have to try a
coney,
just to say that you did. In Hamtramck, a city within the city of Detroit, you
can find Polish restaurants dating back to the wave of immigrants that came to
work in the auto industry a hundred years ago. Now, Hamtramck is also home to
new immigrants and new food, so plan a meal with Middle Eastern cuisine. Swing
by
Café 1923 for a hot drink and a nice
book when you're done eating!
To be a little
healthier, go over to Eastern Market on a Tuesday or Saturday for fresh
veggies, some of which are locally grown in urban farms and as part of
community supported agriculture.
One of the coolest
things about Detroit right now is how many new businesses are opening up and
how creative these companies are. There are plenty of new restaurants and
cafes, so just stop anywhere that looks yummy. It probably is.
- Bike Around
Although it is the
Motor City, Detroit is also a great place to see on two wheels. A decreased
population means less traffic, so take advantage of the open road space and
bring your bike (or
rent one).
Take the MacArthur bridge over to Belle Isle, once the largest city island
park. After that, go along the river past the RenCen and Hart Plaza on the
beautiful new river walk. This will give you a great view of the South Detroit
that Journey sings about, which is actually
Canada.
A lot of residents
of downtown and midtown (just north of Downtown where Wayne State University
is) bike to work and school, so you'll fit right in with your helmet over
there. Being on a bike helps slow you down to see so much more than you can in
a car.
- Walk Woodward
In that same vein
of thought, just ditch the wheels entirely and go down one of the main
thoroughfares of the city on foot. Woodward goes all the way from the Detroit
river up through the suburbs and into Pontiac where it loops back to the D. If
you're really ambitious, you can walk the whole thing, but for the more faint
of heart maybe limit it to the downtown area, which is only about a square
mile large anyway.
Key landmarks to
check out while you walk up Woodward (starting at the river) include Joe
Louis's fist, which you should probably pose with. You can also have a
photoshoot with the
Spirit
of Detroit, a big copper man with massive thighs who holds the sun in one
hand and citizens of Detroit in the other. If it's playoff time for any local
sports teams, he'll also be clad in a giant custom made jersey. As you look at
him you can ponder what the spirit of Detroit
really
is.
Farther north is
Campus Martius, where in the winter you can ice skate and in the summer you
can catch a concert on the beach. Also there will soon be free wi-fi there, so
it's just all around amazing.
The architecture of
downtown Detroit is amazing, and you can get a glimpse of art deco next to
modern design. You can also see pretty much constant construction as buildings
are remodeled and redeveloped.
- Watch a Show
If you were to keep
walking up Woodward, you'd see the Fox theater, one of many excellent venues
for tons of shows in Detroit. There are
broadway caliber performances and
big name musicians as well as local stars at smaller venues like St. Andrew's
Hall. Even if you can't get tickets, walk through the Fisher building and
marvel at it's awesome beauty.
- Go to Church
This isn't a ploy
to convert you, I promise. But Detroit past and present can't be fully
understood without looking at religion, besides the fact that
many old churches in Detroit are historical landmarks and architectural treasures.
Heard of Aretha
Franklin? She grew up a preacher's daughter singing in the church choir here.
Ever heard of the Black Madonna? The popular movement of Black Christian
Nationalism is a Detroit thing, too. Survey some native Detroiters today and
you'll find that faith and faith communities continue to play a major role in
individual lives and
social
change.
Some particularly
beautiful churches to check out: St. Anne de Detroit (the oldest Catholic
parish in the state), Fort Street Presbyterian (look for the green tower),
Mariner's church right on the river,
Metro UMC on Woodward, and St. Aloysius downtown. I could go on, but
you're probably running out of time on your Detroit visit.
- Visit Museums
Conveniently
located in the so-called cultural center of the city, Detroit is home to a
world renowned art institute (Detroit Institute of Art), a kid friendly
science center and imax theater (Michigan Science Center), a new museum of
contemporary art (MOCAD), and "the world's largest institution dedicated
to the African American experience (the Wright museum of African American
History). Check out admissions specials for Metro-Detroit residents or for
teachers! A short distance away you can check out the Motown Museum and
original home of Hitsville USA. Other area museums listed
here.
- Listen
The sights of
Detroit are awesome, but I promise the people are even cooler. Talk to the
panhandlers in front of Comerica Park or the street musicians in Greektown.
Ask questions and pay attention to the answers.
- Take Pictures
Don't just collect
ruin porn. It might be tempting to snap a lot of photos of the abandoned
Michigan Central Station and instagram them using some
dark and creepy
filter, but then you might miss seeing Roosevelt Park across the revival
of this public space. Go through the Heidelberg project and snap photos of the
art installments, but respect the people who still live on the half empty
street.
Detroit is a
vacation destination just like Paris and NYC. Have fun, document your trip,
and capture all the beautiful sights!
Don't take pictures
on the casino floor though. They don't seem to like that.
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| This is what happens when you try to have a photoshoot at Greektown Casino |
- Go to a Game
Some Detroit sports
teams don't actually play in Detroit, but most do, and most are pretty great.
Named for the famed
boxer from Detroit, Joe Louis Arena is the current home of the Detroit Red
Wings. Maybe you've heard of them; they have the longest play-off appearance
streak in NHL history at 23 seasons. Also if you're not from around here, you
should take in a game to see just how crazy Michiganders can be about their
hockey. Like, throwing octupi on the ice crazy.
If you like
baseball, then a Tigers game is the place for you. If you don't like baseball,
Comerica Park is the perfect destination, because they've filled it with so
many attractions you don't have to watch a single pitch. Ride the
merry-go-round or the ferris wheel and drink some overpriced beer, because
this is America.
The Lions play just
across the street from the Tigers at Ford Field, and are currently not the
worst team in football! Superbowl XL was played at this stadium, and it is a
covered field, which comes in handy when it starts to snow in early November.
If you really like
basketball, you can take I-75 up to Auburn Hills to see the Detroit Pistons.
If you really like women's basketball, you're out of luck. We sold our
national-championship-winning Shock to Tulsa.
- Drink
All good things
should start with food and end with drinks, right? Like pretty much every
other city you can think of, Detroit is home to some really fun bars, and some
really shady bars, and some really shady bars that turn out to be really fun.
If you want a
dinner and bar tab that's bigger than my paycheck and a breathtaking view, go
to the Coach Insignia restaurant atop the tallest tower of the Renaissance
Center. They have good happy hour specials, so if you aren't made of money,
that's a good time to go.
Midtown is home to
a lot of college students, and so it's also home to a lot of bars. Motor City
Brewing Works is there, along with Traffic Jam & Snug, and both will serve
you their craft brews. For cocktails, go to Cliff Bell's downtown, which started
as a speak easy during prohibition and has live music. In Corktown, the oldest
neighborhood in Detroit, you can go to PJ's lager house (also has live music).
The city is much
bigger than downtown and midtown, though, and a lot of other neighborhoods
have a lot of other local treasures. There are jazz clubs and Irish pubs and
strange
taverns that you have to call ahead to make sure they are open. As you
unwind with your drink you can think of all the crazy amazing things you've
seen and experienced in the greatest city in the world, Detroit, MI!
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