10 Things to Do in Detroit
It’s hard to think “Detroit” and picture green urban spaces, organic coffee shops and gourmet restaurants, but the Motor City is undergoing a revitalization that could put it on the map as a hip city to visit this year. While most of the population fled following riots in the 1960s, leaving Detroit in an almost post-apocalyptic state, ambitious entrepreneurs and young professionals are slowly moving back and sparking positive change in the community. Here are ten things to do in Detroit right now:
1. Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company
Coffee lovers can get their fix at Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company, an organic, small batch coffee company located in a Midtown building that’s constructed mostly from materials reclaimed from a demolished East Side Detroit home. Different freshly roasted micro-lot, single-origin coffees are served throughout the week, but Great Lakes’ commitment to quality never changes – their business philosophy focuses on small-scale production, traditional techniques and quality taste. Insider tip: try the cold-brewed coffee on draught.
2. The Hudson Café
Serving arguably the best breakfast in Detroit, The Hudson Café opened in 2011 when owners Tom Teknos and Stavros Adamapoulos saw a city revitalizing. Their prediction paid off, as today hungry patrons typically have to wait for a table on weekend mornings. But most agree: it’s worth the extra time just to get a bite of The Hudson Café’s famous Red Velvet Pancakes ($9), which are drizzled with cream cheese and dusted with cocoa powder. Other popular items on the menu include the Very Berry Stuffed French Toast ($9.50) stuffed with banana cream cheese and topped with fresh berries and the Voodoo Eggs Benedict ($9.50) made with corn cake, chorizo, cheddar & a special house ranchero sauce that takes three hours to make.
3. Campus Martius Park
Located smack dab in the middle of downtown Detroit, Campus Martius Park is a small but bustling public oasis that, since opening in 2004, has brought much-needed greenery and pedestrian traffic to the area. Today there’s always something going on, from performances, a bar and yard games in the summer to an ice rink in the winter. The park, which was once a drill ground for the militia in the 1700s, has become a favorite hangout for nearby office workers at lunchtime. In fact, the park itself has served as a catalyst for new construction, with condominiums and new office spaces springing up with increased frequency over the past few years.
4. Roasting Plant
Located right across from Campus Martius Park, Roasting Plant is further evidence that good coffee might be fueling Detroit’s renaissance. The modern shop takes the science of coffee seriously, and beans are roasted fresh in-house every day. While there’s no denying that the coffee is strong and delicious, the real reason people keep coming back is probably the novelty ordering process. Once you pick which coffee you want, the beans are vacuum pumped through clear tubes, shooting right from the roaster to the brewer. It gives the place an industrial mad-scientist vibe and draws coffee connoisseurs to come back again and again.
5. The Heidelberg Project
The Heidelberg Project is an outdoor art project that began in 1986 when artist Tyree Guyton returned to Heidelberg, the street where he grew up on Detroit’s East Side, and found vacant lots filled with trash, abandoned cars and homes in shambles. Hoping to transform the neighborhood and improve the community through art, Guyton began collecting the debris and turning trash into wacky and wonderful art projects. Today, the neighborhood, which is one of the most economically depressed in the country with unemployment rates of 75 percent, receives 275,000 annual visitors interested in checking out Guyton’s creations, like a colorful polka dot house and controversial pieces protesting everything from radiation to the tobacco industry and even Santa.
6. Belle Isle
For Detroiters seeking a bit of natural beauty, Belle Isle is a 987-acre island park complete with three lakes, a wooded area and beautiful views of the Detroit skyline. Inside, find a zoo, conservatory, golf practice facility, aquarium and maritime museum. On a nice weather day, families can escape the urban environment and enjoy a picnic on Detroit’s only public beach followed by a ride down the giant nearby slide which certainly isn’t for kids only.
7. Greektown
In the early 1900s, Greektown was home to a large population of Greek immigrants who had moved to Detroit. Although most of the original residents have moved out, the neighborhood, located northeast of downtown along Monroe Avenue, is still known for its plethora of Greek restaurants, a few of which are still Greek-owned. The area has become a popular district for tourists and city residents alike, with a casino, buildings modeled after Greek architectural icons like the Parthenon and live music on summer nights. For cheap Greek eats, try Plaka Cafe, a diner-style restaurant serving Mediterranean dishes like gyros and kabobs alongside American staples like burgers and French toast.
8. Thomas Edison Depot Museum
Located in Thomas Edison’s childhood home of Port Huron, Michigan, the Depot Museum portrays the life story of the man famous for inventing the electrical light bulb through exhibits, live presentations and hands-on interactive experiences. The museum is inside the historic Fort Gratiot depot, which was built in 1858 and once served as a connection for trains carrying people and freight between Port Huron and Detroit. Outside the depot is a restored baggage car, where visitors can see a re-creation of young Edison’s mobile chemistry lab and print shop.
9. Detroit Historical Museum
The three-story Detroit Historical Museum is the perfect place to become immersed in the history of the Motor City. The first level represents what the city’s streets have looked like over time, while on the second level visitors can see part of an automobile assembly line process in action and even sit in a Model T. The museum’s exhibits also cover Detroit’s contributions to WWII, and the city’s period of innovation following the war that gave way to many of the modern items we use every day. It’s free to enter and provides interesting historical context for many of the other sights visitors will see in Detroit.
10. Vinsetta Garage
After 91 years as an auto repair shop and hot rod hangout, the well-known Vinsetta Garage on Woodward Avenue was overhauled in 2011 by investors who converted the building into a destination restaurant. While it looks mostly the same on the outside, complete with gas pumps and garage doors, the interior is now a very cool dining scene where patrons enjoy comfort foods like Disco Fries ($6.95), Coal-Fired Bread Sticks ($5.95) and hearty burgers ($12.95 to $14.95).
