Detroit

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Quick Facts

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Coordinates

• Latitude: 42.330165
• Longitude: -83.045913

On Travellerspoint

• 1 Detroit Hotels

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• GregW (73%)
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Introduction

The Spirit of Detroit, Detroit, MI, USA

© All Rights Reserved GregW

The Motor City, Detroit, Michigan, is both an example of the great industrial power of the United States, and the decline of it's inner cities. Henry Ford, the Dodge brothers, and Walter Chrysler started manufacturing of the automobiles in Detroit, and it soon grew to be one of the most important industrial centers in the USA. The automobile and the resulting highway system, though, was also downtown Detroit's downfall, as "the white flight" created a city of rich commuters living in the suburbs and poor, mostly African-American residents left in downtown Detroit. The gasoline crisises of the 1970s led to hard times for the automotive industry in America, and as a result, the city of Detroit. By the 1980s, downtown Detroit was a ghost-town, a city of abandoned buildings surrounded by poor neighbourhoods that scared most travellers away.

In the 1990s and 2000s, though, downtown Detroit has started to come back. New industry has moved into town. The Detroit Tigers baseball and Detroit Lions football clubs have built new downtown stadiums, returning from the suburbs, and creating a boom in restaurants and bars to serve gameday patrons. Three casinos have been built in the core, bringing in tourists and locals alike.

Detroit is the birthplace of the motown sound, soul music with a dancible beat championed by the likes of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and the Supremes.

Suburbs

• Royal Oak - Royal Oak downtown is a trendy and urban-chic restaurant, shopping, and entertainment district, and hosts the Detroit Zoo. Approximately 20 - 30 minutes from downtown Detroit.
• Windsor, Canada - Just across the river from Detroit by either the Ambassador bridge or the Tunnel, Windsor draws Detroit citizens across to partake in the carnal delights of a lower drinking age (19 years versus 21 in Detroit), more liberal strip clubs and massage parlours.

Sights

• Casinos: three casinos are in downtown Detroit: MGM Grand Detroit, Motor City Casino, and Greektown Casino. In addition, there is a casino across the river in Windsor, Ontario.
• Renaissance Center - a massive complex built on the Detroit river offers shopping and dining in a beautiful but confusing maze of an 6 story open attrium with multiple levels.
• Belle Isle - This island situated on America's busiest waterway offers hiking, beaches, watersports and an aquarium.
• Cranbrook - numerous attractions including the Institute of Science museum, an art museum, and the Cranbrook House and Garden. Located in Bloomfield Hills, MI, approximately 25 miles north west of downtown Detroit.

Activities

Comerica Park, Home of the Detroit Tigers

© All Rights Reserved GregW

• Lions and Tigers and Red Wings, oh my - Detroit Tigers baseball is at Comerica Park, Detroit Lions football (NFL) is at Ford Field and Detroit Red Wings Hockey plays in the Joe Louis Arena, all downtown.

Events and Festivals

• Friendship Festival - held first week of July to celebrate both Canada Day and Independence Day. Includes fireworks.

Weather

Getting There

By Plane

Detroit Wayne County Airport (DTW) is the main airport, and is a major hub for Northwest Airlines, which mainly has domestic flights but also a significant number of international flights, including Amsterdam, Cancun, Frankfurt, Manila, Tokyo, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Mexico City and Rome. Several dozens of other airlines serve Detroit, with many domestic services and quite a few international flights, like Amman, Paris, Toronto and London.

By Train

The Michigan Services are operated by Amtrak providing service to Detroit, operating its Wolverine service between Chicago, Illinois, and Pontiac.

By Car

By Bus

Tunnel Bus from Windsor

The Windsor Transit Tunnel Bus runs between Detroit and Windsor approximately every 20 to 30 minutes. The regular Tunnel Bus operates a short route from Windsor to downtown Detroit, including Cobo Center/Arena, Joe Louis Arena, Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza, before returning to Windsor. During special events, the bus runs to Ford Field and Comerica Park.

Proof of citizenship is required when crossing the international Windsor-Detroit border, and international travellers should check the entry requirements to the USA and Canada to ensure they are prepared. Tunnel bus service costs $2.75 for the regular route, or $3.50 for trips to Comerica Park & Ford Field on special occasions.

The Tunnel Bus schedule is available at the Transit Windsor website, though travellers going from Detroit to Windsor should note that the bus cannot wait at Tunnel platform, and so travellers are advised to arrive early. The platform for boarding the bus in Detroit is behind the Maritimes Sailor's Church on Jefferson at the entrance to the tunnel.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

An automated guideway transit system known as the People Mover provides a 2.9 mile loop in the downtown area and usually operates daily. The cost is $0.50 per ride, exact change required. Check the People Mover website for more information.

D-DOT provides services within Detroit city limits. The D-DOT website lists bus schedules and routes. Costs are $1.50 per ride.

SmartBus provides services to the communities surrounding Detroit. Smart Bus website lists schedules and routes. Costs are $1.50 per ride. A downloadable PDF service map can be found here

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• University of Detroit

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

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