The infamous Detroit, yes! Dangerous Detroit? Not so much.
We got to visit another awesome midwest city last summer, Detroit, or detwah as some pronounce it (only I pronounce it that way). So I know we all hear of these supposed dangerous cities on the news and Detroit is one of them. If you search ‘US most dangerous cities’ on any search engine this city will definitely pop up. I’m not saying that one couldn’t find danger here if they weren’t using common sense, or found themselves in a particularly bad neighborhood. And the AirBnB we stayed at totally had bars on the windows. And yep, plenty of homeless people walking around as well as abandoned houses and buildings throughout the city. But, Nate and I spent a long weekend here and we never once were approached by a stranger, heard a gunshot, or saw anything ‘shady’ going on around the places we visited. You should absolutely be smart about your actions while exploring here, but you should also give this sweet city a chance to really explore all that it has to offer. Here’s what we did during our time here:
ACTIVITIES IN DETROIT
This is such a unique activity to do while in Detroit! I’ll admit that we were a little sketched out, because you drive to a neighborhood that is pretty run down and park your car to get out and walk around and look at all the art projects. In the end our fear was for nothing because it was totally safe and we got to see some cool stuff! Ok, so think about all your old toys, clothes, hairdryers, and garage sale throwaways being put together in a heap on a lawn. BUT this heap is very artistically thrown together to create an eye catching display. ‘Tis kewl.
This is a really old, small, and free aquarium to visit. I remember seeing a lot of great lakes fish, but they have all kinds here!
Ride a Bird
Ever been on a motorized scooter in a strange city a couple cocktails deep? I have and I’ll never forget it. They have these in Milwaukee too, but in Detroit is where I hopped aboard my first one.
Wow! Just wow! The history here…it’s amazing! I never thought I would actually get to visit the place huge artists created major tracks. Whether you’re a history buff or a music fan, you must put this on your list of places to see while in Detroit. Their guided tours fill up fast, though, so make sure you plan accordingly.
This is a little outside Detroit, but worth it to head out there. It’s a huge museum and while it does have a large section devoted to cars and the evolution of motorized vehicles, it also has all kinds of other exhibits and different areas of technology to see packed with information and the history of the inventions! You could easily spend a whole day here.
EAT & DRINK
If you’re looking a for a greasy spoon breakfast spot, stop here for a delicious meal. It’s a small diner with inexpensive and delicious grub.
Nate and I stopped here for lunch one of the days we were in Detroit. I’m a sucker for a good burger, fry, and draft beer meal and this place hit the spot.
An excellent gastropub to stop by while downtown. They’ve got a ton of draft beer to choose from and yummy food!
We were in downtown one night in Detroit, and had a hankering for Chinese food so we stopped in The Peterboro and we were not disappointed! On top of generous portions and absolutely delicious foods, the ambiance was very aesthetically pleasing as well.
The Whitney is a beautiful mansion with a bar and a restaurant inside. They also give tours as the building is said to be haunted. We came here for a couple superb cocktails at the Ghost Bar.
Another bar with excellent ambiance is Northern Lights. I don’t recall there being much other activity in this area, but don’t let that discourage you from stopping here for a drink. It’s got a sweet nautical hipster vibe that’ll put you at ease while sipping your Cosmo.
If you want a perfect, hand-crafted cocktail in Detroit, then stop here! They can make you any cocktail here and it will taste amazing.