Yesterday I took a look at all our former blog entries and I noticed that the content is about nearly every city in the United States except Detroit. Because of this I don’t write about my last New York trip but about all the things you can do in the Detroit area.
Every time somebody asks me where I come from and I respond “I live in Detroit”, the answer is: Ohh! Poor girl! Then my first thought was: “You don’t know anything about Detroit!”
Every time somebody asks me where I come from and I respond “I live in Detroit”, the answer is: Ohh! Poor girl! Then my first thought was: “You don’t know anything about Detroit!”
Detroit is a vibrant area with many fun and exciting things to do and places to visit.
The view from the GM-Tower over the Detroit River and Windsor is spectacular. No matter if you go there at day- or nighttime. If you are interested in culture you can visit one of the numerous museums, like the Ford Museum, or discover one of the largest and most significant Institutes of Arts the DIA. I really like the Native American landscape paintings.
The view from the GM-Tower over the Detroit River and Windsor is spectacular. No matter if you go there at day- or nighttime. If you are interested in culture you can visit one of the numerous museums, like the Ford Museum, or discover one of the largest and most significant Institutes of Arts the DIA. I really like the Native American landscape paintings.
Another exciting experience is the Eastern Market. Besides flowers and Detroit souvenirs, you have an impressive selection of fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and fish for a very good price. You should try the spare ribs or the chicken breast from the biggest grill I ever saw. It’s just delicious.But the Market gets its special flair from the people. While sitting in front of a few bars, they are talking, singing and dancing.
If you are searching for European bread, cake or pizza you should stop by Avalon Bakery on W. Willis Street.
A few weeks ago I visited the Heidelberg Project. Tyree Guyton started to transform Heidelberg Street into a massive art environment in 1986.As a twelve year old boy he suffered from the tragic effects of the Detroit riots.
Many neighborhoods became segregated urban ghettos characterized by poverty, abandonment and despair. That’s the reason he decided to clean up Elba Street and Heidelberg Street by converting houses and trees in “gigantic art sculptures.”
Other impressive buildings are the Michigan Central Station or the Packert Plant. It is scary when you are in front of these huge abandoned buildings, but there is nothing to worry about. At the Packert Plant we met a police officer, who suggested going inside, because it is a safe place. It was really interesting! Like an old museum. You can discover offices, bathrooms, living rooms…
On Memorial Day, I went with a bunch of friends to the Electronic Music Festival downtown. It was located in the heart of Detroit Hart Plaza next to the Renaissance Center. The first Detroit Electronic Music Festival was held in 2000 and was intended to give Detroit and its overlooked history of electronic music major exposure both locally and nationally. It is the celebration of the birthplace of techno music.
There are four stages where you can hear and feel music from the best DJs all over the world. To be honest I never was a big fan of this kind of music but the feeling of the bass and the atmosphere make it to a very peculiar experience.
Downtown there are other music events: the Jazz Festival, the Country Music Festival etc., nearly every weekend. It is nice to walk through the crowded streets and the river front, or sit down in one of the numerous bars and restaurants.
Another special tip is the funky night. It was one of my first nights here in Detroit. It was exactly what I expected when I came to Detroit. An old abandon factory with lots of scary people, who were hanging around parking lots. After a few minutes we found out that the scariest looking people were other interns from Germany. How movies and rumors can change your perception!
Unfortunately we decided to drive home after we waited 2 hours in the line. But the music sounds very good and next time we will head off earlier.
Detroit is also a sports-rich place, with the Tigers at Comerica Park, the Lions at Ford Field and the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. The Pistons don’t play downtown but at the Palace of Auburn Hills. It is very exciting to watch all of these games.
We watched the Pistons vs. the Chicago Bulls a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t just the game that caught our attention, but the cheerleaders, the singer of the national anthem etc. It is also exciting to watch the game in a bar. The Stanley Cup was a great experience to feel the strong bond and the local pride of Detroiters.
On Memorial Day, I went with a bunch of friends to the Electronic Music Festival downtown. It was located in the heart of Detroit Hart Plaza next to the Renaissance Center. The first Detroit Electronic Music Festival was held in 2000 and was intended to give Detroit and its overlooked history of electronic music major exposure both locally and nationally. It is the celebration of the birthplace of techno music.
There are four stages where you can hear and feel music from the best DJs all over the world. To be honest I never was a big fan of this kind of music but the feeling of the bass and the atmosphere make it to a very peculiar experience.
Downtown there are other music events: the Jazz Festival, the Country Music Festival etc., nearly every weekend. It is nice to walk through the crowded streets and the river front, or sit down in one of the numerous bars and restaurants.
Another special tip is the funky night. It was one of my first nights here in Detroit. It was exactly what I expected when I came to Detroit. An old abandon factory with lots of scary people, who were hanging around parking lots. After a few minutes we found out that the scariest looking people were other interns from Germany. How movies and rumors can change your perception!
Unfortunately we decided to drive home after we waited 2 hours in the line. But the music sounds very good and next time we will head off earlier.
Detroit is also a sports-rich place, with the Tigers at Comerica Park, the Lions at Ford Field and the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. The Pistons don’t play downtown but at the Palace of Auburn Hills. It is very exciting to watch all of these games.
We watched the Pistons vs. the Chicago Bulls a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t just the game that caught our attention, but the cheerleaders, the singer of the national anthem etc. It is also exciting to watch the game in a bar. The Stanley Cup was a great experience to feel the strong bond and the local pride of Detroiters.
If you want to do sports on your own, you should go to one of the metro-beaches in the Detroit area. Lots of people do bicycling, running, swimming, inline skating, playing volleyball, basketball or tennis or just hanging around in the sun.If you don’t know Detroit I hope you got a good impression of this city. I really love Detroit and I am sad that it has this bad reputation.
I am very happy that I got the chance to stay the whole summer in Michigan.
Annika
Comments
You know more about the city than a lot of native Detroiters -- I'm very impressed with your blog!
Jack
It wasn't there when I was an intern in 2003, but I read about it in a magazine here in Belgium..
it seems that 'city farming' is the biggest in Detroit...
Have fun!! I still have very fond memories of my intern time!!
Kaatje