Things to Do in Detroit: Grit, Motor City Soul
I flew into Detroit with vague ideas about factories and decline, and the city spent four days proving me wrong. The Motor City is in the middle of a genuine renaissance, with a grand waterfront, a restored downtown, and a creative food and music scene that rivals anywhere in the country. It also carries its history with pride, from the car plants to the Motown sound. Here is how I spent my time, and what made me love a city I had underestimated.
Start at the Detroit Riverwalk
My first morning I headed straight for the river. The Riverwalk is a long, smooth promenade along the Detroit River, with the skyscrapers of nearby Canada glinting across the water. I walked east past parks, public art, and a huge outdoor pool, watching cyclists and families enjoy a perfect day. Near the eastern end I boarded the outdoor elevator up the tower of the GM Renaissance Center, which belongs to the people of Detroit now, and got a panoramic view of the river, the city, and two countries at once. It was the perfect way to orient myself.
Lose Yourself in Motown History
Motown is the soundtrack of Detroit, and the museum at the original Hitsville U.S.A. is a pilgrimage. I walked into the modest house where the label recorded its first hits and felt chills from the very first room. The small recording studio upstairs, with its famous red brick wall and the grooves in the floor, is where Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and the Supremes made music that changed the world. A set of headphones had me listening to the hits in the exact spot they were made. Book tickets ahead, the house is small and tours fill fast.
Stroll Through the Eastern Market
The Eastern Market is one of the oldest and largest public markets in the country, and it is where I went to feel the pulse of the city. On a Saturday morning it erupts with stalls filled with fresh produce, flowers, and hot food from every corner of the region. I wandered the covered sheds, ate a tamale from one stall and an excellent shawarma from another, and watched vendors load boxes for months of Sunday brunches. The surrounding streets are lined with murals and the walls are a celebration in themselves.
See the City Through Its Unmatched Murals
Detroit’s street art is among the best I have seen anywhere, and the enclosed alleys and factory walls read like a museum. I found a guided mural tour that took me through the back streets of the core city and showed me pieces by artists from around the world, each telling a story about the community. The highlight for me was the painted side of the old Eastern Market packing houses, huge and vivid. Even aimlessly driving the wider city, I kept spotting colourful warehouses worth a photograph.
Tour the Spirit of Detroit: The Art Deco Skyline
Detroit’s downtown is a dense forest of Art Deco towers, and I spent a happy afternoon just looking up. The Guardian Building is the crown jewel, a 1920s skyscraper whose lobby is a riot of coloured ceramic tile and metalwork that left me speechless. I walked in to inspect the ceiling and the details, and it cost nothing. The Fisher Building across town is equally sumptuous, with a golden ceiling in its lobby. For an architecture fan, Detroit is one of the great walks of the country, and it is all still here, glittering behind the waterfront.
Eat Like Someone Who Loves Food
Detroit’s food scene has exploded, and I ate better here than in most cities twice its size. I found remarkable Coney dogs, the city’s claim to local fame, at a classic counter, and I sought out the square style pizza that Detroit invented, with its caramelised cheese edges and airy dough. Beyond the classics, the neighbourhoods turned up inventive Mexican food, soul food, and a surprisingly good coffee culture. The mix is genuinely remarkable for the price, and I planned my evenings around where I wanted to eat.
Visit the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village
About twenty minutes outside the city, the Henry Ford Museum is a national treasure that deserves a full day. The main hall holds historic buses, trains, aircraft, and the famous chair Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot, alongside the buses that carried Rosa Parks on the night of her arrest. Next door, Greenfield Village is a living history village where I rode an old steam train and walked through working shops, including the laboratory where Thomas Edison and Henry Ford tinkered. It is enormous, so arrive early and pick your priorities.
Practical Tips for a Detroit Trip
I recommend having a car, since several of the best sights in and around the city are spread out, and parking downtown is easy enough. Book Motown and the Henry Ford in advance, especially on weekends. Downtown is walkable and safe in the day, and the QLine streetcar and city buses fill the gaps. Above all, bring an appetite and an open mind. Detroit is a city that rewards people who come expecting less and discover so much more, and four days barely reached its surface.
