  Ukinthed Member Username: Ukinthed Post Number: 1 Registered: 07-2007 |
As a result of seeing the Ruin of a City dvd I'm taking in Detroit as part fo my trip to the US from the UK. I will be in the city on Wednesday and Thursday July 25/26. Any tips on places to see will be very much appreciated. I want to take in the car and architectural history but I'm also a big music fan so would love to see the Grande Ballroom etc. I hope someone can give me some tips. Martin | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 2716 Registered: 12-2005 |
Welcome to the forum, Martin. I once knew a Martin Barker from the U.K. who was interested in ballroom dancing. | ||
Michigan Member Username: Michigan Post Number: 791 Registered: 04-2007 |
MArtin- Did you go to Marquette? | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 729 Registered: 11-2006 |
Come on you guys! Give some info to this nice visitor who will spread the word of Detroiters' kindness to others. What about the person(s) who I've read on here give tours of the old theaters? What about inviting Ukinthed to the Thursday night Forum? Here's my input: See Belle Isle, Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, take a drive from Downtown out through the Grosse Pointes to St. Clair Shores on Jefferson/Lake Shore Drive. Continue on to Metro Beach and take 16 mile to I-94 back Downtown. Eat in Greektown, a Coney dog or two at Lafayette or American Coney downtown. Compare the two and join in the "Great Debate". This is a MUST! You will forever be 'comrades in arms' with Detroiters. How about feather bowling and a big ol' bucket of steamed mussels with one (or 6) of 55 or so imported beers at Cadieux Cafe on Cadieux Road between Mack Ave. and Warren on the East Side. A true Eastside tradition. I'm sure you will get more suggestions from other posters soon. oh yeah, Fox Theater must have something going on this coming week. You will love it. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3316 Registered: 02-2005 |
Make sure you go inside of the Guardian Bldg. (Griswold-Congress) and the Fisher Building (Grand Blvd). A nice midday or early evening walk would be from the financial district anchored by the Guardian Bldg., across Campus Martius, and then along Monroe through Greektown. You'll be there on a weekday which means during the day you'll see downtown humming with 9-5 activity. I don't think there are too many events next week, so night-time activity will be spotty, just your typical bar/restaurant activity. You can get a good sense of what has happened in the last 50 years in Detroit by touring Brush Park. Drive up and down John R. and some of the sidestreets between Mack Ave. and the stadia. You'll see the Victorian mansions that remain getting rehabbed, old apartment buildings in a restored state, and new stuff being built on the abundant vacant land where many more beautiful victorian buildings once existed. Being from the UK, you probably have a flair for good gothic architecture, so check out some of Detroit's churches (most of these are from the 19th century): Fort Street Presbyterian (Fort St. a few blocks west of downtown), St. Joseph (off Gratiot before St. Aubin-- can't miss the spire), St. Mary (Monroe St. in Greektown), St. Aloysius (Washington Blvd north of Michigan Ave.), Central United Methodist (Grand Circus Park), St. John Episcopal (Woodward by the Stadia), Christ Church Detroit (Jefferson-375), and Blessed Sacrament Cathedral (Woodward-Trowbridge), to name a few. The Motown Museum on W. Grand Blvd is what you'll want to see to satisfy your music interest. Too bad the Art Institute is closed as it completes its remodel. Check out the exterior anyway, and the Public Library and Wayne State across the street. Its on Woodward north of Warren Ave. | ||
Bibs Member Username: Bibs Post Number: 699 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ukinthed - Tell us what you interested in seeing or doing? There is ton of new development going in the central business district. I recommend the new board walk along the Detroit River near the Renaissance Center. On the ground floor of the RenCen, you'll find a display of new and old cars produced by GM. A drive up Woodward from the downtown Detroit to Pontiac will allow you to see the best, worst and rebirth of Detroit. If you can't afford a car then take Smart bus from Larned and Jefferson. I was in Milton Keynes for about a week last year in Nov. Drove over to France and spend a week there. Enjoy your trip to and through the "D". | ||
Michigan Member Username: Michigan Post Number: 797 Registered: 04-2007 |
Martin- Do you live in Belfast and did you go to Marquette University? | ||
Jimg Member Username: Jimg Post Number: 891 Registered: 10-2003 |
Martin, As you probably know, Detroit's music history is strong and varied. I suggest you post a notice on www.sixtiesdetroit.com and soulfuldetroit.com (available on the left side of DetroitYes! Those sites are geared more towards music. LeoB has a wonderful website about the Grande, or what's left of the Grande: www.thegrandeballroom.com. There is also a HOF (hall of fame) thread on the Grande on this board - the HOF threads are located just under the skyline photo. For articles about Detroit jazz history, try www.detroitmusichistory.com | ||
Parkguy Member Username: Parkguy Post Number: 71 Registered: 04-2007 |
Hey, UkintheD is only going to be in town two days! Be realistic! Spend a LONG day at the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, and the Ford Rouge Factory tour. They are all part of "The Henry Ford" in Dearborn. The museum and village are adjacent, and one ticket covers both. The tour requires an additional ticket and leaves from the museum by bus. I think you have to make reservations ahead of time. www.thehenryford.com Spend another day in the central city, making sure to see the Motown Museum, five miles north of downtown on W. Grand Boulevard. Mackinaw lists some good ideas for downtown stops in an earlier post. Bibs pointed out the Renaissance Center auto exhibit-- that is a good stop, too. Too bad the Tigers are out of town this week. If your visa allows it, a trip to Windsor is fun-- the views from the bridge are excellent, and a trip back through the tunnel will give you something to talk about. The views of downtown from the tip of Belle Isle are good, too. Enjoy your visit. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3322 Registered: 02-2005 |
Trying to cross the bridge will cost you a lot of time, though. I agree about the Henry Ford museum. Drive Michigan Ave. east and west of the Museum to get a flavor of diverse Dearborn. Greenfield Village is interesting but possibly even cliche for a visitor. It's basically a collection of old buildings that weren't originally there. If you want a glimpse of auto manufacturing, then do the Rouge tour. A driving tour of Indian Village and Grosse Pointe would only take a couple hours max and would show you examples of the architectural tributes to pre-depression wealth that we still have plenty of. Indian Village is 10 minutes (or less) east of downtown starting at Parker or Seminole Streets, extending a mile north from Jefferson. Then follow Jefferson to the city limits, turn right on Barrington, drive to its end on Windmill Pointe Drive, and follow WP Drive back to Jefferson a little further east (via Bedford Rd. at the end). 10,000-20,000 square foot mansions from the 1920s are prevalent along this road. The median on this boulevard is a nice place to walk if you want to take in the neighborhood. Once back to Jefferson you can turn left to go back downtown, or right to continue on to Lakeshore Drive and more mansions. If there's any chance you'll want to see more of this area, let me know and i'll recommend more important sites to see. Hamtramck is a highly dense city within the city where immigrants have gone for over a century. It's 10 minutes out of downtown. If you have any interest in seeing this interesting cultural attraction, let us know and you'll get more info. | ||
Rbdetsport Member Username: Rbdetsport Post Number: 320 Registered: 11-2005 |
Definetly make the drive up Woodward from Jefferson to Pontiac. | ||
Plymouthres Member Username: Plymouthres Post Number: 123 Registered: 02-2007 |
Martin- To begin with, welcome to the forum and a great place to find out about the city of Detroit and it's environs! As Bibs queried, what type of car stuff would you like to see? The Henry Ford offers a tour of the Rouge Assembly Plant where you can see a F150 Pickup truck assembled. Although not a 100% "build tour", it gives you the feel of the process and is a relatively cheap experience (here is the website: http://www.thehenryford.org). This will definitely take-up one full day and will depend on where you are staying and if you can get around. The other options he suggests are valid, too! As for the architecture, I believe that your best bet is to take a walking tour of the immediate downtown city streets (perhaps other more knowledgeable forum members could provide some help with a map here?), which will give you an idea of the "flavor" of the city and it's layout. This should, if possible, include a trip to the new Riverwalk so that you can see the direction that the city is headed in, as it is really making a comeback in a lot of places. The Grande is a possibility, and you should check out Mowtown Records as well! There really is a lot to do in the genre's that you mentioned, and if you are serious about the whole shooting match, then you can see a lot!!! And no, you will not need ant type of weapon at all. You are really pretty safe in the city if you just use common sense and stay on the main streets! If you are a military history person, I can assure you a prime tour of one of a few remaining star Forts in this country, and the reason that Detroit earned the name "The Arsenal of Democracy". Fort Wayne was the single largest motor vehicle depot in the country, and it is currently being painstakingly restored to its former grandeur. Just let me know if you are interested in that option, and I can help make it happen, either day! Mackinaw and Kath offer excellent suggestions as well, so you have easy choices and all are a good time. With only two days, timing will mean everything! I hope you enjoy your future trip to Detroit! This forum is THE AUTHORITY on find out what to do in the D, so you've come to the right place! | ||
Ukinthed Member Username: Ukinthed Post Number: 2 Registered: 07-2007 |
Thanks for the tips everyone! I am in town only for 2 days so I think the Henry Ford Museum, Motown and Detroit Historical Museum will be about all I will be able to pack in plus some walking around before I head out on Thursday night. I'm from a town called Marlow that is 25 miles west of London on the River Thames. Best wishes Martin | ||
Ukinthed Member Username: Ukinthed Post Number: 3 Registered: 07-2007 |
I forgot to ask, what is the name of the old theatre that is now a car park and what is its address? | ||
Eastside61 Member Username: Eastside61 Post Number: 119 Registered: 07-2006 |
UK - visit the urban prairie on the eastside....and make a trip (daylight only) to the foot of Lakewood along the Detroit River........and check out the view of Belle Isle and Canada........ | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2471 Registered: 06-2004 |
UK - it's the Michigan Theater at Bagley and Grand River (238 Bagley) (Message edited by lilpup on July 22, 2007) | ||
Ukinthed Member Username: Ukinthed Post Number: 4 Registered: 07-2007 |
Thanks Lilpup! I booked a good deal with Marriott that gets me free tickets for the Rouge Factory tour and the Henry Ford Museum all at $119 per night - fine by me! | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 261 Registered: 05-2004 |
Whatever you do don't drive down Grand River from downtown to Telegraph. Then, you'll really see why Detroit has so far to go. | ||
Urbanoutdoors Member Username: Urbanoutdoors Post Number: 462 Registered: 11-2005 |
If you like jazz, check out Bakers or berts in the eastern market. And for a quick bite try lafayette coney, also slows is great for just about any food. | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 3998 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ukinthed, welcome to the forum and the D. There is an extensive discussion thread on the Michigan Theater currently on the forum -> Click HERE Here is the key post for your purposes, from its actual and generous owner, in that thread: Tony_pieroni Member Username: Tony_pieroni Post Number: 20 Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Wednesday, July 04, 2007 - 12:24 pm: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for the heads-up gistok. I'll try to address the comments of those folks interested in the theater. First, we go out of our way to accomodate folks who'd like to view the garage and take a couple of pictures. We open the garage to the Preservation Wayne Theater Tour every year. We have permitted many architectural students and groups from Harvard, U of M , Cranbrook, U of D, and several other U. S. and foreign schools to inspect and photograph it. We have had countless requests from amateur and professional photographers and we try to accomodate them if we can. What people have to keep in mind is that the theater is a place of business, open only to paying tenants of the MI Bld. It's a high security building and frankly, tenants don't like to see strangers in the building. Also, it can be dangerous as there is only one up-down ramp between floors. Walking on the ramps is strictly prohibited. My insurance agent would love to see access denied to all non-tenants. Nevertheless, we do permit entry to everyone except for walk-ins who seek to gain entry unannounced and at times when there is a lot of tenant activity in the garage (lunch time and between 4 and 6 PM.) If it's not convenient for us we always tell people to call and come back at another time. Most people are no trouble. However, there are always a few people who we let in to take a couple of photos and we receive calls from tenants that they're walking around looking in cars or walking up or down the ramp. | ||
Gsgeorge Member Username: Gsgeorge Post Number: 187 Registered: 08-2006 |
Martin, DO NOT MISS the MICHIGAN CENTRAL STATION on Michigan Avenue across from the old Tiger Stadium. If you were inspired by the Ruin of a City DVD then you absolutely must see this building. It is the greatest American ruin and certainly one of Detroit's most significant architectural buildings. Do not miss it! After taking a look there, be sure to grab a bite at SLOWS BBQ across the street. Thanks for considering Detroit as one of your stopping places in the US. You will not be disappointed by our wide variety of cultural and entertainment institutions. | ||
Jeduncan Member Username: Jeduncan Post Number: 112 Registered: 11-2006 |
Well, everything I was going to suggest has already been suggested, but here's some advice. Take as many pictures as you can! and then share them with us. :-) | ||
Dfd Member Username: Dfd Post Number: 271 Registered: 09-2004 |
Ukinthed, Be sure to take pictures of some of Detroit's firehouses! Dfd | ||
Ukinthed Member Username: Ukinthed Post Number: 5 Registered: 07-2007 |
Just arrived home after 2 days in Detroit at the end of my 10 day trip to Chicago and Cleveland. I had a terrific time and I will post a trip report soon. Particular thanks go to Bobzilla for his Pewabic Tiles tour that he extended for me to include many other significant sites in downtown Detroit's history. Sad to hear the old Tigers Stadium is coming down with no firm plans yet of what will go on the site. The city already has so many vacant lots, it's very sad. I guess the big difference between the US and Europe is that there is still a lot of undeveloped land in the US, whereas space is at a premium in Europe and old buildings are therefore either cherished or demolished and new buildings replace them quickly. Detroit is a city to be proud of, it shouldn't be left to go to wrack and ruin. Martin | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3380 Registered: 02-2005 |
Thanks for following up and glad you had a good time! Good point about the American tendency to tear stuff down, and take vacant land for granted. I wish we could have more of a European or at least East Coast mentality here. | ||
Bobzilla Member Username: Bobzilla Post Number: 92 Registered: 11-2003 |
After the Pewabic Tour, I took Martin to Hart Plaza -- and then we walked to Park Avenue and hit Centaur (for beer), the Park Bar (for beer and food) and Cliff Bell's (for the 16-piece jazz orchestra that plays there every Wednesday). It was good to meet you, Martin. Come back and visit us again. | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 4029 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thanks for the update Martin and "Y'all come back." We also get a lot of UK visitors via our sister site www.soulfuldetroit.com/forum - Northern Soul fans making pilgrimages to Motown era sites. |
