Detroit? Detroit! Are you serious?? Detroit?!?

[timmae]

Yes, I am spending a day in detroit. Why you ask. Because there is a morning meeting that my wife has to attend. So... we'll have from around 1pm to the time we leave to take in all that Detroit has to offer. Sounds pleasant, eh? So, I am looking for people familiar with the city that could suggest some things to see, take in or have fun with. I am there on Saturday, so a stop at a local watering hole to take in the Sox game that night would work out swell. I also plan on jumping over to Windsor to grab some nice Contreras-esque stogies. Otherwise... my day is open. Let the information roll in....

[bob]

If you like Greek food, you can swing by Greektown, grab a bite, and then go to the casino.

[KevinNU7]

Spend the day in Windsor

[st.cronin]

Hang out with Eminem.

[Passacaglia]

The DIA is pretty cool.

[timmae]

I have heard about the casino, although I am an architect so I would rather be outside looking at buildings and such. I plan on treking past Comerica, Ford Field and old Tiger Stadium if possible. I haven't heard of Greektown, is it near the main downtown area?

I will be in Windsor, if nothing else to pick up a few smokes. I have heard plenty about the "establishments" that abound in Windsor but this is a trip with my wife so that is out.

Where is Motown Museum? I assume history of music but is it worthwhile?

Not sure about DIA... expand if you will.

Any architectural treats would be worth a look see... I've also heard about Greenfield Village. Anyone know if it's worth the effort??

[Joe Canadian]

Be like Anderson Cooper and have lunch with someone living under a bridge!!!

[Gary Gorski]

If you're into history and old-world type things then the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village would be a good place to go (plus its not in Detroit so that's another bonus). Detroit is not like most big cities like a Chicago or something where there's tons to do - the area around Ford Field and Comerica Park is alright but other than that you'll find more worthwhile things to do out of the city. You could always go to the zoo to see the handful of animals we do have lie around and do nothing.

Also Im assuming you are talking about this coming Satuday 10/22 - the Pistons will be at home against the Heat in a preseason game. 7:30 tip time, tickets aren't too bad, the Palace is a great facility and Auburn Hills is a nicer location to spend time in than Detroit.

[gi]

Greektown is in downtown. Get on the people mover and there is a stop for Greektown. Windsor is really nice. DIA is good if you like art. If you pass by the Tigers Stadium, then you will see the train station. I've been in it about 5 years ago, sad..sad state. There is a ton of food options depending on what you like. Music is plentiful, find a Metro times (a free paper) in a bar/pub and look up whos playing. Greenfield village is decent if you like that sort of thing. Not too far from downtown. And there is a lot of nice food options in downtown Dearborn which is a stones throw from Greenfield village. There is a lot more to do that I just can't thing of right now.

[gi]

(plus its not in Detroit so that's another bonus)...

...Auburn Hills is a nicer location to spend time in than Detroit.
I disagree. Detroit is a great place to spend the day. With its problems and all. Auburn hills doesn't have much to offer besides the Pistons.

[Passacaglia]

The DIA is pretty cool. A lot different from the Art Institute of Chicago, but still neat. I think it has a the largest collection of Diego Rivera works. I'd highly recommend Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum right next door. And since those are in Dearborn, you're halfway to Ann Arbor!

Oh, and if you want to stay downtown, ride the people mover! It's like the el, with only two stops!

[Gary Gorski]

Um... There is even less to do in Auburn Hills than in Detroit. In AH you can drive from place to place and see some architecural gems... if you like the box store/cookie cutter variety that he can see in any Chicago suburb.

I only suggested Auburn Hills if he wanted to go to the Palace - go to Big Buck for a good steak dinner and then head over to the Palace for the game - but yes, outside of the Palace its not like there is alot to do but if you are going to dinner and a game that's a pretty sizable chunk of time to spend plus afterwards there are good bars in the nearby suburbs to go to. But if he's not going to go to the Palace then no, there's no point in going to AH.

[timmae]

Well... it was an interesting trip to say the least. I left Chicago at 4am, which worked out quite well in that I beat any hint of the normal saturday traffic. I was digging the 70mph cruising on 94. My wife and I ended up in dearborn at around 10am detroit time. I had forgotten about the time change, a quick thank you to sprint is warranted. I dropped her off and started to check out Greenfield Village which was just 1 exit before we had exited the freeway. Her convention ended up going much quicker than expected, a good thing considering I was planning on going to downtown detroit while she was there (much further from dearborn than I thought it was). Instead a took a look the the Henry Ford... it seemed like it'd take more time than we had. Ended up checking out downtown detroit. I was enthralled by the historic architecture. The north end of the downtown was much better for checking out than the south end (near the river. have they done nothing with the riverfront or did I just miss it?). There were zero people downtown on Saturday. I shouldn't say zero, there were a few coming and going from Ford Field for some cheerleading thing and then there were a few coming and going from COBO for the marathon health convention. Otherwise there was literally no one around. We took the people mover... it's kinda like the El but completely different from the El at the same time. There was a family of 4 coming back form the convention center and us. No one else using the thing. It does get you around downtown fairly quickly, but the area seems walkable at any rate. The point that the mover moves through teh convention center and you can see the convention space below was interesting. as was the few points that it was integrated into the buildings (cutting completely through a corner of one building, almost art in a sense). We decided to go to Windsor to get some of Fidels best... and sure enough. Havana stick joints and american strip joints abound. Visited the casino for a trip through. Sam old story there... Left windsor with enough time to get back near Illinois to catch the Sox game but somehow ended up taking a detour through western detroit to find 96 West. That part of town was cool... cool from broken windows and no front doors. I was glad I was able to see the area though... expands on an article in the tribune highlighting the woes that Detroit has had. I fully expect I'll go back, a day to check out Greenfield Village, a day to see downtown again and a day or 2 to check out galleries, museums, casinos and such.

[RailsFS]

Well, glad to hear you had a decent time here. There's a bit more to do than most people expect. BTW, seeing no one on the street is pretty normal, especially this time of year. Oh one more thing....about seeing "american strip joints." They definitely should be referred to as Canadian because it is total nudity there. The only way you can get that here is if you go to a strip club without a liquor license (and you shouldn't be going to a place like that anyway).