Detroit might be one of the most misunderstood cities in America. Founded in 1701, the Motor City has grappled with an ever-evolving automotive industry and well-publicized budgetary problems, exacerbated by years of population losses. Yet it remains defiantly proud. The Motown sound, embraced around the world, still resonates. Downtown, and in the Midtown and New Center neighborhoods, economic and residential growth has been exponential. The QLine streetcar on Woodward Avenue and MoGo, the city’s first public bike share program, are to begin operating this month. Later this year, the Detroit Pistons (N.B.A.) and Detroit Red Wings (N.H.L.) will move into the new Little Caesars Arena on Woodward. And at its core, residents old and new are injecting a remarkable vibrancy into the city.
36 Hours in Detroit, Michigan
Explore street view and find things to do in Detroit.
Friday
1) 2:30 P.M. STUDIO SOUNDS
At the Motown Museum, you’ll be encouraged to sing and dance to the Temptations hit “My Girl” (written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White) in front of complete strangers. And you won’t care one bit. With $800 and a dream, the songwriter Berry Gordy started Motown Records on Jan. 12, 1959, and the rest is history. From Mary Wells and Stevie Wonder to the Jackson 5 and Marvin Gaye, with countless legends in between, the museum captures the label’s early years perfectly. Studio A, where the Supremes first sang “Stop in the Name of Love,” contains an 1877 Steinway grand piano. Tickets are $15.
2) 4 P.M. ROOM FOR SQUARES
A thick, crunchy crust, cut into squares, defines Detroit-style pizza. Since 1946, Buddy’s Pizza has made a delectable deep-dish pie. The original location on Conant Street radiates a homey charm. Menu standouts include the Detroit Public TV, with pepperoni layered with cheese and topped with additional pepperoni ($11.49 for a 4-square pizza), and the Lake Michigan, with ground beef, onions, blue cheese and tomato basil sauce ($11.99 for a 4-square pizza). Add a Vernors Float, featuring vanilla ice cream and Vernors Ginger Ale, for $3.99.
The Detroit Institute of Arts features Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry” frescoes. CreditKevin Miyazaki for The New York Times
3) 6 P.M. NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Boasting one of the finest collections of art in the world, the Detroit Institute of Arts (admission, $12.50) has over 100 galleries, featuring works from artists as varied as Mary Cassatt and Hughie Lee-Smith. Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry” frescoes are a fitting tribute to the city’s industrial, working-class roots. On Fridays, the museum remains open until 10 p.m., with live music and special workshops.
4) 9:3O P.M. MIDWESTERN MIXOLOGY
Standby, with its intimate, speakeasy feel, has helped elevate Detroit’s previously limited cocktail scene into a creative movement. Located off the BELT, an artsy downtown alley connecting Grand River and Gratiot Avenues, Standby offers exceptional drinks like Tommy’s Margarita, with Corazón Blanco tequila, lime and agave ($8), and the Classic Man, with Scotch, yellow chartreuse, Moscatel sherry and lemon bitters ($14). With roughly 50 cocktails to choose from and a welcoming staff, you’ll be in good hands.
Diners at the Huron Room. CreditLaura McDermott for The New York Times
Saturday
5) 8:15 A.M. MORNING CRUNCH
The baked goods at Avalon International Breads, including its breads and assorted pastries, are made with all-organic flour. The beloved Midtown institution is a great place to pick up a cappuccino ($3.25) and an oatmeal raisin cookie ($2.35) for a midday snack. (Avalon Cafe and Bakery, a full-kitchen spinoff of the flagship location, recently opened downtown near Campus Martius Park, at 1049 Woodward.) Parks & Rec Diner, in the Grand Army of the Republic Building, formerly used by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, is a casual and cheery space, with green chairs and bar seating. Recent menu items included the Coco-Yo Parfait, coconut milk yogurt made in-house with preserves and granola ($6), and the crunchy French toast, served with seasonal jam and two eggs ($12). Its upmarket twin, Republic, is at the other end of the castle-like building.
6) 9:30 A.M. SHELF LIVES
For a unique adventure, swing by John K. King Used & Rare Books, housed in a former glove factory. With roughly 30,000 books on-site, this four-story bookstore (along with a basement) has a way of nourishing intellectual pursuits. You can browse subjects as varied as religion in Michigan, Chrysler automobiles, taxidermy and astronomy. The floor will creak as you walk around, which is a nice way to announce your presence to staff members, who are adept at navigating the labyrinth of shelves. A former Otis Elevator building behind the main bookstore houses the collection of rare books, available for viewing by appointment only.
7) 11 A.M. DETROIT DESIGNS
The Guardian Building, a financial district skyscraper with an amalgam of Art Deco and Mayan Revival styles, features a three-story vaulted lobby with Pewabic tiles and an intricate mural of Michigan. The architect Albert Kahn designed the Fisher Building, another Art Deco gem in the New Center neighborhood. You can take free weekend tours of either building, courtesy of Pure Detroit, and learn more about the city’s gilded era. Both locations contain Pure Detroit retail stores, which sell T-shirts, hats and magnets to show your Detroit pride. Close to the Guardian building is the Monument to Joe Louis, the African-American boxer who was the heavyweight champion of the world from 1937 to 1949. Dedicated in 1986, five years after his death, the fist-shaped monument weighs 8,000 pounds and is suspended in a traffic island at a busy intersection. You can’t miss it.
8) 12:30 P.M. SEAFOOD AND TACOS
It is required that you venture out for fresh seafood. Huron Room, at the fringes of Mexicantown and close to Corktown, is an excellent choice. The décor, with a blue-infused nautical theme, is appealing. A signature item is the local cod fish and chips ($13). Order a side of hush pupplafaies, served with pimento cheese and chives ($6), or the grilled crab cakes ($10). Another option is Taqueria El Rey, a cash-only Mexicantown restaurant with some of the best tacos anywhere. The grilled chicken tacos start at $1.50. For the classic Detroit experience, go to Lafayette Coney Island for a coney, a hot dog topped with chili, mustard and onions ($2.60).
Max Valldeneu playing at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. CreditLaura McDermott for The New York Times
9) 2 P.M. CHANGING GEARS
Tucked in a somewhat forgotten industrial neighborhood, the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant (admission, $12) is one of the most significant car factories ever built. This was where the first Model T was constructed. In the early 20th century, Studebaker had a plant next door. The exceptional guided tour gives you a sense of the plant’s huge role in American automotive history. Among an extensive selection of cars, you’ll find a 1904 curved dash Oldsmobile body, largely considered to be the first mass-produced gas vehicle, along with some of the first Cadillacs and a classic 1965 Ford Mustang.
10) 4:30 P.M. RETAIL RENAISSANCE
For generations of Detroiters, the epitome of the downtown shopping experience was Hudson’s department store, which closed its flagship location on Woodward in 1983. (The massive building was demolished in 1998.) After years of decline, the city’s retail scene has improved significantly. The luxury brand Shinola, based in Detroit, has a minimalist Midtown store featuring its trademark watches, bikes and leather accessories. The men’s clothing designer John Varvatos, a Detroit native, opened a snazzy, guitar-filled branch of his namesake store in the Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District, joining the upscale retailers Bonobos, Moosejaw and Warby Parker.
11) 8:30 P.M. JAZZ COMPOSITION
Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, one of the oldest jazz clubs in the world, exudes a coziness that only heightens the stellar musical performances. Luminaries including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Cab Calloway performed at the lounge, which opened in 1933. Located near the city’s northern edge at Eight Mile Road, the bar surface at Baker’s resembles a keyboard. The Southern-inflected menu includes entrees such as smothered pork chops, meatloaf and catfish, and sides like yams and black-eyed peas.
At the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, you can view the earliest Model T’s, among other vehicles. CreditJohn L. Dorman/The New York Times
Sunday
12) 8:30 A.M. CROWD PLEASER
Dime Store is the rare creative brunch spot that can win over skeptics. Breakfast staples like steel-cut oatmeal ($5.50) and brioche French toast with fresh fruit ($10.50) can be paired with more adventurous items like the lemon curd waffle and bacon avocado omelet. The atmosphere is festive, so naturally the space fills up fast. Try a beermosa, your choice of beer mixed with orange juice, or a peach mimosa.
13) 10:30 A.M. MARITIME MODE
Located on Belle Isle Park, a 982-acre island park in the Detroit River, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum (free) showcases the history of the Great Lakes. There are simulations and hands-on exhibits for children and adults. Highlights include the pilot house of the S.S. William Clay Ford, a Great Lakes freighter, and Miss Pepsi, a 1940s-era hydroplane. When you leave the museum, enjoy the rest of the park, including its beautiful aquarium and conservatory.
The Aloft Detroit at the David Whitney (1 Park Avenue, 313-237-1700; aloftdetroit.com), a 136-room hotel located beside the Grand Circus Park, seamlessly combines the past and present. Situated within the ornate David Whitney Building, which opened in 1915, the structure is defined by a stunning lobby rotunda. Several rooms have a view of Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. Rates start at around $174.
For views of the Detroit River and the city, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center (400 Renaissance Drive, 313-568-8000; marriott.com/hotels/travel/dtwdt-detroit-marriott-at-the-renaissance-center) is awe-inspiring. The 70-story hotel occupies the central tower of the complex, which serves as the headquarters of the General Motors Company. An inviting five-story Wintergarden overlooks Windsor, Canada. Around $179.
