The D.E.A.L.: Dining, Entertainment, Attractions & Lodging
by Jeanne Brei
Detroit is a dynamic urban destination with something for literally everyone. Sports fans are truly in luck because all four sports teams are within a five-minute walk of each other. The 41,782-seat Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers), the 65,000-seat Ford Field (home of the Detroit Lions), and Little Caesars Arena (home of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons) which holds 19,515 for ice hockey and 20,491 for basketball, are also known to host concerts – with Billy Joel scheduled to play (after two pandemic postponements) in July 2022 at Comerica Park and Justin Bieber’s Justice World Tour is slated for Little Caesars Arena in June 2022.
Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy walking the Detroit Riverfront or taking a Riverboat tour, hopping on a MoGo bike, and checking out Robert C. Valade Park/Atwater Beach or the beautiful Belle Isle. Riverside Kayak Connection will get you on the water in no time. Thousands of bicyclists come to downtown Detroit to explore the city for the Monday night Slow Roll. You can rent a bike from Wheelhouse Detroit, or pick up a bike from a MoGo stall. If you’re bold, the Adventure Park at West Bloomfield (pictured right) is a five-acre aerial forest that features 10 trails, 13 zip lines, five difficulty levels and 130 challenges in their obstacle courses where you can literally swing from the trees!
Neighborhood aficionados should check out Greektown, Corktown, Midtown, West Village, Eastern Market and Hamtramck (PolishTown) while gamblers should head to the Greektown Casino, the Motor City Casino or the Vegas-style MGM).
Museum lovers will find a great variety of choices including the Motown Museum (pictured left), Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, [Edsel & Eleanor’s] Ford House, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and Dossin Great Lakes Museum are all must-sees. We haven’t even mentioned the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, the downtown parks, like Beacon Park, Campus Martius Park and Capitol Park, or a day trip to Windsor, Canada—which is just the other side of the river and is a 15-minute drive by bridge or tunnel. Shoppers will enjoy getting great deals with the exchange rate and duty free items in Canada or, if staying in the U.S., shopping on the revitalized Woodward Avenue, checking out Campus Martius square for food truck eats and treats, and partying at The Belt, a street art-lined alley with outdoor bars that draw lively crowds.
Campus Martius Park is located in the center of downtown. In the summer there’s bands and orchestras performing and you ca
n relax in a beach area and enjoy cocktails from the beach bar. In the winter it’s transformed into a winter wonderland with an ice rink. And it’s only a 10-minute walk to the convention center.
Belle Isle Park (pictured right) is also just a short bike ride or Uber ride from the TCF Center. The breathtaking 983-acre island park looks like a 1930s summer camp—pack a picnic lunch and enjoy some fishing and nature. You can visit the nature center, historic aquarium and gorgeous conservatory, play tennis or visit the beach area that is complete with a waterslide and playgrounds.
This story originally appeared in the Jan./Feb./Mar. 2022 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 74. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_q1_2022.
