Residents of Detroit — plagued with crime and blight for decades — have been waiting for it to become the “Renaissance City” that one of its nicknames heralds it to be since the 1980s
But it seems Detroit’s time has finally come, or at least, it’s on its way.
In recent years, the Michigan city’s been called “the new Brooklyn” enough to annoy residents of both areas, but with an influx of restaurants and creative cocktail bars that rival any in the U.S., and an art and design scene finally getting the attention it deserves, the comparison isn’t so far off.
For a look at the “new Detroit,” start in the city’s oldest neighborhood, Corktown. Once the home of the Detroit Tigers baseball stadium (it closed in 1999), the historic area is one of a growing number of hip micro-neighborhoods. Along cobblestoned Michigan Ave., within view of the city’s most iconic symbol of decay, the hulking remains of the Michigan Central Station, there are more than a half-dozen culinary hotspots where less than a decade ago, nearly all the buildings were boarded up.
Stop for a handcrafted cocktail at Two James (twojames.com), the city’s first post-Prohibition distillery, or at the speakeasy-style Sugar House (sugarhousedetroit.com), or get your caffeine fix at Astro Coffee (astrodetroit.com), which serves organic baked goods and coffee sourced from roasters around the country. Try Gold Cash Gold (goldcashgolddetroit.com), where Southern and Midwest dishes meet a farm-to-table sensibiity (think: keilbasa with apple and fennel saurekraut; pickle brine fried chicken with pepper gravy) housed in a former pawnshop. Or, head to the restaurant that kicked off the revitalization of the block, the always-packed Slows Bar BQ (slowsbarbq.com) for slow-cooked pulled pork and St. Louis-style spareribs. Named the country’s best new restaurant by Bon Appetit in 2009, its quality and popularity haven’t diminished since. Slows has since opened a carryout location in the nearby Midtown area.
Midtown, once known as the Cass Corridor (and still designated that way by most Detroiters) is another neighborhood on the rise. While some boarded up buildings remain, the streets around the intersection of Cass Ave. and W. Canfield St. have been given a major facelift. Alongside old favorites like Motor City Brewing Works (motorcitybeer.com), and Avalon International Breads (avalonbreads.net), there’s a new crop of restaurants, bars and boutiques making the area a walkable enteraintment district.
Check out City Bird (ilovecitybird.com) and Nest (nestdetroit.com) for housewares, jewelry, apparel, gifts, and home decor by local designers. Browse Jack White’s Third Man Records (441 W. Canfield St.; thirdmanstore.com), or head to the expansive flagship shop of Shinola watches, where the high-quality watches, bikes, and leather belts and bags are assembled and beautifully displayed. The Detroit outpost of northern Michigan’s award-winning Jolly Pumpkin Brewery (jollypumpkin.com) is right next door.
The heart of downtown — the half-mile radius from Campus Martius Park that includes the Greektown district and Woodward Ave. — has seen the most change. When Quicken Loans moved its headquarters downtown in 2010, it reenergized the city — and resuscitated its economy, bringing 11,000 jobs downtown. Now the streets bustle with activity; there’s a summer beach bar and winter ice rink in Campus Martius Park and some of the city’s best restaurants and nightlife are located a short walk away.
Wright & Co. (wrightdetroit.com), set in an 1891 building and decked out in sophisticated dark wood and tin ceilings, serves craft cocktails and seasonally influenced small plates. Townhouse (eatattownhouse.com) features a glass atrium and ficus trees studded with twinkling lights. And cozy Vertical wine bar (verticaldetroit.com) is a romantic spot for small plates, with 50 wines by the glass and 500 bottles. For craft cocktails, try Standby (standbydetroit.com), where creative libations have cheeky names and unusual ingredients like mustard, Greek yogurt, or truffle salt. The bar, marked with a wooden door and vintage gas lamp, is located in an alley called The Belt, which is one of the most creative uses of downtown real estate and one of dozens of public art spaces.
Detroit has always been a great city for the arts. The Detroit Institute of Arts (dia.org) has long been recognized as one of the best in the country. Now, thanks to grassroots efforts and private funding, the whole city has become an open-air gallery.
Start in The Belt, which features work by internationally acclaimed artists including VHILS, POSE, and Shepard Fairey, who’s best known outside street art circles for creating the President Obama “Hope” poster. In summer, the alley will host festivals and special events, making it a community gathering spot as well. Adjacent to the alley, the Z Lot parking garage encourages exploration of the murals spread across its nine floors. The art was done by 27 international street artists including How and Nosm, Revoke, and Dabs Myla.
Other public art projects include the Grand River Creative Corridor (4731.com/grccdetroit) and the historic Eastern Market (easternmarket.com). To visit both, you’ll need to hop in a car — this is the Motor City after all. The former is a stretch of Grand River Ave. between Rosa Parks Blvd. and Warren Ave. brightened up with more than 100 murals — mostly on abandoned buildings — and free-standing installations created by 45 volunteer artists from Detroit and around the world.
The latter is the city’s 155-year-old public market. In September 2015, the week-long Murals in the Market event (muralsinthemarket.com) brought international artists to create more than 30 murals in and around the market. Though the festival is over, the art remains. Like the other public art in the city, it has added beauty to a place not often associated with the word. And along with the new restaurants, shops, and bars luring locals back downtown, it’s part of city renewal that’s been a long time in the making.
If you go…
More info: visitdetroit.com
Getting there:
Multiple airlines make the two-hour flight between NYC and Detroit. The 650-mile drive takes 10 hours. Via Amtrak train, the journey takes nearly 20 hours.
Stay:
– Greektown Casino Hotel
Located in the heart of Greektown, with beautiful views of downtown and the Detroit River. Rates start at $149/night; greektowncasinohotel.com
– Inn on Ferry Street
The 40-room Victorian inn on a residential street features complimentary breakfast and downtown shuttle service. Rates start at $149/night; innonferrystreet.com
