Jeff Counts - Explorers Guide Detroit & Ann Arbor: A Great Destination

EXPLORERS GUIDES

Detroit &
Ann Arbor

Copyright 2011 by Jeff Counts

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Explorers Guide Detroit & Ann Arbor: A Great Destination

978-1-58157-141-7

Interior photographs by the author unless otherwise specified

Maps by Erin Greb Cartography, The Countryman Press

Book design by Joanna Bodenweber

Composition by Eugenie S. Delaney

Published by The Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091

Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For all those who care about Detroit.

MAPS

THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION and the rapper Eminem stole my thunder in a two-minute TV commercial that aired during the Super Bowl in 2011, giving an unflinching view of Detroit as a gritty town thats been to hell and back but is proud of its working-class heritage because this is what we do.

They could have shined up Detroit, but they didnt, they filmed abandoned factories and idle smokestacks, and snow. They also acknowledged that Detroit isnt New York or Los Angeles, its not the Windy City or the Emerald Cityits the Motor City. But as the commercial shows, this historic town is not without the finer things in life, and visitors will find a lot of gems here.

After more than a century making steel and cars, Detroit is a city littered with decaying plants and neighborhoods, and tied to an industry thats been near collapse, but these days its seeing an edgy revival as automakers are resurging and the city itself is finding new life.

Detroit may not be a big, sophisticated city, but it has a culture all its own. Sports are the common denominator, and youll find all classes of people, and all races, cheering on the home teams.

As for style, its pretty casual. Except for at a handful of restaurants, theres no dress code. And apart from some communities in the wealthy Oakland County and Grosse Pointe areas, you wont find people wearing the top fashions. And no matter what neighborhood you find yourself in, theres almost always a Coney Island restaurant nearby that serves a Detroit favoritea hot dog covered with chili and onionsor a sports bar filled with big-screen TVs.

Detroit has never been a pretty town, but it is one that helped many achieve the American dream. People from all over the country and around the world came to the city when Henry Ford offered workers $5 a day beginning in 1914 so they could afford to buy the automobiles they were making, an act that helped create Americas middle class.

The resulting immigration led to the development of vibrant ethnic communities, and Detroits restaurants offer a range of cuisines, from Middle Eastern to American southern. And music? Detroit is where bouzouki meets bluegrass and the blues. During recent years, large numbers of Asian and German auto engineers have further enriched the culture.

The national media has done a number on Detroit by focusing on its problems: the Michigan Central Depot on Michigan Avenue, for example, has become a symbol of urban decay. As a native Detroiter, Im tired of the bad press. Detroit has always been a city of neighborhoods, with very little high-rise-type housing. There are thriving communities with rich histories that tend not to get media coverage, places where the houses are well kept, the lawns mowed, and the streets free of trash.

This guide isnt just a listing of restaurants, hotels, and attractions. As a native Detroiter Ive been part of this strange cultural stew since I was a child, and Ive imbued this book with a sense of what its like to have grown up and lived in Detroit. Im a true product of Detroit, and like most Motor City residents, Ive got an auto company name stamped on my birth certificatein my case, its Ford.

As for the cultural stew, I dont have to look any further than my family. My father moved north in the 1930s to work for Ford Motor Co., and my wifes family came to Detroit from Greece to run restaurants. My children are part southern and part Greekquite a combination, but such blending is characteristic of Detroit. Ive also done stints in Detroit factories, so I know that life.

Those trying to understand the dynamics of Detroit simply have to look at where the auto companies are located. While downtown Detroit has historically been the commercial hub, the real corporate power resides in the western suburb of Dearborn, where Ford headquarters is located, and in the northern suburbs, where Chrysler and General Motors have traditionally had a large presence. Workers tended to live near the plants where they worked, so the city has a long history of urban sprawl.

Ive tried to reflect that in this guide by treating auto company headquarters as though they were the traditional American downtowns. This being the Motor City, the best way to get around Detroit is by car, and Ive designed various driving routes, or auto cruises, highlighting the citys main drags and attractions. For example, theres a chapter devoted to cruising Woodward Avenue. Each summer the Woodward Dream Cruise attracts car buffs who drive the strip in their restored vintage vehicles, many of them 1960s muscle cars designed and built right here. During the 1960s, baby boomers drove Woodward looking for drag racesmyself included, in a 1968 red Mustang. The event now attracts thousands of spectators. Other auto cruises described here are Eight Mile Road, made famous by the 2002 Eminem movie 8 Mile, and Michigan and East Jefferson Avenues.

There is more to the region than hot cars and factories. The auto industry has also helped develop budding artists whove worked in the design studios and at ad agencies. The citys thriving arts and design community is served by the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, and Cranbrook, in Oakland County.

Its a major-league city when it comes to sports, with baseball, basketball, football, and hockey teams playing on the national level. The Red Wings, Tigers, Lions, and Pistons usually play for capacity crowds, no matter what their record. Apart from the Pistons, which play in Auburn Hills, the other teams have their stadiums and arenas in downtown Detroit.

Although its not Las Vegas, there are three major casinos downtown, and along with the sports teams, the core city has seen revitalization in recent years, with the opening of bars and restaurants.

And then theres Ann Arbor. The quintessential college town, home to the University of Michigan, is only about 45 miles west of downtown Detroit but a world away from Detroits urban vibe. Its tree-shaded campus near the Huron River is a hub of cultural activities, and on fall football Saturdays its jammed with students and alumni watching their Big Ten team. Ann Arbors cultural venues make it a regional destination, and there are many restaurants catering to people out for a night on the town.