The Motor City has continued to grow as a tourist destination, I’m biased because I grew up in metro-Detroit, but it’s an amazing city!
Motown Tips:
Don’t go anytime from November-April. Winters in Michigan are BRUTAL unless you love cold and snow
Be mindful where you choose to stay, especially if you’re doing Airbnb or some sort of rental. Most of the city is fantastic and has come a long way, other parts still have room to improve.
Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:
Eastern Market Brewing Co.: A cute little brewery right off of Eastern Market with delicious beers! Specifically their IPAs are amazing.
8 Degrees Plato: A fantastic bottle shop and beer bar! They have a great selection of beers both on tap and in cans/bottles and chill vibes.
Brewery Faisan: A great spot with delicious and unique beers. They are located near Belle Isle and have a nice patio as well.
Batch Brewing: A great brewery with an extensive tap list and delicious food. If you’re there in the summer get the beer-slushie.
The Heidelberg Project: A creative twist on art and awareness. Walk through the neighborhood and see old houses and debris turned into works of art.
Bobcat Bonnie’s: My favorite brunch spot in Detroit! $3 mimosa bar, Bloody Mary bar, and build your own coffee bar. The food is incredibly delicious too!
Collect Beer Bar: A fun beer bar with 9 rotating taps along with cans and bottles onsite. They also have a rooftop and are dog-friendly.
The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:
Eastern Market: Food, flowers, trinkets—what more could you ask for? A giant farmer’s market in the heart of downtown!
Detroit Institute of Arts: Now I’m not an art person if you haven’t noticed from my lack of art museum recommendations for other cities, but the DIA is amazing. They have an extensive collection of fantastic pieces, highly recommend!
Belle Isle: A cute little island on the Detroit River. It is basically one large park where you can gaze at Canada and the United States at the same time. You need to have the Michigan Recreation Passport to enter or it is $11 for non-Michigan residents.
Campus Martius Park: Transformed into a winter wonderland in the colder months and a fake beach escape during the warmer months, full of bars, ice skating (when appropriate), shops, and music.
Fox Theater: The original of the Fox Theaters around the country, absolutely stunning.
Greektown: Greek bars, restaurants, casinos. A fun part of town to hop around.
Eastern Market Brewing
Other ideas:
Jolly Pumpkin Brewing Co.: Large beer selection, better pizza selection!
Nain Rouge Brewery: A solid brewery with a nice patio and tasty brews. Their team is super nice and I love that they are working to increase diversity in the beer industry. Their beer is also exclusively served at Vigilante Kitchen + Bar right next door.
Condado Tacos: Delicious tacos and margaritas in Midtown, right by Nain Rouge. They have a small patio and beautifully painted interior.
HopCat: Beer cheese everything. Also 130 beers on tap. Crack fries are real crack [the name has changed but the fries have not]
Atwater Brewing: One of the biggest breweries in the area—Vanilla Java Porter is my favorite! Also if you have a car while visiting go check out Atwater in the Park, in Grosse Point Park.
Motor City Brewing Works: A smaller brewery with pizzas, an outdoor space, and a large tap list.
Motown Museum: Learn about the history of the Detroit music scene in an engaging old recording studio.
The Belt: An alley full of street art and a couple of fun bars.
