Detroit

Ooaj Travel Guide, tourism, hotel reservation, residence, plane, cheap pension for you holidays in detroit

Free Travel guide Ooaj.com A free travel guide for holidays. Hotels in detroit, Bed and Breakfast!

Detroit, Michigan is an early industrial city in post-industrial times.

	detroit Travel Guide : 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By car 2.3 By bus 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Learn 7 Work 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Contact 13 Stay safe 14 Cope 15 Get out

Understand

Detroit is historically known as Motown (for "Motor Town") since Henry Ford started here and the city forms the heart of the American automobile industry. Modern Detroit still clings to the image of the glory days gone by and is working hard to maintain strength in the automobile business as well as expand to other industries.

Downtown Detroit is great -- beautiful buildings, a riverfront. It's also strikingly empty. The immediate surrounding downtown is in ruins -- mile upon mile of abandoned buildings, the ghetto -- and beyond that are the suburbs where most "Detroiters" live, work, and play.

The most happening parts of Detroit are right downtown, or in the northern suburbs like Royal Oak or Birmingham. With the newly built stadiums for the Detroit Tigers and Lions, seeing a football or baseball game is a must for any sports fan! After the game there are some good sports bars to hang out in.

Get in

By plane

• Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) (http://www.metroairport.com/) - This is the largest airport in the area and located in Romulus, about 20 minutes west of the city proper located at the junction between I-275 and I-94. It is a NorthWest hub and features the recently opened McNamara Terminal.

By car

Several interstates converge in downtown Detroit. I-75 North/South runs from Toledo, Ohio (http://wikitravel.org/en/Toledo__Ohio_) up through to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I-94 East/West comes from Chicago, Illinois (http://wikitravel.org/en/Chicago) and continues up to Sarnia. I-96 East/West heads to Lansing, Michigan (http://wikitravel.org/en/Lansing__Michigan_). I-696 runs along the northern edge of the city, connecting the eastern suburbs (e.g. St. Clair Shores) to Southfield.

All of the interstates have gone through major overhauls in preparation for Detroit hosting the 2006 National Football League Superbowl. Prior to this, the roads were in poor condition, but since 2004, their status has improved.

As with any major city, traffic during rush hour can make travel really slow. This is especially aggrevated during shift changes at the local automotive plants.

For smaller streets, the Detroit area is laid out in both grid and wheel-and-spoke configuration. This was due to first French development (wheel and spoke), followed by British development (grid). Mile roads run east-west, starting at downtown Detroit and increasing as you travel north. These mile roads may change name in different cities, so pay attention. There are also several spoke roads, including Woodward Ave, Michigan Ave, Gratiot Ave, and Grand River Ave.

Automobiles are virtually a necessity for travel in the Detroit area. Public transportation is practially non-existent when compared to other metropolitan areas of similar size.

By bus

Greyhound.

Get around

Driving in Detroit can be pretty difficult, especially downtown. The roads are in bad shape and directional signs are frustratingly sparse and inconsistant.

You will be driving, though, because there's no other option. If you're really hungering for some public transport, you can drive downtown, park your car, and hop on the People Mover, a monorail that runs a walking-distance loop between center-city attractions.

While Detroit does have a public bus system, but it's all but useless, and finding out bus schedules and the like is a mystery. Even if you do find a schedule, chances are your bus will be an hour late or not show up at all.

See

• Motown Museum, 2648 West Grand Boulevard, 875-2264 (info@motownmuseum.com). Tu-Sa 10AM-6PM. The Motown Museum preserves the legacy of Motown Records, the record label that put Detroit on the world's music map. Located in label founder Berry Gordy, Jr.'s old home, the museum is hard to miss: Gordy's "Hitsville, USA" sign is still over the front door. $8. http://www.motownmuseum.com/
• Detroit Institute of Art, 5200 Woodward Avenue, 313-833-7900 CLOSED Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m.?4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.?9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.?5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Currently offering free admission, http://www.dia.org/
• Woodward Dream Cruise, A car fanatic's paradise, this is an informal drive along Woodward Avenue from Ferndale to Pontiac, where anything imaginable can be seen, from Vipers to vintage cruisers to tricked-out garbage trucks. Happens every August at the height of summer.
• First Highway
• Rock -n- Bowl
• Train Station
• Abandoned Skyscrapers
• Heidelberg Project
• Cranbrook
• Underground Railroad
• Urban Forestry
• Urban Farming
• Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn-- This is virtually a "must see". The broadest collection of Americana (and not just cars) this side of the Smithsonian, with a keen focus on innovations. Highlights include: Rosa Park's bus, JFK's limos, and, not surprisingly, a spectacular history of the automobile collection that is a football field long.
• Detroit Science Center
• Detroit Historical Museum
• Somerset Collection, Troy
• Comerica Park, Home of the Detroit tigers, http://www.olympiaentertainment.com/Fox/home.asp

Do

Detroit is the birthplace of American electro/techno music, with Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, and Derrick Mays all hailing from the area. Although other cities around the world have picked up Detroit's torch and carried it further in some ways, Detroit is still a great place to dance and see the masters at work.

• The Magic Stick/The Majestic Theater at 4120-4140 Woodward Avenue combines a show space, a theater, cafe and a bowling alley. You can get up close and personal to the bands or shoot pool while listening to live music. Highly recommended for checking out some new music whether it be local or a touring band.

• Palazzo di Bocce, 4291 S. Lapeer Road in Orion Township, about 40 minutes north of Downtown, is the largest and most elaborate bocce facility in the United States, and perhaps the world. You can play bocce on one of 10 indoor tournament-sized courts with court hosts and hostesses to help if you don't know the game. You can have cocktails and eat courtside while playing, or later in the restaurant, which serves authentic Italian food. Palazzo was the site of the 2005 U.S. national tournament, and hosted the 2005 Singles World Bocce Championships attended by athletes from 17 nations in September. Very popular for group events; Friday and Saturday nights are more crowded. More at Palazzo di Bocce (http://www.palazzodibocce.com/).

Learn

Work

Buy

• John K. King Books,901 W. Lafayette, 313-961-0622 One of the best used bookstores in America with over 500,000 books in stock.

Eat

There are many greek restaurants in Greektown, which is a small two street length row of Greek restaurants and stores in downtown detroit. If you like Greek food come try it out.

Drink

Sleep

• Clarion Barcelo Romulus Detroit Hotel 1 (http://cl-detroitairport-mi.chidirect.com) 8600 Merriman Road. Tel: (734) 728-7900. Fax: (734) 728-6518. Located near Detroit Metropolitan Airport off the Merriman Road exit (#198) on I-94. The Ford and GM World Headquarters are just minutes away. Nearby are the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, downtown Detroit, shopping malls, the University of Michigan, Greektown, the MGM Grand and other casinos.
• Comfort Inn Downtown Detroit Hotel 2 (http://ci-detroit-downtown-mi.chidirect.com/) 1999 E. Jefferson Ave. Tel: (313) 567-8888. Fax: (313) 567-5842. On Jefferson Avenue - approximately 1/2 mile east of the Renaissance Center and 1 mile from the Cobo Conference Center, Joe Louis Arena, among other downtown attractions of Detroit, Comerica Park (Tigers Baseball) and the new Ford Field (Lions Football) are only 2.5 miles from the hotel.
• Econo Lodge Detroit Hotel 3 (http://el-detroit-mi.chidirect.com/) 17729 Telegraph Road. Tel: (313) 531-2550. Fax: (313) 531-5148. Minutes away from local restaurants, as well as shopping, businesses and the Detroit area attractions.
• The Atheneum Hotel 4 (http://www.summithotels.com/hotel_managerbio.cfm?id=28308&) 1000 Brush Avenue, Detroit Tel: (313) 962-2323 A luxury hotel in the heart of downtown's Greektown neighborhood. Adjacent to the Greektown Casino.

Contact

Stay safe

Cope

Get out

Although Detroit itself provides only a limited number of attractions to visitors, the metropolitan area is large and diverse and contains many hot spots and attractions that are well worth visiting.

Dearborn -- Detroit's neighbor to the Southwest and home of Ford Motor Company, Dearborn contains Greenfield Village (a sort of historical amusement park) and the Automotive Hall of Fame for car-lovers. Dearborn is also home to the largest Middle-Eastern population in the US, with mosques being a common sight and a wide selection of Middle-Eastern food and shopping.

Plymouth -- Plymouth has an attractive downtown which is popular for local youth. Each year, the Plymouth Art Fair in July is well worth a visit.

Royal Oak -- One of the hippest areas in Michigan, Royal Oak boasts an exciting night scene with a diverse and avant-garde musical culture.

Troy -- Troy contains the magnificent Somerset Collection, one of the most upscale malls in the midwest, and even the country. Visit Nordstom, Marshall Field's, Henri Bendel, Ralph Lauren/Polo, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co, Barney's New York, and more than 150 other specialty shops.

Wyandotte -- The "Downriver Royal Oak" as it has been dubbed by locals, Wyandotte has a bustling, family-friendly downtown strip with mom-and-pop shopping, art galleries, a golf course, ice-cream parlor, a charming riverside park, and numerous dining opportunities. Come the third Friday of the month for free food, trolley and carriage rides, and themed fun events sponsored by local businesses. July of each year sees the Wyandotte Art Fair, one of the best in the country.

Other destinations outside the Metro Detroit area include:

Canada -- specifically, Windsor, Ontario -- lies just across the Ambassador Bridge (http://www.ambassadorbridge.com/). Or through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel which is located right next to the Renaissance Center (good to use if you see traffic backed up onto I-75) This is the most heavily trafficked border crossing in the world, and it's shaped Windsor more than anything else; well-maintained, walkable streets, shops and restaurants as well as a casino and strip joints all attract Americans and Canadians alike. The lower drinking age (19) draws young Americans and ensures a vibrant club scene on weekends.

Ann Arbor -- a nearby bustling college town, Ann Arbor offers many attractions of a self-enclosed small town. A thriving downtown, lots of culture, and plenty of students.

Biggest country to travel: Biggest cities to travel: Islands in the top travel 40: World Travel guide Random travel link: Pakistan South Africa USA United Kingdom Jakarta in Indonesia Tehran in Iran Osaka in Japan Delhi in India Maui Aeolian_Islands Bermuda Easter_Island Lanai United_Arab_Emirates Czech_Republic Russia Palestine Monaco France Travel Aix en Provence Great Britain Aix en Provence Belfast

• Url Rewriting, optimisation, referencement professionnel: Atuvu Referencement
• Cours 2 langues, cours d'anglais tous niveaux Cours 2 Langues
• Photographe aix en provence Daniel Weiss
• Ooaj Travel Guide Home Page