Too young for casinos? Too old for Chuck E.Cheese’s? Then here’s your guide by The Southfield Jay staff for what to see, taste and smell in downtown Motown:
The Renaissance Center:
After the racially fueled Detroit riots in the late 1960s, business leaders of the city were thinking of ways to get the economy moving again. In 1970 a group of business leaders came together with the idea of forming a Detroit Renaissance Center. Today, the cylindrical towers of the Ren Cen house the General Motors world headquarters, several restaurants, and a Marriott Hotel with 1,298 guest rooms, an executive floor, and 27 meeting rooms. The dramatic new two-story lobby accents the hotel. The Summit Place restaurant atop the Ren Cen overlooks the Detroit River and Windsor – a must-see sight by day and night.
– Kelli Roundtree
Greektown:
Greektown is one of Detroit’s most popular entertainment districts. It’s home to over 20 restaurants, pastry shops, bars and coffeehouses, and the newest attraction, the Greektown Casino. It has been an ethnic retailing district for more than 140 years. It is also a historical landmark because it holds a major stop on the Underground Railroad at The Second Baptist church of Detroit where there is also an Underground Railroad Reading Center. Start your walking tour on Monroe Avenue at Beaubien, and you’ll be in the middle of the action. The streets are full of people throughout the day. In Greektown, the fun never stops. And don’t miss Astoria Pastry Shop, located on 541 Monroe Street, where there is an incredible selection of treats to top off your midday meal.
– Domenique A. Parks
Spirit of Detroit:
Located beside the city county building, standing 16 feet tall is the prominent Spirit of Detroit. Created by Marshall Fredricks in 1955, the statue symbolizes the relationship between God and man. With the inscribed words behind it saying, “Now the Lord is that spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” The figure holds in its left hand a bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God. In the right hand is a family group that symbolizes all human relationships.
– Justin Mason
Comerica Park & Ford Field:
Comerica Park is the newly established home of the Detroit Tigers. The $300 million project began in October of 1997. Along with the baseball field, many other features reside in Comerica Park. The Walk of Fame features a tour of baseball’s historic legends. Other famous features are the Carousel of Tigers and the ferris wheel with seats shaped like baseballs. Stadium lovers might also want to see Detroit’s new Ford Field, which is the home of the Detroit Lions. Before the football field even opened, in November of 2000, it was picked to host the Super Bowl XL to be played on Feb. 5, 2006.
– Meagan Law
The Gateway to Freedom:
Gracing Detroit’s waterfront at Hart Plaza is the historic sculpture by Ed Dwight of slaves seeking freedom. The slaves are looking across the Detroit River to Canada, where they could remain free. The monument is 11 feet high, 14 feet wide and 7 feet deep.The frontal view of the monument depicts five African Americans.One of them, George DeBaptise, is the general manager of the Underground Railroad. The other four symbolize the 40,000 who found their freedom. – Frances Johnson
UAW Labor Legacy Monument:
The 63-foot tall monument at Hart Plaza was unveiled in August 2003 to honor all labor of the past, present and future. A time capsule buried at the monument’s base ensures people will always know the meaning of the incomplete circle. At the top of the structure is a break. As the temperature changes, so does the size of the break, which is never a full circle. The monument is made of steel, bronze and black granite. – Kristina Harris
The Detroit Institute of Arts:
The Detroit Institute of Arts is is one of the largest art collections in the nation, with over 65,000 works of art, including this historic train car replica stationed outside the museum. It recalls an incident in which Mexicans in a train car died trying to enter America illegally. Some of the exhibits include African, New World Cultures, American and Ancient art. History is brought straight to the heart of Detroit on 5200 Woodward Avenue. It is open Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.- 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.- 5p.m. The best thing about the DIA is that the cost of admission is your choice! – Domenique A. Parks
Hockey Town Cafe:
Hockey fans won’t want to miss The Hockey Town Café, which opened in 1999 next to The Fox Theatre. No joke: It shares a lobby with the comedy club Second City. The Café occupies a corner spot in Fox Town and lights up the skyline with a 60-foot long hockey puck fastened to its roof and a 12 foot by 9 foot video screen. Inside, a giant octopus looms over the door, and all around are statues of players and signed jerseys. Tons of artwork and giant TV screens make this the next best place to Joe Louis Arena to see the Red Wings bring home the gold once again.
— Kristina Harris
Hard Rock Cafe:
The newest Hard Rock Café to open is located in the heart of Motown. The Detroit Hard Rock Café cost $3.5 million to construct. Half museum, half café, diners are welcome to walk around and view the music memorabilia inside. It includes a pair of sweat pants worn by local rap artist Eminem, along with gold and platinum rock ‘n roll records, a Temptations suit, a white silk dress worn by Madonna in her Vogue video, and a signed B.B King guitar. Order up a burger and then check out the souvenir shop’s T-shirts, sweaters, dolls and teddy bears. Check out the lights overhead made from drum cymbals. The Detroit Hard Rock Café, though smaller than other Hard Rocks, offers the same food and fast paced atmosphere. It’s located at 45 Monroe at Woodward, inside the Compuware World Headquarters. It joins more than 100 other Hard Rock Cafés in over 36 countries.
– Kelli Roundtree
The Fist:
Hanging from a pyramid in the middle of an intersection on Jefferson Avenue across from Hart Plaza is one of the most controversial sculptures in the world: The Fist. It’s a memorial to legendary boxer Joe Louis, A.K.A. “The Brown Bomber.” Donated by Sports Illustrated magazine in 1986, the sculpture immediately caused controversy. Some viewed it as disrespectful to the pugilist because it disembodied him and reduced him to a fist. Others confused it as a metaphor for black power and a symbol of defiance. Seventeen years later, the controversy has faded away, but the fist still stands tall, paying tribute to one of Detroit’s Greatest.
– Justin Mason