Detroit: An Ethel Travel Guide
1. Recommend a hotel/motel in your town/city:
You can’t go wrong with the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. It’s located in the heart of downtown and right on the Riverwalk, which means you have easy access to the best shopping, restaurants and entertainment/sports venues. To feel like you’re a part of the city’s rich history, check into the gorgeous The Detroit Foundation Hotel. This was built in 1929 and still includes original architectural details. And it’s pet-friendly!
2. Recommend a restaurant in your town/city:
The go-to answer is to try Lafayette Coney Island or American Coney Island. The restaurants are actually a stone’s throw away from each other and are known for their variations of the iconic Coney Dog — an all-beef hot dog topped with chili, diced onions, and mustard. Looking for something more, uh, refined? Selden Standard serves sumptuous New American fare from locally sourced ingredients and was included in the 2024 USA Today Restaurants of the Year list.
3. What’s a must-see in your town/city?
The Motown Museum (also known as Hitsville USA) looks nondescript from the outside, but it features the original recording studios where the likes of Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and The Four Tops recorded many of their timeless hits. The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation — located just outside the city in Dearborn — is family-friendly and includes the Rosa Parks-seated bus that helped kickstart the Civil Rights Movement. The museum is connected to the sprawling open-air Greenfield Village.
4. What makes your town/city fun for tourists?
Detroit is one of the premier sports cities in America. No matter the time of year, you can likely catch a game at either Comerica Park (go Tigers!), Ford Field (go Lions!) or the Little Caesars Arena (go Pistons and Red Wings!). Bonus: All three venues are located within walking distance of each other. After rooting the home team to victory, you can grab a quick bite at Mom’s Spaghetti. The popular window-serve eatery is owned by 8 Mile’s own Eminem.
5. What should you avoid when visiting your town/city?
They don’t call Detroit the Motor City for nothing. Though the elevated People Mover train, which is free and circles a one-way loop around the city, can be slow-going. To get around efficiently, just drive, walk or use an Uber/Lyft.
Yes, it’s absolutely true that Detroit is far safer now compared to the 1970s and 1980s. Still, as in any big urban city, exercise caution and be alert. Also, avoid higher-crime and low-populated neighborhoods such as Belmont, Brush Park, Greensbriar and the East Side after dark.
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