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I grew up in Michigan and moved to Pittsburgh a few years ago. During the time I lived in Michigan, I never had a chance to visit Detroit, so I made it a rule to visit your city the next time I went home. My parents always warned me about Detroit and told me I would be killed if I went there. I imagine a lot of people in the country think this way about the city, and maybe that is why it has had so much trouble gaining residents and turning around? Here are some of my impressions after visiting the city of Detroit on a Saturday evening.
Downtown -- looking beautiful and vibrant. Did not see too many vacant buildings or store fronts, surprisingly. The density and many historic buildings seem intact, even though I realize many have been torn down. My friend and I were bummed there were no gay bars downtown, though.
Hamtramck -- My friend and I ended up at a bar called "Ice" in Hamtramck. What is the deal with this neighborhood? It seemed extremely gritty, but at the same time it didn't feel unsafe. Is this neighborhood improving, declining? What is such an upscale bar doing in the middle of rows of vacant buildings? It's mind-boggling, coming from Pittsburgh, where all the nice bars are in nice neighborhoods, or was this a nice neighborhood by Detroit standards?
We also went to a bar in the Palmer Park area. The streets were extremely dark, and very few houses had lights on, as if no one lived there. We didn't see many other cars on the road. There were rows of abandoned store fronts. The only lights we would see were for liquor stores and gas stations. That's about all there was! This area had a really strange vibe. Again, it didn't feel unsafe, just desolate and depressing.
Anyway, I was fascinated by your city and would love to spend a lot more time exploring and getting a feel for the different neighborhoods.
I'm going to go back and spend more time there, and explore the neighborhoods you mentioned. I only had a little time on this last trip. I can't wait, though.
Hamtramck, actually, is a separate city from Detroit. It's a little suburb completely surrounded by Detroit that only shares a border with Highland Park, another suburb completely within Detroit. By Detroit standards it'd be an pretty okay neighborhood if that tells you anything.
From what I hear, Hamtramck is somewhat declining just a bit. The city is predominantly Polish Immigrants and in recent times the younger Polish generations have started to move out. The older generations were the store owners and as you could tell, once the kids went off to do their own thing, business would slow down and stores slowly started to close.
Detroit doesn't have a big gay population (that I'm aware of) and Palmer Park is actually the only neighborhood in Detroit with a small community of gay residents. I think...I know it's like the main spot for gay oriented events. But yea, other than that here's where all the gay bars in Metro Detroit are: Detroit Gay Bars and Clubs from ClubFly - The Detroit, MI Gay Bar, Club and Nightlife finder
The street light thing is some problem with the city budget(s) and the electric company...it's really ugly. Highland Park especially... If you ever want to know more about Highland Park, just know that there isn't a whole lot positive.
I grew up in Michigan and moved to Pittsburgh a few years ago. During the time I lived in Michigan, I never had a chance to visit Detroit, so I made it a rule to visit your city the next time I went home. My parents always warned me about Detroit and told me I would be killed if I went there. I imagine a lot of people in the country think this way about the city, and maybe that is why it has had so much trouble gaining residents and turning around? Here are some of my impressions after visiting the city of Detroit on a Saturday evening.
Downtown -- looking beautiful and vibrant. Did not see too many vacant buildings or store fronts, surprisingly. The density and many historic buildings seem intact, even though I realize many have been torn down. My friend and I were bummed there were no gay bars downtown, though.
Hamtramck -- My friend and I ended up at a bar called "Ice" in Hamtramck. What is the deal with this neighborhood? It seemed extremely gritty, but at the same time it didn't feel unsafe. Is this neighborhood improving, declining? What is such an upscale bar doing in the middle of rows of vacant buildings? It's mind-boggling, coming from Pittsburgh, where all the nice bars are in nice neighborhoods, or was this a nice neighborhood by Detroit standards?
We also went to a bar in the Palmer Park area. The streets were extremely dark, and very few houses had lights on, as if no one lived there. We didn't see many other cars on the road. There were rows of abandoned store fronts. The only lights we would see were for liquor stores and gas stations. That's about all there was! This area had a really strange vibe. Again, it didn't feel unsafe, just desolate and depressing.
Anyway, I was fascinated by your city and would love to spend a lot more time exploring and getting a feel for the different neighborhoods.
Thats so awesome that you decided to not listen to all the hype and check out Detroit for yourself!
I'm not from there, although I went to school in Michigan, went there a couple times to visit friends (who I later lost touch with) then decided to check out places that I always wanted to check out.
Downtown is great. Whats interesting, is that during the roaring twenties, Detroit built more skyscrapers than any other city in the country outside New York and Chicago. In fact from around 1910 to the late sixties, Detroit was slowly gaining on Chicago. And if you look at old photos from the 50s, Chicagos was certainly bigger, but not that much bigger. Chicago didn't start building super tall buildings until the late 60s, starting with the hancock.
During the same time Chicago was tearing down old buildings to build taller buildlings, Detroit was tearing down some of its old buildings to build parking lots. But there a lot that remains.
Yes, Hamtramck is a classic gritty working class ethnic neighborhood that has been transition from a major Polish (and to a lesser extent Ukrainian) neighborhoods to be mixed with newcomers from countres like Albania, Yemen, and Bangladesh.
Where did you go in Palmer Park? The actual Park itself?? If you came up on Woodward, that stretch of Woodward is unfortunately desolate and depressing.
Next time check out 7 mile and Livernois or the area around U of Detroit Mercy. Those areas are more intact and in decent shape. Also, take a drive through the actual neighborhood of Palmer Woods. The houses are great. just keep in mind there is security there, so just don't stand in front of houses and stare. I'm sure people will get concerned and call security.
You should also check out Ferndale. That is really more of the center of the gay community in metro Detroit. It is a small older suburbs just north of 8-mile north of Palmer Park. From what I understand Palmer Park used to be the center of the gay community in Detroit.
I second that you check out the Midtown area. The Detroit institute of arts is world class, there is also the MOCAD. there is a theater/bowling alley joint called the Magic Stick, and check out the Motown museum on west Grand not that far from there.
OKAY, long time reader of Detroit city-data here, and I've finally been inspired to actually register and respond to something. I lived in Detroit over the past summer and intend on moving back ASAP after I graduate from university.
Is the place you went to around the Palmer Woods area Menjo's?? That bar can be really excellent. I went there and me and friend (a straight girl!) didn't have to buy any of our drinks, and the bartender (cute guy, Josh or something, said he lived in Hamtramck actually) even gave me some shots, I'm sure with no ulterior motive. Hamtramck is also excellent. I didn't go there too often and I didn't go to this Ice place, but they have a bar called the Painted Lady which is one of the best bars I've been to.
And Ferndale isn't quite the center of the gay community in metro Detroit, that can be a quite contentious statement. In my experience, the bars up there were homogenous and generally pretty boring compared to the ones in Detroit, which can mega wild. I had a conversation with the owner of the Male Box once when I tried to go there (he was working on repairs, as all summer it was being renovated) and he explained to me the various politics between the gay bars in Detroit; very complicated. I'd recommend Gold Coast on top of Menjo's, and there's also a lot of gay saloons in Detroit. R and R is excellent, but the Hayloft Saloon (off Greenfield and Tireman) really takes the cake. They have happy hour from 2 to 9 and killer long island iced teas.
Apparently, the Warrendale neighborhood, which is still quite populated, used to be a primary gay area, and that's where a lot of the bars still are. Definitely come back and explore, Detroit is actually a great city to be gay in, in my opinion. I live in NYC now and the gay bars here are all homogenous, bland, and depressing in a way that is totally opposite to Detroit.
Oh and if you go back to the Palmer Woods area be sure to go La Dolce Vita, just past McNicholas! It's super bourgy, but they have bottomless mimosas or bloody maries on sunday, and then you can walk or drive over to the Turkel House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
I recommend walking. I don't drive (and I never will!) and I was worried that Detroit wouldn't be good for walking, but Detroit can actually be a great place to be a pedestrian. It isn't as sprawling as people think, and when you walk around you can talk to people, many of whom have interesting stories to tell.
Yes, the bar in the Palmer Park area that we went to was Menjo's. It had a welcoming vibe, but it didn't seem very diverse. My friend and I were the only white people there, but everyone was friendly.
The other bar, Ice, was in Hamtramck, and that bar was almost all white. Most of the bars in Pittsburgh are more mixed, less segregated, but I suppose that segregation is a reflection of Detroit as a whole?
Anyway, thanks for all of the great recommendations, Tyveker. I look forward to checking those places out when I go back!
Glad you had a good time in Detroit and that you experienced more than just downtown. That's pretty rare for someone on their first trip to our fair city. I think your impressions of the city are basically universal. In terms of Hamtramck, it is an interesting melting pot, but always gritty, which gives it character that people can relate to. Nothing about it is preconceived or sterile. I went to South Boston last year looking to find something similar, but was disappointed to see that it was largely bleached clean and commercialized into a yuppie hood.
This post actually inspired a register and response from me, as well.
I took a 5 day trip by myself to Detroit via Amtrak from Milwaukee in mid-late August, without having ever been before, but with substantial research in the area. No car, didn't know anybody, with my only rule being never to leave the city limits.
I stayed downtown at the Fort Shelby (beautiful!), but definitely plan to stay at Hostel Detroit or couch surf on my next visit (met some awesome folks here!).
As far as the gay perspective, I hit a few bars myself: Menjo's thursday night (allegedly the "night" to be there- i noticed this seemed to be a trend in D, each gay bar has the "night" you go to it on). I had a blast at this place, introduced to Sabin, loved the drag show, lots of cute boys. Majority twinky white boy crowd, but still decently mixed.
Gigi's was Friday night; which I have to say was one of the best nights out of my life (coming form my very aged 22 years on Earth, lol). Totally diverse, very wild, just something I'd never experienced before, especially in the rather segregated Milwaukee scene. This place ROCKED and I can't wait to go back!
Other places I hit up included The Bronx, Woodbridge Pub, Motor City Brewing Co, Temple Bar and Cass Eatery or whatever its called. I made it a point to take the bus to Eastern Market for an afternoon, that was amazing, shame I didnt have cash along. Bigby Coffee on woodward was my normal starting point of the day (which consisted of a HUGE walk from downtown, lol). DIA was fabulous, and I have to say it was an amazing experience!
Personally, I can't wait to be back with my bicycle to make transportation that much easier. I never once felt unsafe here, but I also know how to navigate in a city. Most tourists thought me a local and asked directions on the Mugger Mover (lol).
But this inspired me to respond as my visit to the D was nothing short of extraordinary and hope to make it a yearly ritual!
Also, City Club till 4 am saturday night + coney after was truly a great D treat.
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