Downtown on Saturday. (Detroit, Wayne: mover, house, theater) - Michigan (MI) - City-Data Forum

Coldjensens · 12-22-2007, 05:37 PM

We went downtown to show relatives around today. The sidewalks were almost completely empty. Almost nothing was open. A few shops in the Guardian building, a restaurant called Eph (good sandwiches there). Du Mouchelle. Some Ren Cen shops (not many) and there was a magician and a balloon guy performing at the Ren Cen. Barnes & Noble was open and it was pretty busy. In fact, it appeared that every person downtown was inside Barnes & Noble or at the skating rink. We did not run into many people elsewhere. We could not find any other restaurants open except Eph and the snack bar at the skating rink.

It was like being in New York after all other human beings disappeared. Kind of spooky in places.

There must be something going on Downtown on weekends. Something must be open. Where is it?

and the · 12-22-2007, 07:17 PM

Did you try the theater area? If I go down there it's usually to hear someone play at Cliff Bells lately or the Town Pump in the past. I don't like Hockeytown, but lots of others apparently do. Centaur had people in it when I walked by. Try a little farther north on Woodward.

Coldjensens · 12-23-2007, 04:09 AM

We did not get up that far. We were downtown on foot. (Left the car at the rencen). We spent over an house walking to closed resturuants looking for lunch. Surprising how little is open, but then it alears that no one really lives downtown. We ran tino about four ten people that we talked to all of them were working in an office.

thanks for the suggestions. Next time i will park at Wayne and work my way down Woodward. I still have not made it to the new DIA.

and the · 12-23-2007, 06:02 AM

I think the theater area would be your best bet for entertainment. As far as eating, you can take the people mover to Greektown from the RenCen. There are also bands and restaurants in the casinos, although I'd really rather go to a stand-alone restaurant or bar rather than a casino.

Coldjensens · 12-23-2007, 06:42 PM

I do not care for Casinos. I have only seen MGM but I was told that the others are pretty much the same. MGM is nice and fancy and all that, but it does not have any character. It is kind of the same as any other non-themed casino and expensive for no reason. I will probably look at the others and maybe play a little craps once in a while, but i am not in a hurry to see them. there are much better places to explore first.

We really liked Eph, an Irish pub with seemingly authentic food (I am not an expert on irish food). Very good food. Nice people working there. We were the only customers.

We considered Greek town but my In-laws had Greek food on Friday, so we did not venture over there. I wonder if anything would be open on the weekend even in Greektown, the city was really empty.

I really enjoy exploring the city. There are some neat things to see. The people from my office do not seem to leave the Ren Cen very often except to go to the DAC (nice place).

There is a huge used bookstore near the greyhound station that I want to get into some day. I brought my son to Winterfest last year and although everything was melting, it was good fun. Although I went to college at Wayne for four years, I did not see all that much of the city. We always left as soon as our classes ended, unless we had an event to participate in. It was pretty dangerous downtown (and even around the campus) back then.

Is there anything worthwhile in brick town?

I am familiar with Wayne State and the museums (most of them), the theater area, and now a little bit downtown. Where else is worth exploring? Where is corktown? What is it? Anyhting there on weekends?

Slappy san · 12-24-2007, 10:47 AM

Downtown is pretty much dead. I live in the heart of it.

Don't let the name fool you. Greektown is not all Greek food.

and the · 12-25-2007, 06:51 PM

Quote:

I really enjoy exploring the city. There are some neat things to see. The people from my office do not seem to leave the Ren Cen very often except to go to the DAC (nice place).

A friend of mine used to own a restaurant downtown. He was very familiar with the phenomena of no one leaving the Ren Cen to eat lunch. Other than the little rat tubes that you could use to get to Millender. My wife used to work in the Ren Cen. I guess the philosophy was like that of Chef, from "Apocalyse Now"....."'Don't EVER leave the boat!!!"

Coldjensens · 12-26-2007, 05:46 AM

I think that the problem is time. By the time you get down the elevators, cross the entire Ren cen complex and walk to somewhere else downtown, you are out of time for lunch. It is not like you can just exit the elevator, walk out of the building and across the street. The Ren Cen is apparently made to be self contained.
One of the longest segments of my daily commute is getting from my office to getting my car on the road. I spend less time ont eh freeway than that requires.

UpperPeninsulaRon · 12-26-2007, 07:03 AM

Downtown Detroit has never really been able to find itself and its place as a center city for the last fifty years. I lived downtown for quite a few years because it was convienient to where I worked and I enjoyed my time there. But it certainly was not an urban experience like living in, say, downtown Chicago (price issues aside).
Everything has been tried. Remember Emily's and the big yellow heart exclaiming "I Love Detroit"? Then there was the trolley - talk about the bridge to nowhere. I remember having dinner with out of town friends in a place on the first floor of an office building on Fort Street just south of the old Detroit Bank & Trust Building. We sat there at about seven o'clock one evening looking over the dark deserted streets with a huge billboard staring us in the face "One With Gun Gets You Two". Remember that one? My dinner guests were not at ease.
I always liked downtown, but nothing ever seemed to really work. It's kind of like the Lions "We'll find a creative way to lose this one" mentality. I just do not know what will work. Any interesting suggestions out there?

berrymist27 · 01-04-2008, 12:29 PM

I was there that weekend with my son to see to magician and B.looney. We enjoyed ourselves they had face painting an bought some books at Borders. As to your first question there are some restuarants and a spa in Bricktown and you have to go to POPCORN ROYALTY in BRICKTOWN to get the chicago style its great. OH there's also a great MEXICAN RESTUARANT called The Loco Bar and Grill which is open till 4am on the weekends and don't forget Nikki Pizza great pizza. In Greektown they have all kinds of restuarants like Fishbone's which has sushi and creole and house the world largest indoor fountain. We actually ate at The End Zone be prepared to wait its always packed. Maybe your family would like the Sweet Georgia Brown is an upscale restuarant with great food. Perhaps you can make another trip and you'll find more options to shop and eat enjoy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I do not care for Casinos. I have only seen MGM but I was told that the others are pretty much the same. MGM is nice and fancy and all that, but it does not have any character. It is kind of the same as any other non-themed casino and expensive for no reason. I will probably look at the others and maybe play a little craps once in a while, but i am not in a hurry to see them. there are much better places to explore first.

We really liked Eph, an Irish pub with seemingly authentic food (I am not an expert on irish food). Very good food. Nice people working there. We were the only customers.

We considered Greek town but my In-laws had Greek food on Friday, so we did not venture over there. I wonder if anything would be open on the weekend even in Greektown, the city was really empty.

I really enjoy exploring the city. There are some neat things to see. The people from my office do not seem to leave the Ren Cen very often except to go to the DAC (nice place).

There is a huge used bookstore near the greyhound station that I want to get into some day. I brought my son to Winterfest last year and although everything was melting, it was good fun. Although I went to college at Wayne for four years, I did not see all that much of the city. We always left as soon as our classes ended, unless we had an event to participate in. It was pretty dangerous downtown (and even around the campus) back then.

Is there anything worthwhile in brick town?

I am familiar with Wayne State and the museums (most of them), the theater area, and now a little bit downtown. Where else is worth exploring? Where is corktown? What is it? Anyhting there on weekends?