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Old 06-29-2009, 08:02 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,471 times
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Hello, I'm from the central PA area, and me and my family, my wife and two kids, will be staying around Columbus Ohio in July, and I am planning a day trip to Detroit to see a Tigers game. Can someone fill me in and some cool places to visit, things to do and see during the day? And what's the area where the stadium is like? Will we be safe leaving there at night? And what are some places we should definitely avoid as far as ghettos/ high crime areas go? Thanks is advance!
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Old 06-29-2009, 11:16 PM
 
Location: Grosse Ile Michigan
30,702 posts, read 79,356,279 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by voda556 View Post
Hello, I'm from the central PA area, and me and my family, my wife and two kids, will be staying around Columbus Ohio in July, and I am planning a day trip to Detroit to see a Tigers game. Can someone fill me in and some cool places to visit, things to do and see during the day? And what's the area where the stadium is like? Will we be safe leaving there at night? And what are some places we should definitely avoid as far as ghettos/ high crime areas go? Thanks is advance!
One of the neatest places to visit is greenfield villiage, but it is an all day kind of thing. The DIA is a world class art museum. Detroit science center is fun for kids. You may want to come down to the Ren Cen and poke around along the riverfront. IF you come on a weekend, there may be an event or at least some bands playing. Joe Louis Stadium (ed Wings) is right there too.

teh detroit princess boat serves dinner with mediochre food and terrific views.

Greektown is a hopping kind of place with some neat places to eat. After dinner there is a coldstone creamery in the Greektown casino.

I do nto know whether it is in an area where the kids can go, but I have heard that at the greektown casino there is a popular gambling thing where you play tic tac toe agaisnt a chicken and the chicken usually wins.

cabellas down near Ohio {Dundee} is one of the worlds largest sporting goods/outdoor stores. It has a neat acquarium and a hotel wiht an indoor water park.

Ann Arbor is always neat to visit.



Michigans tourism opportunities are as much about outdoor activities as anything. Canoing, camping, hiking, watersports, etc.
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Old 06-30-2009, 09:11 AM
 
Location: Metro Detroit Area, Michigan
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Don't forget to make a stop at the Guardian Building. It is just beautiful inside.
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Old 06-30-2009, 02:00 PM
 
Location: Michigan
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Your kids will love Comerica Park, it's a beautiful place to see a game and there are even little carnival rides for them (merry-go-round, small ferris wheel, that sort of thing). Park near the ballpark and you'll be just fine, nothing to worry about - especially when there are tons of people leaving at the same time.

I have to agree that the Detroit Institute of Arts is fantastic, they have really upped the fun quotient since their remodel a few years ago. Each room has little educational, interactive games so the kids can get involved rather than just standing around all day not being allowed to touch anything! I haven't been to the Detroit Science Center since I was a kid but back then it was super cool. I'm not sure what there is for families to do at the Renaissance Center other than visit the movie theater; it's a neat building but there isn't that much in it besides a bunch of offices and a Marriott.

Outside of Detroit, your kids would have a seriously fun day trip at either Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum (in Dearborn) or at the Detroit Zoo (in Royal Oak, just north of I-696 on Woodward). Over the years the zoo has become a really nice place with super cool exhibits! The aviary is great, I am actually kind of scared of birds but feeling like part of their habitat is pretty sweet. The chimpanzee habitat is just beautiful and the semi-new polar bear exhibit is really cool - you get to go underneath their swimming area and watch them up close through glass. The penguinarium is ancient and desperate for an update but somehow kids still seem to love it in there. It's dark and cold and kind of eerie but the penguins are very cute. And on a hot summer day, dark and cold is kind of a relief. Kids also go crazy for the prairie dogs and the choo-choo train!

As far as areas to avoid...Detroit has pockets of really great places and pockets of really nasty areas, and in my experience they are pretty obvious to the naked eye. The parts that are nice look nice, and the parts that are not...well, they don't look so nice. If you're surrounded by burned out buildings and people you might not be excited to meet, just keep on driving til you get to your destination. The areas around all the attractions we've mentioned are all very nice, not to worry. The DIA is near Wayne State's campus (Science Center might be too, I can't remember), and the ballparks are in an entertainment district with nice restaurants and such. The zoo and Greenfield Village are basically suburban tourist destinations so nothing to worry about there at all.

Have fun and thanks for visiting us!
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Old 07-05-2009, 10:22 PM
 
73 posts, read 305,204 times
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What are some of the cool/hip places in the city and some good places to eat? I'm not looking for high end restaurants, something one might see on diner's, drive inns, and dives or man v. food. Also, what are similar places to eat in AA?
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Old 07-05-2009, 10:46 PM
YAZ
 
Location: Phoenix,AZ
7,697 posts, read 14,010,878 times
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In Motown, I'd hang out around the Campus Martius Section. Safe, neat, and plenty to eat, that's fer shure...right by Comerica Park.

Ann Arbor?

Main Street. Period.

The last time I was there I ate at Mongolian BBQ. Terriffic. Any place down there is cool with sidewalk seating.

Go to the Blind Pig. Coolest blues bar in town. Your ears will tickle for weeks.
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Old 07-09-2009, 02:46 PM
 
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You're not going to be able to do a lot of exploring in one day with a game thrown in. I'd stay around Woodward, maybe go down to the river and walk along the riverfront. There are a lot of areas to avoid. If you stay on Woodward or a block or two or three east or west, or along Jefferson or Atwater by the river, you'll be fine.

Maybe take the wife and kids to Cliff Bell's for music at night. It's just down the street from the Hockeytown Cafe, on Woodward. They have a good website. You can park in a structure around the Fox Theater and walk to Cliff Bells and the ballpark.

Mario's is a great place to eat. Second and Canfield with ample and secure parking. I'd go there. Get the filet or Chateau Briand. It's a nice place but you can even wear jeans there. Detroit Institute of Arts is on Woodward, as is Orchestra Hall. They often have matinee performances there. If you can, you may as well take a couple days in Detroit.

Just FYI, the neighborhood east of I-75 and south of I-94 is listed as the 4th most dangerous in the nation. The "nice areas" and "bad areas" in Detroit are defined in many areas on a block-by-block basis. But if you stay on or just off of Woodward, you'll be OK. It won't be a problem leaving at night.
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Old 07-10-2009, 08:56 AM
 
Location: Findlay, OH
313 posts, read 1,190,729 times
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We lived in Metro Detroit and now live in Northwest Oh, so we are familiar with the D and also C-bus.

If you are visiting COSI in Columbus, the Detroit Science Center, might pale in comparison. Though I don't know if they have any of their cool "extra" exhibits right now. (Like the Human Body or Pirate Ship a couple of years ago.) Of course if you have a membership to a Science Center, you'll probably get reciprocity and that might make it a lot more worth your while.

The Henry Ford, which encompasses Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum, is super cool! You could do the Museum for a few hours-- you wouldn't come close to seeing everything, but you'd see a lot.

As a side note, but the Detroit Science Center and The Henry Ford have IMAX theatres. We just saw Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian at the Henry Ford and it was SOOOOO cool on the big screen. They will have the new Harry Potter in a few weeks, and we'll make the 1.5 hour drive each way to go and see it!

The Detroit Zoo is A LOT of walking for what feels like a small number of animals. But they do have an awesome Polar Bear exhibit and kangaroos too!

A happy medium might be to break up your 3-4 hour drive with a stop at the Toledo Zoo. It's a FANTASTIC smaller zoo. It can easily be done in about 2 hours and you can spend much more time if you want.... It's easy to get to and from, right off of 75 and it would be almost exactly your half way point.

Any way you go, I hope you have a ton of fun!
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