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Old 03-24-2010, 08:34 AM
 
3,737 posts, read 12,374,691 times
Reputation: 6904

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Haven't been home to the Detroit area in quite a few years (haven't lived in Michigan for over 20 years). Back in the 80s, I knew what areas to stay away from, where it was safe and the good places to go. Its been so many years, that I don't have a clue. I'd appreciate some insider's info please. I'm going to be staying on the east side so I'm concentrating my time there & in the downtown area.

I used to love going to Greek Town (haven't been down there since way before any casinios were built). Is the food still good & is the area safe? It used to be that the parking garage that was located right on the edge of Greek Town was the best place to park. Is it still there or is there a better place to park in that area? I'm not interested in gambling but haven't had a good Greek dinner since leaving Detroit.

Is there still a bar at the top of the RenCen? From what I remember the view was worth the cost of a couple of overpriced drinks.

There used to be a restaurant called Sinbads that was down off of Jefferson not too far from downtown. Is it still there and is the food still any good? I recall the area even back in the early 80s wasn't the best. How about now?

Finally, we were talking about going to the Detroit Institute of Arts on Saturday. How's that area?

Thanks all!
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Old 03-25-2010, 05:00 PM
 
Location: On the brink of WWIII
21,088 posts, read 29,139,624 times
Reputation: 7812
Quote:
Originally Posted by Va-Cat View Post
Haven't been home to the Detroit area in quite a few years (haven't lived in Michigan for over 20 years). Back in the 80s, I knew what areas to stay away from, where it was safe and the good places to go. Its been so many years, that I don't have a clue. I'd appreciate some insider's info please. I'm going to be staying on the east side so I'm concentrating my time there & in the downtown area.

I used to love going to Greek Town (haven't been down there since way before any casinios were built). Is the food still good & is the area safe? It used to be that the parking garage that was located right on the edge of Greek Town was the best place to park. Is it still there or is there a better place to park in that area? I'm not interested in gambling but haven't had a good Greek dinner since leaving Detroit.

Is there still a bar at the top of the RenCen? From what I remember the view was worth the cost of a couple of overpriced drinks.

There used to be a restaurant called Sinbads that was down off of Jefferson not too far from downtown. Is it still there and is the food still any good? I recall the area even back in the early 80s wasn't the best. How about now?

Finally, we were talking about going to the Detroit Institute of Arts on Saturday. How's that area?

Thanks all!
Same places are bad. Some expanded a few city blocks or maybe 10?

Greektown is ok. Food has declined IMHO...

RenCen is GM hedquarters and pretty sure the roof is closed?

Sinbads is what it is...ok food highly priced.

http://www.sindbads.com/flash/index.html (broken link)

DIA is good. Might check schedule to see if they have any good events on Friday nights.
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Old 03-25-2010, 05:26 PM
 
Location: Detroit's Marina District
970 posts, read 2,961,840 times
Reputation: 400
Quote:
Originally Posted by Va-Cat View Post
Haven't been home to the Detroit area in quite a few years (haven't lived in Michigan for over 20 years). Back in the 80s, I knew what areas to stay away from, where it was safe and the good places to go. Its been so many years, that I don't have a clue. I'd appreciate some insider's info please. I'm going to be staying on the east side so I'm concentrating my time there & in the downtown area.

I used to love going to Greek Town (haven't been down there since way before any casinios were built). Is the food still good & is the area safe? It used to be that the parking garage that was located right on the edge of Greek Town was the best place to park. Is it still there or is there a better place to park in that area? I'm not interested in gambling but haven't had a good Greek dinner since leaving Detroit.

Is there still a bar at the top of the RenCen? From what I remember the view was worth the cost of a couple of overpriced drinks.

There used to be a restaurant called Sinbads that was down off of Jefferson not too far from downtown. Is it still there and is the food still any good? I recall the area even back in the early 80s wasn't the best. How about now?

Finally, we were talking about going to the Detroit Institute of Arts on Saturday. How's that area?

Thanks all!
Well, there's been massive changes in the last 20 years. Prepare to be blown away, and not in a good way.

Greektown - I go here about once a month. Still has a reasonable Greek influence. But, like any other casino neighborhood in any city, I wouldn't walk around at night alone. A good amount of muggings and assaults have happened here within the last few months.

Ren Cen - The bar is still there, I believe. One of the security guards told me that, as far as she knew, the top floor was closed on Sundays, though. The building is horribly confusing as far as the floorplan goes, so be sure not to get lost. The entire area around the Ren-Cen is very interesting. It's separated from Downtown, and surrounded by buildings that are 1-2 stories in height. It's quite unusual.

Sinbad's - Sinbad's is still there, at the end of St. Clair Street. The neighborhood is pretty shady-looking though, so be careful when going there.

Detroit Institute of Arts - The DIA is in Detroit's Museum District, which is pretty safe. However, some areas close to the Museum District is very run down and just plain creepy. The DIA is a truly amazing experience though. It seemingly never ends, and is full of beautiful artworks from many eras. It's a must-see when visiting Detroit.
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Old 03-26-2010, 03:28 PM
 
866 posts, read 4,250,370 times
Reputation: 285
Quote:
Originally Posted by Va-Cat View Post
Haven't been home to the Detroit area in quite a few years (haven't lived in Michigan for over 20 years). Back in the 80s, I knew what areas to stay away from, where it was safe and the good places to go. Its been so many years, that I don't have a clue. I'd appreciate some insider's info please. I'm going to be staying on the east side so I'm concentrating my time there & in the downtown area.

I used to love going to Greek Town (haven't been down there since way before any casinios were built). Is the food still good & is the area safe? It used to be that the parking garage that was located right on the edge of Greek Town was the best place to park. Is it still there or is there a better place to park in that area? I'm not interested in gambling but haven't had a good Greek dinner since leaving Detroit.

Is there still a bar at the top of the RenCen? From what I remember the view was worth the cost of a couple of overpriced drinks.

There used to be a restaurant called Sinbads that was down off of Jefferson not too far from downtown. Is it still there and is the food still any good? I recall the area even back in the early 80s wasn't the best. How about now?

Finally, we were talking about going to the Detroit Institute of Arts on Saturday. How's that area?

Thanks all!
Greektown is very different than it was in the 1980's. Obviously, as you probably know there is the Greektown Casino in Greektown now and that really changed everything when it opened in 1999. There are still some great Greek restaurants in Greektown, some that you may even remember such as the Laikon Cafe, Pegasus Taverna, and the Golden Fleece. Sadly, Hellas closed in 2008, and Greektown has never been the same without it. They demolished the Hellas building last September and there is still a giant whole in the middle of Greektown. Other good restaurants in Greektown include the New Parthenon and Cyprus Taverna.

The bar at the top of the RenCen that use to rotate that you probably remember is gone. A new (non-rotating) restaurant takes its place, Coach Insigna. Coach Insigna is pretty pricey, but you get great views of the city. But you can always go to the top of the RenCen without eating, to look out over the city and into Canada.

Sinbad's is still there, the food isn't the greatest, but I have not been there in years myself, so I am not rating the food that they prepared recently.

The Roostertail, as you might also remember, is on the Detroit Riverfront and has better food in my opinion.

I actually just recently visited the DIA, the area is perfectly safe to walk around and park your car.

Enjoy your time in Michigan, and welcome back for the time you will be staying here!
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Old 03-31-2010, 10:55 AM
 
3,737 posts, read 12,374,691 times
Reputation: 6904
Default Wow - just got back from Detroit

You know...I've hear one thousand times about how Detroit has been burned, leveled and boarded up. How businesses have closed and about how its grand old buildings have been looted and raped for their architectual details. I've even sees pictures. Nothing could have prepared me for the truth and what I saw. Its so much worse that I could have ever imagined! And Greektown -OMG - its been ruined! The charm & all the ethnic character is gone. In its place is second rate glitz. I know that time moves forward and I thought I was prepared for the changes I would see - but not this - not to this extent. I saw the Bronx in NYC back in the late 70s and can only compare what I saw in Detroit to that war zone. Debris and dilapidation everywhere.

No matter where I have lived over the years, I've always been proud to say that I was from Detroit. As maligned as the city was around the country, I always knew the truth and defended its spirit, its culture and its people. The neighborhoods were everything. Groups of people that cared about each other and helped each other though the hard times and celebrated together in the good. I came home on this trip to find my old neighborhood is gone. Replacing it are empty overgrown lots. The houses that are still there are burned, boarded up and falling down. It was so seedy and dangerous looking that I was afraid to even slow down, much less get out and take a better look. I'm not only sad - I'm angry. How in the hell could this happen to a good city with such good people!

I don't think I will be back again. It hurts to much to see something that was so good so totally destroyed. I'm still proud to say I'm from Detroit but I think I'll just remember it as it was when I was growing up and try to forget what it has become.
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Old 03-31-2010, 03:20 PM
 
10,105 posts, read 19,349,683 times
Reputation: 17438
Quote:
Originally Posted by Va-Cat View Post
You know...I've hear one thousand times about how Detroit has been burned, leveled and boarded up. How businesses have closed and about how its grand old buildings have been looted and raped for their architectual details. I've even sees pictures. Nothing could have prepared me for the truth and what I saw. Its so much worse that I could have ever imagined! And Greektown -OMG - its been ruined! The charm & all the ethnic character is gone. In its place is second rate glitz. I know that time moves forward and I thought I was prepared for the changes I would see - but not this - not to this extent. I saw the Bronx in NYC back in the late 70s and can only compare what I saw in Detroit to that war zone. Debris and dilapidation everywhere.

No matter where I have lived over the years, I've always been proud to say that I was from Detroit. As maligned as the city was around the country, I always knew the truth and defended its spirit, its culture and its people. The neighborhoods were everything. Groups of people that cared about each other and helped each other though the hard times and celebrated together in the good. I came home on this trip to find my old neighborhood is gone. Replacing it are empty overgrown lots. The houses that are still there are burned, boarded up and falling down. It was so seedy and dangerous looking that I was afraid to even slow down, much less get out and take a better look. I'm not only sad - I'm angry. How in the hell could this happen to a good city with such good people!

I don't think I will be back again. It hurts to much to see something that was so good so totally destroyed. I'm still proud to say I'm from Detroit but I think I'll just remember it as it was when I was growing up and try to forget what it has become.

Like they say, you can't go home again Sorry you had such a bad experience. I'm looking to "come home" again to Michigan sometime this summer, but plan to bypass Detroit in favor of the UP.
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Old 03-31-2010, 04:49 PM
 
Location: On the brink of WWIII
21,088 posts, read 29,139,624 times
Reputation: 7812
Default Home for a vist redeux

Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryleeII View Post
Like they say, you can't go home again Sorry you had such a bad experience. I'm looking to "come home" again to Michigan sometime this summer, but plan to bypass Detroit in favor of the UP.

We will be back in the D for spring break.

Decided against Daytona / Panama City in favor of Urban Gardening.

Anxious to see how it has changed in the last year.
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