[Coldjensens]

On a per capita basis, I think you will find Detroit compares favorably to LA or any city when it comes to the arts.

This is a helpful starting point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfor...rts_in_Detroit

While Detroit is not going to have the same numbers as a giant city, it is still one of the live performance powerhouses in the country. A few years ago they crowed about Detroit having the second most theater east of the Mississippi. Not sure if that still holds. Also hard to accept since that would mean it has more than Chicago. Still, the fact is it has a lot. Detroit is not the cultural wasteland that the suburbanites or other Detroit naysayers would have people believe.

As to OP's question:

Ann Arbor
Midtown Detroit.
Foxtown/theater District Detroit.
Stadium district Detroit.
Downtown Detroit.
Royal Oak
Ferndale.
Wyandotte.
Birmingham

All worth taking a look at for your wants. None meet all of your wants.


In Detroit they have Lime and Bird scooters everywhere. It seems crazy, but they even use hem in this frigid cold. Otherwise, there are nearly worthless People mover ( fun to ride but does not really go anywhere) and Q line (inanely slow). Also buses.

[jakebarnes]

If you want an urban-ish experience close to Metro Detroit, I'd vote for Ann Arbor.

[TiggerDog]

Metro Detroit is not for you.

[tuebor]

If you don't drive, the Lansing area merits consideration. It has good transit options for a metro area that size (bus, bike, Lyft, Uber, scooters). You can fly out of the local airport or you catch the Michigan Flyer shuttle to DTW. Plenty of people under 30, with theater groups and other artistic activities going on. It has brewpubs, farmers' markets, international restaurants, etc., and it's more affordable than Ann Arbor or GR.