Aug. 23, 2026

213. Detroit, Michigan - Motor City melodies, grit, and renaissance

Show Notes
Transcript

Join us for Travel Is Back episode 213 as we explore Detroit, Michigan — Motor City melodies, grit, and a modern renaissance. This warm, conversational guide covers things to do in Detroit, practical travel tips, and the flavors that make the city sing. Highlights include the Motown Museum for music history, the Detroit Institute of Arts for world-class galleries, Eastern Market for local food and farmers, Belle Isle for green space and skyline views, and the Detroit RiverWalk for peaceful waterfront strolls. We’ll share travel tips on getting around via the QLINE and rideshares, best neighborhoods to stay like Midtown and Corktown, where to park, and ideal times to visit in spring and fall. Food lovers will want to try classic Coney Islands, square Detroit-style pizza, soul food spots, and local craft breweries. You’ll hear stories of resilience, the booming arts scene, and must-see landmarks from the Renaissance Center to the Fox Theatre. This episode was prepared with the assistance of AI tools, giving us more time to travel and bring you even more destinations. Travel Is Back -- over 200 episodes covering destinations across America and beyond.

Some episodes use AI for research, writing assistance, and occasional voiceover when Johnny Mac is unavailable. His point of view, and his insistence on finding the best local taco remains entirely human.

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I'm Johnny Mack and travel is back. Today's episode is

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powered by AI. Hey, we made it to Detroit, Michigan.

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You step out into a city that doesn't try to

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impress you with polish. First. It's got edges, it's got energy,

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and it's really good to walk if you give it

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a few good loops and let the stories come to

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you as you go. Start simple, head to the riverwalk.

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The Detroit River is right there, wide and moving, with

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Canada staring back at you. You can walk a good

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stretch past parks, gardens and a couple little fishing spots

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where locals post up with chairs and coffee. Heart Plaza

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is this huge concrete stadium to the river, and from

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there the skyline stacks up just enough to make a

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nice photo, no filter needed. Once you're downtown, you'll see

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a lot of glass and a lot of old brick

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and stone that's been cleaned up but still shows its

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age in the best way. Duck into the Guardian Building

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and look up. The lobby is a knockout orange and

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teal tiles, patterned ceilings and art deco mural free to see,

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and nobody tells you to hurry. Keep it respectful, it's

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an office building, but this is a quick wow you're

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in Detroit kind of stop that sets the tone. Around

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the corner. Keep an eye out for the belt. It's

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literally an alley meandering through the backs of buildings, stuffed

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with murals and lights. Overhead. You've got bars and art

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installations tucked in here, and a nice chuckle when you

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remember five minutes ago you were in a skyscraper lobby.

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Swing by Parker's Alley two behind the Shinola Hotel. More

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little shops, coffee and good people watching on a warm afternoon.

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If you like an odd ball view, go to the

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top floor of the Z Garage. Yes, it's a parking deck.

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The murals and the stairwells are great, and that top

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deck gets you a sneaky good skyline shot without any fuss.

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At some point, you should do a coney dog. It's

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not fancy, it's not healthy. It's Detroit. American Coney Island

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and Lafayette Coney Island sit shoulder to shoulder on Michigan

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Avenue and have been side eyeing each other for century.

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You pick one, order a cony with chili, mustard and onion,

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and try not to get it all over your shirt.

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It's quick, it's cheap, and yes, you'll have an opinion

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afterward if you need a coffee before or after dessert.

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Oasis on Griswold keeps a solid pour over and enough

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seating that you can regroup with a map for five minutes,

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or ride the people mover for a cheap above street

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loop view of downtown. It's a little retro, a little touristy,

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but it's also how you get the lay of the

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land in ten minutes without breaking a sweat. When you

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get back to ground level, keep walking Detroit rewards it.

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Save your early morning for Eastern Market Saturdays. That place

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is a living, breathing thing. You've got growers selling greens,

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crates of apples, flour spilling out of vans, and a

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cheese guy who really really wants to talk cheese. The

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sheds are numbered, so it's easy to wander without getting lost.

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You sample a jam, grab a loa from a baker

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who got up way before sunrise, and realize this market

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feeds the whole region, not just tourists. You'll want to

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eat here too. Supino Pizzeria turns out thin, blistered pies

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that have this nice balance, good chew sauce that tastes

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like tomatoes, not sugar. Germax is right there roasting coffee

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and nuts, and the smell drifts over the benches outside.

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Rockies has bulk candy and nostalgic snacks that mess with

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your willpower, and there are butchers and spice merchants who

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can talk you through dinner if you're staying in a

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place with a kitchen. The murals in and around Eastern

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Market are a whole thing. You can do a casual

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loop and find rabbits, the size of trucks, abstract color fields,

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portraits of old timey detroiters, and pure weirdness done beautifully.

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It changes constantly, so even if you've been before, you

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see something new. When you've had your fill, grab a

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mogo bike from the dock on Russell Stree and roll

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down the d Quindra Cut. This is a former rail

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line turned greenway that slopes you gently down into a

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sunken path with wild flowers, graffiti and the odd busker.

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You ride under bridges, pass old warehouse backs and feel

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like the city is humming just above. You keep cruising

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and you spill out near the river where the wind

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picks up and the skyline does that little trick where

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it reminds you why cities are fun. Lock the bike,

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take in a view, then decide if lunch is happening

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now or later. It's a short jump from there to Corktown,

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which carries the weight of Detroit's old stories and the

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excitement of its newer ones without shouting about either. The

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elephant in the neighborhood is Michigan's Central Station, the long

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abandoned train depot with a face only a true fan

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could love. Until recently Ford restored it and the thing

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looks like a palace again. You can check the schedule

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for any public hours or plase events and at least

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see the Ornate Lobby. It's wild seeing something that was

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a ruin for decades glow like that. Just across Roosevelt

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Park you'll find Slows bar BQ pulling a steady line

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and it's deserved. Brisket, sandwich, mac and cheese, a beer

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if you're not on a bike, No mystery, just good food.

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Walk it off. On Michigan. You've got bars and little shops,

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old brick buildings with fresh paint, and a field that

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says people have put their backs into fixing things here.

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Pop into Lucky Detroit for coffee with a little old

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school barbershop vibe around the edges. If you're into a

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different kind of tasting to James Spirits does small batch whisky,

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gin and whatever else they're tinkering with. Tours are useful.

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There's something about standing near big copper stills that makes

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you instantly take booze more seriously. And for pizza, Michigan

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and Trumble does a Detroit style pie that makes you

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get what the fuss is about. The high edge, pan crust,

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cheesy caramelization, toppings that don't fight each other. It's not

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something you do every day, but since you're here, yeah,

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you do it today. Give yourself time to meander over

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the Bagley Street pedestrian Bridge. It sails over the freeway

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like a dragon's back and drops you into Southwest Detroit,

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which is where you should be hungry again. You can

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start at Honeybee Market lach Colmena, a neighborhood grocery that

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makes you want to buy salsa and limes even if

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you don't have a plan. The produce section is loud

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with color, the meat counter is busy, and the bakery

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case is a trap walk Werner Highway and you'll hit

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a whole spread of spots. Takaria Mi Pueblo does grilled

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meats and handmade to or tillas that are a clear

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cut above Socha Milko has plates the size of steering

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wheels and a steady hum from regulars. If Tamales are

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calling you, Evi's Tamales is the kind of place that

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stays what it is on purpose, so every time you

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go back you get the same comfort. La Gloria Bakery

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pulls out trays of conscias and sugar dusted everything, and

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you can't be expected to ignore that. Around Clark Park,

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kids run soccer drills, families hang under the trees, and

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a polata from a push cart tastes better than anything

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in a cone. Hubbard and the side streets have bright

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murals and tiny cafes where you can sit without having

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to perform any kind of food blogger ritual. Keep your

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eyes open for little mercados and corner joints. Most of

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the best bites don't announce themselves loudly. This is an

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easy afternoon where you let the neighborhood set the pace.

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When you're ready for art and a little more air conditioning.

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Head up to midtown. The anchor here is the Detroit

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Institute of Arts. Yes, it's a big museum, but the

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move is targeted the Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera.

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These are massive, detailed and unapologetic workers, gears, machines, and

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every shade of gray in between. You stand there and

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watch people go quiet. Anything else you see in the

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DIA is icing, but those murals are a must. The

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Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is nearby

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and gives you a deep human timeline from the continent

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to Motown to activism. Now it's not a fly through.

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You get stories, names, artifacts, and a sense that Detroit

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has been in the middle of a lot. If you

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want modern and a little rougher around the edges, MOCAD

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pulls in contemporary art and installations in a former auto

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dealership space that feels right for experimental stuff. Step outside,

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and the Detroit Public Library main branch is across Woodward

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Old School marble murals on the walls, and if you

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step into the Burton Historical Collection you feel like you've

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stumbled into a secret. Wayne State's campus is spread around

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you with student energy, that keeps things from feeling overly staged.

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Third Man Record sits on Canfield, a record shop with

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a working pressing plant. You can sometimes catch a tour,

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but even standing by the windows watching vinyl get made

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as a kick. Eat around here. Selden Standard does small

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plates that aren't fussy, just good grilled vegetables that taste

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like fire and lemon. A pasta that feels both simple

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and impossible to replicate at home. Avalon International Breads turns

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out crusty loaves and cookies the size of your hand.

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Grab one for later if you're after a beer and

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something reliable. Jolly Pumpkin Poor Sours and does a burger

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that hits the spot. Save a little time for Garden Bowl,

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an old bowling alley with sticky floors in the right

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way and the magic stick upstairs where you might luck

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into a band you'll brag about later. Ride the queue

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line north because it's free these days and it takes

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the strain off your feet. New Center and Milwaukee Junction

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have a different pulse. Bigger buildings, fewer crowds, room to breathe.

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The Fissure Building is your next lobby. Fix Golden Green

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and all those details your grandparents would point out. You

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could take a building tour if timing works, But even

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a self guided five minutes will have you snapping photos

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you actually look at later a. It's compact, it's personal,

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and you'll stand in Studio A thinking about how many

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voices came through here by time, tickets ahead. If you can,

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it fills up. If you want to lunch, you'll dream

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about later. Baobab fair On Woodward cooks Burundian dishes that

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will stick in your head in the good way. The

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chicken with mustard and onion, the spiced rice, the juices

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that taste like sunshine. This is a meal that turns

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your day around. For coffee in a quiet sit The

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Congregation is a short jump west in the Boston Edison neighborhood.

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It's a cafe and bar in an old church, and

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the patio is one of those I could be here

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longer than I planned spots. If old cars and factory

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floors interest you, duck over to the Ford Piquette Avenue plant.

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It's where the model te was born. A creaky, wooden

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floored building with rows of early Fords and a kind

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of hush you only get in places that change the

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world from some dusty corner nobody was watching yet. Now

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swing north and east to Hamtremek. It's a tiny city

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inside the city, two square miles, where Polish heritage, Yemeny restaurants,

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Bangladeshi shops and punk venues all shake hands. Walk Joseph

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Campau Avenue and you'll get that main street feel. Bakeries

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with paper wrapped boxes, halal markets with stacked spices, and

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bars where the older regulars and the tattooed kids seem

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equally at home. New Palace Bakery is a classic, and

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if you catch it around Patsky Day season, get there early. Otherwise,

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just pick a few pastries and watch how fast they

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vanish for a meal. Polish Village Cafe is an easy Yes,

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it's in a basement. The portions are generous, and pirogi

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are that soft, butter glossed kind that make you stop

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talking for a second if you're in a Yeminy mood.

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Sheiba and Hamtramck does big plates of lamb honeath rice

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and a little side cup of Fenegreek sauce that does magic.

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The tea comes in a pot and taste like a hug.

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Keep walking and you might find Hamtramck, Disneyland, a backyard

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folk art explosion up on Clinger Street. It's quirky as anything,

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and if there's a hand painted whirligig spinning in the wind,

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you're in the right place if you time it right.

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Catch a Detroit City FC match at Keyworth Stadium. The

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crowd is loud, there's constant singing, smoke bombs if you're

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into that kind of soccer mood, and it's all very

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grassroots in the best way. You'll leave with a scarf

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and a new team to follow. This is one of

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those experiences that puts you in a local crowd without

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any barrier to entry. Buy a ticket, pick up the chant,

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make friends, save a long block of your day for

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bell Isle. It's a state park, it's an island, and

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it gives you a wide open look at the city

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from the water. Drive bike or even rent a kayak

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with Detroit River Sports when weather's kind. The Loop Road

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takes you past little coves and lagoons, the James Scott

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Memorial Fountain throwing water into the air like it's the

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Fourth of July. And picnic tables where people hang out

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with a full spread like it's their backyard. The bell

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Isle Aquarium is small and charming, designed by Albert Kahn,

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with a green tiled ceiling that makes you feel like

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you walked into a fish's daydream. It opens limited days,

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so check hours. The Dawson Great Lakes Museum gives you

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ship models a chunk of the SS Edmond Fitzgerald's anchor

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in a room where you can pretend to steer a freighter,

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because why not. When the sun starts dropping, look back

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toward downtown. The glass catches the light, the river goes

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mirror smooth, and you get that. Yep, this was a

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good day feeling without anyone telling you it should be.

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If you brought a bike, bell Isle is a perfect

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mellow ride, no big climbs, just breeze and space. There's

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birding on the east end if you've got binoculars, and

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you'll spot fishermen who've been on the same spot for hours.

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If you want to feel like you found a secret,

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stop at one of the unlabeled pull offs. Sit on

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a rock and watch the freighter's lumber past. The horns.

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They sound are deep enough to feel in your ribs.

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Night comes, and Detroit answers it with music. Start with

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a quick look at Cliff Bell's Downtown. If as does

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anything for you, You're here to see what's going on

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right now, not a museum of the past, and that's

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Detroit sweet spot. It's busy in the morning at a

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produce stall, it's loud at night in a club, and

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it's quiet in the middle of a day on a

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bench facing the river. Walk it, eat it, listen to it,

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and just let it be big. I'm Johnny Mack and

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Travel is Back. Follow Travel Is Back wherever you listen

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to podcasts, and find all two hundred plus destinations in

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00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:25.559
our back catalog.

213. Detroit, Michigan - Motor City melodies, grit, and renaissance

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