We were interested to see what Detroit was like beyond what we'd seen, heard, and read. It's well known that Detroit was once a huge, thriving city, bolstered by the automotive industry where it was home to Ford, GM, and Chrysler. The city’s population soared to 1.85 million by 1950, becoming America’s 4th largest city. However, from 1950 to 2010 Detroit experienced a whopping 61.4% decline in population, thanks to auto manufacturers relocating abroad, more people moving out to the suburbs, and houses foreclosing at a massive rate during the 2008 financial crisis. In 2013, Detroit filed for bankruptcy, in one of the most spectacular implosions of a major city affected by the collapse of manufacturing. While it'll be tough for Detroit to return to its heyday (is it even possible?), we also knew about the various initiatives to revitalize the city, so it'd be interesting to see this for ourselves.
Frank Lloyd Wright Homes
We were in the posh neighborhoods of Bloomfield Heights heading into Detroit. Here, we'd wanted to check out two Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes: the Affleck house and the Smith house. We'd already visited the Dana-Thomas house which he designed in Springfield, Illinois, and his own home, Taliesin, in Wisconsin, so we didn't plan to do another tour but simply see these houses from the outside.
Our plans were dashed though when we realized that these houses are on very narrow roads, making navigation through them in our RV exceedingly difficult. However, it turned out that because we were driving through Bloomfield Heights and the next suburb over, Birmingham, these houses are both very posh, so we got to see a lot of other huge and fancy homes instead! We like driving through various neighborhoods to get a sense of how people live, and clearly the massive blocks of land, long and windy driveways, and homes that were practically estates, people here are doing very well!
Backyard Art: DavidLand and Hamtramck Disneyland
Continuing south, we stopped at a quirky home attraction, DavidLand. In the backyard of what we assume is a guy called David, is a display of quirky paintings he's done. It's free to wander in, dogs are allowed (on leash), and it's open from dawn to dusk. There's a painting of Jack Nicholson from the classic movie "The Shining" in a pumpkin, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, and a bunch of other paintings.
Further along in the town of Hamtramck, about 5 miles from downtown Detroit, is another backyard full of quirky artwork. Called Hamtramck Disneyland, the art installations were created by a man named Dmytro Szylak who grew up in Ukraine and immigrated to the US with his wife in the 1950s. After retiring from his job at auto company GM, he spent 30 years constructing his art installations, until he died in 2015, aged 92. Today, the artwork remains, a bright and eclectic mishmash of items including a plane, windmill, and other objects that he's put together. The neighborhood of Hamtramck is also very interesting because it's been a very diverse area for decades--first with Polish immigrants flocking to the neighborhood, and today it's mostly Bangladeshi and Yemeni immigrants; we saw women wearing burkas and men wearing the distinct skullcap (taqiyah) as we drove past. There's a mosque, Bengali grocery stores and restaurants and other shops with Bengali or Arabic writing.
Our third consecutive artwork stop was the Heidelberg Project, an outdoor art project in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood on Detroit's east side. As we drove along this part of the city, we saw so many homes that were boarded up, clearly foreclosed and abandoned. The neighborhood clearly needed a lot of work to be revitalized. When we arrived at the Heidelberg Project, despite it being daytime, it just didn't feel safe, so we saw it from afar before continuing on our way.
Almost at Canada!
We didn't realize until we started planning our visit to Detroit that the city is so close to Canada! There's a border crossing from Detroit that takes people across the Detroit River to Canada, arriving at the city of Windsor in Ontario. As we drove around the Detroit Riverwalk to find parking, we could see Canada clearly across the water, with a big Canadian flag waving in the distance.
We found a free, unmetered parking spot alongside residential homes near the Riverwalk, and figured it would be easiest and quickest to explore Detroit by eBike. Lisette still can't charge her eBike, so we did the same thing as what we'd done in Chicago, with Michael pedaling and Lisette sitting on a cushion behind him. This time, we also attached Sheila's trailer to the eBike, so should could also travel behind us. The whole family on one eBike!
Downtown Detroit Highlights
Michael first pedaled to the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, a concert venue with 5,000 seats facing the Detroit River, where jazz, R&B and pop musicians have performed over the years. From here, we went onto the bike path on the Riverwalk, seeing the Canadian flag continue to flutter in the breeze across the Detroit River, and a few boats on the water. The Riverwalk has a lot of seats and benches for people to sit on, and there were plenty of folks sitting outside, relaxing and trying to stay cool. We definitely had a few people turn their heads as 3 three of us cycled past, with Sheila in tow!
Located along the Riverwalk is the General Motors Renaissance Center, made up of 7 different skyscrapers in downtown Detroit. It's GM's headquarters, and there are also shops, restaurants, and other businesses inside. Exiting the waterfront through Hart Plaza, we now saw many of the historic buildings and landmarks of downtown Detroit laid out in front of us, first passing the Monument to Joe Louis, also known as The Fist, is a memorial dedicated to champion heavyweight boxer. It's a memorial that packs a punch (pun intended), as it's of a 7.3 meter (24 foot) long arm and fist held in balanced suspension from a pyramidal support of bronze poles.
Across from the The Fist, is the Spirit of Detroit, another striking monument. Unveiled in 1958, it's a large bronze statue of a man holding a sphere representing God and a family group symbolizing humanity. The large statue--standing at almost 8 meters (26 feet) and standing on a 60 ton marble base to be the largest cast bronze statue since the Renaissance--has become a symbol of the city. It's often used by local sports teams, and also used on city logos and merchandise.
While we didn't enter it, the Guardian Building that was built in 1928-9 is a fantastic example of the Art Deco architecture that we both really love, and it's worth a wander inside to see more of this opulent design in the skyscraper. Further along, Campus Martius Park is a cute park known that's won awards for public space design, but we spent a bit more time at Beacon Park, a smaller park that was only about 5 minutes' cycle away. There wasn't really anyone at this small but clean park (escaping the heat and it was a weekday), but across the road is the Grand Army of the Republic Building, an awesome building that looks like some kind of medieval fort, complete with turrets and battlements (it's just missing the moat). The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization founded in 1866 that was made up of Union Army veterans, and was once one of the most powerful political lobbyists, and this building was where they'd hang out.
Speaking of fraternal organizations, we next cycled to the Detroit Masonic Temple, which is the world's largest Masonic Temple. The building was completed in 1926 and like many buildings in Detroit, was on the brink of foreclosure. Fun fact: Jack White of the band the White Stripes ended up saving it, as he used to go there all the time as a kid when his mother was an usher. Today, the Temple’s Cathedral Theater is now called the Jack White Theatre in his honor, and the Temple continues to be a venue for musicians to perform in.
Detroit-Style Pizza
By this time, we were starving, and we wanted to try a Detroit-style pizza while we were in town. Detroit-style pizza is a rectangular, deep-dish pizza (although nowhere near as thick as Chicago-style), and its crust is kind of like a focaccia, as it's thick and crispy. It typically also has a generous amount of cheese that goes to the edges of the pan.
We found a highly rated place called Pie Sci Pizza that was open, and fortunately they had options to order pizzas by the slice, so we got a meat one for Michael, and a vegan one for Lisette. Pie Sci also has the option to make any pizza on its menu gluten free, or even lactose or meat free (lactose-free cheese substitutes or vegan protein alternatives). We sat across the road in a park to devour our delicious and crunchy pizzas, while Sheila also had a chance to relax and roll around on the grass, in pure bliss!
More Detroit Highlights
After our lunch break, we cycled to the Lincoln Street Art Park, an outdoor art gallery with street art, murals and art installations. Perhaps we missed some of the sections where it was (we were going via Google Maps), but it didn't seem like there was a massive amount of art. While we also love seeing the creativity of art put together by salvaged and recycled materials, some of the pieces looked a bit derelict, but as the site doubles up as a recycling center where a couple of folks were dropping off materials, perhaps there will be more artwork to look at in the future.
The Motown Historical Museum (also called "Hitsville USA") was closed when we cycled past, and we had to skip the visit here on this trip (admission is $20 per person). Motown founder Berry Gordy bought the house in 1959, to be its first headquarters and recording studio, where Motown greats including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & the Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 and many others recorded their hits. The label moved to Los Angeles in 1972, and today the Museum is still a popular destination--it's a small house, so tickets have timed entry.
There is so much history in Detroit, and as Art Deco architecture lovers, we really appreciated walking into the Fisher Building, a 30-story skyscraper that was completed in 1928 and has been restored to its former glory. Today the building has offices, retail stores, event spaces, and also has a theatre for Broadway shows. It is gorgeous inside, with everything you'd expect to see when you think of Art Deco--including intricate frescoes, vivid mosaics sparkling in gold and other vibrant tones, and marble and brass materials. It's awesome that these structures continue to exist, giving us the feeling of stepping back in time and walking around during its heyday, and happy that it continues on as a multi-purpose building.
The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant was closed when we went on a Monday (it's closed Monday and Tuesday). The factory was built in 1904, and was the second center of automobile production for the Ford Motor Company, and is significant because it's the birthplace of iconic Model T automobile, and was the first factory where more than 100 cars were assembled in one day. Today, it's a museum, and can also be rented out for events and photo shoots. There's a historic photo on the front door that shows the people that worked at the plant when it was opened, which is pretty cool!
Also closed on a Monday (like many museums are) is the Detroit Institute of Arts. We love museums and art galleries, but it would be a lot in both time and money if we went to all of them! However, it's good to know if there's ever an opportunity to return to some of these cities. If you're into art, this museum has one of the largest and most significant art collections in the US, with over 65,000 artworks dating from the earliest civilizations to the present. Some of the most famous artworks here include Vincent van Gogh's 1887 self portrait and the Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera. Maybe one day we can see these. The outside of the museum is massive, with a stately all-white exterior, columns, and a replica of Rodin's "The Thinker" statue at the front.
Speaking of impressive statues, we went to Comerica Park, the baseball park that's home to the Detroit Tigers team. We were amazed when we saw it--hands down it has the best entrance to any baseball stadium we've ever seen! The entrance has a massive tiger sculpture, clawing at the air and looking menacing, flanked by two baseball bats that soar higher than the height of the building. Perched on the roof of the building next to the bats, are 4 additional tigers, guarding the entrance and looking ready to pounce on any intruders. Additionally, all around the perimeter of the stadium are tiger heads, with baseballs in their gaping mouths. It's awesome and one of the coolest stadiums, perhaps not even for baseball but for any sports stadium we've visited in the country.
Across the road from this is the Fox Theatre, another live performance venue that is grand on the outside and inside, seating over 5,000 people to make it one of the largest theatres in the city. After stopping to buy some cold drinks nearby (it was so hot!), we headed to The BELT, a formerly overlooked alley that's now filled with murals along the walls, and funky restaurants and bars to make it a creative public space. Since we were there earlier in the day things weren't open yet, but we chatted to a guy working on his laptop in the alley, and he said that the evenings start to get really busy for happy hour, and even busier from noon onwards from Thursdays through Sundays. Lisette noticed that there was also a poster for AfroFuture the following weekend, a two-day festival including Afrobeats musicians, which would have been fun to see. Oh well, we can't see and do everything!
There are quite a lot of amazing murals in Detroit (side note: murals are incredible, and can really add personality and vigor to any city). One of the murals we went out of our way to see was the Stevie Wonder Mural, measuring about 30 meters (100 feet) tall. It's an image of him from when he was younger, wearing a Detroit t-shirt, a lightweight red bomber jacket, and sitting by the keyboard. Stevie Wonder was a Motown artist and one of the world's most influential musicians (and we started to play his songs in the RV, realizing how many we knew and could sing to)!
Our final stop was Greektown, a commercial and entertainment district located just northeast of downtown Detroit. Unfortunately a lot of Greektown was going through construction when we went, with blocked off or narrower streets due to the roadworks, so with that, we headed back to our RV.
The Rain Made it Hotter
When we returned to the RV, it was still excruciatingly hot! Our RV unfortunately was like a sauna, so we walked back to the Riverwalk (Michael definitely got a lot of exercise today from all the cycling and walking), to get some fresh, albeit still warm, air. We found people in Detroit to be really friendly, with a lot of folks greeting us "hello" as we walked past. A lot of people were also really curious about Sheila that started the conversations with them, with a couple thinking she looked like a fox!
We headed back to the RV as threatening black clouds sailed across the sky, and we soon heard the ominous sound of thunder, followed by flashes of lightning. As we sat in the RV, a lightning bolt crashed on the street, right in front of where we were parked! Needless to say, Sheila (like most dogs), was not loving the storm, but we did our best to keep her calm as the rain started to fall. It lasted less than an hour, but it didn't help to cool down temperatures--in fact, it seemed like the humidity returned and was even warmer after the storm finished! Luckily well after sunset the temperatures do drop, but we have to just wait for the cooler air to waft through our RV and eventually make us feel more comfortable. If only we had better insulation!
Route Map
[…] day of arriving in New Orleans, deciding to leave the RV here (there's no parking meters). Just like what we'd done in Detroit, got on the one eBike, Sheila included. As we were about to leave, however, we looked more […]