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We love Detroit and we want to make sure your visit is one to write home about. This town is full of history, music, food and art. Here are some of our favorite spots. We hope you have a chance to experience a few of them.

 

Museums, Music + Baseball

  • The Detroit Institute of Arts - There's a reason why the DIA was at the center of Detroit's bankruptcy deal. The artwork in this collection is amazing. No trip to Detroit is complete without a visit. A centerpiece of the museum is Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals. There is currently a special exhibit that explores the time Rivera and his wife, Frida Kahlo, spent in Detroit. Located immediately behind the Inn on Ferry Street.

  • The Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour - You could easily spend two whole days here. The museum focuses on American innovation (don't miss the Dymaxion House) with a big nod to the auto industry. It also houses giant steam engines, the bus Rosa Parks rode, most of the presidential limousines and Edison's last breath (ask about that). Greenfield Village houses houses. And other period buildings staffed with awesome guides. The factory tour is amazing and will give you a new appreciation for how your car was made. This is all in Dearborn, west of Detroit.

  • Motown Museum - If you appreciate Motown music (and you should) you'll enjoy this guided museum tour. The museum itself is located in homes that once were the record label's headquarters and main recording studios. Located a short drive north and west of the Inn on Ferry Street, within range of the hotel's free shuttle.

  • Detroit Historical Museum - Free and conveniently located around the corner from those staying at the Inn on Ferry Street. If nothing else, walk in and head for the basement to see the streets of old Detroit recreated.

  • Baker's Keyboard Lounge - This jazz club is a true Detroit gem. Seth calls it one of his favorite places in the world. He and Jewel spent time here on their first date. Walking through the doors is like stepping into the 1930s or 1940s. It's probably located far from where you're staying, but it's worth the trip if you look at the schedule and there's a performer who sounds good. Also worth noting: There is a full soul food menu that is the real deal.

  • Northern Lights - If you are in town on a Tuesday night, go here. Motown "Funk Brother" Dennis Coffey plays a weekly set that will make you want to move to Detroit and spend every Tuesday night in this retro, comfortable bar. Coffey played on many of the Motown records you know. And you'll hear those tunes each week. Located just north of Midtown.

  • The Detroit Tigers - The Tigers are in town Friday through Tuesday. They play three games against the Indians and then two against the Reds. Comerica Park is a wonderful ballpark.

 

Food + Drink

  • Motor City Brewing Works - This is where Jewel and Seth first met. Walk upstairs to the outdoor patio and toast to that! Sure, Motor City brews their own beer, but they're also known for gourmet pizzas (the Mary Did Have is a favorite of ours). If you want a beer, try the Ghettoblaster or their Summer Brew. Little known fact: They also make their own soda! Try the root beer and ginger ale. Located on Canfield, west of Cass, near several of the shops you'll see listed below. About a 20 minute walk from the Inn on Ferry Street.

  • Shangri-La - Our favorite for authentic Chinese food including dim sum. Shangri-La has a large menu with all of your Chinese food favorites and more. The dim sum is legit and there's a sushi bar as well. Located in Midtown, about a fifteen minute walk from the Inn on Ferry Street.

  • The Cass Cafe - This place was here serving great food before that was the cool thing to do. They have a nice menu that is very vegetarian friendly. On Cass Avenue, about a fifteen minute walk from the Inn on Ferry Street.

  • Selden Standard - Detroit's restaurant scene is in a really great place right now. This newcomer is our favorite spot to open in the last year. The menu features sharable small plates including some pretty amazing lamb meatballs. Visitors will find a fancy meal in Detroit to be less expensive than in most cities. In the Midtown neighborhood.

  • Lafayette Coney Island - The coney dog might be Detroit's most beloved food item. It's a hot dog with chili, onions and mustard. Lafayette offers the best coney experience and is the perfect place for a late night snack. Don't be fooled into visiting the nicer looking coney place next door. We're loyal to Lafayette. Jewel eats the cheese fries. Seth orders two coneys with everything. Near the center of downtown and Campus Martius Park.

  • The Park Bar and Bucharest Grill - This is a wonderfully relaxed bar that also happens to house a busy and delicious shawarma joint. The focus here is on Michigan beers and cheap, amazing eats. The food is very fresh and there are solid options for vegetarians. We recommend the Bucharest Shawarma and curly fries. Near the ballpark and next door to Cliff Bell's jazz club.

  • Grand Trunk Pub - Sure, the food and drinks here are great, but we bring visitors here to show off the architecture. This place was once a railroad ticket office. It's long bar and church pew seats sit beneath a soaring vaulted ceiling. The chicken fingers are amazing. Really. Burgers and fish & chips are also solid options. They pour only Michigan beers and the list is always great. n the heart of downtown, near Campus Martius Park and two blocks from the riverfront.

  • Jolly Pumpkin - Michigan produces some of the best craft beer in the country and Jolly Pumpkin made a name for themselves by brewing sour beers before that became a popular thing. This new spot is across the street from Motor City Brewing Works and also sells fancy pizzas. This beer can be expensive elsewhere. It's $5-$6 for a pint here. If you've never tried a sour beer, you should.

  • El Barzon - The best Mexican and Italian restaurant anywhere. Trust us. This is an experience worthy of an Uber ride to southwest Detroit. The sauces will all blow your mind. The pasta is homemade. The mole is amazing. We'd call it fine dining, but this is Detroit so jeans are proper attire if that's what you're wearing. Make a reservation.

  • St. Cece's - Say "hi" to our friend Celeste who owns this restaurant and bar. It's dark but relaxed and very chill. Excellent food options here for dinner and for Sunday brunch. Located in the Corktown neighborhood, west of downtown.

  • Green Dot Stables - Sliders. Green Dot has a menu full of what you could call inexpensive gourmet sliders. Most are about $3 and feature high-end ingredients. There are several vegetarian options and there is always a weekly "Mystery Meat" slider on the chalkboard. Located on the southern end of Corktown.

  • Slows Bar B Q - Solid barbecue from an owner who helped turn the Corktown neighborhood into a thriving area of neat restaurants and bars.

 

Shopping + More 

  • The Peacock Room & Frida: These two women's clothing stores are a great place to browse for one-of-a-kind dresses or pick up an accessory you may have forgotten at home. Located in the Park Shelton at Kirby and Woodward, right around the corner from the Inn on Ferry Street.
  • Hugh and Nora: Two shops Seth and Jewel like to pop into on Cass Avenue are Hugh and Nora. Hugh's selection of barware and men's accessories has a more masculine, bachelor feel, a perfect complement to Nora's bright, modern home decor. In the Midtown neighborhood, on Cass between Canfield and Willis in the Auburn building.
  • City Bird, Nest, Shinola: After checking out Hugh and Nora, stop by the shops just west of the Auburn on Canfield. City Bird is the perfect place for a Detroit memento, including mugs, T-shirts, tote bags, postcards and prints. Nest offers a host of of unique household items. And these days, across the street is Shinola, which has become renown for its watches made in Detroit. 
  • Pure Detroit: Pure Detroit has a huge selection of Detroit-inspired clothing and accessories. Their stores are located in the city's most iconic buildings, the Guardian Building at Griswold and Congress and the Renaissance Center at Woodward and Jefferson in downtown Detroit and the Fisher Building at Grand Boulevard and Woodward in the New Center area. 
  • Serene Medispa: Also located in the Park Shelton, Serene Medispa is a good place for to pamper yourself before the big event. Open Thursday and Friday afternoons, as well as Saturday. Call for an appointment: 734-730-7931.
  • Somerset Collection: A 20-minute cab or Uber ride away, Somerset is the premiere shopping mall in metro Detroit, with Macy's, Nordstrom, J Crew, Ann Taylor, Kate Spade, a Lego store and much, much more. 
  • Eastern Market: A destination for locals every Saturday morning, Eastern Market offers fresh veggies and fruits from farms in Detroit and across Michigan as well as homemade breads, sweets and artisanal foods from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Organizers say that as many as 45,000 metro Detroiters visit Eastern Market on Saturdays. On Sundays in June, Eastern Market hosts a flea market from 10a.m. to 4 p.m. Some wonderful restaurants are located along Eastern Market's main drag, Russell Street, including Supino Pizzeria, Germack Coffee Roasting Co., and Russell Street Deli. For some Detroit-inspired items, there's also the Detroit Mercantile Co. Located east of Midtown between Mack and Gratiot on Russell Street. 
  • Whole Foods - Yes, we do have grocery stores. If you're staying at the Inn on Ferry Street, Whole Foods Detroit is a little closer than Eastern Market. This store is an anchor in Midtown's revitalization. It offers a host of local items and bustling hot food counter. In the Midtown neighborhood, at Woodward and Mack Avenues, about 11 blocks south of the Inn on Ferry Street
  • Coffee options along Woodward Avenue - In the Park Shelton, around the corner from the Inn,  there is Fourteen East;  Nine blocks south of the Inn at Woodward and Alexandrine, you'll find Great Lakes Coffee (which also serves beer and wine); 11 blocks blocks south of the Inn, there is a Starbucks near the Whole Foods. 
  •  Drug stores: If you need to stop by a pharmacy, there is a CVS on Warren and John R, two blocks north and one block east of the Inn. There is a Rite Aid at Woodward and Forest, seven blocks south of the Inn.