City Spotlight: Weekend in Detroit

Things to do in Detroit

Downtown Detroit is home of all four major sports teams... which means year-round you have the option to experience either baseball (Tigers), basketball (Pistons), football (Lions), or hockey (Red Wings) games, and cheer on the home team! The four-time Stanley Cup-winning Red Wings and 3-time NBA Champion Detroit Pistons share the Little Caesars Arena, while the NFC North Champion Detroit Lions play out of Ford Field, which is across the way from Comerica Park, home of the World Series Champions Detroit Tigers.

In addition to major sports, the past few years, the Detroit Grand Prix racing event has taken place downtown off the infamous River Walk area. I was able to enjoy Free Prix Day with my family and see many of the practice races and get up close to the racing cars and drivers.

Places to eat & drink in Detroit

I like to explore some of the new dining and lounge options, focusing on supporting local businesses.

I had the pleasure of having dinner at the newly opened Enomah, which was absolutely stunning on the inside and the service and food matched perfectly! I had the Jerk Sea Bass, which had a lot of flavor. My friends had the Drunken Noodles Chicken and the Chicken Wings. One of my friends is a vegetarian and they were easily able to accommodate her with veggie fried rice and oyster mushrooms.

We all agreed this was a place we’d come back to.

We went on a Friday during happy hour, when they have a DJ. They have live music on Saturday nights as well.

Afterwards, we walked over to Detroit Vinyl Society, a small cocktail lounge. They have some small bites, but their focus is on their craft cocktails and good vibes.

Any time I travel, I make sure to visit a local coffee shop.

This go around I visited Royal Oak Roast in Royal Oak, MI. It was the perfect ambiance to start my busy mornings at the right pace, and the service provided both times I visited was top-notch. I tried their Roar Blend roast—I took a bag home with me—as well as indulged in their freshly-baked muffins and their trendy Dubai Chocolate Chip Cookie! This place is a must to add to your list if you enjoy a hearty cup of brew!

Insider tip: In the fall, the cider mills open across the state. Experiencing the beauty of the leaves changing colors is amazing.

I always visit home in the beginning of summer (May/early June) or fall (September/early October) because the seasons are truly perfect, so I would definitely recommend these times to visit.

If you go in the summer, there’s so many events that you can experience across the city or downtown off the river. You can even go into Windsor, Canada, which is a quick tunnel or bridge ride across the Detroit River.

If you’re visiting with family and friends and attending any of the sporting events, I’d recommend staying in the downtown area. The Inn on Ferry Street or The Godfrey Detroit have incredible architecture and are historic to the city and give you a great weekend experience downtown.

If you prefer to stay outside the downtown area, but still be close in proximity, I’d recommend Royal Oak or Birmingham. The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham offers luxury and is great for business travelers and is very walkable to restaurants and shops.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Detroit page.