Detroit: Not as bad as you think

When I tell people that Starcom has a Detroit office, they often laugh. Who would want to go to the bankrupt city, nonetheless reside there?

A few weeks ago, I got to travel on business to Detroit and had an incredible experience. I had not seen the city since my family's road trip to Niagara Falls in middle school, and it was a nice refresher to see the city as an adult. Definitely a city to drive around, it reminded me of Philadelphia with its older, classic and historic feel but large metropolitan area.

My manager took me for a ride on the People Mover on our lunch break, a smaller public transit option that circles around downtown. All of the sports arenas were right in the middle of the city, along with Renaissance Center and the River Walk.

The only sign of the 'dying city' aspect America hears about Detroit now was a myriad of disorganized and unoccupied buildings in the downtown area. One particular building that we passed on the People Mover had large, dirty windows with desks full of shuffled papers on top, and when I asked what it was, I was told “Oh that’s the city hall building.” Besides that making me laugh, it was a pleasant trip and I look forward to going back and exploring more.  

The view from the SMG offices on Jefferson and my hotel, of the river and Renaissance Center on the left (GM headquarters)

Inside Renaissance Center, GM Headquarters practically has its own auto show and showroom open all year. There is also an adorable food court and restaurant scene so we ate at Zoup!, similar to Corner Bakery.

Another view of the River Walk and Windsor, Canada from the hotel

I'm thankful to have my godfather who lives in Detroit take me on a driving tour through the city. We ate at Public House in Ferndale, a cute neighborhood outside the city down the historic Woodward Avenue. He even drove me by 8 Mile Road on our way home.

The MoTown Museum

I discovered immediately that Detroit has a huge casino culture, especially in Greektown. There is an MGM, Caesar's Palace, Motor City Casino and others in Windsor. I look forward to checking out these nice, Greek restaurants and bakeries next time! Greektown also ends with a Greek Orthodox Church on the edge.