Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
theaters, riverboats and fishing spots en route. Eventually it will extend all the way to
beachy
Belle Isle
(detour onto Jefferson Ave to get there now). About halfway along the
Riverwalk, near Orleans St, the 1.5-mile Dequindre Cut Greenway path juts north, offer-
ing a convenient passageway to Eastern Market.
Wheelhouse Bikes
BICYCLE RENTAL
( 313-656-2453;
www.wheelhousedetroit.com
; 1340 E Atwater St; per 2hr $15; 10am-8pm
Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun Jun-Aug, reduced hours Sep-May)
Cycling is a great way to explore
the city. Wheelhouse rents sturdy two-wheelers (helmet and lock included) on the River-
walk at Rivard Plaza. Tours ($35 including bike rental) on weekends roll by various
neighborhoods and architectural sites.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
DETROIT'S RUINS
More than 78,000 abandoned buildings blight Detroit's landscape. It has become
popular among urban explorers to seek out the most spectacular 'ruins.' You can't
go inside, obviously, but the exteriors make for striking photographs. Top of the list
is
Michigan Central Station
(2405 W Vernor Hwy)
, the once-grand beaux-arts rail termin-
al now crumbling into oblivion within eyeshot of Corktown's main drag. The
Pack-
ard Auto Plant
(E Grand Blvd at Concord St)
is another. Renowned architect Albert Kahn
designed the 3.5-million-sq-ft factory, and it was a thing of beauty when it opened
in 1903. Now it looks like something from a zombie movie. Stay tuned to see what
happens to the structures. The city would like to demolish them, but it doesn't
have the money. Detroiturbex (
www.detroiturbex.com
)
provides good historical
info on these and other ruins around town.
Tours
Preservation Detroit
WALKING
( 313-577-7674;
www.preservationdetroit.org
; 2½hr tours $10-15; 5:30pm Tue & 10am Sat
May-Sep)
Offers architectural walking tours through downtown, Midtown and other
neighborhoods; departure points vary.
Festivals & Events
