24 hours in Detroit

Detroit has had a bit of a rough reputation ever since the auto manufacturing industry collapse but I’m happy to report that there are still some lovely parts to it and there’s sign of some recovery.

The Eastern Market is a bustling farmers market on Saturday mornings. It was cold outside by many vendors still braved the cold and sold everything from fruits and vegetables to baked goods to cheeses to Christmas wreaths to antiques. Some of them were lucky enough to be in a closed building, while others stood in the cold outside. Oh Detroit. At least a little cold doesn’t keep you from living life!

 

There were also a number of wall murals that were really impressive.

All in all, a fantastic way to spend a morning and maybe even to grab lunch!

I spent the afternoon at the Detroit Institute of Art.
The lady working the counter must have been super out-of-it, because she asked if I was from the area (apparently if you’re a local resident, you can get in for free), and then if I was under 18 (I haven’t been asked that in years!), and then if I was a student. I guess she was trying to get me discounted tickets but sadly I had to answer no for all of those.

There was so much to see that I only barely managed to explore one floor in 2 hours. They do a great job of letting you admire the art but also pointing out elements to the art piece that convey meaning that the layperson might not necessarily notice. For example, some of the notes next to the paintings will identify the Greek deity and the symbols that alert a viewer to their identity: a boy and arrow or a harp.

It is clearly a happening place too. There was a gala scheduled for that evening which meant that some of the rooms were decorated to the 9s. So fancy!!

 

Tapas is apparently the new food fad in the city so I went to a place called Small Plates for dinner and there was a bit of a crowd so it looks like the food scene in Detroit is improving as well. All I can say is that while I can’t say anything about what it’s like to live there, there’s enough to do to visit!