We recently got back from a trip to Detroit, a city I have always wanted to check out. The reason we traveled to Michigan was to attend a funeral for Andrew’s grandparents. I am really glad we were able to go, and it was so nice being able to meet more of Andrew’s family. We decided to tack on a few extra days onto our trip so we could explore “motor city”. Sage was going through something which made it a little tough, but we still had a lot of fun touring the city, and making fun family memories. Both Andrew and I agreed that we really like Detroit. It’s highly underrated, and we were so glad we got to check it off our list of U.S. cities to visit. In this blog post, I will be sharing all of the things we did, where we ate, shopped, and where we stayed!

What To Do

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory

Andrew and I both love botanical gardens, so this location was high on our list! The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is located in Belle Isle Park. We had a rental car thanks to Mazda, who I partnered with on this trip, so we were able to drive over to the island. It was an $11 entry for our car, but once you are on the island you can check out the gardens, walk trails, see views of the city, and check out the aquarium. We loved the desert garden the most! The lawn outside the botanical garden is a great place for a picnic, and you can’t miss the stunning koi pond. The architecture of the conservatory is just stunning as well!

Detroit Riverwalk

The Detroit Riverwalk is a popular attraction in the city and one that we had to visit, of course, because Andrew loves being by the water! You can see Canada on the other side of the river. There was a pretty lighthouse we walked to next to a marina and a gorgeous view of downtown Detroit. We walked past a sandy park and the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater on our way to the lighthouse. The weather was perfect and it was very relaxing, other than the graduation that was going on at the amphitheater lol.

Eastern Market

On our last morning in Detroit, we headed to the Eastern Market neighborhood, famous for its 19th century market hall. Sunday is the big day at the market, but we visited on a Tuesday, so it was a little more laid back. After checking out the vendors there, we explored the neighborhood. There are so many cool murals in this industrial area of Detroit! We ended up grabbing coffee at Anthology Coffee and checking out Vintage Eastern Market, a funky little vintage store. For lunch, we grabbed pierogi’s and a hot dog from one of the vendors at the market.

Downtown

After a fabulous brunch at Presley’s Kitchen & Bar, we explored the downtown Detroit area on our way to check out The Belt. It’s actually a beautiful downtown area with stunning old buildings, churches, hotels, theaters, and more. There was also a lot of high-end shopping, although that doesn’t interest Andrew and I very much. Everything was very well-maintained, clean, and pleasant.

The Belt

Located between Broadway and Library Street, The Belt is a “culturally re-defined” alleyway, newly developed in the heart of downtown Detroit with museums, murals, artwork, and more. Its purpose is to showcase the artistic endeavors of Detroit artists. I think there is normally a lot more going on than when we visited early in the morning, but it was still cool to stop by and check it out!

Fox Theatre

We found street parking not too far from Presley’s Kitchen & Bar where we had breakfast near Fox Theater. I had planned on checking out the indoor of this museum, which looked stunning in photos, but it wasn’t open on the Monday we visited, unfortunately. The colorful exterior of this historic theater, built in 1928, is truly incredible! It’s one of the most iconic theater music venues in the world!

Detroit Institute Of Arts

We had intended on exploring the Detroit Institute of Arts on our second afternoon in Detroit, but we didn’t realize it was closed on Mondays! It’s really hard to plan everything perfectly and there is always something bound to go wrong during a trip. It was a bummer but just one of those things! We did enjoy admiring the beautiful architecture though. It’s across the street from the Detroit Public library, another stunning old building. We ended up walking over there and checking it out instead. Tickets for the DIA are around $20 for adults.

Detroit Public Library

The Detroit Public library is a beautiful historic building directly across the street from the Detroit Institute of Arts. The downstairs has been remodeled, but the second floor has beautiful fresco-style ceilings which I believe are all original, as well as the furniture and displays. Andrew and I love old architecture and this old library looked like something you would see in Europe! It was a cool spot to check out and totally free.

Midtown

We spent a good portion of the afternoon in midtown, checking out the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Public Library. From there we walked over to the nearby Wayne State University area, where Andrew’s grandfather was a percussion professor. Afterward, we drove over to a different part of midtown where we had a dinner reservation that evening at Bar Pigalle. There were some gorgeous old houses in this neighborhood so we walked around admiring those with Sage in his stroller until our reservation.

Greetings From Detroit Mural

On our last morning in Detroit, we stopped by this fun mural. I kind of have this tradition of going where I take a photo with the “greetings from…” mural in every new city I visit that has one. I did this by myself during all my travels and have started taking them with Sage ever since. I did a quick Google search the night before and found out that Detroit has one downtown! It’s located on the side of a wall in a paid parking lot, so we quickly parked our car on the street just to snap a few photos. This one was incredibly cool! Afterward, we drove over to Eastern Market.

Where To Eat

Presley’s Kitchen & Bar

We had an absolutely fabulous brunch at Presley’s Kitchen & Bar in downtown Detroit on our first morning with mimosas, pancakes, and more. Sage was in a bit of a bad mood that morning because he hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before, but the staff were very patient with us. Everything was delicious, and the interiors were beautiful. It felt very modern yet retro at the same with some vintage, art decor style elements. Be sure to pop over to the David Whitney hotel next door, which was beautiful!

Bar Pigalle

We had a beautiful dinner at Bar Pigalle in midtown on our second day in Detroit. They offer a French-inspired cuisine which Andrew was very excited to try (he’s a chef)! We both had amazing cocktails and shared their crab cakes, duck, and a pasta dish. I loved the duck and the crab cake was Andrew’s favorite. The interiors felt very Art Decor and almost whimsical. Combined with the music they were playing, the restaurant had a very cool ambience. Again, the staff was so patient with us with our little Sage!

Cafe Prince

We grabbed breakfast at Cafe Prince in Core City before heading to Eastern Market on our last day in Detroit. The space is very modern and contemporary with artsy vibes. I loved the Motown music they were playing! We had a few of their avocado toasts, which were so good, a pastry, and lattes. There is a courtyard area and several other restaurants next door in this industrial area. It’s a cool little spot to check out!

Where To Stay

Trumbull & Porter Hotel

We stayed at the Trumbull & Porter Hotel in Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood. We were in the Rock n Roll suite, in the same room that The Rolling Stones stayed in when it was formerly a Holiday Inn! This boutique hotel has been reimagined and refurbished since then with custom pieces from local artisans showcasing Detroit’s vibrant creative scene! Grab a quick coffee at Burroughs Lounge, a cocktail from the evening bar, or a snack from The Sundry. It was the perfect hotel for our time in Detroit! 

Where To Shop

Boro

This shop has such an amazing curated selection of vintage and modern clothing! Boro is a consignment shop located in Corktown, on the same block as the next two shops I will be mentioning. The vibe was very neutral and minimal, which made for a relaxing shopping experience. In addition to clothing, they also carry wellness products, home decor, accessories and more.

Catalogue

Catalogue is another amazing vintage shop a few stores down from Boro. This shop had a very cool modern yet rustic feel to it as background to their curated selection of vintage clothing. They had the cutest little Dachshund dog that came right up to us which was so cute. It’s a small shop, but definitely worth popping into!

Atelier

While strolling around looking at houses, we stumbled across this boutique located in an old building in the Corktown neighborhood. Atelier is a men’s clothing store with an amazing selection of curated vintage and modern clothing, accessories, shoes, and more. The styling of the displays and the interiors were immaculate. It’s such a cool shop, I would definitely recommend checking it out!

XOXO