Detroit: three hours to kill at/near Amtrak depot

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jamesontheroad

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Hello. As discussed elsewhere, I'm heading back to the USA after a long break in the spring, and will be traveling from Detroit to Washington DC on a Thruway bus and #30 the Capitol Limited.

I'll be leaving Detroit on Monday evening - the Thruway bus is scheduled to depart at 9:25pm (presumably from the forecourt of the Amtrak depot at Woodward and Baltimore?). Right now our good old friends at Enterprise have the best weekend rates for a car, and of course they'll deliver me to the station. However their office closes at 6pm, which is the latest I can possibly return a car.

If they are able to drop me off at or near the Amtrak depot, what are my options for passing three hours?

Bear in mind I'm a streetwise if slightly naïve Brit. I'm happy to park myself in a bar and drink some Bud, but a good locally owned option for eating / drinking would be preferred, not some chain restaurant. Oh, and the less walking on Detroit's streets at night, the better, I'm guessing.

Any thoughts?

Thanks :lol:
 
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I'm not familiar with where Enterprise is located, but could you perhaps go somewhere else (such as downtown) for a while, then take a taxi to the station when it gets closer to your departure time?
 
Thanks. I may try the Cultural Center, although the museums will all be closed by then. Otherwise the Northern Lights Lounge is a block or two west of the depot. The word "hipster" appears a lot on the Yelp review of it, so I should fit in :D
 
Good choice not to be out on the mean streets @ Night! :help: There are a couple of Casinos in Greektown, plus some Resturants/Bars etc. Along the River Downtown there are various Tourist options suxh as Bars/Hotels,GM Headquarters ,(sort of deserted @ night!), a free "People Mover", Joe Louis Arena etc.(where the DeadWings Play! :lol: )Id take the advice about getting dropped off say @ Greektown, then Cab it back to the less than thrilling small Station! This is the only Amtrak Station Ive been to where the Door is locked and there's an Armed AmCop to let you in IF you have an ID and a Ticket! Tough times in ole Detroit for sure!
 
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Brit, heed the advice from the forum, you want NO part of walking ANYWHERE in Detroit at night. Stay with what is safe. The hip and local character you are looking for, exists around Ann Arbor, Lansing, Battle Creek, Dearborn, Jackson, Kalamazoo, etc. You do not want to be adventurous in Detroit unless you are very familiar with the area.
 
If you'd like (and can do it) you can drop your car off in Ann Arbor instead of Detroit and catch the bus there. It departs the Ann Arbor station at 8:20pm. Your still left with a few hours between when the Enterprise closes at 6pm and when the bus departs at 8:20pm. One of the Enterprise locations is Downtown, which has a fair bit of night life (plenty of restaurant & bars to go to) And then you can catch the City Bus #17 to the station (this only works on weekdays however). If your on a weekend it really isn't that far of a walk to get from downtown to the train station (between 0.5-1 mile depending on where you are downtown). And Ann Arbor is a nice town to wander around in any time of day. The big downside is that it's about an hours drive from downtown Detroit to get to Ann Arbor.

peter
 
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Like you I'm a British Amtrak fan who visits the US around 3 times a year. I base myself in Ann Arbor and have taken the Wolverine, the Zephyr and the CONO and others many times. My feeling is that Detroit is not as bas as people think - in fact its mostly deserted and that's what makes people uneasy. I agree with other posts that the best place to be is Greektown. This is basically one very small street with a few of eateries and a casino. I would definitely check out the Motown Museum.If you like live music you could also check out the Magic Stick/Magic Bag. This is a good music entertainment complex close to downtown. There is another good brew pub oppopsite the Detroit Opera House (I could easily pass three hours in there). The best base for Amtrak trips from Michigan is Ann Arbor. This is a very safe city with numerous bars, eateries, clubs, theatres and shops (also has a pub where you can catch premiership games if you follow football). I normally take a thruway bus from there to connect with cross country train in Toledo or the Wolverine to Chicago.
 
(also has a pub where you can catch premiership games if you follow football)
Actually I can name 5 pubs in the downtown area that will show premiership games. However in all reality if your wanting to go see one you would go to Conner O'Neils.

peter
 
Three hours to kill in Detroit? Shouldn't take that long in Detroit to kill or be killed.I know there are at least some people left in the city even if all the city officials are in jail or on their way. :giggle:
 
(also has a pub where you can catch premiership games if you follow football)
Actually I can name 5 pubs in the downtown area that will show premiership games. However in all reality if your wanting to go see one you would go to Conner O'Neils.

peter
That's strange! I've been visiting Ann Arbor for 15 years and have only found games in Connor's. Sometimes they would show games in the Arena but on a small screen with no sound and occasionally Frasier's Pub would have it. Where else do they have it? Good thing about Connor's is that they open for the odd 730 am kick off.
 
Hello. As discussed elsewhere, I'm heading back to the USA after a long break in the spring, and will be traveling from Detroit to Washington DC on a Thruway bus and #30 the Capitol Limited.

I'll be leaving Detroit on Monday evening - the Thruway bus is scheduled to depart at 9:25pm (presumably from the forecourt of the Amtrak depot at Woodward and Baltimore?). Right now our good old friends at Enterprise have the best weekend rates for a car, and of course they'll deliver me to the station. However their office closes at 6pm, which is the latest I can possibly return a car.

If they are able to drop me off at or near the Amtrak depot, what are my options for passing three hours?

Bear in mind I'm a streetwise if slightly naïve Brit. I'm happy to park myself in a bar and drink some Bud, but a good locally owned option for eating / drinking would be preferred, not some chain restaurant. Oh, and the less walking on Detroit's streets at night, the better, I'm guessing.

Any thoughts?

Thanks :lol:
Please, please, please don't lower yourself to drink that swill. With gazillions of marketing money, Anheuser Busch does a wonderful job getting people to THINK that Budweiser is a good beer, but as a Brit, you should know better. Try drinking it at anything other than very cold, and you'll see what I mean. If you have to, try some of AB's so called "craft beers", while not truly "craft" they at least have flavor.

Speaking as a former Bud drinker. (But remember, take this with a grain-of-salt, as any"convert" is likely to go overboard)

And I agree with the tip about Ann Arbor. Do what you can to avoid Detroit, which replaced Cleveland long ago as "The armpit of America". Daytime, OK with a fast car, and eyes in the back of your heard. Nighttime. No way.
 
(also has a pub where you can catch premiership games if you follow football)
Actually I can name 5 pubs in the downtown area that will show premiership games. However in all reality if your wanting to go see one you would go to Conner O'Neils.

peter
That's strange! I've been visiting Ann Arbor for 15 years and have only found games in Connor's. Sometimes they would show games in the Arena but on a small screen with no sound and occasionally Frasier's Pub would have it. Where else do they have it? Good thing about Connor's is that they open for the odd 730 am kick off.
Lets see the biggest & best is Conner's of course. The Arena will show them on occasion. Buffalo Wild Wings (on state) will show them, if they aren't at the time ask & they'll put it on. Blue Leprechaun (I've never actually seen a game here, but I've been told they do & they usually have some soccer game playing when I'm there). And finally a new pub called Packard Pub will put the games on if you ask (of if nothing else is on).

peter
 
hello

speaking of layovers..we are leaving for CA from PIT. on tue 12 am and have a 6 hr layover at the union station in Chicago. from 9 am till 3 pm. should we just hang out at the station? we will get some food, any sugestions?

thanks

halochef
 
I hate when people try to scare everyone away. It's not ALL bad. It's like any other large city; you just have to know which areas to avoid. I get so tired of the "zomg you'll get murdered the second you cross the city limits" nonsense. I've spent many wonderful weekends in Detroit. I used to live in Ann Arbor, so I went there all the time.

There are many nice areas to walk around and get a bite to eat. Greektown comes to mind, as does the Riverwalk near the RenCen (you can see Canada from there). Make sure you get a Coney Dog at Lafayette or American too. :)
 
Back from Detroit. Had an AMAZING trip. Detroit is filled a sense of optimism and possibility I have never seen in an American city. Lots of young people, students, graduates, entrepreneurs, etc, who are all coming to the D because they want to do something or make something. Very exciting place right now. All my photos are here on Flickr.

Regarding my original question, I did indeed return my car downtown and then spent a couple of hours there, having a drink in Greektown (horrid, characterless sports bars everywhere) and then at the top of the GM RenCen (also horrid, grotty eighties décor, overpriced food and drinks, and for some reason the bar gives customers a better view of the employee's back bar area that it does of the amazing panorama). I got a a taxi from the RenCen up to the Amtrak depot, and as we were approaching I realised that we were about to pass the Northern Lights Lounge, two blocks south-west of the station at 660 West Baltimore Street. Turns out it's a really popular bar, especially with students. $1.50 PBR the night I visited, pool tables, promising bar snacks. Regret not going there sooner and spending less money than downtown. The short walk to the station was fine; there are multi-storey parking garages on West Baltimore that are well illuminated and secured, and there seemed to be lots of people crossing between them and the adjacent university buildings, even at 9pm. I didn't feel unsafe at all.
 
Back from Detroit. Had an AMAZING trip. Detroit is filled a sense of optimism and possibility I have never seen in an American city. Lots of young people, students, graduates, entrepreneurs, etc, who are all coming to the D because they want to do something or make something. Very exciting place right now. All my photos are here on Flickr.

Regarding my original question, I did indeed return my car downtown and then spent a couple of hours there, having a drink in Greektown (horrid, characterless sports bars everywhere) and then at the top of the GM RenCen (also horrid, grotty eighties décor, overpriced food and drinks, and for some reason the bar gives customers a better view of the employee's back bar area that it does of the amazing panorama). I got a a taxi from the RenCen up to the Amtrak depot, and as we were approaching I realised that we were about to pass the Northern Lights Lounge, two blocks south-west of the station at 660 West Baltimore Street. Turns out it's a really popular bar, especially with students. $1.50 PBR the night I visited, pool tables, promising bar snacks. Regret not going there sooner and spending less money than downtown. The short walk to the station was fine; there are multi-storey parking garages on West Baltimore that are well illuminated and secured, and there seemed to be lots of people crossing between them and the adjacent university buildings, even at 9pm. I didn't feel unsafe at all.
Thank You! I just got back from Detroit and I very much appreciate the realistic and positive words (and pictures) about the city I still consider my home ( even though I haven't lived there for over 35 years). Went to Comerica Park and saw a Tigers game for the first time since they left beloved Tigers Stadium (RIP.) What a beautiful ballpark! Anyway, thanks again for your upbeat report.
 
Back from Detroit. Had an AMAZING trip. Detroit is filled a sense of optimism and possibility I have never seen in an American city. Lots of young people, students, graduates, entrepreneurs, etc, who are all coming to the D because they want to do something or make something. Very exciting place right now. All my photos are here on Flickr.

Regarding my original question, I did indeed return my car downtown and then spent a couple of hours there, having a drink in Greektown (horrid, characterless sports bars everywhere) and then at the top of the GM RenCen (also horrid, grotty eighties décor, overpriced food and drinks, and for some reason the bar gives customers a better view of the employee's back bar area that it does of the amazing panorama). I got a a taxi from the RenCen up to the Amtrak depot, and as we were approaching I realised that we were about to pass the Northern Lights Lounge, two blocks south-west of the station at 660 West Baltimore Street. Turns out it's a really popular bar, especially with students. $1.50 PBR the night I visited, pool tables, promising bar snacks. Regret not going there sooner and spending less money than downtown. The short walk to the station was fine; there are multi-storey parking garages on West Baltimore that are well illuminated and secured, and there seemed to be lots of people crossing between them and the adjacent university buildings, even at 9pm. I didn't feel unsafe at all.
Glad you had a wonderful time - you sure packed a lot of adventure into a small time period, that's what I like to do too.

I recently moved to the west side of the state and have yet to make a trip to Detroit, your report inspires me to get there soon.
smile.gif


Wonderful photos too, thanks for posting!
 
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Thanks for those kind words. Many of the pictures in the photoset (starting from here) were taken on a private and personalised tour of the city given by the site manager of detroiturbex.com. While he is first and foremost a photographer and archivist of Detroit's often deteriorating cityscape, he is a fantastic guy and possesses a wealth of knowledge not only about Detroit's history but also its present day condition. If you are interested in spending a day seeing the bits of Detroit no ordinary tourist would be able to find (and being guided as to where is safe or not safe) I cannot recommend his services highly enough. A full day tour (9am to 6pm) costs $150 and is worth every penny.
 
Thanks for those kind words. Many of the pictures in the photoset (starting from here) were taken on a private and personalised tour of the city given by the site manager of detroiturbex.com. While he is first and foremost a photographer and archivist of Detroit's often deteriorating cityscape, he is a fantastic guy and possesses a wealth of knowledge not only about Detroit's history but also its present day condition. If you are interested in spending a day seeing the bits of Detroit no ordinary tourist would be able to find (and being guided as to where is safe or not safe) I cannot recommend his services highly enough. A full day tour (9am to 6pm) costs $150 and is worth every penny.
Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely check out the tour site - sounds like it's right up my alley.
 
I hate when people try to scare everyone away. It's not ALL bad. It's like any other large city; you just have to know which areas to avoid. I get so tired of the "zomg you'll get murdered the second you cross the city limits" nonsense.
It's not nonsense. You get robbed just mowing your lawn in the D. have you not been following the news? even a former DPD cheif was robbed at gun point during the day on is front lawn why mowing the lawn.
 
I hate when people try to scare everyone away. It's not ALL bad. It's like any other large city; you just have to know which areas to avoid. I get so tired of the "zomg you'll get murdered the second you cross the city limits" nonsense.
It's not nonsense. You get robbed just mowing your lawn in the D. have you not been following the news? even a former DPD cheif was robbed at gun point during the day on is front lawn why mowing the lawn.
Of course I follow the news. I used to live in metro Detroit. I remember it clearly, especially counting how often they said, "... on Detroit's East side..." That's why I said you have to know which areas to avoid. I've been to Detroit thousands of times, and I've never been mugged, raped, or murdered. Ever. Most of that is due to vigilance and common sense.

Detroit is never going to recover if people continue with the attitude that is it 100% bad. Sure, it's not Disneyland, but it isn't exactly Bartertown either.
 
Detroit won't recover until mayor bing and is band of 40 thieves are out of office.

Now back on topic theirs nothing around the detroit station. I would suggest another station that has attractions nearby.
 
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Now back on topic theirs nothing around the detroit station. I would suggest another station that has attractions nearby.
Unfortunately, when you're in Detroit and you need to catch a train, there's only really one choice :D

The station itself is a bit depressing, but didn't give the impression of being as dangerous as some. There's a security guard in the waiting room. Most people seemed to arrive by cab or car although the Woodward Ave. bus is one of the most frequent and reliable in the city; if I'd had more time I would probably have taken it. I used a DDOT bus once or twice in the city and it was fine.

I was staying in North Corktown at the new relatively new Hostel Detroit, which is within walking distance of the abandoned Michigan Central Railroad Station. The adjacent stretch of Michigan Avenue is regenerating itself quite successfully. There are two excellent new restaurants (Slow's BBQ and the Mercury Burger Bar) and a gourmet coffee shop (Astro). It's a great shame that Amtrak aren't still in the vicinity; Corktown is a much nicer part of the city now.
 
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