Weekend in Detroit Provides a Different View of the City
The city has more to offer than a growing restaurant scene
On a recent weekend, I stayed in Detroit for two nights, attending a bachelor party for one of my friends from high school. Spending the night in Detroit is a rarity for me, I live roughly a half hour from the city it’s usually easier to go home to the comfort of my own bed.
However this time I got to experience the city in a unique way. Different from the new hotels and restaurants that are being built downtown, but at an Airbnb in the North End neighborhood of the city. The house was close to the New Center and Midtown neighborhoods that many cite when touting Detroit’s renaissance, yet far enough away to experience a slightly different part of the city.
In this neighborhood, there wasn’t an abundance of cocktail bars or trendy restaurants. Instead, this neighborhood contained blighted homes, a few liquor stores, and a collection of residents making life work in this area of the city.
Our weekend was mostly spent doing activities that residents in the suburbs would associate Detroit’s revival with.
On Friday night we started at Detroit Shipping Company, one of the new bars in the Midtown neighborhood of Detroit. Built out of a collection of shipping containers, the venue features an array of different food vendors and a beer garden where patrons can enjoy a selection of Michigan craft beers or cocktails.
Next, we had dinner at Flowers of Vietnam, one of the more popular restaurants in Southwest Detroit. We sat on the back patio and enjoyed a selection of food that ranged from smoked ribs to fried rice. The spread was phenomenal and left us all too full to do much more than head back to the Airbnb that night.
Our Saturday was spent exploring more of the city. The day started with breakfast at The Congregation, a cafe built out of an old church serving as a cocktail bar, coffee shop, and community space. The restaurant is located in the Boston Edison district of Detroit.
Eating breakfast here made it feel like we were plugged into the community. Yoga had been going on in the courtyard outside and neighbors came in to get their coffee and kickstart their…
