by Becca Lemire

Ahh, emergency pee breaks on the edge of a cornfield, eating nacho cheese combos bought from a convenience store as dusty as the road we drove to it on, the tranquil sound of turning your phone off, weekend road trips can be that little jolt one needs when too stuck in a routine. And if the rest of Canada ain’t your thing, Toronto, like most Canadian cities, is in a convenient location for road trips to the US. We’re border bumpers, but are fortunate enough to be able to come back Sunday night and see the doctor (oh, snap).

I’m lucky enough to have relatives in the states (my dad hails from Detroit, dodging the Vietnam War draft and settling in Toronto in the 70’s) who let me and some friends crash on their couches the other weekend. They live in Southfield, one of many ‘burbs where you can spend nights, and head downtown for the days. Michigan is pretty hard hit economically right now (as always), so hotel rooms are dirt cheap ($50/night at the Hilton Garden in Novi for a room with 2 beds; you do the math) which means you’ll still have plenty of dollar bills left in your wallet to invest in the fading American dream. I’ve also heard good things about nicer downtown hotels. 

If you’ve never been, Detroit and the surrounding area (about a 5 hour drive from Toronto) have a lot of cool stuff for Canadians looking for a change of scene. And some damn cheap booze. The birthplace of Motown, anyone?! I’m no wimp but even if you’re feeling adventurous make sure you know your way around and have some maps in the car before entering downtown at dusk, and generally be cautious and use common sense. And this is an American city we’re talking about, so unfortunately you need to go in a car – some neighbourhoods don’t even have sidewalks and I would not recommend the bus (doesn’t that just make you appreciate the TTC a wee little bit more?). 

The thrift stores are amazing, there are tons of cool photo-ops (although their existence is sad. Abandoned neighbourhoods make for great photographs), great restos and an acclaimed Mexican Town, one of the world’s best community art projects and a thriving indie music and arts scene. Here are some things worthy of adding to your itinerary, with some helpful contributions from fellow Detroit road-trippers Amy Wood, Aynsley Amy and Sarah Bodri:

THRIFTING

Value Villages are called Value World’s and there are several in the Detroit area. The VW hotline is (734) 728-4610. Here’s a few, but there is a plethora to choose from!‎

22150 Coolidge Highway
8300 Woodward Avenue
12125 Dix Toledo Road

There are plenty of Boutique-type thrift stores as well:

Mother Fletchers, think Black Market or Exile mixed with 69 Vintage, and packed to the gills, (248) 398-4816, 234 West 9 Mile Road

American Pop, an eccentric and exciting mix of kitsch, antiques, collectibles and just a lot of bizarre, cool things, and the owner is no different, (248) 837-2127, 175 W 9 Mile Rd

V-Male Detroit Vintage, men’s and women’s clothing as well as burlesque supplies and lingerie, (313) 846-8243, 23902 Van Born Road, Dearborn Heights

An amazing community art exhibit and one of my fave spots on earth, The Heidelberg Project:

Heidelberg St. in between Mt Elliott and Ellery, Detroit, (313) 974-6894, www.heidelberg.org

Tyree Guyton is a Detroit native, an artist, a teacher and a visionary to say the least. After a hard childhood he stood up against the bleak future he could’ve easily fallen into and chose art instead. Tyree started to transform the spaces around him using everyday abandoned objects sadly left behind and spun them into something beautiful, blanketing over 2 city blocks in amongst abandoned torched buildings, liquor stores and poverty. 

24 years later Detroit is home to one of the world’s most frequently visited and well respected community art projects in the world, which is also involved with children’s art classes and projects with local colleges and universities. Over 275,000 visitors a year gaze upon this surreal statement on the issues facing residents in the community. 

It’s brightly coloured, 3-D and engaging – deserted yet full of life, and photos will never do it justice so you’ll just have to go down there one day and check it out. Posters, postcards and informational flyers are for sale if Tyree is around, and donations are always welcome. $10 bought me a full colour large fold-out pamphlet that doubles as a poster and map of the entire exhibit, with a bio and leaflet on upcoming projects and current exhibits. 

The Heidelberg Project is healing the community through art – and we could all learn a thing or two from it. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing it several times when visiting family over the years and this past weekend I met Tyree for the third time. When I asked him how he was, he abruptly responded “I’m good. You know why? Because I know what I’m doing. I have purpose and everything’s working out”.  We talked about the meaning of art today, why he wanted Heidelberg to be outside and accessible to everyone, and why it’s so important to continuously break down barriers in poor communities. Please do yourself a favour and add this to your “things you need to see before you die” list.

GRUB

Mudgie’s Deli 1300 Porter Street, (313) 961-2000
Slows BBQ 2138 Michigan Avenue, (313) 962-9828‎
American Coney Island  114 W. Lafayette (586) 219-0995

A Michigan native, musician, DIY pro crafter and super talented artsy chick Elena Gonzalez took us to The Majestic, a lovely diner and concert venue at the front of a bowling alley and we feasted on thick cut sweet potato fries with citrus garlic aioli, spinach salad with beets, candied pecans, apple and red onion, sliders and burgers.

4140 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, (313) 833-9700,

Check out the thriving Mexican restaurant scene:

 Xochimilco 3409 Bagley, (313) 843-0179
Los Altos 7056 W Vernor Hwy, (313) 841-3109
Mexican Town 3457 Bagley, (313) 841-5811
Mexican Village Restaurant 2600 Bagley, (313) 237-0333

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

Cliff Bells 2030 Park Avenue, (313) 961-2543
Baker’s Keyboard Lounge 20510 Livernois Ave, (313) 345-6300

If you’re thinking about planning a Detroit road trip in August, Pop Up Detroit is happening Friday, August 27th at the Kresgee Shopping Centre, 1201 Woodward. It’s an art exhibition featuring local artist and musicians. Here is the facebook page.