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Detroit travel guide: QLINE Woodward corridor, International RiverWalk and Belle Isle

Spread along the busy international shipping channel of the Detroit River directly north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit combines gilded 1920s skyscrapers and industrial market sheds with a revitalised waterfront greenway and an Olmsted-designed island park. The Woodward Avenue spine links the downtown radial plazas straight north through Midtown to the New Center landmark district.

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  1. Detroit (Approximate city location)

Location coordinates: Detroit.

Arrival and getting around in Detroit

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) sits 32 km southwest in Romulus; the Detroit Air Xpress (DAX) coach runs non-stop from both the McNamara and Evans terminals to downtown near Campus Martius and Washington Boulevard in about 35 to 40 minutes, while SMART FAST Michigan Bus 261 offers a budget alternative.

  • Along Woodward Avenue, the QLINE streetcar and the elevated Downtown Detroit People Mover monorail loop are currently free to ride, connecting the riverfront, Campus Martius, Grand Circus Park, Midtown museums and New Center.
  • Pedestrians and cyclists can move car-free between the riverfront and Eastern Market via the sunken, mural-lined Dequindre Cut Greenway.
  • A rental car is optional for central Detroit and Midtown, though useful if you want to visit The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn (20 minutes west).

Sources: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy: Cullen Plaza, Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Belle Isle Park

Where to stay in Detroit

Base yourself along the Woodward Avenue transit spine so you can hop on the free QLINE streetcar or walk directly down to the Detroit River.

  • Downtown (around Campus Martius Park and Grand Circus Park): restored early-20th-century architectural hotels within walking distance of the DAX airport bus drop-off, the People Mover and the International RiverWalk.
  • Midtown and Cultural Center: tree-lined Cass Corridor blocks near the Detroit Institute of Arts and Wayne State University with quieter boutique inns and independent restaurants.
  • Avoid suburban freeway hotels in Southfield, Troy or near the airport if your focus is downtown architecture, Eastern Market and the riverfront.

Sources: Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Belle Isle Park, Eastern Market: Market information

Two-day route for Detroit

Dedicate your first day to the downtown radial core, the riverwalk and the historic market greenway, then pair Belle Isle with the Midtown and New Center architectural corridor on day two.

  • Day 1: start at the lively central plaza of Campus Martius Park (check out the mosaic-vaulted Guardian Building two blocks south), walk down to the carousels and border views along the Cullen Plaza riverfront, follow the sunken rail trail of the Dequindre Cut Greenway north and browse the historic cast-iron and brick Eastern Market sheds.
  • Day 2: cross the MacArthur Bridge in the morning to Belle Isle Park to see the white marble basin of the James Scott Memorial Fountain against the downtown skyline and visit the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, then ride the QLINE streetcar north up Woodward Avenue to Midtown (Detroit Institute of Arts) and New Center to step inside the golden marble and painted arcade of Albert Kahn's 1928 Fisher Building.
  • Rainy or winter-day alternative: spend half a day admiring Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry Murals inside the Detroit Institute of Arts, tour the Motown Museum (book well ahead) and explore the indoor arcades of the Fisher and Guardian buildings.

Sources: Detroit Riverfront Conservancy: Cullen Plaza, Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Belle Isle Park, Eastern Market: Market information, Fisher Building: History

Seasonal timing and practical rhythm

Detroit has a four-season Great Lakes climate with warm, humid July and August afternoons near 28 to 30 degrees Celsius, crisp autumns and cold, windy winters off Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River.

  • Late May through October is the prime season when the James Scott Memorial Fountain is running, the Cullen Plaza riverfront cafés are open and Saturday morning crowds fill the Eastern Market sheds.
  • Time your visit to include a Saturday morning for the full farmers' market across all Eastern Market sheds, and carry your passport if you plan to cross the river tunnel bus into Windsor, Canada.

Sources