detroit Travel Guide
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Five Cities With a Bad Rap: Detroit, The Motor City
Some locales can’t seem to shake their less-than-sparkling reputations despite efforts to lock away the skeletons of yesterday. We’ve decided to highlight five of these Bad Rap Cities that are making moves to shed their grimy and gritty images in hopes of becoming more tourist-friendly. Maybe, just maybe, after reading this series you'll be willing to take a chance on them. Enjoy.
Why Go?
Despite the auto industry’s depressed state, the Motor City has plenty of bright spots. This is Motown, so soul permeates the streets as well as an admirable air of survival.
Even Hollywood has infiltrated the city, filming shows like HBO’s "Hung," and making movies like "Red Dawn" and "Gran Torino" on its streets.
People are passionate here, especially when it involves politics and sports, and they don’t apologize for their opinions. Yes, Detroit is a bit messy-- one street can sport beautiful new buildings, but a block away lies a condemned property awaiting its fate--either remodel or eternal eyesore.
Those still raising their eyebrows over Detroit are usually older folks still channeling 1967 riot memories or referring to neighborhoods where tourists wouldn’t visit anyway unless they were courting trouble. And the tales of government corruption? Meh. Unless you plan on moving there, it’s nothing the average visitor would experience. Our advice? Ignore the naysayers and head to Michigan.
After all, a place that counts Aretha Franklin, Madonna and Robert Frost as natives can’t be all that bad.
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Detroit Airport Might Be Spacious And Pretty, But The WiFi Sucks
Update: Ok fine, so as the DTW rep points out in the comments, Boingo is available in both terminals. But our own experience convinced us otherwise, and we recommend checking out the Airport WiFi map (click the icon to the right) to note that most airports tagged have free Wifi; something DTW should think about if they can afford the snazziness evident elsewhere.
We may have told you time and time again about the wonders of Detroit's Wayne Country Airport, but despite the very cool in-terminal monorail and relaxing LED light tunnel, Detroit is not as down with technology as you think.
In particular we refer to their Airport WiFi situation, which is sad to say the least. They've had internet in their Smith terminal since 2004, but with that terminal currently sitting empty Detroit has had to equip the rest of the airport. These days, you can log into the 'net from Delta/Northwest's McNamara Terminal only, and it's a Boingo frontier there.
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Right Now, Detroit Is Good For Tom Cruise And Barbecue
Yesterday, some Detroit residents may have thought the city was under seize based on the number of military vehicles and debris in the streets, but it was all just part of the latest movie shoot happening in the city. They were filming an elaborate explosion scene near Woodward Ave and Mack Ave for "Red Dawn," a remake of the 1984 classic starring Patrick Swayze.
“Red Dawn” has been filming in Michigan since last month at various locations and will reportedly continue through the beginning of December. The cast is full of up and coming actors, like Connor Cruise, the adopted son of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who, despite a hectic shooting schedule, has been spending most weekends with his dad in Boston. Other cast members include Chris Hemsworth ("Star Trek"), Josh Peck ("Drake & Josh"), and Adrianne Palicki ("Friday Night Lights").
Tags: Movie Set Travel / Drew Barrymore / Michigan Travel / Movie Travel / → All Tags
'Whip It' Good In Michigan This Fall With Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore can officially add another job to her resume this weekend: Director. The actress is making her directorial debut in Whip It, about a young woman (played by Ellen Page) who finds her life's passion when she joins a local roller derby team. The movie is set in Texas but was filmed entirely in Michigan last year. Take a look at where to stay, where to eat and what to do in Michigan this fall to get into the true spirit of Whip It.
Where to Stay:
The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center is currently offering a weekend deal that includes a $100 Bonus Bucks coupon good toward any future two-night stay and $50 off a Hertz rental if you spend a Friday or Saturday night at the hotel this fall. Rates start around $166 a night, use the promo code V12 when booking online to get the deal.
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Northwest Planes And Delta Red Dresses Spotted At Detroit-Metro
Yesterday morning, during our hop on a 6am flight from New York-LaGuardia to Detroit-Metro, we were once again confronted by the schizophrenia of the whole Delta/Northwest merger. Although the fancy McNamara terminal at DTW has been decked out in Delta regalia since before April, a few traces of the old red-and-grey still exist.
For instance, our DC-9 plane was still sporting the Northwest livery, as was this 747 jumbo jet pictured above, patiently sitting at a gate until a 12:35pm departure to Tokyo (it's no coincidence that the terminal's sushi bar is across from this gate). Aside from that, everything from the in-flight magazine to the Biscoff cookies were stamped with the Delta logo.
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Even The Airports Were Tuned Into Michael Jackson's Memorial
Ok, we really don't want to discuss the Michael Jackson Memorial that went on today. We admit we got totally suckered into watching nearly the whole thing and there is just not enough time in the day or space on the internet to list all of what we have to say about that event.
BUT if we had to pick one moment, it would be when Brooke Shields addressed Michael's children by their names: Prince. Paris. Blanket. Moving on....
While we were trying our hardest to focus on the day's work at hand, it was plain to see that the rest of America could not escape the memorial. Not even at the airports. Questlove tells us that: "cats in detroit airport giving it up for @johncmayer" after John Mayer did his rendition of "Human Nature" at the memorial. Detroit, the birthplace of Motown, giving John Mayer props? Wow, Michael Jackson really was a uniting force.
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Related Stories:
· We Are Genuinely Afraid for Downtown Los Angeles Tomorrow [Jaunted]
Tags: What Recession / Luxury Travel / Cars / → All Tags
Bankrupt Car Company Offers Luxury SUV
Hey, you know, this economic downturn, we can beat this! All we need is a smile and a $45,000 luxury car for our next road trip! Such must be the thinking behind Chrysler's decision to debut a luxury Grand Jeep Cherokee for its 2011 line, despite being bankrupt two years before its debut.
Built on Mercedes M-Class bones, the 2011 Grand Cherokee is a gas guzzler of the classic model with heated rear seats, auto-dimming headlights and a built-in back-seat tray so your upholstery doesn't get dirty. Since we know gas prices will never go up again, it's an SUV bargain! At least when R. Kelly sings "You remind me of my Jeep" from here on out, you can insist on a particular model.
Chrysler filed for a quickie bankruptcy in April; a proposed merger with Fiat is currently being fought by dealers nationwide who face forced closings under the new agreement.
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Detroit Metro Airport Might Be the Best Thing About Detroit
Is it spring yet? With snow beating down on the tarmac yesterday at Detroit Metro Airport, we're extremely sad to say that Punxsutawney Phil was right again. Nothing is more depressing than agreeing with a groundhog on the weather.
So instead we turned our focus onto the awesome interior of one of our favorite terminals, the inside of Northwest's sprawling Concourse A, which has a wingspan of some 78 gates.
Keep reading for our video of the concourse.
Tags: Laid-Off Travel / Recession Travel / Jay Leno / Comedy / Detroit Travel Guide / → All Tags
Jay Leno's Stimulus Plan Hits Detroit
Jay Leno’s one man comedy stimulus plan goes into effect tonight when the "Tonight Show" host plays the first of two back-to-back shows in Detroit-for free. Leno will perform his stand-up act at the Palace of Auburn Hills, located just outside of the Motor City, for those who have recently lost their jobs and can't afford a night out.
"I like Detroit. I think it gets a bad rap," Leno said. "Most people don't have money to spend, or waste, on entertainment. So the idea is come out -- everything's free -- and get your mind off your troubles for an hour and a half."Already, 15,000 tickets have been given away for each show, which includes free parking and refreshments.
For a recession-proof meal to go with Jay's show, check out Evie’s Tamales, 3454 Bagley St, Detroit. They serve fresh, homemade Mexican food at dirt cheap prices. The average dinner, including beans and rice, is about $5- $6.
Related Stories:
· Jay Leno Shows [Detroit Free Press]
· Detroit Travel [Jaunted]
[Photo: ET]
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Where To Watch The Final Four Fury In The Motor City
We’ve told you time and time again that our bracket is too jacked up to win us cash and prizes. We have UConn and UNC in the championship game, so at least we can still hope for that. Once again we learned the hard way that an office pool is not an effective economic stimulus—at least Tax Day is only a few weeks away—let's hope for a refund.
We’ll be watching this weekend’s games at home, but if you’re lucky enough to head to Detroit, here are a few spots that might be worth your time. Detroit gets a bad rap, but times are tough in Motown. So if you’re heading up that way, spend big, sleep a little, and tell everyone what a great place it is—that’s just the Jaunted way of helping out.
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Detroit's DTW Airport Now Open for Filmmakers
If you’re passing through DTW today, keep an eye out for George Clooney. The A-lister will be filming a scene for his latest movie, “Up in Air” in one of four terminals the airport has made available for filmmakers.
Michigan is currently offering a 42 percent tax credit to filmmakers who choose their state as a filming location, making Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport very attractive to cost conscience movie producers. To accommodate potential movie projects, the airport has two completely new terminals, McNamara and North, that are open to filmmakers and two others that are no longer in use but can still be used for filming, Smith and Berry.
These two terminals are ideal for set designers because all of the ticket counters, phone booths, luggage carousels, restaurants and coffee shops remain but because they are no longer in use so they can be customized to fit whatever is called for in the script.
Tags: Chasing Michigan / Michigan-Filming-Locations-Map / Rob Schneider / → All Tags
Rob Schneider And Detroit, We Can Do It!
"Virgin on Bourbon Street" is filming yet another party scene in Greektown, Detroit tomorrow from 8 am to 8 pm. This marks the fourth time the production has been in Greektown in less than a month, which got us thinking, what exactly is Greektown?
Turns out, it's a small area of Downtown Detroit that features streets lined with neon signs, restaurants, bars, shops and a casino. That explains why they chose Greektown to stand in for Bourbon Street!
Of course, there are several Greek restaurants in the area, named for the population that settled in the nabe. Two of the most popular restaurants are the Astoria Bakery and the New Hellas Café which was once featured on Emeril Live; both are located on Monroe Street. The most notable structure in Greektown is the Second Baptist Church, at 441 Monroe Street. It was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad and is the home of Michigan's first African American congregation.
