DETROIT, MICHIGAN 2019 - Day Trip (Part 2)

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After Belle Isle we checked into the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Detroit. This was the spectacular view as we walked through the door, overlooking the waterfront and Detroit River. That's Windsor, Canada across the river. Spent most of my waking hours in the room in that chair looking out onto the horizon.

Here's looking at our hotel from the riverside. Our room was on the 17th floor of the center "column." The triangle-shaped jutting windows gave a fabulous 180-degree view.

We could see all the way from the Ren-Cen (discussed on previous blog entry) on the left to Hart Plaza to the old Veteran's Memorial Building (white), now owned by the United Auto Works Union.

Continuing round, was what we knew as Cobo Hall for 59 years. It is known as the TCF (financial) Center as of early 2019.  It is a 723,000 square foot facility that recently received a huge renovation. Originally it housed an arena for concerts and Detroit Piston basketball games. In the old days, I saw Stevie Wonder, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley here. Today it is a convention center and exhibit space for trade shows.

The original name honored former Detroit Mayor Albert Cobo. Looking back, some of the mayor's policies were racist. With the reboot and renewal of Detroit Motor City, it was appropriate to make a name change here.

After dropping off our bags we went for a stroll along the riverside walkway. On the way we saw "The Fist," a monument to boxer Joe Lewis. It was commissioned by Sports Illustrated Magazine in 1986 and is suspended on a 24-foot pyramidal support. It represents the power of the punch, inside and outside the ring, and Lewis' fight for racial justice.

We walked through Hart Plaza, named for late Senator Phil Hart. It is a gathering place and location of summer food and cultural festivals and has a capacity of 40,000. The silver ring is a fountain which flows colorful waters in warmer weather.

On the waterfront side of the plaza is a sculpture honoring the Underground Railroad, which made its way from the South to Detroit and on through to Canada.

Along the river we saw a freighter and an old style riverboat (replica). Also, a few speed boats zipping along the clear waters.

After strolling a mile or so, we headed into the city a few blocks from the river. We stopped at Sweetwater Tavern to wet our whistles. This building dates back to the mid-1800s and the tavern has received awards for their chicken wings. We didn't try them, but enjoyed a couple of cocktails while we chatted with the diverse customers.

We saw reproductions of aqua-green vintage buses. As a kid Mike took busses just like this from his home in the suburban city of Wayne to downtown Detroit. It was 35 cents for the 23-mile ride along Michigan Avenue. He and friends would come into the city to see the latest films in fabulously decorated theaters like the Fox, and fantasize about going to the burlesque shows.

And then there is the Detroit People Mover, which began operating in 1987. This is an almost 3-mile elevated monorail ride circling downtown Detroit with 13 stops at prominent locations. It is only 75 cents to board, but we were in walking mode. Read about the history and routes here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_People_Mover.

Among other landmarks, we saw the Old Wayne County Building. Completed in 1902 for $1.6 million, it operated as the county courthouse. The architectural style is Beaux Arts Classicism. Its base is comprised of pink granite and the ornamental tower is 247-feet high. It recently experienced a $7 million renovation (lighting, window restoration, exterior masonry) and the owners are looking for tenants.
This is the distinctive Ally (financial) Detroit Center building. It was completed in 1993 in a postmodern architectural design, with Flemish influence in its four "towers" walls. There are offices, restaurants, and retail, as well as a gym and one of our favorite food purveyors, Plum Market.

In the financial district, we walked through the landmark Guardian Building skyscraper. The 36-story structure was completed in 1929 and is capped with two spires (one four additional stories tall). It recently went through an award-winning restoration. The mosaic tile decor is an unusual combination of Southwest Native American and art deco. Currently it houses the main offices for Wayne County. Honestly, it is just drop-dead gorgeous. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_Building

 

We headed to our hotel as sunset closed in. The Ambassador Bridge to Canada is in the background.

After a non-memorable dinner at the hotel, we spent much of the evening looking out over the city and river. Ever changing lights of vehicle traffic. Fascinating. Hypnotizing. Like watching a bonfire. Here's the Ren-Cen. Bright light area is the border entrance to the tunnel that travels under the river to Canada.

Hart Plaza to the right, then UAW-Ford National Programs Center (white building that was originally the Veterans Memorial Building), riverboat (two red stacks), and People Mover. Windsor, Canada lies across the Detroit River.

Here's the nighttime view of the TCF Center.

"Jumbotron" mounted on the parking lot of the TCF Center. Huge. Impressive. Compare the size of the cars with the display.

We sure enjoyed our quick trip and found inspiration to return and check out some more areas of this fair city being reimagined into a second vibrant life.