Buzz

Hamtramck hosts calorie-burning 5K run ahead of Paczki Day feast

Canning Communications Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Fat Tuesday is big, we mean huge, in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro and ... Hamtramck? That's right, except here it is properly known as Paczki Day, the day before Lent begins in the Polish Catholic religious calendar.

It's become so wildly popular (bands, DJs, food, drink) that organizers thought a run would be a nice addition to the schedule -- four days before Paczki Day. Get ready to burn some calories before Fat Tuesday by participating in the inaugural PaczKi Run in Hamtramck this Saturday, Feb. 9. The 5K run begins at 10 a.m. at the corner of Holbrook and Joseph Campau. Each person finishing the race fittingly receives a paczek and a beer. The PaczKi Run is presented by Tour-De-Troit in partnership with the Hamtramck Downtown Development Authority.

Several Hamtramck businesses will be offering runners a “bib discount” after they cross the finish line on this Saturday, they include:

$1 domestic draft beers @ New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Joseph Campau
$1 beer specials @ Whiskey in the Jar, 2741 Yemens St.
35 percent off the regular retail price of clothing @ Chiipss, 10229 Joseph Campau
10 percent all items @ Detroit Threads, 10238 Joseph Campau

And: Free samples @ Srodek’s Campau Quality Sausage, 9601 Joseph Campau
Free Prince Polish candy bar @ Polish Art Center, 9539 Joseph Campau
$1 off records @ Record Graveyard, 2610 Carpenter St.
$5 off any purchase of $15 or more @ Amici’s, 9842 Joseph Campau

Advance registration only costs $25 and is available through Tuesday, Feb. 5. That's today, runners. Sign-up early here.

All proceeds will benefit City of Hamtramck’s non-motorized trail plan.

Impressive group of sponsors, too: Detroit Threads, Talmer Bank, McClure's Pickles, Jurkiewicz & Wilk Funeral Home, Whiskey in the Jar, The Belmont Bar, Polish-American Chamber of Commerce-Michigan, Simply Suzanne Granola, New Dodge Lounge, Record Graveyard, Polish Art Center, New Palace Bakery, New Martha Washington Bakery, Sam's Market, Alexis G. Krot, P.C., Plante Moran, Glory Supermarket, Miller Canfield and Giffels Webster Engineers.

Hostel Detroit edgy art tour gets noticed by Michigan Public Radio

Michigan Radio Tuesday, January 29, 2013

We found this dandy report on the Michigan Radio site, and thought "it's about time that Hostel Detroit and its general manager, Michel Soucisse, some more love.

An excerpt:

One of (Soucisse's) guests is Chloe Dietz, a student who goes to school in Portland, Oregon who grew up in Brooklyn, Michigan. She’s on a cross country tour by train. Another guest is Jonathan Dowdall who is an artist from Canada.
Dowdall says Detroit’s art scene drew him to the city.

“Detroit has always had a mythical presence in my mind and I’ve always imagined it a certain way. I really wanted to come here and see on the ground what it was like, in particular street art,” Dowdall says.

Our first stop on the trip is an outdoor street art project on the East Side of Detroit called the Heidelberg project created by artist Tyree Guyton.

Read on here.

Auto and brew Detroit history bus tours on tap

Show Me Detroit Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Motor City Brew Tours and Show Me Detroit Tours will partner to present four Detroit Automotive & Brewery History Tours on Saturday, Jan. 19 and 26, during the 2013 North American International Auto Show. Tours start at 11 a.m. and at 3 p.m.

The 3.5 hour bus tours will look at Detroit then and now, including Downtown and Midtown today, early brewing history, the Eastern Market, the Packard Plant, the Ford Piquette Plant, architect Albert Kahn’s work, and the brewery and dairy operations at the Traffic Jam & Snug Restaurant in Midtown.

According to Kim Rusinow and Pat Haller, Show Me Detroit Tours co-founders, interest is higher than ever in seeing and understanding Detroit’s rich history, as well as its current challenges and triumphs. It’s a tale of two cities as greater Downtown continues to attract new residents, workers, visitors and investors while many neighborhoods seek a viable 21st century reuse.

Steve Johnson, Motor City Brew Tours founder, noted that the tours will make a brief stop to view a video presentation at the Ford Piquette Plant -- the city’s most authentic automotive site and the birthplace of Henry Ford’s iconic Model T. Ticket sales will support restoration efforts at the Piquette Plant -- with $5 donated for every tour ticket purchased.

The $39.95 tour ticket price includes expert historical commentary, guided bus transportation, admission at the Ford Piquette Plant, and a brewery tour with sampling and light appetizers at the Traffic Jam & Snug. Tickets must be purchased in advance online. Tour guests must be 21 and over. Both tour companies offer gift certificates for gift-giving.

The tours will start and end in front of the Detroit Fire Department Headquarters Building directly across from Cobo Center at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Larned streets (250 W. Larned, Detroit).

Tour the Villages, buy a stunning one-of-a-kind house

The Villages Community Development Corporation Tuesday, May 15, 2012

We'll keep it short and simple: all need you need to know is that the Villages, a fabulous, historically-significant neighborhood a quick jog or bike ride from downtown, is hosting a real estate tour of select properties this weekend. More info here.

It coincides with the re-emergence of the pop-up Tashmoo Biergarten, which will pour Michigan craft beers Saturday and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. More on the beer here.

Wheelhouse pops up at Compuware HQ downtown

Detroit Regional News Hub Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Co-owners Karen Gage and Kelli Kavanaugh say they have always wanted to operate their Wheelhouse Detroit bike shop year round. The next best thing is a pop up shop in a great location. And it doesn't come much better than the Compuware Building, across from downtown's Campus Martius.

It's now open through Christmas Eve. Get all the info you need to go shopping here.

Detroit, an artistic paradise

Los Angeles Times Tuesday, November 15, 2011

This LA Times' trip to Detroit found an "artistic haven" of old structures, committed art dealers and vibrant examples of how community and culture intersect.

From the DIA, which the writer calls "America's most overlooked major museum," to the sculpture park outside the College for Creative Studies, and even a stop at Heidelberg, this travelogue details a city teeming with creativity. Russell St. Deli, Cafe D'Mongo's, Cass Cafe, and yes, Slows, were a few of the destinations the LA Times raved about.

Excerpt:

When I asked his inspiration, Guyton responded with questions of his own: "What is art today?" "Does it have to be in a museum?" "How do you revitalize a neighborhood?" "How do you get people to come to Detroit despite what they've heard?"

One of Guyton's motifs is New York taxis, painted on plywood boards. "A lot of people think you have to go to New York to make it," he said. "I'm saying I can make it right here, and I will. Watch me. I'm just getting started."

Find out more here.

Record amount of diners swarm fall Detroit Restaurant Week

Detroit Restaurant Week Tuesday, November 15, 2011

There's just no stopping Detroit Restaurant Week.

Event producers Paxahau reported that the 10-evening dining promotion lured 36,046 gourmands to 21 restaurants across the city of Detroit, an 18.4 percent increase over 2010. It's the second-largest tally ever for the $28 prix fixe dining bonanza, which has counted 150,000 customers since launching five years ago.

"We are pleased the enthusiasm Metro Detroiters have for Detroit Restaurant Week has continued to grow over the years," said Jason Huvaere, Director of Detroit Restaurant Week. "It has been a terrific way for our community to experience the tremendous fine dining restaurants Detroit has to offer. With each campaign we hope we’re developing a new crop of customers who will frequent the restaurants all year long."

Stay tuned for the announcement for a Spring 2012 Detroit Restaurant Week date and more here.

Cruise ships make new port a travel destination

Detroit Free Press Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Some skeptics questioned the logic of Detroit's new Public Dock and Terminal, which opened at a $21.5 million cost this summer on the banks of the Detroit River. According to this new story in the Freep, the new dock is already paying off in an influx of well-heeled tourists. The number of cruise ships planning stops at the Dock in 2012 is 13 -- a massive increase from the two ships who anchored in Detroit in 2011. At least 2,500 luxury tourists bound for the Great Lakes will set foot in the city next year.

Excerpt:

"What's terrific about the new dock and Detroit is the proximity to the upper part of the Great Lakes," said Chris Conlin, president of Great Lakes Cruise Company in Ann Arbor, which markets the cruises. "I believe the new port in Detroit is the reason the Yorktown is sailing out of Detroit and not Windsor or Toronto."

Anchors away here!

Real estate professionals learn best practices for selling Detroit

UM/ULI Forum Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Selling real estate in Detroit has been a uniquely difficult challenge since the 2008 recession; the city is now prime territory for reinvestment and development.

On Nov. 8 and 9, real estate professionals, developers and students of land-use topics will convene at Cobo for "Detroit: Forged By Innovation," a two-day conference sponsored by the University of Michigan and the Urban Land Institute. Manhattan-based creative developer Tony Goldman and Peter D. Cummings will headline the speakers' list -- workshops, walking tours and bus trips around the city are on the list for the conference, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Click here for registration information and more.

Visit Detroit -- we lead the nation in travel industry growth

MLive.com Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Hotels that banked on Detroit's future as a travel destination are reaping their just rewards.

Based on increases in occupancy rates over the next 12 months, the website travelclick.com predicts the city and surrounding areas will experience a 2 percent increase in travel to the city in 2012.

Excerpt:

Finally, Conran says, the Detroit area is seeing "significant" year-over-year gains in business travel thanks to the recovering auto industry."We can't underestimate the fact that the health of the auto industry has improved dramatically," Conran says.

Let's not forget that worldwide media acclaim of Detroit as a paradise for an off-the-beaten-path vacation.

More here.

The business of art, and Heidelberg Street

Crain's Detroit Business Tuesday, October 25, 2011

While art and commerce can be uneasy bedfellows (how to put a price on creativity; and whether it should be judged in those terms), a new study from the Center for Creative Community Development at Williams College proves one Detroit attraction satisfies both spheres.

Tyree Guyton's Heidelberg Project is more than an indoor-outdoor art exhibition -- it's a serious revenue-builder for the city. The study found that the project attracts $3.4 million in economic activity to Wayne County every year. That's partly because 70 percent of the more than 50,000 visitors who make their way to Heidelberg Street every year are from outside the county. Guyton's vision has also created 40 jobs in the region.

Excerpt:

"The Detroit and wider Detroit region faces a wide array of challenges," Sheppard said. "I don't think it's correct to say that art and cultural organizations and projects alone can completely turn around the economy of Detroit ... but I think arts and culture projects like the HP are (part of that)."

Connect the dots here.

Honor + Folly bed and breakfast -- coming soon

Designtripper Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Detroit's newest bed-and-breakfast will offer guests a dose of original style along with their pillow and key.

Meghan McEwen, founder of the amazingly cool DesignTripper blog, posted a few thoughts on her latest venture, Honor + Folly, which will bring the inn concept to Corktown's Michigan Ave.

Writes McEwen, "I’ve been so inspired by all the people and places I’ve been writing about for the past year, I’ve decided to join ‘em. I don’t have photos yet ... and you’ll have to bear with me while I paint, stock, source, sand furniture, adorn walls, make beds, knit pillows and hang a shingle."

While details are limited, McEwen tells us Honor + Folly will feature cooking classes and lotsa cool furnishings from local designers. It will open to guests in mid-November.

Click here to read McEwen's post, and keep tuning into Model D for more Honor + Folly.

Tour De Troit helps make Detroit more bike-friendly

Detroit News Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Close to 4,500 bikers made the Motor City a two-wheeled adventure course for a day on Sept. 24; choosing a police-escorted 30-mile jaunt through Detroit's streets or a whopping 62-mile slog from the tour's home base at Roosevelt Park (check out Tour De Troit wrap-ups from the News, Freep and MLive).

Tour De Troit's explosive growth (it drew less than 50 cyclists for its first outing in 2002) mirrors the bicycle's increasing popularity as an accepted form of transportation in the D. A growing network of greenways and bike lanes, wide avenues and more tours have helped grow cycling by 192 percent in the past ten years.

Excerpt:

"(Riding a bike) shows the city on a human scale, and you see a lot of detail that you wouldn't see when you were in an automobile," said Bill Lusa, 37, director for the tour. Lusa, who lives in Woodbridge, uses his bike to commute to places around the city. "It's not always about smashing the system and ending the automotive hegemony," he said. "It's about having fun and being in slightly better shape."

More available here.

The Irish Times writes their can't-miss-Detroit travelogue

The Irish Times Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Most every city newspaper has taken a crack at the "Detroit travelogue" this year -- a Lonely Planet-esque tour though the city, combining the D's often mercurial history with present rebuilding efforts. In Detroit, writes the Irish Times, we're successfully re-inventing 200 years of history into a tour for every traveler -- be it the Motown music-seeker, the Underground Railroad tracer or the merry Prohibition buster. Rather than dwell on ancient memories, IT also lauds Detroit's thriving downtown as a cosmopolitan attraction all its own.

Excerpt:

Take a trip up to the restaurant on the roof of the Detroit Marriott hotel, officially the tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the western hemisphere, and have a drink. It’s pretty jaw-dropping, on a par with my favourite, the rooftop restaurant in the San Francisco Hilton. Back on the streets – as they say in the cop shows – head to Midtown and the Detroit Institute of Arts, which, despite its prosaic name, houses one of the finest art collections in the US. Diego Rivera’s Detroit Industry cycle of 27 fresco panels – gifted by another Ford, this time Edsel – is considered the best work of his career.

Keep traveling here.

Inside Detroit to raise funds with downtown scavenger hunt

Inside Detroit Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Who better to design a clue-laden scavenger hunt through the streets of downtown than the CBD's foremost tour guides at Inside Detroit?

A new fundraiser for the city's welcoming team asks Detroiters to park their cars and hit the pavement for an Amazing Race-style contest testing denizens on their knowledge of local history, businesses, culture. Teams of 4 have two hours to master a 50-clue scavenger hunt -- and possibly win a $500 bundle of gift certificates and prizes. The $120 team registration benefits the nonprofit Inside Detroit and downtown's Welcome Center. It all begins at 3 p.m. Oct. 1, with an afterparty at Hard Rock Cafe at 5 p.m.

Register your crew at Inside Detroit's website.

Detroit Restaurant Week is on again this fall

Detroit Restaurant Week Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The fifth Detroit Restaurant Week will return from Friday, Sept. 23 to Sunday, Oct. 2, for the fall edition of the city's popular dining promotion, which offers restaurant-goers a prix fixe three-course meal for only $28.

The spring 2011 edition of Detroit Restaurant Week was a record-breaker. 18 of the city's finest restaurants reported a combined total of 36,758 diners over the course of 10 evenings, a 19.6 percent increase from fall 2010. So far, over 120,000 people have participated in the first four installments, generating an estimated $2.1 million in receipts.

Visit DetroitRestaurantWeek.com to find out about participating restaurants, menus and events.

Conner Creek to host Detroit River kayaking tours

Conner Creek Greenway Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Hey, East Side Model D readers -- we've got the lead on a summer outing just for you. Residents of these East Side zip codes -- 48205, 48207, 48211, 48213, 48214, 48215, 48224, and 48234 -- are eligible to participate in a day of kayaking along the Detroit River. The kayak adventure is presented by the Conner Creek Greenway, a project put on by the Detroit Eastside Community Collaborative. For only $5 a head, paddlers will explore both the Detroit Rive, the Fisher Mansion and the numerous canals along the waterfront.

Two tours will embark on Aug. 13 from Maheras Gentry Park where Conner meets the river at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. We can't think of a better way to enjoy the city's natural splendor (while keeping cool!). Click here for more information and contact Libby or Caitlin at 313-571-2800 ext. 1159 to register for either expedition.

Bikes, books and a little music: we like this blog for two-wheeled aficionados

Bikes, Books and a Little Music Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Detroit's cycle craze shifts into another gear thanks to this blog dedicated to motor-less transport in Motown -- with some cultural pit stops along the way.

Author Charlie Z., camera in hand (careful there) is passionate about capturing the feel and spirit of Detroit from two wheels. He also loves books and jazz from the 1950s and 1960s. Clearly, we think he's onto something here.

Excerpt:

I've experienced the sweet smell of bakeries and barbecues, breathed in the smokey fumes from beat-up cars, and diesel exhaust from buses or trucks has left my throat scratchy and dry. I've heard the sound of gospel music filling the streets on a Sunday morning. I've heard the people mover rumbling overhead. I've heard dogs barking, horns blowing, sirens blaring and street corner vendors hawking their goods. Most of all, I've seen considerable contrast between wealth and poverty. As I cycle through this city, I hope to present some of the unusual sights and rich sounds found within its borders.

Want a little more of Charlie Z? Click here.

Forward Arts furthers progress in Belle Isle Park

Metro TImes Tuesday, June 14, 2011

It could have just been another sad Detroit story. A partnership between Access Arts and Forward Arts brought new life in the form of public art exhibits to Woodbridge's Anna Scripps Park at the corner of MLK and Grand River Avenue. But 10 days after a successful opening and raucous party (which raised money for a second exhibit and sensory garden), Scripps Park's public art became a little too public. Most of the exhibits were stolen or destroyed.

But that's not stopping Louis Casinelli and Dominic Arellano, who partnered together for the Scripps Park project and are also spearheading this year's Belle Isle Arts Exhibit. Nineteen exhibitions will be open to the public, plus bike, shuttle and tours from Chido Johnson's Wire Cars. The Fifth Belle Isle Arts Exhibit opens Saturday, June 18, with a party from 2 to 7 p.m., and runs until Friday, June 24. And Arellano says there will be art again in Scripps Park, thieves be damned.

Excerpt:

"Collaboration. That's how Belle Isle operates," Arellano says. "There are all these different groups that make the park function. None stand alone. They promote each other, help each other. That's our spirit too."

Get the spirit here.

Spin a Movement bike tour with Wheelhouse Detroit

Wheelhouse Detroit Tuesday, May 24, 2011

A new bike tour dubbed 'Techno in the 313" offered through Wheelhouse Detroit will give Movement participants the opportunity to glimpse the biggest sites in Detroit's electronic music history next weekend.

The Packard Plant, the Underground Resistance Headquarters and The Music Institute are just a few of the landmarks riders will experience during the two tours, which take place Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30.

The two tours are capped at 15 riders each; so get your wheels spinning and book a spot at wheelhousedetroit.com. The Wheelhouse is also offering significant discounts to any rider with a Movement wristband.

Tall ships, tugboats, a 5k and more at this year's River Days

Detroit River Days Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Detroit River Days will celebrate its fifth anniversary on June 23-26 with new programming along Detroit's East Riverfront and lots more room for fun.

The physical presence of the festival will now run from William J. Milliken State Park to the newly completed Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Terminal & Dock, just past the Renaissance Center.

There will also be plenty to do beyond music, food and dancing. The River Days festival, which is put on by the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy, will offer tugboat races, a 5k competition, eco-friendly kids activities, and a new partnership with Windsor's Summerfest and participation as one of 57 cities across the world in Global Water Dances.

Excerpt:

"This new footprint reflects the continued progress happening on the Riverfront," said Matt Cullen, chairman, Detroit RiverFront Conservancy. "When we launched the festival in 2007 it was with the goal of introducing the transformation of our Riverfront to not only our own community here in Detroit, but to the world. The festival continues to showcase new developments each year, including last year's addition of Michigan's first urban state park and, this year's new Port Authority Terminal and Dock, which will now allow Detroit to accommodate cruise ships, ferries, tall ships and naval vessels."

The River Days musical lineup will be announced in early June. For now, check out all the cool stuff to do at detroitriverdays.com.

NYT: 36 hours in the D gets it right

The New York Times Tuesday, May 10, 2011

How to spend 36 hours in Detroit? The New York Times jam-packed almost a dozen of this city's landmarks into one action-filled weekend guide to decoding the D. We'll give our out-of-town colleagues props for digging into little-known historical facts (we always forget downtown boasts the nation's second-largest theatre district) and directing travelers to local treasures like Pewabic Pottery, the Piquette Plant and Atlas Global Bistro.

Excerpt:

No video can portray the passion one finds on the streets of Detroit these days, where everyone from the doorman to the D.J. will tell you they believe in this city's future. While certain areas are indeed eerily empty, other neighborhoods -- including midtown, downtown and Corktown -- are bustling with new businesses that range from creperies and barbecue joints catering to the young artists and entrepreneurs migrating to Motown, to a just-opened hostel that invites tourists to explore Detroit with the aid of local volunteer guides.

No urban enthusiast, the NYT concludes, should witness the renaissance Detroit is attempting. Well said.

The NYT now has a paywall, which allows readers 20 free views a month. If you haven't exceeded your monthly tab, click here.

The Detroit Orientation Institute offers summer, fall sessions

Detroit Orientation Institute Tuesday, July 13, 2010

If you're looking for a little insight into Detroit, look no further the Detroit Orientation Institute. Partnering with Inside Detroit, a nonprofit organization that showcases the city's assets, DOI has a one-day seminar for the Detroit enthusiast. The program offers bus and walking tours of downtown, southwest, Midtown, New Center, and the near East Side. You'll start off at the newly renovated Fort Shelby Hotel, and have a reception at the Detroit Opera House. You'll also get presentations from Data Driven Detroit's Kurt Metzger and a panel discussion titled "Collaboration Efforts in Detroit." It's a can't miss event if you're in love with Detroit.

The catch, however, is that you must register and tuition for the day is $250, which includes transportation to program sites, meals and background materials.

The DOI is also offering a three-day experience in the fall. This course costs $900 and is good for newcomers of Detroit. The session will leave you with an in-depth knowledge of one of the most interesting cities in the United States.

For more information and to register go here.

Tour de Hood blog gets some international love

On Biking Tuesday, April 27, 2010

If you haven't checked out the Tour de Hood blog, then you're missing out. A man on a bike taking pictures of his travels. It's all the parts of Detroit you wish you could see, but don't. Even someone from British Columbia has found it. So, if you don't know, now you do.

Excerpt from On Biking:

I've always been interested to visit Detroit. Not only because the Pistons have always been my Team in basketball or the fact that I'm a car nut at heart, but also because it's a city with an interesting history. It's also a representation of the rise, and more recently, the fall of American industry. Detroit used to be a metropolitan city of 2 million people. Now, it's a city of 700,000. I've always liked to photograph, industrial landscapes, and the more abandoned and desolate, the better. This is also (perhaps strangely to some) part of the appeal for me as far as Detroit goes. But since I can't see myself traveling there any time soon, I travel there virtually every once in a while through http://tourdehood.wordpress.com/. It's one man's photographic documentation of his weekly rides through his beloved city.

Read the entire post here.

From Papermag: Detroit's Wheelhouse is putting the city on two wheels

Papermag Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Who needs an engine in the Motor City when you have two legs and two wheels. Biking culture in Detroit is growing thanks to places like Wheelhouse Detroit, on the Riverfront. They rent bikes, fix bikes, give tours, and love Detroit. What more could you ask for? Papermag, who last year listed Detroit's Funk Night as best party in America, drops in on the Wheelhouse.

Excerpt from Papermag:

Not every form of transportation in the Motor City requires an engine. Wheelhouse Detroit, a bicycle shop in downtown Detroit, that offers rentals, retail, and service. They also offer tours that help make little-known tourist gems more accessible in a city that is spread across many miles.

The monthly 15-mile Architecture Tour shows off the Albert Kahn, Louis Kamper and Frank Lloyd Wright buildings scattered around the city center while the Techno 313 Tour, planned for Memorial Day Weekend, is suited for Detroit music fans. In fall, the annual fund-raising ride l Tour de Troit will promote cycling and benefit local charities. 2000 riders participated last year.

Detroiters Kelli Kavanaugh and Karen Gage opened Wheelhouse two years ago and they emphasize the ecological practices of their business, including the t-shirts and sustainable water bottles they sell. "Our store is an opportunity to get to talk to people about road safety and spread the word that cars need to share the road with riders," said Gage, who also works as an urban planner in the city.

Read the entire article here.

Learn Detroit's past, present and future through the Detroit Orientation Institute

Detroit Orientation Institute Tuesday, April 06, 2010

If you're looking for a little insight on Detroit look no further the Detroit Orientation Institute. Partnering with Inside Detroit, a nonprofit organization that showcases the city's assets, DOI offers a one-day concentrated experience with "12 Hours in the D." The program offers bus and walking tours of downtown, southwest, Midtown, New Center, and the near East Side. You'll start off at the newly renovated Fort Shelby Hotel with a reception at Cliff Bell's. You'll also get presentations from Data Driven Detroit's Kurt Metzger, WDET's Craig Fahle, and a discussion with representatives from organizations and foundations from across Detroit. It's a can't miss event if you're in love with Detroit.

The catch, however, is that you must register by April 8. Tuition for the day is $250, which includes transportation to program sites, meals and background materials. You may register on-line, by phone or FAX; however, full payment should be received by April 8, 2010 to secure a place.

For more information and to register go here.

Getting reacquainted with Detroit through tours

Detroit Free Press Tuesday, March 30, 2010

You can always walk up and down Detroit's streets in your sneakers, or ride the ten-speed along Woodward for a self-guided tour. But why do those things when you can rent a segway and get a first hand tour of the Motor City. Starting April 24, Inside Detroit will offer tours of the two-wheeled kind. But the tours don't stop with the segways. There are dozens of tours available to grab a little more knowledge on the city.

Excerpt from the Detroit Free Press:

Ever seen downtown Detroit from aboard a two-wheeled Segway? You can.

Segway tours of the city "let you cover more distance than you would walking. But you still get up close and personal," says Jeannette Pierce, cofounder of Inside Detroit, a nonprofit tour company that will offer them starting April 24. "We do the RiverWalk, and it's really fun."
Meanwhile, Stewart McMillin has one aim: to share Detroit's hidden gems and history with visitors and locals.

"Some people haven't been downtown in 40 years. Other people know a lot and want to know more," says McMillin, who runs Stewart McMillin Tours, which offers outings such as black history tours and "Hooch, Hoodlums and Hoods" about Prohibition days.

In Detroit, there are dozens of tours that anyone can take on the spur of the moment, many as cheap as $10. They are not just for visitors. Detroiters can be tourists in their own hometown just by signing up.

Read the entire article here.

Tours : Buzz