By Bill Malcom
Photo Courtesy of Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
and the Gordie Howe International Bridge project
The rebound of the Motor City continues unabated. The once downtrodden area has transformed
itself. A vibrant downtown, a stunning new bridge to Canada, a new food hall in Midtown Detroit, a
new hotel in Cork Town, and fun suburbs like Ferndale, Clawson, and Royal Oak are full of things to do.
WHAT TO DO
Run or walk with Frontrunners on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. They meet in front of Prontos in Royal Oak.
Explore the gayish village, Ferndale. You will find the Affirmation’s Community Center at 205 W. Nine
Mile.Enjoy the refurbished Michigan Central train station in Corktown and explore the historic Detroit
neighborhood.Walk along the Detroit River and take in the Campus Martius campus.Ride the new Q Line
Street car and enjoy the museums in midtown including the iconic Detroit Institute of Arts. Explore Clawson and its new hipster downtown. We liked the Whiskey Taco Foxtrot (28 Main Street in Clawson). Try the Mini Beef Nachos. Strohs (a local beer) is just $2. The Royal Oak Farmers Market on Saturdays is a must.
GETTIING THERE
Amtrak has great service including to Detroit, Royal Oak, and Birmingham from Chicago. Trains
run three times a day and go 100 mph.Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus features a new express bus
to downtown.
The new SMART Fast Bus moves you around town. Otherwise, you will need a car. You are in the Motor City.
WHERE TO STAY
I stayed at the Hampton Inn Madison Heights and then the Baymont Madison Heights. Walk to
nearby restaurants and the Powerhouse Gym plus the Value Center Marketplace grocery store.
Right off I-75 at 14 Mile Road. The Hyatt Place in downtown Royal Oak is another favorite.
The new Godfrey Hotel in Corktown in Detroit has a great rooftop bar (The I/O Rooftop
Lounge) on the seventh floor. Nice and extremely high end. Stunning views of downtown and the
Ambassador Bridge. You will find them at 1401 Michigan Avenue complete with brick streets. This is
Detroit’s oldest neighborhood.
WHERE TO EAT
The new food hall in Midtown, Detroit Shipping Company (474 Peterboro,
DetroitShippingCompany.com) features two bars and around 10 carry outs set in containers with
seating in the middle and upstairs, the fun scene features Thai Food (Bangkok 96 Street Food),
Mediterranean (Halal Street ) and more. Try the crispy fried chicken bowl at Bangkok 96. The spring rolls were excellent. Enjoy the Lebanese (Middle Eastern cuisine) which features great fresh juices like raw carrot juice. There are over 400 restaurants in the metro area. 400! I liked the Royal
Grill in Madison Heights (1467 W. 14 Mile in Madison Heights). Try the Gallayah Sandwich which features
vegetables and meat). Even the gas stations have Lebanese food to go!
NIGHTLIFE
Pronto is a fun bar and restaurant in Royal Oak with a drag bingo bar
next door (the Five 15) which is quite popular.
Prontos has a great dance floor and outdoor patio too.
SOHO is the Ferndale staple on 9th Mile and the best bar in
Detroit. Surrounded
by shops and restaurants, explore Ferndale while you are there. Next door in the 215 West
which features special events and is owned by SOHO. Nearby is the Ferndale Elks Lodge which my
friends like. Live bands, music bingo, trivia nights, and karaoke happen at this welcoming venue. Also in
Ferndale is Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center. See Metra Magazine for a list of all the bars.
FUN FACTS
Bring your passport and take the tunnel or Bridge to Windsor, Ontario
Canada. Great shopping. Pick up some British candies (made in Britan, not the U.S.), and more.
Listen to the French language radio stations (AM 1550 and on the FM dial). Detroit is right on the border, and you go south into Canada. Go figure. The new Gordie Howie Bridge is
a stunner and opens later in 2025. Detroit is a very historic city first settled by the French (hence the many French street names
downtown). Detroit has an excellent freeway system. You can be anywhere in 20 minutes
going 70 mph on the freeway although the area is very spread out.
Michigan has FOUR campgrounds for the LGBTQ+ with
something for everyone.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Between the Lines is an every other week publication. Metra Magazine is your bar guide. METRO
Weekly is the alternative weekly full of ideas.
Bill Malcolm is a former resident of Royal Oak, Michigan. His syndicated travel column has been
carried in LGBTQ publications throughout North America and on
the travel blog of the IGLTA website.
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