Saturday

5) 8:15 A.M. Morning Crunch

The baked goods at Avalon International Breads, including its breads and assorted pastries, are made with all-organic flour. The beloved Midtown institution is a great place to pick up a cappuccino ($3.25) and an oatmeal raisin cookie ($2.35) for a midday snack. (Avalon Cafe and Bakery, a full-kitchen spinoff of the flagship location, recently opened downtown near Campus Martius Park, at 1049 Woodward.) Parks & Rec Diner, in the Grand Army of the Republic Building, formerly used by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, is a casual and cheery space, with green chairs and bar seating. Recent menu items included the Coco-Yo Parfait, coconut milk yogurt made in-house with preserves and granola ($6), and the crunchy French toast, served with seasonal jam and two eggs ($12). Its upmarket twin, Republic, is at the other end of the castle-like building.



6) 9:30 A.M. Shelf Lives

For a unique adventure, swing by John K. King Used & Rare Books, housed in a former glove factory. With roughly one million books on-site, this four-story bookstore (along with a basement) has a way of nourishing intellectual pursuits. You can browse subjects as varied as religion in Michigan, Chrysler automobiles, taxidermy and astronomy. The floor will creak as you walk around, which is a nice way to announce your presence to staff members, who are adept at navigating the labyrinth of shelves. A former Otis Elevator building behind the main bookstore houses the collection of rare books, available for viewing by appointment only.

7) 11 A.M. Detroit Designs

The Guardian Building, a financial district skyscraper with an amalgam of Art Deco and Mayan Revival styles, features a three-story vaulted lobby with Pewabic tiles and an intricate mural of Michigan. The architect Albert Kahn designed the Fisher Building, another Art Deco gem in the New Center neighborhood. You can take free weekend tours of either building, courtesy of Pure Detroit, and learn more about the city’s gilded era. Both locations contain Pure Detroit retail stores, which sell T-shirts, hats and magnets to show your Detroit pride. Close to the Guardian building is the Monument to Joe Louis, the African-American boxer who was the heavyweight champion of the world from 1937 to 1949. Dedicated in 1986, five years after his death, the fist-shaped monument weighs 8,000 pounds and is suspended in a traffic island at a busy intersection. You can’t miss it.

8) 12:30 P.M. Seafood and Tacos

It is required that you venture out for fresh seafood. Huron Room, at the fringes of Mexicantown and close to Corktown, is an excellent choice. The décor, with a blue-infused nautical theme, is appealing. A signature item is the local cod fish and chips ($13). Order a side of hush puppies, served with pimento cheese and chives ($6), or the grilled crab cakes ($10). Another option is Taqueria El Rey, a cash-only Mexicantown restaurant with some of the best tacos anywhere. The grilled chicken tacos start at $1.50. For the classic Detroit experience, go to Lafayette Coney Island for a coney, a hot dog topped with chili, mustard and onions ($2.60).

Max Valldeneu playing at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. Credit Laura McDermott for The New York Times



9) 2 P.M. Changing Gears

Tucked in a somewhat forgotten industrial neighborhood, the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant (admission, $12) is one of the most significant car factories ever built. This was where the first Model T was constructed. In the early 20th century, Studebaker had a plant next door. The exceptional guided tour gives you a sense of the plant’s huge role in American automotive history. Among an extensive selection of cars, you’ll find a 1904 curved dash Oldsmobile body, largely considered to be the first mass-produced gas vehicle, along with some of the first Cadillacs and a classic 1965 Ford Mustang.

10) 4:30 P.M. Retail Renaissance

For generations of Detroiters, the epitome of the downtown shopping experience was Hudson’s department store, which closed its flagship location on Woodward in 1983. (The massive building was demolished in 1998.) After years of decline, the city’s retail scene has improved significantly. The luxury brand Shinola, based in Detroit, has a minimalist Midtown store featuring its trademark watches, bikes and leather accessories. The men’s clothing designer John Varvatos, a Detroit native, opened a snazzy, guitar-filled branch of his namesake store in the Lower Woodward Avenue Historic District, joining the upscale retailers Bonobos, Moosejaw and Warby Parker.

11) 8:30 P.M. Jazz Composition

Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, one of the oldest jazz clubs in the world, exudes a coziness that only heightens the stellar musical performances. Luminaries including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Cab Calloway performed at the lounge, which opened in 1933. Located near the city’s northern edge at Eight Mile Road, the bar surface at Baker’s resembles a keyboard. The Southern-inflected menu includes entrees such as smothered pork chops, meatloaf and catfish, and sides like yams and black-eyed peas.