Photo : Doug Zuba

Hack Your City Each Friday we ask you for your best city tips: driving tips, restaurant recs, things to do, and any other advice for visitors and locals. Sometimes the weekly topic is a specific city; other times it's an aspect of all cities, so everyone can participate. Prev Next View All

Detroit is not particularly a tourist destination. But neither are some of our most successful Hack Your City choices, like Pittsburgh or Minneapolis-St. Paul. This is a Hack Your City for the locals, and for anyone else who’s found themselves in this city on a business trip or layover. It’s not exactly glory days for Detroit, but there are over 3 million people in the area—they definitely have something to do.




Each Monday on Hack Your City, we ask readers for your best tips on a city: driving tips, restaurant recs, things to do, and any other advice for visitors and locals. Then on Thursday, we present the best comments. We’re working our way around the U.S. and around the globe.

So Detroiters, what’s good in town? What’s getting better, or what gets a bad rap ? What’s bad and how do you deal with it? And what would you say to someone who sneers, “Never go to Detroit?”


What’s underrated? What places deserve a few more discerning visitors? What’s the weirdest thing you like there, the most acquired taste? Is anything overrated in Detroit , and if so, what’s the best alternative?

How should a visitor approach the city? What attitude should they adopt? What local traditions, behaviors, and laws should they be aware of? How can they get along with people? What problems is the city dealing with right now ? When are the best times to visit: when can you get decent weather, and what are the special events to attend?

What’s it like long-term? Residents, what do you love and hate about the city? What do you recommend to other locals ? How do you hack your commute, what’s your daily café or the best spot to people-watch? What mistakes do new residents make—any common misconceptions or mispronunciations? Where do you go when you want to get out of town for a day or a week?

Finally, how has the city’s vibe changed over the last few years? What should someone know if they haven’t been back in a while? Everyone knows the general “former industrial city” narrative, but does that still apply the same way it did a decade or two ago?


Leave your tips in the comments below, and we’ll highlight the best ones. (Make sure you’re adding something new.) Then come back Thursday for a new post with the highlights.