Detroit is a beautiful, diverse and creative city; don’t let anyone tell you any different. I am absolutely in love with the city, its surroundings, and the people. Seriously, you’re not going to find nicer, more down-to-earth people.

I’m going to take you on a tour of some of my favorite places and I hope you get a chance to check them out when you’re in town for Expo Icrontic 2010.

Outdoor Spaces

Belle Isle is the largest island park in the United States; it’s also larger than Central Park in New York City. Famed urban park designer Frederick Law Olmsted designed both Belle Isle and Central Park.

Belle Isle is the home to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, The Belle Isle Nature Zoo, the Detroit Yacht Club, the Detroit Boat Club, and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. There is also a municipal golf course, numerous playing fields and courts, a beach and water slide, and trails on the island. The island park offers amazing views of the Detroit skyline and Canada. Distance from ICHQ = 17.9 miles.

Detroit lies on the banks of the Detroit River. Currently, the RiverWalk runs almost 3 miles and when it’s finished it will span 5 ½ miles complete with parks, plazas, and green spaces. Frolic in the fountains, catch a ride on the carousel, or rent a bike from Wheelhouse Detroit. Distance from ICHQ = 14.8 miles.

The Dequindre Cut is a part of the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy plan and will provide a link between Eastern Market and the RiverWalk. The cut is an urban recreational path that was formed out of the old Grand Trunk Railway line. This used to be a hotspot for graffiti artists and many of the tags were left intact. I like to call it an urban gallery. Distance from ICHQ = 14.6 miles.

Eastern Market is the largest historic public market in the U.S. Each Saturday morning approximately 45,000 people head there to pick up fresh produce from the region. It’s a great place to people watch and soak up the atmosphere. Music is always playing outside of Bert’s Market Place and you’ll find BBQ on the grill. Stop in Vivio’s for a fabulous Bloody Mary and grab a slice of pizza at Supino’s. Distance from ICHQ = 13.3 miles.

Rent a bike from Wheelhouse Detroit and you can ride along the RiverWalk, east to Belle Isle, and swing through the Dequindre Cut with a stop at Eastern Market.

Campus Martius is “Detroit’s gathering place.” Live music can be heard in this town square throughout the summer months. It is exactly 8 miles from Campus Martius to 8 Mile Road. Distance from ICHQ = 14.4 miles.

Landmarks

The Spirit of Detroit sits in front of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. The “Jolly Green Giant,” as he’s sometimes called, is a symbol of Detroit. Walk kitty-corner and find The Joe Louis Fist, a memorial to the Brown Bomber, on Jefferson Avenue at Woodward.

Across the street from the Fist is the entryway to Hart Plaza. This is home to many festivals throughout the summer as well as Noguchi’s Dodge Fountain.

Two iconic fixtures of the Detroit skyline are also in this area, the GM Renaissance Center and the Guardian Building. The lobby of the Guardian Building is gorgeous and shouldn’t be missed. Distance from ICHQ = 14.6 miles.

Shopping

Pure Detroit, with locations in the Guardian Building, the Renaissance Center, and the New Center, offer authentic Detroit style in the form of tees, hats, bags, and other unique items.

Hockeytown Authentics is the place to go for Detroit Red Wings merchandise. However, if you are looking for gear from any of the Detroit or Michigan teams both Kohl’s and Dunham’s Sports have a good selection for a cheaper price.

Located in Midtown, City Bird carries Detroit-themed goods and vintage. Local and regional designers and artists are featured. Distance from ICHQ = 13 miles.

Henry The Hatter has been Detroit’s exclusive hatter since 1893. Visit Henry The Hatter at locations in Detroit and Southfield and make a fashion statement. Distance from ICHQ = 7.9 miles.

Lift Designer Toys & Gallery in Royal Oak offers metro Detroit’s largest selection of designer toys. They carry Ugly Dolls, Kid Robot toys, anime, and other Japanese-inspired goods. I’ve been a fan of the Labbits for a while and love the Dunny and MUNNY lines. You can’t go into this store and not smile. Distance from ICHQ = 5.5 miles.

Random Fun

Get your Michael Schumacher on and head to Kart 2 Kart! You can race against up to 11 people in the pro karts with training and safety equipment included. The track features a 200-foot straightaway and 6 corners to give you the feel of high speeds. Distance from ICHQ = 10.5 miles.

Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum is not a high-tech gaming arcade. This is a collection of oddities. Marvin’s has a bit of everything; from vintage games to pinball machines and video games, skee-ball, merry-go-rounds, posters and signage, and an electric chair from Sing-Sing prison. Distance from ICHQ = 18.2 miles.

Hamtramck Disneyland is wacky folk art with a dash of kitsch. Dmytro Szylak built this little piece of happiness in the alley at the back of his property with found objects and Disney characters. Distance from ICHQ = 5.6 miles.

Detroit is at its best in the summer. The warm weather coupled with the many events going on around town fill the air with electricity. I hope you enjoy exploring my town as much as I do.

Becks Davis lives, breathes, and oozes Detroit. You can follow her adventures as she explores Detroit at DetroitMoxie.com by subscribing to her RSS feed or follow her on Twitter @becksdavis.