Best Areas to Stay in Detroit, Michigan

Downtown Detroit is located on the Detroit River’s north bank.

This lively financial, commercial and residential district is made up of smaller areas, each one with its own flavor and attractions.

Downtown Detroit is roughly centered around Campus Martius, a historic neighborhood and meeting place home to Woodward Fountain, the Michigan Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, and a large traffic circle surrounded by high-rises.

A couple of hundred yards north, Grand Circus Park is located at the heart of Detroit’s Entertainment District. This buzzing neighborhood, the best area to stay in Detroit for nightlife, sporting events, and concerts, is home to Ford Field and Comerica Park. Woodward Avenue also called “Detroit’s Main Street” is lined with theaters, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and several city landmarks.

The Bricktown Historic District is home to some of Detroit’s oldest buildings including St. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church, the Wayne County Building, and The Wayne County Courthouse. This lively area is also known for its nightlife and live-music venues, including Detroit’s oldest surviving pub. North of Bricktown, Greektown offers amazing greek food and three casinos.

Detroit’s Financial District, bounded by Lafayette and Washington boulevards and Woodward and Jefferson avenues is home to the city’s main historic skyscrapers, including the Guardian Building, the Penobscot Building, and One Woodward Avenue. This business-oriented area is located right next to Cobo Center, Detroit’s main convention and events venue, making it the best area to stay in Detroit for business travelers.

Occupying the southern end of the city, you’ll find Rivertown. This scenic riverfront neighborhood is home to the GM Renaissance Center; General Motor’s headquarters and an expansive commercial development with shops, restaurants, and a hotel. The Detroit International RiverWalk connects restaurants, bars, and public spaces.

Downtown Detroit is by far the best-connected area of the city. The city’s monorail line, the People Mover, encircles the whole district. To reach other areas, the city’s light rail system connects downtown and the Amtrak station, and the bus network offers several stops all over the district.

The districts north of Downtown Detroit are home to some of the city’s best cultural attractions, museums, and galleries.

Midtown, located directly north of the city center, across the Interstate-75, is famous for being home to Wayne State University.

Its central location and large student population make this one of the best areas to stay in Detroit for nightlife. Midtown is packed with small quirky cafés, pubs, student bars, and some of the best nightclubs in town.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, situated in what used to be an auto dealership, offers a wide arrange of temporary exhibitions focusing on visual, literary, music, performing, and new media arts. Nearby, the N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art offers an interesting collection by Black American artists.

Occupying the northeastern corner of Midtown Detroit, the Arts Center District has the highest concentration of cultural institutions in Michigan. Here, you’ll find the Detroit Institute of Arts, one of the best fine-arts galleries in the US; the Hellenic Museum of Michigan, with a small but interesting display of Greek artifacts; and the Charles H. Wright Museum, focusing on Black American history and culture.

Other museums in the Arts Center District include the Michigan Science Center and the Detroit Historical Museum.

The New Center District, located directly north of Midtown Detroit is also home to landmarks and tourist attractions like the Art-Deco Fisher Building, Cadillac Place, the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, or the Detroit Children’s Museum.

Music fans shouldn’t miss the nearby Motown Museum, with a collection of the label’s art, memorabilia, and costumes.

New Center is also home to Detroit Station. Amtrak’s intercity station and intermodal hub offers direct connections to Chicago, Pontiac, Ann Arbor, as well as Greyhound bus services.

Both New Center and Midtown are bisected by the QLine, with several stops on Woodward Avenue connecting this area directly to Downtown Detroit.

Dearborn is an independent Detroit metropolitan area city located 7 miles west of Downtown Detroit.

This town is especially famous for being Henry Ford’s birthplace and residence until his death on April 7, 1947.

The River Rouge Complex, the largest Ford automobile factory was established here in 1928. At the time of its completion, River Rouge was the largest factory in the world and Dearborn was the global headquarters of the Ford Motor Company empire.

Today, you can visit the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, America’s largest indoor-outdoor historic museum complex, and Detroit’s single most-visited tourist attraction.

Dearborn is also home to a campus of the University of Michigan and Henry Ford College.

Other attractions in this area include the Home of Clara and Henry Ford, the Arab American National Museum, the Dearborn Historical Museum, the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, and the massive Fairlane Town Center shopping center.

Getting around Dearborn is relatively straightforward. The city is connected by urban buses. The fastest way to get from Dearborn to central Detroit by public transport is via the Wolverine commuter train.

Dearborn’s wealth of kid-friendly attractions, shopping centers and budget accommodation make this city the best area to stay in Detroit for families.

The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Catholic university. This major institution offers over one hundred academic degrees in the fields of liberal arts, clinical psychology, business, dentistry, law, engineering, architecture, and nursing.

It is located in the University District, 8 miles north of Downtown Detroit.

This area stands out for being a quiet and suburban area to stay in Detroit.

The University District’s main commercial thoroughfares, Livernois Avenue and McNichols Roads are home to the area’s main dining, nightlife, and shopping options.

Some attractions nearby include the Detroit Golf Club, Palmer Park, and the Bishop’s Residence.

The University District is connected to the rest of Detroit via bus and taxi. In addition, it is a pedestrian-friendly area with parking available for those traveling by car.

Located across the Detroit River from Downtown Detroit, Windsor is the third-most populated city in Southwestern Ontario.

Windsor City Centre and Downtown Detroit are connected through the Detroit Windsor Tunnel. The 1929 Ambassador suspension bridge also connects both countries further west.

Random fact: The Detroit-Windsor border is the only crossing point outside of Alaska where you travel south to enter Canada from the US.

Windsor’s main tourist attraction is no doubt is lovely Waterfront Park. This scenic open space spans 3 miles and offers breathtaking views of the Detroit skyline and a world-class casino.

Windsor Sculpture Park displays 30+ large-scale contemporary sculptures by world-renowned artists.

Ouellette Avenue, Windsor City Centre’s main street, is lined with restaurants, cafés, shops, and bars.

While Windsor is an independent city and a travel destination by its own right, perhaps the main reason to stay here when visiting Detroit is its significantly cheaper accommodation, especially when compared to the hotels in Downtown Detroit.

Travel time between both cities is 10 minutes by car (using the tunnel) and about 15 minutes by bus.

Please note: If you choose to stay in Windsor for your trip to Detroit, you will need a passport to cross the border. If you don’t have a passport, you can still cross with a valid government-issued photo ID and a birth certificate.

More information about the best areas to stay in Windsor, Canada.