Working in Detroit

Author
Discussion

FlabbyMidgets

Original Poster:

477 posts

86 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
quotequote all
I’ve got an opportunity to work in Detroit for two months. Quite young in my career and my first extended trip overseas. I go towards the end of next month

I’m staying in downtown Detroit in an Airbnb and will have a car.

Any suggestions of places to visit in Detroit? A decent pub in particular would be a nice to have.

Any suggestions of what to do on weekends? I was thinking of a trip to New York and maybe Chicago too.

KAgantua

3,848 posts

130 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
Stay out of. Trouble.

Jader1973

3,946 posts

199 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
Never, ever, stop at a red light.

Ever.

Shinysideup

813 posts

181 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
KAgantua said:
Stay out of. Trouble.
I'd buy that for a dollar

dudleybloke

19,718 posts

185 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
Interesting documentary here.

https://youtu.be/Ny4a-oxOndo

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
Downtown Detroit is quite safe. What will your visa status be?

FlabbyMidgets

Original Poster:

477 posts

86 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all

Thanks for the replies.
Will definitely do my best to stay out of trouble. Will be my first time driving in the states so that’s my biggest worry


Matt Harper said:
Downtown Detroit is quite safe. What will your visa status be?
Glad to hear about downtown. I’ve been looking at bars and restaurants and looks nice (mainly after somewhere for a Guinness).
Will be there on a B1 visa

Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
FlabbyMidgets said:
Glad to hear about downtown. I’ve been looking at bars and restaurants and looks nice (mainly after somewhere for a Guinness).
Will be there on a B1 visa
Glad to hear you are doing it the right way. So many try to wing-it with VWP and end-up on the next flight home.

Driving here is not intimidating, just make sure you familiarize yourself with some of the regs that don't apply in the UK - school buses, pedestrian right-of-way, right turn on red etc...

What you really need to be careful about is straying into areas that could put you at significantly elevated risk. This would mainly be western and south western suburbs, south of Eight Mile. Northern Detroit, Troy, Macomb, Romeo etc., are quite pleasant.

I work in Southfield very regularly and out at UofM in Ann Arbor, the latter being a college town and absolutely rammed with bars and nightlife.

FlabbyMidgets

Original Poster:

477 posts

86 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
Glad to hear you are doing it the right way. So many try to wing-it with VWP and end-up on the next flight home.

Driving here is not intimidating, just make sure you familiarize yourself with some of the regs that don't apply in the UK - school buses, pedestrian right-of-way, right turn on red etc...

What you really need to be careful about is straying into areas that could put you at significantly elevated risk. This would mainly be western and south western suburbs, south of Eight Mile. Northern Detroit, Troy, Macomb, Romeo etc., are quite pleasant.

I work in Southfield very regularly and out at UofM in Ann Arbor, the latter being a college town and absolutely rammed with bars and nightlife.
Thanks, that’s really helpful.

Will do some reading on driving beforehand.

Thanks for the list of places to be wary of, I’m staying in downtown and working near Northville so I don’t think I’ll end up going to any of those.
Ann Arbor sounds like it’s worth a visit too, thanks.

lockhart flawse

2,040 posts

234 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
I have been going to Detroit for many years . First time l hitched in and stayed at YMCA in the centre of town. In truth it's a bit of a dump but there are interesting bits. Explore around the lake where the car moguls used to live in the good years. Niagara Falls is near enough. Don't know enough about visas but Toronto isn't so far away.

It's worth taking a drive around the grim areas to see what a real post industrial landscape looks like.

Dr Slotter

408 posts

145 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
I've been to Detroit a few times for work, and enjoyed:

- Motown Museum.
- The Henry Ford Museums (Museum of Innovation, River Rouge Plant, Greenfield Village) (also worth a drive round Dearborn to see the Ford facilities).

and I second the suggestion to have a drive round, safety considered. The thing that struck me is just how far apart the 'haves' and 'have nots' are within a pretty short distance, even compared to other places in the US, with the abandoned city blocks vs. the classic white picket fences and manicured lawns of the wealthy suburbs.

I've not been for a while, so this might be out of date, but we certainly have had a few good drinks and meals in Greektown.



deja.vu

456 posts

15 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
Downtown Detroit is quite safe. What will your visa status be?
I was there in November and I’d agree, completely agree.
Some nice bars and great restaurants.
We met at the Grand Trunk Pub and ate near by.

We were also at the little Caesars areas early in the year for a pistons game.

I was over for meetings in Southfield, the Weston is exceptionally average smile

Edited by deja.vu on Sunday 26th March 21:21

mikef

4,827 posts

250 months

Sunday 26th March 2023
quotequote all
Get yourself to the Tigers baseball at Comerica park. It’s a great afternoon or evening out (although the last time I was there in April it snowed)

Lots of bars and eateries around and of course you can drink beer and eat hot dogs at the game - and people will talk to you and explain the game if you need that

I also used to stay for work in Southfield, working in Bingham Farms. The drive into Detroit past 8 Mile is a bit of an eye opener. The contrast between those rundown streets and residential areas like Franklin Village a few miles North is staggering

Oh, and lots of safe bars near the baseball, we used to meet up at Town Pump Tavern’s