We%26#39;re planning to go to Detroit to meet some relatives and I was wondering which side was safer to enjoy nightlife: the Canadian side or the American side?
Which side is safer to spend the night: Windsor or Detroit?In Detroit, I would feel perfectly safe staying at one of the casino hotels. There is also Greektown if you want to try some Greek cuisine. The Fox or Fisher Theater to see a live show. I never frequented the bar scene in Detroit, I mainly stuck to Royal Oak or Novi.
In Windsor, there are more bars within walking distance from each other, so it would be easier to ';bar hop';. The drinking age is 19 in Canada, so it will be a young crowd at some of the bars. I personally love ';Ryan%26#39;s Irish Pub'; on Pitt Street.
Which side is safer to spend the night: Windsor or Detroit?I love Detroit and I feel perfectly safe spending the night there and bar hopping. BUT I am a local and know where to go, where everything is and so on. Windsor is more %26#39;tourist%26#39; friendly in my opinion. Like the previous poster said, more bars in walking distance. But if you stay in Windsor and plan on coming back and forth into the US, the customs could be a hassle for you. Depending on the time of day, delays can be up to an hour or more.
Both sides are safe as noted.
Unfortunately Ryan%26#39;s closed forever a few weeks ago.
The honest truth is that in general Windsor has a much lower crime rate than Detroit. That being said the major tourist areas of Detroit are quite safe and I%26#39;ve stayed there several times. Greektown is a great area to walk around for nightlife as is the stadium district which is only a few blocks from Greektown. Any of the casinoes that offer lodging would be nice places to stay. Don%26#39;t go cheap if you decide to stay in Detroit. Stay in a hotel that is near the tourist areas. The Holiday Inn Express is right by Cobo. It is right across the street from one of the people mover stations that can take you to most tourist districts in downtown Detroit. There are many others some other poster might recommend but avoid going cheap as some of the smaller motels in the area away from the tourist sections are not the best places to stay.
What kind of nightlife are you looking for? Downtown Detroit is safe ( as an aside, I get tired of people asking this question. )
There are theaters, clubs, bars, restaurants in downtown... and yeah, they are spread out more ... a lot of this is fairly recent development..and downtown Detroit is much larger than Windsor.
If you%26#39;re looking for ';adult'; entertainment - then Windsor is your choice.
As for staying downtown - There are lots of choices.. and things are getting better all the time:
Marriott Ren Cen
Courtyard
Hilton Garden Inn
Westin Book Cadillac
Atheneum in Greektown
Holiday Inn Express
The Casino hotels
Check the reviews here...
Not trying to deter you from staying in downtown Detroit by any means because I personally think that the city has a lot of great nightlife and entertainment options. I am curious though if your relatives live in downtown proper. I ask because there are several great Detroit suburbs that have great downtown/nightlife scenes that may be more convenient for your visit and save you from the hassle of border crossings. Other options to consider are Royal Oak/Ferndale area, Ann Arbor, Birmingham, Novi, and Dearborn. All are within 20-30 min of downtown Detroit and may be a better fit for your situation. I personally consider all of these areas upscale and safe.
The headache of crossing the border is enough to deter most people (long waits, mainly) from going to Windsor. As far as nightlife goes, Detroit has much more to offer, in my humble opinion. Music, theatre, good bars, etc.
I%26#39;ve never felt unsafe in either city. I used to work for the Detroit Opera House downtown and was there most week / weekend nights, and never had a problem.
Windsor is safer than Detroit (and many more things to do in Windsor with a BETTER exchange rate for Americans).
Pick Windsor over Detroit, for sure.
If you mean bars and clubs, it%26#39;s Windsor for under-21s, and Detroit/Ferndale/Royal Oak for 20-30-somethings.
For restaurants, there are interesting places on both sides of the border, but the potential for delays at customs seems to have made casual crossings just for dinner less popular.
The exchange rate is technically 19%, but by the time you pay transaction fees and tunnel/bridge tolls the net financial advantage is less.
You%26#39;ve probably come and gone, but for any one else who checks this thread, it%26#39;s not true that Windsor offers more. More drunk teenagers, maybe. While the bars and restaurants that it does have may be more obviously collected in a more compact, walkable area, Detroit is by far the better city for dining, nightlife, luxury, etc. No contest.
My list of ammo for my argument: 10 things you will NOT find in Windsor, anywhere:
1) Slow%26#39;s BBQ - Michigan Ave outstanding bbq joint and bar, would be a credit to any city.
2) Mercury Coffee Bar - Michigan Ave organic resto/cafe/coffee nerd heaven. very sharp - again, better than it needs to be considering the location.
3) Cliff Bell%26#39;s - Park Avenue jazz club, one of a good group of options for jazz, locally.
4) Rowland Cafe - Guardian Building lobby at Griswold and Larned, remarkable and inspiring setting for espresso bar. good way to start the day.
5) Kresge Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts - Midtown. In a gorgeous enclosed courtyard at the heart of one of the great American museums, a nice place for a beer. (how...detroit!)
6) Woodbridge Pub - Trumbull N of Warren, Woodbridge. Great neighborhood tavern with veggie/vegan-friendly menu. Go here at least once.
7) Eastern Market - Russell N of Gratiot. Vibrant market district, best in summers but always busy on a Saturday..breakfast at the Russell Street Cafe is a good idea.
8) Roast @ the Westin Book Cadillac - top notch steakhouse by Michael Symon, last year%26#39;s Iron Chef winner. Really super place.
9) Spa at the MGM Grand - one of the better spa facilities you%26#39;ll find in a US hotel - designed by Tony Chi. The pool area is breathtaking, great fitness center too. Worth staying here just for this.
10) Friday nights at D%26#39;Mongo%26#39;s, Griswold Street. It%26#39;s only open Fridays, actually. Boudoir/speakeasy/jazz club/soul food joint. Verry Detroit. Steps from most of the downtown hotels.
There%26#39;s so much more, but this is a start. Feel free to contact me any time via my profile.
http://theincorrigiblecity.blogspot.com/
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