Detroit – America's Comeback City!

If you think you know Detroit – think again! In the last two years $11 billion in new private economic investment and development has helped transform America’s comeback city. With revitalized downtown buildings, growing businesses and riverfront improvements, Detroit is now a lively and appealing urban centre.

Plans are afoot to construct a $140 million light railway system that will connect residents and visitors to restaurants, shopping, sporting venues and cultural activities along a three-mile span. The railway will link downtown Detroit with the New Centre area – which has in the works a $650 million Red Wings Hockey Arena as the centrepiece of a new entertainment and retail development. And did you know that Detroit has one of the largest theatre districts in the US with over 13,000 seats in just a two-block radius? Including the historic gem, the Fox Theatre, built in the late 1920s by film pioneer William Fox.

Detroit is a fabulous destination for holiday shopping with a wide range of retail opportunities. From upscale malls to walkable downtown shopping districts, premium outlets and boutiques – and with a strong Canadian dollar that buys you more. Detroit’s sales tax is only 6% (by comparison, Buffalo and New York have an 8.75% sales tax). Spend 24 hours or more in the States and the duty-free and Canadian tax exemptions on purchased goods get better and better; $200 for 24 hours and $800 for 48 hours.

The beautiful towns and neighbourhoods that surround the city of Detroit provide a range of unique shopping options. For example Oakland is one of the wealthiest counties in the US and is dotted with upscale shopping. Historic and hip Rochester has boutiques offering everything from handmade gifts to scratch-made torte.

Less than half an hour outside of Metro Detroit just off I75 – Great Lakes Crossing Outlets has over 50 stores and restaurants that can't be found anywhere else in Michigan, including Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Disney Store Outlet, Rainforest Café, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Neiman Marcus Last Call Clearance Center and Victoria's Secret Outlet, just to name a few! Be sure to take advantage of the great deals coming up on Black Friday, 29 November, 2013, when traditionally there are amazing bargains to lure shoppers in the US.

Great Lakes Crossing Outlets is home to Michigan's largest food court (1,000 seats) and eight full-service restaurants ranging from Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill, offering southern-style fare and live entertainment, to Miyako Japanese Steakhouse, where hibachi chefs prepare the food right in front of you!

Metro Detroit truly is your one-stop shop for holiday shopping! Christmas Wonderfest at the Suburban Collection Showplace December 5 - 8, 2013 will display handmade gifts from more than 60 Michigan artists. And another place to find unique holiday gifts is Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford Museum. Take a fascinating journey through American history and also find unique handmade gifts of glass and pottery created by the artisans at Liberty Craftworks.

The Henry Ford Museum commemorates pioneering American achievements as well as preserving the minutiae of everyday life. Visit Edison’s lab and the Wright Brothers’ home. Ride in a Model T and a steam locomotive. See JFK’s limousine, Rosa Park’s bus, vintage cars and more! Just opened at the museum is James Cameron’s "AVATAR: The Exhibition,” which takes you deep into the world of Pandora and the making of this extraordinary film. Explore Pandora’s Na’vi inhabitants, the groundbreaking technology that brought the blockbuster film to life, and the creative inspiration that fueled it all. Then see “AVATAR the Special Edition: an IMAX 3D Experience” in The Henry Ford IMAX Theater.

Then there is plenty more history to discover in Detroit. For example, just to mention a couple, the Motown Museum preserves the birthplace of a musical legacy and the story of a Detroit entrepreneur who created “The Sound of Young America." And the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is an amazing adventure of history, art and achievement.

You can’t think of Detroit without its passionate fans and professional sports teams. The Detroit Tigers baseball team play at Comerica Park and this year have gone all the way to the American League Championship Series. The Detroit Lions football team play at Ford Field. And the January 1, 2014 NHL Winter Classic will be played at Ann Arbor featuring the Detroit Red Wings and their arch rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Detroit will host the SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival at Comerica Park beginning mid-December. It will feature an outdoor rink placed on the infield of the ballpark and will host games representing every level of hockey as well as open public skating. You can buy tickets to OHL games and to the showcase event, which is the Alumni Showdown between veterans of the Leafs and Red Wings.

Detroit Trip Showcase

Detroit is less than five hours drive away from Toronto via Sarnia or Windsor.

Stay at The BEST WESTERN Greenfield Inn, which surrounds you with its distinctive Victorian architecture and old world charm while offering the modern-day conveniences such as free high-speed internet access and a premium cable package. The hotel also offers a fitness centre, indoor swimming pool, oversized hot tub, and sauna! O’Henry’s Restaurant is available for full service dining: breakfast, dinner, take out, and room service.

Less than 15 mins from downtown Detroit, The BEST WESTERN Greenfield Inn is located in Dearborn, just minutes from the “must visit” Ford Motor Company’s World Headquarters, The Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour and IMAX Theater, as well as other attractions.

Photo credits Visit Detroit and:
Vito Palmisano: Ambassador Bridge (Home Page), Riverfront Aerial, Nighttime skyline, Hart Plaza, People Mover, Ford Field Day, Detroit Wins (baseball), Greektown
Bill Bowen: Greenfield Village, Great Lakes Crossing Outlets Mall, Fox Theatre Marquee, Rosa Parks Bus The Henry Ford Museum, Motown Tour, Belle Isle, Detroit Institute of Arts Tour
The Henry Ford Museum: 1909 Model T Driving America