Mad in Crafts

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • About
    • ABOUT JESSICA
    • CONTACT
    • MEDIA KIT
    • Seen On
  • PRIVACY
  • CRAFTS
    • HOLIDAY
      • VALENTINE’S DAY
      • ST. PATRICK’S DAY
      • EASTER
      • FOURTH OF JULY
      • FALL
      • HALLOWEEN
      • THANKSGIVING
      • CHRISTMAS
    • HOME DECOR
    • KIDS
    • MISC
    • Wearable
      • JEWELRY
      • PURSES, CLUTCHES AND TOTE BAGS
      • T-SHIRTS
    • FREE PRINTABLES
    • FREE SVGs
  • DIY
    • Gardening
    • Health
    • ORGANIZATION
    • Outdoor
    • Room Makeover
    • The Mad House
  • Recipes
    • Dessert
    • DINNER
    • DRINKS
    • Snacks and Appetizers
  • ENTERTAINING
    • Birthday Party
    • Party
    • Wedding
  • SHOP

DETROIT CREATIVITY

July 19, 2017 by madincrafts Leave a Comment

DETROIT CREATIVITY

My husband and I recently planned a weekend getaway to Detroit.  When we told people where we were going, too many of them asked, “Why?”  Why would we choose to spend a weekend away in Detroit?  Why would we want to travel there?  Isn’t it dangerous?  What is there even to do?

DETROIT CREATIVITY

The short answer is: Because it’s awesome.  Detroit is an amazing city, and we Michiganders tend to get a little defensive when the rest of the country craps on it.  If you want the longer version of my answer to those questions, keep reading.

Personally, I love big cities.  I have always felt more energized and relaxed (yes, at the same time), in cities than in rural areas.  I know big cities aren’t for everyone, but they are definitely my jam.  Detroit is also my style.  If you have read ANY other post on this blog, you know I love a good before and after.  I like the idea of taking something, applying some creative thinking and a bit of elbow grease, and making it more than it was.  Detroit is king of that.  

DETROIT CREATIVITY

DETROIT CREATIVITY

Take our hotel, for example.  Trumbull & Porter is a boutique hotel with history dating back to the ’60s.  The hotel went under a major renovation just a few years ago to turn it into the hip, lively spot it is now.  The $9 million dollars spent on the renovation stayed mainly in Michigan.  Each room features a Herman Miller chair, artwork by Don Kilpatrick, and beds by Thompson Millworks. 

DETROIT CREATIVITY

DETROIT CREATIVITY

 Not only was the hotel itself exceptionally cool, it sits in the middle of Corktown (a Detroit neighborhood) and is blocks away from two different craft breweries and countless amazing restaurants.  People don’t think of Detroit as having delicious food, but, oh man, does it ever!  We had gourmet sliders at Green Dot Stables, fresh from-scratch sandwiches from Mudgie’s, and plenty of great Michigan beer.  Most of the places we visited didn’t look like much from the outside.  No fancy facades or flashing signs.  But it’s what was inside that counts.  Kind of like Detroit.

DETROIT CREATIVITY

Detroit has been a major sports town for well over a hundred years, but the stadiums are just as fantastic as our championship teams.  We were able to catch a game and see my Tigers schmuck the Blue Jays.  The Detroit Windsor tunnel must have been somber that night.  Did you know there’s a tunnel that runs from the center of Detroit to Canada?

DETROIT CREATIVITY

DETROIT CREATIVITY

We also had a chance to hit up the Eastern Market on a Sunday morning.  The Eastern Market has been in operation since the 1800s, but now has grown into a massive weekend market, featuring fresh local produce, unique food trucks, handmade items, and more.  The Sunday morning market is slightly smaller than the Saturday market, and features more artisans selling crafts, spa items, baked goods, and other handmade items.  These are my people.

DETROIT CREATIVITY

Our last stop on our way out of town was a visit to The Heidelberg Project.  This urban art installation is a pretty good representation of Detroit itself.  Thirty years ago, artist Tyree Guyton got fed up with how his childhood neighborhood had disintegrated into a den of poverty and drugs.  He, his grandfather, and some neighborhood children used brooms, paintbrushes, and creativity to turn the vacant lots, discarded items, and the homes themselves into massive works of public art.

DETROIT CREATIVITY

But, like Detroit itself, lots of people didn’t like it.  Over the years, the city government dismantled the art on two separate occasions — sometimes with bulldozers.  A string of arson destroyed several of the homes on Heidelberg Street.  But each time, Guyton and his supporters built the art back up.  

DETROIT CREATIVITY

The award-winning Heidelberg Project attracts millions of visitors each year to an area of Detroit where most outsiders wouldn’t be brave enough to venture into otherwise.  The project has evolved over its 30 years, and it will likely continue to be reinvented in the years to come.  Kind of like Detroit.

DETROIT CREATIVITY

So, that’s why we went to Detroit.  That’s why we chose to spend our tourist money here.  Detroit is a constant before-and-after — the creativity of the city always showing itself in new and colorful ways.  Maybe cities aren’t your thing.  Maybe THIS city isn’t either, and that’s okay.  But, the next time you hear someone bad-mouthing Detroit, I hope you will remember that the city is so much more than what they will tell you on TV.  And it’s always getting better.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: creativity, Detroit, travel, video

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
              

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




About Jessica

Search the blog…

Gallery of Valentine's Day Crafts
DIY Home Organization
Delicious Dessert Recipes

Copyright

You're welcome to link to Mad in Crafts or use a single image with a brief description to link back to any post. Republishing posts in their entirety is prohibited. Feel free to pin on Pinterest!

Affiliate Disclosure

Jessica Hill is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Copyright © 2021 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok