USA Guide
The Great Lakes
Downtown
Futuristic glass-box office buildings and a tastefully revamped park overlook the sea glass-green Detroit River, but for the most part downtown seems rather empty – even in the middle of the day, its streets are quiet and uncrowded. One reason is that most offices and stores are squeezed into the six gleaming towers of the Renaissance Center, a virtual city within a city. Zooming up 73 stories from the riverbank, the towers offer a great view of the metropolis from their free observation deck. This giant business, convention, and retail center, known locally as the RenCen, was one of many complexes developed by Detroit Renaissance (a joint public/private sector project) to rejuvenate downtown in the aftermath of the 1967 riot, although it was criticized for forcing out small businesses. Nevertheless, it's an attractive public space and the soaring glass atrium known as the "Winter Garden" is particularly impressive.
Rare greenspace is found among the fountains and sculptures of Hart Plaza, which rolls down to the river in the shade of the RenCen. The plaza hosts free lunchtime concerts and lively weekend ethnic festivals all summer long. The US leg of the annual Ford-Detroit International Jazz Festival, the largest free jazz festival in the world, takes place here over Labor Day weekend and now spreads up to the Campus Martius square. Across the plaza from the RenCen is the Cobo Convention Center; next to this is Joe Louis Arena, home of the beloved Red Wings hockey team.
Opening time: Daily
Price: Free