Advice for a Raps fan going to Detroit

[dacrusha]

Don't pull off the highway to get gas or anything else in greater Detroit. Seriously.

I borrowed my parents' camper van for a cross-America camping trek many many years ago and me and the girlfriend we're heading to the Canadian border from Detroit on a Saturday evening. This was when the border crossing was undergoing all sorts of construction and the detours were not very visible... and I took a wrong turn onto an off-ramp from the I-75 and into some burned out section of downtown.

Needless to say, I was VERY nervous for the next 5 minutes driving this big-ass camper down Michigan Avenue and looking for a way to get back onto the right track to the border.

[EJaggit]

Beautiful arena- way better than the ACC, and the foods affordable too. Definitely one of my favourite arenas

[Throwback24]

Man no one will in Detroit will hurt you. You're a Canadian raptor fan who posts on realgm, you aren't the type of person they'd try to test.

[Lunchpailhero1]

I'm in Windsor and usually check out a raptors game in detroit every year. it's usually really fun and swamped with raptors fans. raptors fans pretty much take over the building. that part of detroit is completely fine. the facility is nice.

you have to pay for parking. i believe it was 12 US last year. you can pay with visa though.

have fun

[super_balls]

Went last year with Elite Sports, had fun going down with two bus loads. They're doing the same for this game no bus, just tickets. Still should be a good number of Raps fans.

If you go early and you can get things signed, the guys were signing tons of stuff before they headed off the court after the last shoot around.

Food is cheappppppp (compared to the ACC), buy the nuggets and fries combo

If you smoke, there is an outside patio area.

Parking is weird, it can take a while to get in and out.

Edit: Have fun!

Oh god, yes the parking is a crap show. I watched game 4 of the Indy series last year then drove down to Detroit to catch the ending of the their series with Cleveland - Who knew Flow Rida was pretty cool live. Anyways, getting out of the parking took hours and I think I witnessed a threesome in a car parked way in the back.

[Anticon]

Don't pull off the highway to get gas or anything else in greater Detroit. Seriously.

I borrowed my parents' camper van for a cross-America camping trek many many years ago and me and the girlfriend we're heading to the Canadian border from Detroit on a Saturday evening. This was when the border crossing was undergoing all sorts of construction and the detours were not very visible... and I took a wrong turn onto an off-ramp from the I-75 and into some burned out section of downtown.

Needless to say, I was VERY nervous for the next 5 minutes driving this big-ass camper down Michigan Avenue and looking for a way to get back onto the right track to the border.

Detroit has changed a lot in the past few years. Still has a long way to go but lots of parts of downtown and near downtown are on the upswing.

And the near suburbs, places like Royal Oak, or the areas around Auburn Hills, are as nice as anywhere.

[dagger]

I hear Detroit is nice this time of year. Seriously though you seem like a good guy OP, have fun. Lock your doors.

Auburn Hills. Is actually safe and awesome. The city of Detroit is the dumpster. That's where the pistons are going next year

The downtown and even mid-town cores of the city are undergoing quite a renaissance. Once you venture beyond, it turns into that wasteland, then as you move into the suburbs, it becomes quite prosperous again. Outer burbs like Auburn Hills are nothing like the worst parts of the city.

[dacrusha]

Don't pull off the highway to get gas or anything else in greater Detroit. Seriously.

I borrowed my parents' camper van for a cross-America camping trek many many years ago and me and the girlfriend we're heading to the Canadian border from Detroit on a Saturday evening. This was when the border crossing was undergoing all sorts of construction and the detours were not very visible... and I took a wrong turn onto an off-ramp from the I-75 and into some burned out section of downtown.

Needless to say, I was VERY nervous for the next 5 minutes driving this big-ass camper down Michigan Avenue and looking for a way to get back onto the right track to the border.

Detroit has changed a lot in the past few years. Still has a long way to go but lots of parts of downtown and near downtown are on the upswing.

And the near suburbs, places like Royal Oak, or the areas around Auburn Hills, are as nice as anywhere.

I don't doubt that. My experience is from about 15 years ago, so obviously a little dated.

[Jer15Jer]

Didn't Jack Armstrong go on a rant yesterday about how much he loved going to Detroit?

He raved about staying in Ann Arbor, I believe.

[mrsocko]

Seems like the lights are turned down too low at the palace. Everything seems drab unlike the ACC.

I had no trouble with parking. Suburbs of Detroit are no less safe than Toronto.

[JJ From Deep]

Didn't Jack Armstrong go on a rant yesterday about how much he loved going to Detroit?

He raved about staying in Ann Arbor, I believe.

yeah but Jack is a G

[scopy]

Don't pull off the highway to get gas or anything else in greater Detroit. Seriously.

I feel like it can't be this bad lol

If you know where you're going, you're fine, but there are neighbourhoods you do not want to pull into with Canadian plates. Detroit has about 5-6 of the top 20 neighbourhoods for crime in the US. But roll the dice if you like.

Hater is correct on this, be careful where you go at night. I was just driving through downtown on my way to the border and at a stoplight, these group of guys pulled up beside me and were scoping me out. I told my coworkers in Windsor the next day and they told me "dude you DON'T stop at a red light in downtown Detroit at night". This was awhile ago, but there were a lot of boarded up houses, cars that were jacked up, or had been burnt, and the streets.... well I've seen better roads in a village in India.

[Anticon]

Didn't Jack Armstrong go on a rant yesterday about how much he loved going to Detroit?

He raved about staying in Ann Arbor, I believe.

He always mentions Birmingham, which is a nice town not too far from Auburn Hills.

It's nothing worth going out of your way for, but it's a nice place if you're staying in that area.

[Young_Buc]

I was in Detroit around the time Harold and Kumar went to White Castle. I needed to try it. It was like a walking dead episode. City really looks post apocalyptic. Crackheads being the zombies. Burnt and boarded up buildings everywhere.

[blitz41]

I hear Detroit is nice this time of year. Seriously though you seem like a good guy OP, have fun. Lock your doors.

Auburn Hills. Is actually safe and awesome. The city of Detroit is the dumpster. That's where the pistons are going next year

The downtown and even mid-town cores of the city are undergoing quite a renaissance. Once you venture beyond, it turns into that wasteland, then as you move into the suburbs, it becomes quite prosperous again. Outer burbs like Auburn Hills are nothing like the worst parts of the city.

I think alot of the larger rust belt cities are finally going through this. Fairly recently i was in milwaukee, and the downtown area where the rivers meet the lake is a gorgeous spot. But then i went to the miller brewery for a tour and even just a few km outside the core you run into those sorta run-down semi-suburbs.

[The_Hater]

Didn't Jack Armstrong go on a rant yesterday about how much he loved going to Detroit?

He raved about staying in Ann Arbor, I believe.

Ann Arbor is great and a long ways from Detroit proper.

[Rapcity_11]

Didn't Jack Armstrong go on a rant yesterday about how much he loved going to Detroit?

He raved about staying in Ann Arbor, I believe.

Ann Arbor is great and a long ways from Detroit proper.

It's like 45 mins. Not far at all.

[Courtside]

No matter how cold it is outside, don't roll down your window if some guy in a full ski mask is knocking on it.

[The_Hater]

I borrowed my parents' camper van for a cross-America camping trek many many years ago and me and the girlfriend we're heading to the Canadian border from Detroit on a Saturday evening. This was when the border crossing was undergoing all sorts of construction and the detours were not very visible... and I took a wrong turn onto an off-ramp from the I-75 and into some burned out section of downtown.

Needless to say, I was VERY nervous for the next 5 minutes driving this big-ass camper down Michigan Avenue and looking for a way to get back onto the right track to the border.

Detroit has changed a lot in the past few years. Still has a long way to go but lots of parts of downtown and near downtown are on the upswing.

And the near suburbs, places like Royal Oak, or the areas around Auburn Hills, are as nice as anywhere.

I don't doubt that. My experience is from about 15 years ago, so obviously a little dated.

The suburbs have always been nice, that's where all the $$$ went to live decades ago, but Detroit proper is still trying to dig its way out of corruption, bankruptcy, decay and high crime rates. There's always been decent pockets but It's probably worse than it was 15 years ago.

[The_Hater]

Didn't Jack Armstrong go on a rant yesterday about how much he loved going to Detroit?

He raved about staying in Ann Arbor, I believe.

Ann Arbor is great and a long ways from Detroit proper.

It's like 45 mins. Not far at all.

My original post was warning against Detroit proper, not Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Livonia or any rich suburb miles outside of the decaying city.