Lifestyle Guides

Whether by planes, trains, or automobiles, Detroit gets around. Hop on a bus, take the train, park your car, or ride your bike and enjoy city living.

The great outdoors in the middle of an urban center? Absolutely. Detroit's exceptionally large size – the major metropolitan cities of San Francisco, Manhattan, and Boston can all fit within Detroit's city limits with room to spare – allows for plenty of park space (with over 300 parks in total), and significant efforts have been underway in the last several years towards creating and maintaining green spaces for outdoor recreation and community gathering.

As a major metropolitan city (larger than Manhattan, Boston, and San Francisco ... combined), Detroit offers a variety of different options for urban living. Whether you prefer a quiet, family-friendly enclave surrounded by parks, or if you'd rather be surrounded by skyscrapers and the flurry of activity that city living provides, Detroit's individual neighborhoods are distinctly unique with something for every lifestyle preference.

Some cities are full of big-box chains trying to subtly squeeze their way into local neighborhoods and national retailers in local storefronts with a smattering of independently-owned specialty shops rounding out the mix. In Detroit, it's just the opposite. Here you will find a surprising number of independently-owned clothing boutiques, record shops, sneaker stores, rare book stores, home goods stores, and stores of eccentricity. Below are some of the highlights of Detroit's most retail-rich neighborhoods.

Whether you want to be more artsy or more fartsy, there's something for everyone to do in Detroit! 

Volunteering is a great way to become more actively involved in your community and to meet new people with the same interests as you. Volunteer opportunities at Detroit organizations run the full gamut from arts and outdoor recreation to philanthropy and youth mentoring. Take a look at some of these community groups and nonprofit organizations listed below to see which might be the best fit for you.

From stylish, modern new lofts in renovated high-rises to sprawling historic old mansions and 19^th-century row houses, Detroit's housing stock is as diverse as its population. For those looking to buy, trulia.com and zillow.com are good places to start. For renters, start with this list of rental properties below.* For additional help (including detailed reports and photographs of different properties to save you the time and trouble), check out Cool Places to Live, which offers personal broker services at a fraction of the cost.

Morning, noon or night, here are some of the best places to hang out in Detroit, whether you need a coffee and some quality laptop time or are looking to strike up a conversation with the friendly locals over a pint. 

What is there for families to do in Detroit? Plenty! Detroit has an almost endless selection of seasonal outdoor activities, year-round cultural attractions, youth programming at local arts and culture organizations, annual family-friendly events, and so much more for young families looking for fun, and educational, entertainment! 

Nothing gets Detroit down, and that includes the weather. No matter the season, there are plenty of festivals and annual events to check out. The hardest part is choosing between them!

There is a widely-held misconception that there are no good K-12 schools in Detroit. While Detroit Public Schools have certainly faced its share of woes, Detroit is not without some excellent private, charter, and even public schools where children get an well-rounded education (often with particular emphasis in the arts or sciences).

Detroit is rich with ethnic diversity, which is reflected in our local restaurants. From Mediterranean to Polish to Romanian to Greek to Jewish cuisines, and with an unabashedly meat-and-potatoes Rust Belt sensibility, Detroit offers a culinary bounty … if you know where to look.