2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

[hanasoni]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

This thread is no longer relevant, so it needs to die off...but real quick I have a couple questions from some of the people that came in from out of town.

My company had out of towners fill out over 500 surveys about their visit. Your input has been extremely helpful for us in terms of preparing for future events, including future college hockey at the joe promotions.

In a nutshell, I would like you guys to help me add to our numbers.

Where did you stay? What attractions did you see outside hockey that you enjoyed? Any you didn't like? Would you consider visiting Detroit again? Would you visit without an event or particular reason? Are your perceptions of our city the same or different than when you arrived?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Reminded me of the Indy 500, in terms of atmosphere. Lots of cops, mostly trying to keep the cars and pedestrians apart. No worries about open alcohol etc. Are they like this for all Tiger games or is opening day an exception?

Had lunch at Ford Field Friday as part of the NCAA's referee clinic. My son had worked all the CMU football games at CMU the past five years, and this was the best food, by a long shot.

We were at Greektown Casino (watched opening day game there). It's OK - it's a casino and we don't gamble, and they had cold beer

Went to Harry's after the game. Pretty much a bunch of drunks inside and out, but everyone having fun.

Went to Yost Arena and watched some 'interesting' hockey with other posters Saturday afternoon. Neat old building, just not up to today's newer arenas.

Saturday we stopped at Coaches Corner before the final game; terrible service. Had a waitress (cute, but must've died her hair, she was a natural blond turned redhead) that visited us five times before screwing up our drink order, twice. Ran into a couple fellow posters, from Boston, so still had a good time.

We then hit Ellwood's on the way in, never got inside. Lots of hockey fans. Seemed to be 50-50 BC-WI mix.

At the game we sat (no, we stood) with the RIT fans and had a blast!!!!

 

[kdilks]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

Westin Detroit

Riverwalk (ran it), Greektown, duMachel's (the auction house), NCAA thing in the Ren Cen, Greektown, Historic Fort Wayne, Pewabic Pottery.

Eats- 24 Bistro (in our hotel), American Coney, Laffayette Coney, Astoria Bakery.

I'll leave the like part alone, since we are biased, and normally come down for events- shows, concerts, DIA, etc. We always make time to see stuff.

Did you go through the nearby Del-Ray neighborhood? We drove by there on our way to Slow's on Friday, and my God is that place in bad shape. I swear every other house either had tarps to cover holes in the roof or was burned or was crumbling or was just a pile of bricks.

 

[alfablue]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

Did you go through the nearby Del-Ray neighborhood? We drove by there on our way to Slow's on Friday, and my God is that place in bad shape. I swear every other house either had tarps to cover holes in the roof or was burned or was crumbling or was just a pile of bricks.

Don't really pay much attention to the neighborhoods anymore. Too many nice houses that have large holes in them. But we drove down Fort St. until Jefferson started back up, and then ended up at Fort Wayne.

 

[MaizeRage]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

Did you go through the nearby Del-Ray neighborhood? We drove by there on our way to Slow's on Friday, and my God is that place in bad shape. I swear every other house either had tarps to cover holes in the roof or was burned or was crumbling or was just a pile of bricks.

Now you know why that dude in the song took a midnight train to anywhere.

Detroit did a pretty all-out job hosting this thing, and it sounds like everyone enjoyed the city quite a bit. After all the big events held down there, they certainly know how to host. The only real losers of the weekend were the handful of college hockey fans I saw on Friday that decided the hour+ wait at Slow's wasn't worth it. They were greatly mistaken.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

This thread is no longer relevant, so it needs to die off...but real quick I have a couple questions from some of the people that came in from out of town.

The thread will die off soon enough in the natural course of events. The follow-up questions are more than appropriate. Posters should feel free discuss their tournament experiences as long as there's interest.

My company had out of towners fill out over 500 surveys about their visit. Your input has been extremely helpful for us in terms of preparing for future events, including future college hockey at the joe promotions.

In a nutshell, I would like you guys to help me add to our numbers.

Where did you stay?

The Dearborn Inn (Marriot)

What attractions did you see outside hockey that you enjoyed?

The Henry Ford; Ford Rouge Plant Tour; Imax Theater/Hubble Telescope Movie; Detroit Institute of Arts.

All were excellent. As a package, it rivaled any museum experience anywhere in the U.S. -- including the largest markets.

Any you didn't like?

We drove through Cadillac Square a couple of times, but never found The Checker Pub for the recommended hamburgers. Is it in an inside food court? Or perhaps closed? Later we tried one of the "suburban locations." It turned out that "Checker's Drive-Ins" were nothing more than repackaged Rally's Hamburger Restaurants, a national chain. Gotta believe that there's no connection between the chain and the recommended pub.

In fairness, the food at the chain drive-through was edible enough. The only thing I didn't like was not being able to find what I was looking for.

Would you consider visiting Detroit again?

Yes, and we'll probably use Dearborn Inn as our base of operations.

Would you visit without an event or particular reason?

Quite possibly yes. I'd like to come back when Greenfield Village is open.

Are your perceptions of our city the same or different than when you arrived?

Yes. My perception improved a bit:

1. The Ford Field/Comerica/Greektown/Fox Theater area continues to develop and get better. It's good to see.

2. Expected to have a good museum experience; instead had a great one.

3. Outstanding food and service at Union Street. Excellent recommendation!

EDIT: I should add that while I was at the Posters' Game, the rest of my group went to Comerica Park to see the Tigers play. The stadium got a unanimous thumbs up. Based on a previous visit, I concur.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

You're welcome, and thank you very much for the Travel Guide. We likely would have missed both Union Street and DIA without your good advice.

 

[STATEdude3]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

Pgb I'm sorry you couldn't find the checker bar. It is right on Cadillac square with a big red awning. I would say you can't miss it , but I guess you can. Lol! I'm glad you enjoyed Union Street. I lived right around the corner from there for a year and I swear I rarely went anywhere else.I'm glad you enjoyed your time here. Thank you for the feedback.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

Pgb I'm sorry you couldn't find the checker bar. It is right on Cadillac square with a big red awning. I would say you can't miss it , but I guess you can. Lol!

I was afraid of that.

On the second try, we were straining to find street numbers, looking for smaller signs, and so on. It was probably staring us in the face the whole time. We should have just parked the car and walked around the square...

I'm glad you enjoyed Union Street. I lived right around the corner from there for a year and I swear I rarely went anywhere else.I'm glad you enjoyed your time here. Thank you for the feedback.

It's the least I could do. Here's to hoping that you get many more reports.

 

[kdilks]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

Now you know why that dude in the song took a midnight train to anywhere.

The train station did not appear to be operational when we drove by.

 

[STATEdude3]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

Our train station in current operation at Woodward and Baltimore was built in 5 days. I am not making this up.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Where did you stay? - RC in Dearborn

What attractions did you see outside hockey that you enjoyed? -tigers' opener. drove to AA to get the boy a UM sweater and see some poster's game. went to the big flat mall on the website (which is an outlet mall *no mention of that, much to girl's delight). left there and stopped at the ritzy'er mall in troy. got food at five guys in greektown. drove by the Joe. drove by what's left of tigers' stadium. drove by Oakland Hills (which nobody here invited me to play )

Any you didn't like? that nobody invited me to play Oakland Hills . that my truck started making funny noises (not the fault of the city though..)

Would you consider visiting Detroit again? if someone invites me to play Oakland Hills...

Would you visit without an event or particular reason? probably not.

Are your perceptions of our city the same or different than when you arrived? same. drove around couple years ago when we came to see BU play in AA.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: 2010 Frozen Four - Detroit - Fans Helping Fans Travel Guide

...Enjoyed the DIA, particularly the Diego Rivera mural, including the concert there...

We were also there!

We hadn't planned on the concert at all; we just stumbled upon it while at the museum. But it wound up being the highlight of the off day.