I was three years old when my family moved from Los Angeles, CA to Detroit, MI. I don’t remember that much from L.A, so most of my childhood memories are from Michigan. It’s a great place to grow up in. When we moved in, Detroit was known as this dangerous, scary place, after the 1967 riots. The government officials, along with Dan Gilbert and other investors have been trying to change the city into a beautiful, kind area, and they are rapidly succeeding. Detroit is now a great place to shop, hang out, or explore the city and enjoy the view of the Detroit River. The Detroit Institute of Arts is a fantastic museum that all ages can enjoy, right in the heart of “new” Detroit. Another cool attraction for you sport lovers is Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. It’s a fun, combination theme park, ballpark, and baseball museum that kids and adults alike will enjoy. Detroit is also known for its architecture, so you may want to check out The Guardian Building. The Guardian Building is an amazing piece of architecture, as Noansbud from Tripadvisor so puts it, “The mosaic tiles, in a fascinating combination of Art Deco and Southwest Native American design in stunning patterns in the vestibule, lead you into a cathedral-like ceiling room, lined with Detroit souvenir shops and the delightful Rowland Café in the center of the room”. If you are visiting Detroit in the winter, you will definitely want to visit Campus Martius Park. It features a skating rink, a ginormous Christmas Tree, and winter-themed igloos with treats and games. I love living here, and I will look back on my childhood in Michigan fondly as I grow up. I hope you visit so you can experience it, too.

– Ernst, 13 years old

Ernst and friends enjoying the DIA

Guardian Building

Campus Martius in winter

The Spirit of Detroit

Detroit coasters