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This sponsored story was produced in partnership with QLINE Detroit.
Exploring the city’s avant-garde art scene. Snapping up some cool gear from an independent boutique. Sharing a locally sourced meal created by an up-and-coming chef. Detroit is full of experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
And with the QLINE, you won’t have to worry about parking while visiting the best shops, eateries, art galleries, museums and more that Detroit has to offer. Riding the QLINE is one of the most convenient ways to explore the city’s vibrant Woodward Corridor. The 3.3-mile-long streetcar system is free for all riders, connecting neighbors from downtown Detroit up through Midtown, New Center and North End.
There’s so much more you can get to by QLINE beyond sporting events and arena shows. We suggest riding QLINE for free this fall to find lesser-known gems in Detroit’s Woodward Corridor neighborhoods. With 12 stations located along the 3.3 mile route, you’ll never have far to walk.
The QLINE runs 7 days per week, from 8 a.m. midnight Monday through Saturday, and 8am to 9 p.m. on Sundays. The streetcar line also makes it easy to connect to Detroit’s bus system DDOT. Plus MOGO bikes are available across the city to make it even easier to get to your destination. Visit qlinedetroit.com for more information.
We’ve curated this list of unexpected itineraries for you to enjoy the city while you enjoy complimentary service on the QLINE. Check out the Ride, Scan, Save signs while aboard the QLINE and enjoy perks at local restaurants, retail and entertainment around the Motor City. You can also browse a list of station highlights and destinations along the route at https://qlinedetroit.com/on-the-line.php.
Host a dreamy dinner party
Put on your apron, light some candles and invite your favorite friends for a cozy dinner party, chez you. Use the QLINE to park only once and hit all the food stores on your shopping list, creating a menu that’s uniquely Detroit – and deeply delicious. Up in New Center, stop by Cooking with Que (Baltimore St. Station) for a class to help you satisfy your favorite vegans and meat-eaters alike, then stroll over to Urbanum for a sophisticated selection of barware and dining decor to beautify the table. Hop on the QLINE to the Cass Corridor (Canfield St. Station) and browse through Monger’s Provisions’ incredible selection of gourmet cheeses and meats for your charcuterie board. Pop over to Avalon Bakery for a perfectly-baked loaf of French bread to share. The Whole Foods at Mack Avenue (MLK Blvd. Station) will have all the groceries you need to cook dinner, but don’t forget to stop by House of Pure Vin (Grand Circus Station) downtown for wines and champagnes – you can even book a home wine tasting with a Pure Vin sommelier.
Give back and nourish your soul
Plan a day to feed your spirit and soul while you give back to the community. There are so many nonprofit organizations along the QLINE worthy of your time and energy. Serve families in need at COTS (MLK Blvd. Station), a Cass Corridor organization working to end homelessness; cook meals and pack backpacks to help Detroiters experiencing crisis at the Pope Francis Center in downtown Detroit (Congress Station); or volunteer to care for animals and their owners through Michigan Humane Pet Pantry (Baltimore St. Station) . When your shift is complete, jump on the QLINE to visit the Cass Corridor’s legendary Source Booksellers (Canfield St. Station) for a handpicked book or experience a live reading with a buzzworthy local author. We recommend ending this day with a restful and regenerating meal. Journey to New Center for slow-roasted and fragrant African-inspired stews from Baobab Fare or a hot slice of thin-crust pizza from Supino Pizzeria (Grand Blvd. Station).
Enjoy Detroit after dark
It’s time to mix up your evening adventures! Dine differently with a gorgeous multi-course meal at Freya (recently named one of the New York Times’ favorite new restaurants) where each table contributes to building the night’s playlist of tunes (Grand Blvd. Station). From there, ride the QLINE to the Willis Show Bar for a daring burlesque date in the Cass Corridor or an intimate musical performance inside the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (Canfield St. Station). For a nightcap, QLINE downtown to find the door to Willow, a glamorous hidden speakeasy around the corner from SavannahBlue that aims to share the stories of the Black experience through the art of cocktails (Grand Circus Station). Or put your name on the list for the Monarch Club (Grand Circus Station), an al fresco rooftop lounge with panoramic views of the city skyline.
Shop til you drop
Shopping is always a good idea. Build your fall wardrobe or just browse the windows along Woodward Avenue, home to an ever-growing roster of buzzy national designers and independently owned boutiques. Nestled in the shadow of the Shinola Hotel, Good Neighbor offers local labels with a Midwestern sensibility (Campus Martius Station). Duck into neighboring Madcap Coffee for a flat white before stopping by Detroit’s very own Gucci outpost, where you might peep the latest collab with Detroiter Tommy Walker’s ‘Detroit vs. Everybody’ line (Grand Circus Station). Catch the QLINE to Midtown’s Willis Avenue shopping district, where you’ll find handcrafted artisan products at Shinola, rock memorabilia at Third Man Records and one-of-a-kind statement pieces at Flo Boutique (Canfield St. Station). Continue up to New Center to visit Coup D’etat, Detroit’s home for avant-garde and independent designers (Grand Blvd. Station). End your trip with a stroll through the eternally fashionable Fisher Building, home to independent boutiques like Yama, Pure Detroit, the Peacock Room and Shy vs. Bold (Grand Blvd. Station).
Visualize the future of Detroit’s art scene
Detroit regularly attracts tourists from around the world who come to explore the city’s wealth of public art, galleries and stunning architecture. Begin your Detroit art walk in the North End with a stroll to the Chroma building, featuring the multi-story portrait “Girl With the D Earring” by breakout art star Sydney G. James (Milwaukee St. Station). You can also explore the Center for Creative Studies’ Taubman Center, where projects from budding art students are often on display (Baltimore St. Station). Midtown Detroit is rich in world-class art venues – with 65,000 works at the Detroit Institute of Arts alone, along with a never-ending selection of family activities, classes and exhibitions, like the upcoming Van Gogh exhibition (Ferry St. Station). The QLINE streetcars will be wrapped for the length of the exhibition and visitors are encouraged to “Gogh to the DIA” to get to the museum. Van Gogh in America, which opens on October 2, celebrates the DIA’s status as the first public museum in the United States to purchase a painting by Vincent van Gogh.
Your Midtown experience won’t be complete without a visit to the N’Namdi Center for the Contemporary Arts, showcasing the innovative work of Black artists (Warren Ave. Station). Add to your own art collection with a visit to the Simone DeSousa Gallery or Gallerie Camile (Canfield St. Station). Continue south on the QLINE for a stunning display of outdoor murals and graffiti throughout the downtown core. In the graffiti-soaked Belt Alley, Library Street Collective showcases avant-garde contemporary pieces and some of the city’s coolest art-themed evening events (Campus Martius Station).
Indulge in wellness – with a local twist
We could all use more time for self-care. Cultivate a local itinerary of wellness experiences for a relaxing and luxurious day. Brighten your look with a new lip hue at The Lip Bar, Detroit’s beloved hometown vegan and cruelty-free makeup line (Grand Circus Station). Book a hot stone massage at the Woodhouse Day Spa on Woodward (Grand Circus Station) before you QLINE to Seva in Midtown (Warren Ave. Station) for inventive vegetarian cuisine – we love the Calabaza queso dip and the can’t-believe-it’s-vegan mac & cheese. Up in New Center, the champagne and good vibes are included with your mani-pedi at The Ten Nail Bar, while Textures by Nefertiti specializes in caring for natural hair, along with relaxing facials (Grand Blvd. Station).
There are no shortage of ways to enjoy the city of Detroit and support our city’s wealth of food, culture, retail and entertainment treasures. Visit qlinedetroit.com today to curate your own Detroit itinerary and use the #QLINE hashtag to share your adventures!
This sponsored story was produced in partnership with QLINE Detroit. Sponsored stories are not produced by employees of the Outlier Media editorial newsroom. Read more about our editorial values.