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Located just north of the downtown sports and entertainment district and bisected by Woodward Avenue, Midtown is the cultural, artistic and intellectual center of greater Detroit. The area is anchored by some of the city’s largest institutions including Wayne State University, The Detroit Medical Center, The Detroit Institute of Arts, The Detroit Historical Museum, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Museum of Contemporary Art and just to the west the Henry Ford Medical Center – to name only a few.

Dozens of restaurants, theaters, coffee shops, bars, hotels and inns, stores and event spaces have opened up in just the last few years. Shinola Detroit opened its flagship store on Canfield Street, and other specialty national retailers have popped up such as John Varvatos and Carhartt.

But what makes Midtown special are the local merchants who committed early to Midtown and that have flourished as the area has boomed. LGBTQ-founded businesses like Hugh on Cass Street, The Peacock Room and Frida on Kirby and Avalon International Breads on Willis St., and galleries like the Detroit Artist Gallery, Artloft and the Detroit Gallery of Contemporary Crafts fuel the area’s trendy, youthful energy. Restaurants such as La Feria, Cuisine, Cass Café, Seva, Union Street, The Majestic, Traffic Jam & Snug, Wasabi, Shangri-la and The Whitney all have been regular spots for LGBTQ diners for decades.

Detroit is also home to more live professional theater seats than any other American city except New York. The Fisher Theater and Olympia Entertainment both bring in Broadway touring groups. The Detroit Repertory Theater, WSU’s Hilberry and Bonstelle Theaters, The Fox, Planet Ant and the Detroit Film Theater are only a few of the exceptional entertainment venues either in or within easy driving distance of Midtown. Check out www.EncoreMichigan.com for complete listings and reviews of live professional theater in and around the city.

See a show, have a meal, shop, enjoy a museum, relax in a comfortable room at the Inn of Ferry Street. Midtown is a wonderfully exciting area to explore and enjoy!