looking for advice about hockey town

[nyr417 0]

Hi- i am a ranger fan and am thinking about making the trip from ny up to detroit for the ranger-redwing game in october. i am just looking for any advice or tips about my trip, if you dont mind helping out a ranger fan. there are tickets available in the $25 level but they are marked obstructed view. How bad are they? Are the $35 much better? any suggestions about the best place to sit, taking into account that i am on a semi-tight budget? Also, what are some decent hotels that arent ridiculously overpriced? what part of the city should i look to stay in? near the arena or somewhere else? i know absolutely nothing about the city so any advice will be extremely helpful. thanks a lot in advance!

[ShanahanMan 473]

Hi- i am a ranger fan and am thinking about making the trip from ny up to detroit for the ranger-redwing game in october. i am just looking for any advice or tips about my trip, if you dont mind helping out a ranger fan. there are tickets available in the $25 level but they are marked obstructed view. How bad are they? Are the $35 much better? any suggestions about the best place to sit, taking into account that i am on a semi-tight budget? Also, what are some decent hotels that arent ridiculously overpriced? what part of the city should i look to stay in? near the arena or somewhere else? i know absolutely nothing about the city so any advice will be extremely helpful. thanks a lot in advance!

I'm surprised ther are actually $25 tickets left. I'd splurge and take the $35 each. Don't worry about the seating so much, as people who see games like to say, "theres no bad seat at the Joe". If I were you, I'd stay at the Cadillac hotel in Detroit. Brand new renovation of a classic hotel and it opens in October. If you wanna stay where the action is, stay in downtown Detroit. But, make sure to avoid any dark alleys.

Edited September 25, 2008 by ShanahanMan

[nyr417 0]

I'm surprised ther are actually $25 tickets left. I'd splurge and take the $35 each. Don't worry about the seating so much, as people who see games like to say, "theres no bad seat at the Joe". If I were you, I'd stay at the Cadillac hotel in Detroit. Brand new renovation of a classic hotel and it opens in October. If you wanna stay where the action is, stay in downtown Detroit. But, make sure to avoid any dark alleys.

thanks for the advice. how close to downtown is the joe?

btw, i love your name. shanny is awesome. i'm really keepin my fingers crossed hoping we bring him back last minute for one more year, even though i think it is time to move on.

[#19forPresident! 1]

Also, be warned there is massive construction on the interstates downtown right now, scheduled to go on for another year at least. So I don't know if you use a navvy system but that might be able to help you avoid it, because there's really no easy way downtown coming from the south without going way up and around or taking some interesting detours.

Now if you're coming over the top of the lake via Ontario and go through the tunnel or over the bridge that would be different. But they're building a new bridge form Detroit to Windsor and I know it's detour city for me when I come up from Ohio to games.

And like someone else said avoid dark alleys...... seriously.

It can get pretty shady in the dark corners of motown. As in, if you get into an accident, don't wait for cops to show up because they most likey won't unless someone's been shot.

edit: failure to grammar

Edited September 25, 2008 by #19forPresident!

[nyr417 0]

Also, be warned there is massive construction on the interstates downtown right now, scheduled to go on for another year at least. So I don't know if you use a navvy system but that might be able to help you avoid it, because there's really no easy way downtown coming from the south without going way up and around or taking some interesting detours.

Now if you're coming over the top of the lake via Ontario and go through the tunnel or over the bridge that would be different. But they're building a new bridge form Detroit to Windsor and I know it's detour city for me when I come up from Ohio to games.

And like someone else said avoid dark alleys...... seriously.

It can get pretty shady in the dark corners of motown. As in, if you get into an accident, don't wait for cops to show up because they most likey won't unless someone's been shot.

edit: failure to grammar

thanks for the info- i actually plan on flying up so i dont have to worry about traffic and roads though.

and is the city really that bad? almost starting to scare me off a little, lol. maybe that is your plan to keep opposing fans outta your building, haha

[ZabiOfDetroit 0]

thanks for the info- i actually plan on flying up so i dont have to worry about traffic and roads though.

and is the city really that bad? almost starting to scare me off a little, lol. maybe that is your plan to keep opposing fans outta your building, haha

Just stay in the downtown area. If you stray too far from it then you will see the shady sides of the city which are pretty bad.

[Guest mindfly]

Detroit is worlds 2nd most dangerous city after Rio de Janeiro I read recently

[Shaman 713]

when going to the joe just remember, if your feet are wet, youve gone too far...

[Doggy 130]

Detroit is worlds 2nd most dangerous city after Rio de Janeiro I read recently

I take that with a grain of salt because of two words:

Johannesburg.

Baghdad.

Edit: BTW, I'm pretty sure D.C. has a higher crime rate than Detroit.

Alright I looked it up. I was wrong about D.C. lol.

Edited September 25, 2008 by Doggy

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

The Joe is kinda small so there really isn't a bad seat. Do NOT stay in the city. Find a nearby suburb. Trust me. When opposing players come to play, they sometimes stay in Troy or Birmingham. Royal Oak is also not too far and much safer.

[Ozzie30 170]

If I were you, I would stay outside of the actual city of Detroit. If you go north, once you cross 8 mile, you're out of the city. The suburbs get nicer the farther north you go (until you hit pontiac or Mt. clemens!, lol).

No, the city around the Joe is not that dangerous, but I'm sure, as in any big city, there are neighborhoods outsiders just do not go. Stick to the main roads and heavy traffic areas and you should be just fine.

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

Stay in Dearborn at the Hyatt or Holiday Inn Express, near the Fairlane Mall, they may supply shuttles to Wings games alot of your out of town teams stay at the Hyatt

if not a shuttle, its a straight shot down Michigan Ave to Rosa Parks Ave. which takes you to the JLA parking Garage. I live south of Detroit and the easiest way to the Joe at this time is Rosa Parks Ave. my email is (devils_waterboy@hotmail.com ) there are plenty of Hotels south of Detroit along I75 enjoy the city

[egroen 384]

I would consider Dearborn as well -- Cheli's Chilli Bar has a shuttle to the games, which are fun to be on, even if you are rooting for an opposing team. There are a few other locations in Dearborn that have shuttles, and Dearborn could be fun for you after the game.

That's my advice -- Find a bar/restaurant that has free shuttles to the game and simply find a nearby hotel.

[Gizmo 21]

there are tickets available in the $25 level but they are marked obstructed view. How bad are they? Are the $35 much better?

Be forewarned that the "obstructed view" seating on the ends can be very obstructed. Basically, you'll likely have to stand in your seat to see the whole ice surface. The elevation changes of last three or four rows on the ends "level off" as you approach the ceiling. So if you're in rows 26 or 27, you'll have to stand to see over the heads of the people in front of you. If you have a kid with you, it'll be a bigger problem. When I sat there with my then 11 year old he had to go stand in the aisle to be able to see.

You may have better luck with SRO tickets that offer a much better view for about the same price.

The good news that the staff at JLA will let you move down to unoccupied seats.

I would consider Dearborn as well -- Cheli's Chilli Bar has a shuttle to the games, which are fun to be on, even if you are rooting for an opposing team.

If you use the shuttle from Cheli's in Dearborn, I'd recommend staying at the Dearborn Best Western. Decent place and not expensive. Edited September 25, 2008 by Gizmo

[Hank Dats 'N Homer 81]

I dont stay over night in the downtown are that often so i dont know where a good hotel would be. I would probably follow the advice of the others on here and try to stay at a hotel outselde of the actual city. Not just because everyone thinks its dangerous or anything, but because it would probably be cheaper to stay out of the city with all the casinos and stuff jacking the prices up on alot of hotel costs. The only problem with staying outside of downtown is that you said you arent driving but plan on flying, so i dont know how you would get to the joe from outside of the downtown area. You could try a cab or a bus, or hell you might even be renting a car for the week or whatever. If you rent a car then staying outside of town would defiently be better for ya. Then of course i would just recommending either parking your car in greek town (which i think you can do for free you just have to get validated by the casino) and then catch a shuttle to the joe from there. If you do that i definetly recommend going to pegasus for some good food. its terrific. If you are in more of a mood for a burger or something the Hockey town cafe is always great, which is right across the street from Comerica Park, which if you are a baseball fan too is a pretty cool site....although you are coming in october and we all know that the tigers are far far away from playing in october this year...but hey you are from new york so you gotta be used to that from your yankees anyways (sorry i had to make myself feel better about my tigers haha) If you want to eat at hockeytown you can park right in the fox theatre garage which is usually about 10-20 bucks on a wings game night. Sometimes i sneak in for like 5 bucks if its a weekday game. But if thats to much there is parking all over the city. Anyways hockeytown cafe has shuttles every 15 minutes leading up to the game and like every 30 minutes during the game and the shuttles come every 15 minutes to pick you up after the game. Not a bad gig, dont have to fight Joe Louis traffic to get home which most of us know is quite a drag haha. Anyways, i hope this helps a little bit. Glad you are coming out here, but i feel bad that you will be leaving letdown by a rangers loss....But hey look on the bright side you got to see one of the most talented teams ever play! haha

[nyr417 0]

thanks everybody for all the help. it seems the consensus is to stay outside the city so that is what i will probably do. i appreciate it

[egroen 384]

Rent a car at the airport and drive to Dearborn as some of the above-mentioned posts say -- take shuttle to and back from the Joe -- have fun in Dearborn (maybe Cheli's or the Post? I am not over there too often).

Oh wait, you say you are a Rangers fan... ?

In that case, fly into Detroit, take a cab, but tell them you want to "walk" to the Joe, and have the cab drop you off in the 7 mile area.... right around Brightmoore and Del Ray for a nice leisurely walk. Be sure and dress to impress!

[union drone 0]

Oh wait, you say you are a Rangers fan... ?

In that case, fly into Detroit, take a cab, but tell them you want to "walk" to the Joe, and have the cab drop you off in the 7 mile area.... right around Brightmoore and Del Ray for a nice leisurely walk. Be sure and dress to impress!

Egroen, you're being kind... if he had been an Avs fan he would have ended up on Gratiot and Warren over on the east side. I got lost over there once. I was afraid for my life.

There are actually several very nice places to stay downtown... but be prepared to pay at least $200 a night (Marriot at RenCen, Sheraton, Antheneum, some of the casino hotels). If you're on a budget the burbs are far better. There you will find the gambit of motels and hotels, and even the cheaper ones will be for the most part okay. In the city, cheap = scary. In the better burbs, no problem.

Follow the advice of others, consider Dearborn (which is fairly close to the city and has some things to see and do), Royal Oak (where the night life is), Birmingham (yuppie-ville, but super nice), and Troy (upper-middle class suburbia, but a bit dull).

You might even find some people here to carpool with and/or party with before or after the game and who can show you a few places.

BTW, you should wear your Shanny jersey (even if it is a Rags jersey). It will earn you some points and would be a conversation starter. Most Wings' fans still love Shanny deep down inside, even though he chose to leave.

[nyr417 0]

Egroen, you're being kind... if he had been an Avs fan he would have ended up on Gratiot and Warren over on the east side. I got lost over there once. I was afraid for my life.

There are actually several very nice places to stay downtown... but be prepared to pay at least $200 a night (Marriot at RenCen, Sheraton, Antheneum, some of the casino hotels). If you're on a budget the burbs are far better. There you will find the gambit of motels and hotels, and even the cheaper ones will be for the most part okay. In the city, cheap = scary. In the better burbs, no problem.

Follow the advice of others, consider Dearborn (which is fairly close to the city and has some things to see and do), Royal Oak (where the night life is), Birmingham (yuppie-ville, but super nice), and Troy (upper-middle class suburbia, but a bit dull).

You might even find some people here to carpool with and/or party with before or after the game and who can show you a few places.

BTW, you should wear your Shanny jersey (even if it is a Rags jersey). It will earn you some points and would be a conversation starter. Most Wings' fans still love Shanny deep down inside, even though he chose to leave.

yea i was already planning on wearing my shanny jersey. i figure just in case you guys are a rough crowd (although nobody can be worse than philly), the shanny would at least give me a little respect and credibility as a visiting fan

[2probert4 8]

yea i was already planning on wearing my shanny jersey. i figure just in case you guys are a rough crowd (although nobody can be worse than philly), the shanny would at least give me a little respect and credibility as a visiting fan

If you wear it to Nashville, they will throw catfish at you and do cheers about how you suck.

[egroen 384]

Wings fans are not bad at all, in that regard... though we can be extremely cocky and elitist.

I was in San Jose last month and ended up telling a bunch of Shark fans why the Red Wings were such a better run organization and how they were lucky to get McClellen from us. They actually agreed with me and bought me drinks...

[ZabiOfDetroit 0]

hey Mt. Clemens isn't that bad, I was raised there.

There are better suburban cities to pick though besides Mt. Clemens.

[donfishmaster 62]

The Joe is kinda small so there really isn't a bad seat. Do NOT stay in the city. Find a nearby suburb. Trust me. When opposing players come to play, they sometimes stay in Troy or Birmingham. Royal Oak is also not too far and much safer.

Correct. There's a nice suburb called "Highland Park" which isn't too far away. You can actually probably stay there and walk to the game...

[donfishmaster 62]

yea i was already planning on wearing my shanny jersey. i figure just in case you guys are a rough crowd (although nobody can be worse than philly), the shanny would at least give me a little respect and credibility as a visiting fan

Rough Crowd? I try to go to lots of NHL and minor league games and although us Wings fans are EXTREMELY loyal (and I know this sounds like a homer thing to say) , I think we are the most accomodating to other team's fans. The few unpleasantries I've ever seen is twice when opposing fans got drunked up and wanted to start getting in our fans faces. That, of course, just comes under the category of stupid. One was an AVS guy who was pissed 'cause they were getting clobbered so he got up, turned around, and threw his beer on a guy and his kid sitting next to me...nobody had said or done ANYTHING to this ideeeot other than cheer. His precious Roy (rhymes with 'boy') jersey got covered by my nachos.

[Konnan511 1,736]

If you car/pool or anything and park near the rink, make sure you just go from point A to point B and you'll have no problems. No need to wander off after shiny things you see.