The Detroit People Mover: Places it Can Move You

story and photos by Jamie Rector

The Detroit People Mover If you’re in downtown Detroit on business and find yourself with a little free time on a rainy or snowy day, your connection to anywhere you might want to be in the central business district is the Detroit People Mover. This light rail system that makes a loop through 13 stations is built high above traffic and provides excellent views of the city, its landmarks and the Detroit River. Since eight of the People Mover stations are inside buildings, you have access to over nine million square feet of retail shopping, entertainment venues, hotels, offices, civic center services and residential space without ever going outside.

If You Have an Hour: The People Mover Art Tour

For fifty cents, this elevated, public metro system will take you on an informal fifteen minute tour of downtown as it winds its way around to come full circle. Each People Mover Station is decorated with public art works from tile murals to paintings and sculptures. Most are inside the stations, but two of the most popular are outside. At the Grand Circus Station, J. Seward Johnson, Jr.’s statue “Catching Up” is a man leaning against a pole outside the station reading a Detroit newspaper. Another popular installation that can be appreciated from inside and outside the station – but only at night – is the colorful abstract neon tubing that covers the windows and sides of the Greektown Station. Trains run every three or four minutes, so if you decide to get off to take a closer look, another train will be along soon.

If You Have Two Hours: The Ren Cen Tour

The People Mover stops at the Renaissance Center, Detroit’s most recognizable architectural landmark. Six high rise office towers surround the 73 story cylindrical Marriot Hotel at its center.The Ren Cen, as its known locally, has gone through its ups and downs since Henry Ford II and a group of local developers opened it in 1977. GM bought the complex in 2001 and did a complete makeover that got its final touches in 2005. The Ren Cen offers a one-hour tour four times a day, six days per week. The tour starts at the General Motors Wintergarden, a five-story glass atrium with two levels of local and international chain boutiques and restaurants. Other highlights include GM World, a showcase for past, present and future GM cars; a tour of the movie theatre and an elevator ride up to the 72 nd floor to admire the view – 30 miles on a clear day.

When you wander along the vast open corridors, make sure to look over the railing. You’ll likely see people resting, perhaps napping, in the seating pods below. If the weather’s not too bad, you can take a stroll through the GM Plaza and Promenade along the riverfront, accessible through the Wintergarden.

If You Have Three Hours: Diamond Jack’s River Tour

Diamond Jack's River Tour Also at the Renaissance Center stop, just off the Promenade on the Detroit River is theDiamond Jack’s River Tour dock. Diamond Jack’s offers two-hour narrated tours through the crystalline waters of the Detroit River. Visibility would be limited during a downpour, but if it’s just drizzling, there is covered seating and an inside cabin area with a view.

The ship cruises up along the wide, flowing water toward Lake St. Claire keeping company with Sailboats and barges making their own way along the mile-wide waterway. The tour passes the Mayor’s residence, the Manoogian Mansion, nestled along the shore. The vessel continues to meander under the MacArthur Bridge and around Belle Isle and back down on the Canadian side. Friendly Canadians wave to the ship as it floats past downtown Windsor and waterfront residences and eventually under the mighty Ambassador Bridge before it heads back along Hart Plaza and Joe Lewis Arena into downtown Detroit.

If You’re Hungry: Greektown

Greektown is the People Mover stop you want for great food and a cultural experience. The street is strung with flags and lined with restaurants, bakeries and shops all offering the look, feel and taste of walking through a street in Greece. The price range varies from a nice basic restaurant to an elegant eating experience. Make sure to check out the Saganaki at the multi-level New Parthenon Restaurant. The flaming cheese is always fun to watch and this establishment is reputed to be the inventor of this Detroit-Greek delicacy. “Opa!” Once your tummy is full from any of the more than 20 restaurants, bakeries or shops, you can empty your pockets at the Greektown Casino on the corner with free validated parking in their parking structure.