Detroit’s coolest walk is below street level. The Dequindre Cut is a two-mile greenway built on a former Grand Trunk Western rail line, sunk 25 feet below the surrounding streets between the Detroit River and Eastern Market. Freight trains are gone; in their place are a smooth multi-use path, native plantings and some of the best street art in the city.
The cut’s concrete bridge walls serve as legal graffiti canvases, so the scenery changes constantly — huge burners and murals glowing in the sunken corridor’s light. Ramps at Lafayette, Gratiot and Wilkins streets make it easy to hop on and off, and the path connects the riverfront directly to Eastern Market, making a Saturday ride from the water to the market sheds one of Detroit’s great small adventures.
The Dequindre Cut is maintained by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and is open daily. Bring a bike, a camera and an appetite for the market at the top of the ramp.
