Detroit’s oldest neighborhood has never tasted better. Corktown, founded by Irish immigrants in the 1830s and named for County Cork, lines Michigan Avenue and its side streets with some of the city’s most-loved tables — chef-driven dining rooms in 19th-century storefronts, cozy pubs, slow-smoked barbecue and bakeries worth crossing town for.
The neighborhood’s glow-up has been turbocharged by the rebirth of Michigan Central Station next door and the Book Depository’s startup hub, bringing new energy to blocks that also hold Detroit’s oldest surviving workers’ cottages on Bagley and Sixth Street. On game days, the patios fill with fans headed to Comerica Park and Ford Field, a short ride east.
The best Corktown night is a wander: a drink on a porch-front patio, dinner in a brick dining room, dessert from a neighborhood bakery. Visit Detroit’s neighborhood guides at visitdetroit.com are a good place to plan your route.
