For the second straight year CMU heads to downtown Detroit to play in the Motor City Bowl. If you’re going down to the game it is important to know everything that comes along with the experience of going to Ford Field, and the opportunities the city of Detroit offers to have a good time before, during and after the game.

How to have fun

Although tailgating in the city of Detroit is prohibited, it should not deter students, faculty and friends from having fun before the game starts.

With the Motor City Bowl starting at 7:30 p.m. instead of 11 a.m. like the Mid-American Conference Championship Game, there is more time to enjoy the area around Ford Field. The usual downtown pregame spots, such as Hockeytown Cafe, Cheli’s Chili Bar and the Elwood Bar & Grill, will be open. But with more time to enjoy the downtown area, there are more options, which usually are less crowded. Sitting behind the Fox Parking Garage and adjacent Fox Theatre is the legendary bar, Town Pump Tavern. Greektown’s Pizza Papolis, coupled with Fishbone’s are two of the best spots to eat in Greektown. Students and others who are 21 or older can mingle at the newly renovated MGM Grand and Motor City Casinos, as well as Greektown Casino. People who go to the casinos before the game usually can get their parking validated and park for free in the casino structures.

Where to stay

People coming from different parts of the state have numerous options if they need to stay in a hotel.

The Atheneum Suite Hotel is located less than half a mile from Ford Field and sits between Greektown Casino’s parking structure and the casino. It is attached to Fishbone’s restaurant and is one of the city’s best hotels. According to hotels.com, a suite costs $168 for the night of the game.

Also in the city is the Sheraton Detroit Riverside Hotel and Hilton Garden Inn. The Riverside currently is charging $109 per night, according to expedia.com. Located next to Cobo Hall and the Renaissance Center, it is just a short ride on the People Mover to the stadium. The Hilton is located just two blocks from Ford Field, and Greektown arguably is among the most convenient hotel choices in the city. It sits close to all major attractions, but just outside the traffic jams that occur in those areas. The Sheraton currently is charging $153 on expedia.com.

If you do not want to stay in the city limits, there are numerous hotels outside Detroit. The four star Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn currently is asking for $139, according to hotels.com.

The MGM Grand and Motor City Casinos both have hotels in them with rooms available for game day. MGM charges $209 a night, according to its Web site, and the Motor City is $169 on expedia.com.

Students, faculty and CMU fans also can call the Athletic Ticket Office to find out about special rates CMU has with certain hotels in the Detroit area, including the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

How to get there

The fastest way to Ford Field from Mount Pleasant is to take U.S. 127 South to Lansing, then take I-96 East (it becomes I-275/I-96 for a short distance) to Detroit. Take I-96 once in Detroit to I-75/Fisher Freeway north, and take Exit 50 (Grand River Avenue). Take the I-75 service drive and turn right on Brush Street. Ford Field will be on the left side.

If coming from north of Detroit, take 1-75 to I-375 and take the Madison Avenue exit and turn right onto St. Antione Street.

If coming from south of Detroit, take 1-75 to Grand River Avenue. Follow the exit road until either Woodward Avenue or Brush Street, depending on where you would like to park, and turn right.

Parking

Parking in the Ford Field parking deck and in Lot 4 next to the stadium was $10 for MAC Championship Game and should be around the same for the bowl game. There are many other options for parking at the game. Parking lots around the stadium generally vary, but usually are about $10-20, depending on where they are and who the owners are.

For people willing to park a little farther away, there are some benefits. The parking lot behind the Courtyard by Marriott in the Renaissance Center, just off Jefferson, reaches a maximum of $10 for a 24-hour period. From there people can take the People Mover to the Greektown exit. Rides are 50 cents. Parking farther away lets people avoid the bottlenecking around the stadium after a game.

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