Lincoln Michigan

Is Hart Plaza area in Detroit safe?

What areas are the bad areas to look out for? And where is a good place to park and a good hotel near Hart Plaza? I'd be going for the DEMF memorial weekend

Public Comments

1. yes, it's safe. it's in the Downtown area, right on the Detroit river, facing Canada - you'll have a nice view of Windsor. the area is usually busy with all kinds of people, so you'll be safe, don't worry : )
2. Hart Plaza is pretty safe during activities like the summer festivals. I've also walked there at night with no problem. The Marriott in the Renaissance Center is close to Hart Plaza and a nice place to stay. It's a little north of Hart Plaza There's plenty of parking there. There's also parking at Cobo Center an the Joe Louis Arena which is a little south of Hart Plaza. I don't know specifically what are the bad areas of Detroit, but if you stay in the downtown area you're fine.
3. Most of the Detroit Police Department will be in the plaza during DEMF, so you should be safe then. The hotels will most likely be booked solid, but try the Pontchartrain if you have the means. For that matter, I think the MGM Grand Casino has their hotel open now. It's not particularly close to the festival, but you could catch a cab or bus.
4. Where there are big events, there is a lot of police presence, so I wouldn't worry about it. Detroit is no different than any other big city. It's got a bad reputation, but the major crimes (murders, etc.) don't generally happen at large venues, casinos, etc.
5. No area in Detroit is safe. Sure, there will be a police presence in Hart Plaza, and the most criminal activity you can expect will be pickpocketing and light violence. Keep in mind, when the NCAA tournament was here a month ago, the Mayor of Indianapolis and a high ranking Michigan Prosecutor were both robbed. I doubt you will be getting better protection than they did. Also, this is a FREE event. Meaning not only do you get in for free, but anyone who has nothing to do but cause problems is going to be attracted to Hart Plaza that weekend. Since all 1 million or so attendees will be driving and parking their cars for this event, the police outside of Hart Plaza will have plenty to do, directing traffic and tending to accidents and drunk drivers. In fact, for large events and sporting events; instead of patrolling, they are focusing all of their attention on the traffic mayhem. Add in the zombies staggering around the city who wander directly into traffic, or push their wheelchairs into busy intersections - the police will have more to do than watch out for you. As for parking; I'd suggest taking a cab to and from the event. There is no real "safe" parking in Detroit. Once you leave the festival, you are on your own to go find out what happened to your car while you were dancing. It's not like thieves only break in to a car that has valuables in open sight; they'll break in to look for loose change, or drive your car down the street instead of walking. You'll find it 3 miles away all, crashed into something and used as a toilet. With any luck you might just be one of the cars with broken out windows for the heck of it; with nothing even taken or moved around inside. Nice. In all, arrange transportation, don't walk around at night, don't carry a lot of money, and generally stay with a large group.