Detroit: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

SISvetlana Ionovasvetlanya05 · Dec 8, 2018Read

Impressions can vary depending on how you travel. If you do as I do—wandering and exploring the concrete jungle—you can find plenty of adventures, both amazing and frightening, see the non-touristy side of cities, meet diverse residents, discover hidden spots, and truly feel the city's spirit. For example, in San Francisco, even without delving into history, you can feel the free spirit of the hippies, while in Los Angeles, you encounter grotesque diversity. America is as varied as the nationalities that inhabit it. You can travel from China to Italy, or even return to Russia for a while, tasting dishes from different cuisines prepared by true experts who know the exquisite nuances of cooking. Sometimes recipes blend into something unimaginable, like a pumpkin milkshake with hummus. Where else could such a drink be born if not in America, this melting pot? And then there is the fact that the USA is the second country in the world after Italy in its love for pizza. A pizza party is thrown for any reason: a successful work period, a Christmas substitute for a corporate party, or a birthday. After all, it was here that it was modernized (like many other national dishes) to suit the universal American taste: Chicago-, New York-, and Detroit-style pizza. Hence the pizza prints on pajamas, t-shirts, and stickers on Instagram. The trip is useful not only for program participants discovering a new country but also for Americans themselves, who learn about other worldviews through cultural ambassadors from other countries—us. It is important to constantly remember that we are representatives of our country, and we will be judged by our actions. By the way, I always thought that American movies and TV shows were cardboard and fake, that people don't talk like that in real life, and that actions and lines are pretentious and artificial. I attributed this impression to the staging, the pre-written script, and the polished reality of films, but it turned out that the characters behave so unusually not because of puppet-master screenwriters, but because of the difference in mentalities! In reality, people in America behave exactly like that, and sometimes you are even surprised by the cinematic nature of a scene seen on the street or a conversation overheard by chance. American culture is a global culture. Hollywood—the dream factory—sets the tone for world cinema; American films are presented in almost every cinema in the world, shaping our worldview and adjusting our habits and behavior. US music also has a colossal influence on world culture. Spending 4 months there will definitely help you better understand a culture that seems familiar to everyone since childhood, yet doesn't seem all that colorful, and realize that it is, in many ways, different from established perceptions.

ANAlesia Nikifaravaalesya_marakami · Nov 26, 2015Read

Ultimately, I love my American room, my Russian accent, and my American friends so much. Pretty dramatic to imagine the winds of change. (c) Twitter post. I worked in a small town called Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. In the morning I was a housekeeper, in the evening – a waitron. It was a resort with expensive yachts, endless miles of golf courses, and a lake that would rage from time to time. Every week, dozens of American families would arrive, and we became a part of them. My supervisor, Petty, once said: “Our job is to make these families feel cared for.” Everything I did was care. I cared for money, for huge tips that often reached one or two hundred dollars. Isn't that enough to sound like a summer that can make a person insanely happy? International students were given houses right on the resort grounds – spacious (two-story) wooden dwellings, affectionately called cabins. Semih, Luliu, Deniz, Berkay, Yazan, Winni, Fariza, Ola, Alexandru, Luby, Anel, Madina – this list could go on forever, as our Fair Hills family consisted of fifty people. We lived together, worked together. Together we made plans for the future. One day in the kitchen, making me jump slightly, Deniz flew up to me – a bold Turkish girl with jet-black hair and purple lipstick. With her black jeans, black t-shirt, and dark skin, she didn't fit into the colorful madness of the kitchen shelves at all. She didn't speak English well, but we often sat lazily (in some blissful half-slumber) on the balcony of her cabin, like masters of our American lives, crossing off another Minnesota day from our American calendar. We looked at the resort streets, which, according to Deniz, looked so much like the winding streets of Istanbul, while I compared the rows of houses to the star-like rays of the straight streets of Paris. The thought of Parisian boulevards with bridges also often came to mind. Well, flying up to me in the kitchen, Deniz suggested we ride our bikes to a Mexican diner that was forty minutes away down the highway. I knew how it would be: in the evening I would wait for her, she would come, she would talk, I would listen, her arrival would smell of tobacco, and she, coughing, would tell, tell, tell me about how she is not like a decent Muslim girl and how Susan's pies remind her of her grandmother's buns (I even remember that her grandmother had a huge warm knitted cardigan, which, as Deniz claimed, would suit me very well). Everything happened not according to the planned scenario at all: Otgoo tagged along with me, and Deniz brought her friend – the same dark Turkish Berkay. We entered the Mexican diner as a group of four. We sat at the bar, watched TV, and ate pizza in the dim light of the walls covered in photos, while everyone was interested in who we were, what our names meant in our native language, and how we liked America. Oh, we liked it very much! What else did I like that evening? Well, for example, Berkay (I suppose it's all because he accepted all the crazy ideas that permeated the subconscious of my brain; during the conversation, he liked to repeat “look me in the eyes” or conversely “come on, don't just stand there and look at me so confusedly”; he was insanely fearless, and so fearless that, surely, only fools can be; he wore glasses; one night we were lying on the golf course and didn't even move when a thunderstorm gathered and the grass, on which dying shadows fell, became wet). No stars, no laughter, no peace. From here, my advice flows smoothly again: 1. This world is quite spoiled; it is full of enmity, cruelty, and meaningless tragedy. In America, you will meet people who are completely opposite to you. Enjoy it. Do not resist and do not be afraid to change. 2. This is not just a summer spent abroad. Thanks to my Arab friends, I have changed my life at the root: I started learning Turkish, dived headfirst into Arabic literature, and even read the Quran out of interest – calmly, yes, I am that strange! And I will be celebrating this

EKElnara Kainazarovakelnara193 · Dec 15, 2014Read

After leaving Philadelphia, we headed to New York to the Port Authority on 42nd Street. We arrived at 3 a.m. New York's 42nd Street is one of the most famous streets, right up there with Broadway. Anyone who has been to New York for more than a day knows that Times Square is there. New York is a city for tourists. It is filled with diners, restaurants, hotels, and hostels. We had booked a room in advance at a Chinese hotel in Chinatown, Manhattan. I didn't share secrets with Demi Moore, of course, but it was still Manhattan. Our hotel had a very convenient location; we could walk around all night and not worry about anything. We actually walked across the Brooklyn Bridge several times, back and forth, and launched Chinese lanterns with girls from New York University. We were in New York for a week, so we saw almost everything in Manhattan. We didn't go to Harlem, of course, or the Bronx, or Brighton Beach. One day we took the ferry to Staten Island (a quiet, cozy place). We never made it up to the Statue of Liberty because we decided to save something for next year, and I wanted to go up to the crown (you have to buy tickets for that a month in advance). We went to the Metropolitan Museum, but we didn't make it to Madame Tussauds. It's a pity, of course, but I believe in second chances. By the way, the food in Chinatown is very good)) just saying, and in Brooklyn, you can find Russian shops where goods are inexpensive, and of course, the Ukrainian restaurant in the center of Manhattan is also quite captivating. Honestly, there is one place I would return to New York for every single time: Central Park. It is a colossal park with an amazing landscape, a playground, a soccer field, rocks, and a lake in the center. You can meet all sorts of incredibly talented people there, from a harpist sitting at the entrance to a magician at the other end of the park. The park connects all parts of Manhattan. We just walked through it for three days in a row. It's like a separate world, a separate island, with beauties unique to it. From the south side of the park, you can reach the Plaza Hotel, the very hotel where 'Home Alone' was filmed. New York is essentially a series of all those places you often see on TV, whether it's 'Spider-Man' or the show 'Gossip Girl'. Little Italy reminds me of 'The Godfather' trilogy. I walked through all the places where Chuck Bass spun his intrigues, including the 'Empire'. The transparent Apple cube looks cool) This turned out to be a very long story about how I visited America for the first time. To everyone thinking about whether to go or not, I don't just advise it, I shout with all my might: 'YES, GO!' It is a unique chance to see the country we could only dream of, the very one we see on our TV screens; you can become a part of it. The main thing is to take the right step. I just ask you not to be afraid of anything; the USA, like the journey itself, is not dangerous or scary at all, you just have to want it. Try. The impossible is possible, everyone has chances, as well as options. Don't be afraid to go alone; you will find friends there with whom you can both live and travel. Good luck. And thanks to the organizers for the opportunity to share my trip. I will definitely write about next year) I'm planning on San Francisco this time, Chicago, and Detroit. Hello to all Eminem fans, see you next summer at his concert. I love the world, people, and of course, InterExchange... ...dreams come true one day, you just have to want it...

MMarinaMarina_Nagibina · Nov 26, 2011Read

Back in the spring, I knew my friend would be flying to a completely different place in America... very far from me... to Oklahoma. And as always, I set off to America without knowing anyone. But I knew that we absolutely had to meet up and travel together. Since I'm one of those people whose plans never work out... I do everything at the very last moment so that things don't fall through. Until the last moment, I didn't know when my employer would be able to give me a week for travel. My friend Lyusya had been saying for a long time that as soon as I knew, we would buy tickets. We decided that it would be easier for us to meet in Miami. In the end, I found out that I would indeed get that week of so-called vacation in August, and we slowly started deciding how to buy tickets and where to stay. Lyusya had never bought tickets on her own or booked a hostel before, so we had to connect via Skype and I had to give her instructions so we could fly on the same planes and stay in the same place. For convenience, I always use the same sites, which make traveling really easy. In the end, we immediately bought tickets to the Miami airport so that the difference between our arrivals would be small, and then from there, we would head to our accommodation together. Then we bought a ticket to Washington on the same flight because our plan included Miami, an amusement park, Washington, and New York. That was the end of our preparation. My flight was at 6 a.m. from Reagan Airport. I lived in Fairfax, Virginia, this summer, which is about 40 minutes by car from Washington; a taxi costs $50. I didn't have any friends with a car again, so I had to do this: come home after work in the evening, finish packing my backpack (which is enough for traveling), freshen up, and take the second-to-last bus to the airport, spend the night there, and fly to Miami calmly. It turned out to be terribly boring at the airport; nothing is open at night, only one Dunkin' Donuts. I had to order coffee there so I wouldn't fall asleep... it was cold as always, but I didn't bring anything warm—it just wouldn't have fit, and why would I? I was going to Miami, and it's hot there... Anyway, I barely made it to the morning. When I flew, I had to take a ticket with an airport change again, so I first flew to Detroit—in my opinion, the most beautiful airport I've ever seen. When I was flying to Miami, I talked to a guy who thought I was American and that I had an accent, but that I was just from another state. He was clearly surprised that I was from Russia and flying somewhere alone where I didn't know anything. Anyway, after arriving, I waited for an hour; that time was just enough for me to get oriented and find the gate where Lyusya would arrive... and I stood there waiting for this meeting...)) When I saw her, it was so great, I even teared up... the Americans around us didn't understand what was happening at all. Anyway, we quickly got our bearings and started waiting for the bus to Miami Beach. We waited, and while we were riding, we talked about everything that had happened to us over these 2.5 months. It was unusual for Lyusya to be in a new city, and Miami seemed very beautiful and unusual to her after Oklahoma. I realized that such beauty must be seen with one's own eyes and suggested getting off the bus a little earlier... about 10 blocks from the hostel. But I miscalculated... it was 30 blocks... and we had to walk a little longer... but at least we saw the neighborhoods and walked along the beach line. The only inconvenience was the heat... it was hard to walk, it's good that there are drinking fountains there. After reaching the hostel, we checked in and decided to go swimming, then we decided to walk around the streets, then we went to grab a bite. The most annoying thing was that I was very tired, and I really wanted to go somewhere at night... there are plenty of bars there... and another minus, I'm still not 21((. The next day we took photos and decided to

ДДмитрийventura · Oct 16, 2009Read

09.08.2009 At 20:30 I left home. I got on the 1 train and headed towards 34 street, because I wanted to go up to the Empire State Building observation deck before leaving. And on this day, the Dominicans were having something like their Republic Day; there were so many of them in the city, they had a parade, and they were hanging out all day. So, in the subway car, there was a large group of Dominican youth who, as always, were screaming incredibly loudly. And off to the side sat three Black guys, quietly freaking out about all of this. Everything was fine until one of the guys said something to this group, and one of the Dominicans pulled out a knife in response. A scuffle started, the Dominicans were trying to hold back their friend with the knife, the guys also wanted to make peace, but he wasn't in a hurry to cool down. I don't know how it ended, because I got off at the next stop. I went up to the Empire State Building, to both decks: on the 86th floor and the 102nd. Cool! Nighttime New York... I spent at least an hour and a half there. I walked out, and it started to drizzle. I decided to go into McDonald's to grab a bite and wait out the rain. It's 23:50 now, and I'm sitting in this McDonald's. In an hour, I'll start heading towards Port Authority. At 0:40 I left. I went to the restroom, strapped on the secret money belt I bought earlier—let's see how comfortable it is—and went to the ticket counters. The system is: you just show your Discovery Pass and ID, state your destination, and the guy gives you a ticket. It's 1:40, I'm sitting at the Greyhound station writing in my diary, waiting for my first bus. Ooooooh... it's started!!!!! 10.08.2009 At 5:20 AM I got off the bus. I immediately bought a ticket to Detroit for 15:55 and went out into the city. It only started to get light about 20 minutes later. Everything is still closed, so I'll wander aimlessly for another two hours, and then I'll go sightseeing :) The mood is excellent! Philadelphia is a quiet city with the spirit of American antiquity. Old houses, cafes. No Mexicans, no Dominicans—only white and Black people. In the cafe where I went to eat breakfast ($4), two white girls were working. And the customers were white too. It's a bit unusual after New York. A good city, I already like it, even though it's only 7:50! In Philadelphia, there is no rush or nervousness like in New York, but there is solidity and business-like efficiency. It is the Birthplace of a nation after all :) In the Visitor’s Center restroom, I saw special disposable paper circles with a hole in the middle to put on the toilet seat. Civilized! In general, I didn't notice how 9 AM arrived, I got a ticket (I've encountered this American oddity more than once: the ticket is free, but you have to get it and present it—why???). The tour was led by a real pot-bellied Yankee—a patriot, just like from the TV. He spoke vividly and interestingly, but in the middle of his lecture, I suddenly started to get wildly sleepy—after all, I hadn't slept at all last night. He walked us through different rooms of Independence Hall, I visited the room where two huge events took place—the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the adoption of the US Constitution. Well, truly great deeds were done within these walls, it's no wonder the tour guide puffs out his cheeks so much. I saw a copy of the Constitution on which George Washington had crossed out and corrected a typed word by hand. I bet D. Washington himself didn't suspect how global the history he was making was, or what this country would become. After Independence Hall, I went to the US Mint, the place where coins are minted. The only interesting thing is that you can look down through the glass at the workshops and machines where they make the coins. Most of them, however, were for some reason not working. On the way back, I stopped by the American Jewish Museum, where there is a synagogue that has been operating since 1740—that's very old by their