"Are you in Chicago this weekend?" said the text to my partner after seeing a post on social media. "It looks like you're in Millenium Park!"
But we were actually exploring Detroit’s own new gem: Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park on the west riverfront.
Honestly, Saturday felt like a vacation.
The pathways of the 22-acre park were coursing with people from near and far.
Music emanated from the stage at the center of the park, where adults swayed and children chased each other in the grass. Elsewhere, along West Jefferson, throngs of hungry park goers lined up to be fed from food trucks.
As feet bounced off the new sport court and raced around the play area, it felt like the very heart and soul of Detroit was lifted up this weekend.
The park’s evolution — from rail yard to green space to beautiful landscape —spanned decades; as late as the 1970s, it was still industrial land.
But in true Detroit spirit, the project persevered — despite a number of challenges we've talked about before here and on our podcast.
Let's look at the highlights together.
The first stop was the William Davidson Sport House. It features two NBA-spec basketball courts and multipurpose recreation spaces.
It should serve as an all-season place for sports and wellness along the west Riverfront.
Although not available for the opening day, this looks to be ample bike racks.
Then the walkway meanders up to the DTE Foundation Summit.
It's a large grassy event lawn and amphitheater space for concerts, festivals, and public events, with panoramic views of the river.
It was amazing to see the families throwing footballs and the adventurous kids hurtle themselves down the hill.
Past the stage crowds was the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Water Garden.
The quiet 2.5-acre landscape has a couple of pebble beaches, willow trees, seating areas, and a dock overlooking a pond and the river.
It’s designed to show off the natural beauty and promote reflection and wellness while connecting visitors with the Detroit River through bridges and shoreline access.
It also has awesome views of the city skyline, if you like the contrast of nature and architecture.
If you keep going, you get to the Delta Dental Play Garden.
This is a five-acre play zone centered around imaginative, nature-inspired playground equipment that reflects both nature and the designs of Detroit kids.
There's a lot going on here.
There's the now semi-famous 20-foot bear slide...
A 26-foot otter...
A 14-foot beaver...
And so much more!
These playful animals were built by Monstrum Studios from Denmark.
The garden has tons of places for climbing, sliding, swings, and active play for kids and families.
This opening weekend was a win for Detroit and the wider region.
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks and everyone involved should be proud of the work they did to get this over the finish line.
Personally, I can't wait for someone to get the text saying, "Are you in Detroit this weekend? It looks like you're in Centennial Park!"
🗞️ We're gonna have some news exclusive to Daily Detroit tomorrow, so if you haven't already — sign up for future notes. No spam, just all-local stuff connecting you to the city and region we love.
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🎼 The track that I'm thinking about with this edition is "Don't Lose Sight" by Lawrence. This was the song that I realized just how good they were, and I'm always a sucker for a full backup vocal. I've linked to the acoustic version above, and here's the Spotify album version.
FYI, there's an adult word in the lyrics. It doesn't bother me, but it might you.
Remember that you are somebody,
-Jer
