Flint, MI Road Trips

Sometimes considered a suburb of Detroit, Flint is more accurately described as a "satellite" city. Like Saginaw, Pontiac, and other factory towns in Michigan, Flint's identity is often influenced and predicted by the Motor City and the peaks and valleys of the American auto industry. Because these cities and Flint have become symbols of urban blight and economic ruin, it is tempting to write them off at the worst as ghost-towns, or at the best as smaller clones of Detroit. In fact, each city is regionally distinct, both in terms of the local institutions they have raised in times of prosperity and crisis, and in the emphasis of civic response. In Flint's case, for example, the imprint of Charles Stewart Mott, General Motor's most famous philanthropist, often overshadows that of Billy Durant, who actually founded the corporation. Streets, parks, estates, neighborhoods, colleges, and lakes have been named after Mott and his family, and the Mott Foundation funds and supports many cultural events here. But this reverence toward a more glorious past is just as often tempered by frustration with its side-effects and outcome. The bulk of Sloan Museum (see below), for example, is a measured analysis of the opportunities and hazards of rapid industrialization. Much of the literature to come out of Flint, such as Rhonda Sanders' Bronze Pillars (1995), focuses on the vitality of the African-American community, and its struggle against housing compacts and discrimination in the factories.

Downtown Flint covers approximately one square mile near the center of the city, bounded roughly by Fifth Avenue to the north, I-69 to the south, I-475 to the east, and Thread Creek to the west, with most commercial activity focused along Saginaw Street and the University of Michigan-Flint Campus. The Walking Tour of Downtown Flint is an effort sponsored by the Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (see above) is intended to tout the local economy and encourage investment. This simple self-guided walking tour includes a map of the downtown district with an emphasis on local architecture. Flint's skyline features a surprisingly diverse and well-preserved collection of significant Art Deco construction, as well as their (generally less well-loved) successors. Flint Farmers' Market, 300 E. First St., ☏ +1 810 232-1399, [email protected]. Tu Th Sa 8AM - 5PM. Based in a renovated former newspaper printing facility, the Flint Farmer's Market reopened in its current location in June 2014 in Downtown Flint. Benefiting from much of the redevelopment taking place in Downtown in addition to its central location next door to the main MTA terminal and across the street from the University of Michigan-Flint, the Farmers' Market has spent over a hundred years building a loyal customer base and taking advantage of the diversity of agricultural activity in Southeast Michigan. Typical midwestern crops, such as corn and beans are common south of Flint, while the Flint area boasts a number of small orchards, and sugar beets are cultivated further north.

1 Flint Institute of Arts, 1120 East Kearsley St, ☏ +1 810 234-1695. has a large collection. (updated Jun 2019) 2 Flint Institute of Music. (updated Jun 2019) Venues for taking in a show include the "New" McCree Theater, the Flint Community Players, and the University of Michigan-Flint theatre and dance program. During the summertime Flint hosts a series of lively festivals and events, usually centered downtown or at the Cultural Center. For a real dose of the city, any and all of these festivals are a great time to visit, because this is when the locals come out to play. Marti Austin Kids Classic (May) youth (age 0-12) races at Flint Cultural Center Tour de Crim (May) - bike ride/obstacle challenge along the 10 mile Crim race path Parade of Festivals (Greater Flint Arts Council), ☏ +1 810-238-2787. Series of 20 festivals held in Downtown Flint promoted by the Flint Arts Council. Also many are run by tee Council. Primary funding is provided by the C.S. Mott Foundation. Juneteenth Celebration, Riverbank Park and Max Brandon Park. A celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation and African American Independence by Flint Juneteenth Committee. A youth dinner is held on June 16 with the main event on June 19, noon–9:30PM. Tunes at Noon, Farmer’s Market, 1st Street, Downtown. 11:45AM–1:15PM. Live music Tuesdays & Thursdays July thru September from by GFAC free. Flint Art Fair, Flint Institute of Arts, Flint Cultural Center. late June by Friends of Modern Art (FOMA).

Sagano Japanese Bistro, 2065 S Linden Rd, ☏ +1 810 230-7300. La Azteca Taco House, 1902 W Court St, ☏ +1 810 233-3104. Italia Gardens, G3273 Miller Rd., ☏ +1 810-720-4112.

501 Bar & Grill Cork on Saginaw Blackstone’s Pub & Grill Torch Bar & Grill Churchill’s Food & Spirits The Loft

Holiday Inn Express Flint-Campus Area, 1150 Robert T. Longway Blvd. If you want to be a minute or less away from the Cultural Center, downtown, and the University of Michigan-Flint. Comfort Inn & Suites, 1359 Grand Pointe Court, Grand Blanc, ☏ +1 810-498-3429. Nice indoor pool and hot tub.

Flint is a major transportation hub, and in fact this is one of the ways in which its automotive history continues to serve the city well. Flint can be accessed by plane, train, car, and bus. 1 Bishop International Airport (FNT IATA), G-3425 W Bristol Rd, ☏ +1 810 235-6560. Located within city limits, Bishop is the second busiest airport in the state. Carriers include American Airlines (service from Chicago-O'Hare), United (service from Chicago-O'Hare), Delta (service from Minneapolis/St. Paul and Atlanta), and Southwest (service from Baltimore, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Tampa). Upon arrival, access to Flint and surrounding areas is best obtained by renting or using a car. Rental car providers include Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Alamo. See renting a car for more suggestions. If using a car is not an option, however, Flint's Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) (see below) provides access to their Downtown depot along Route 11 for $1.25. As a primary route, service is consistent once-per-hour throughout the day. In addition, Uber operates in Flint and provides service to Bishop. Detroit Metro Airport (DTW IATA), Romulus, MI, ☏ +1 734 AIRPORT (2477678). Travelers basing their trip in Detroit may also fly into Detroit Metro, Michigan's busiest airport, approximately one hour from Flint via I-96 West and US-23 North. 2 Flint station, 1407 S Dort Hwy. The main train depot is in Flint's East Side. The depot itself is well-maintained and comfortable, but since Flint is best navigated by car, transportation can be inconvenient from the station.

As the last section might suggest, Flint is easy to get to, but can be difficult to get around without a car. MTA, the public transit agency, is a reasonably priced (if time-consuming) way to reach your destination, and if you expect to stay within the Downtown area, walking is certainly an option. Mass Transportation Authority, ☏ +1 810 767-0100. Flint's MTA serves the city and inner suburbs through 14 routes that collectively cover most of Flint's 31 square miles. Buses once run twice per hour and all routes are local. Additional lines run at peak hours, and limited service to the suburbs is also available through Your Ride, a van service, for $2.50. MTA's Regional Services provide daily or weekly access to Genesee, Livingston, and Oakland Counties, including many of the Detroit suburbs. $1.50 per ride, $0.25 per transfer. While it might be possible in theory to explore Flint without a car, very few people would want to do so. Even after one considers the time and effort saved here, there is something singularly appropriate about traveling the boulevards and parkways, the industrial zones and factory strips, in the vehicle this city helped popularize. Of course, it also helps that Flint is a delight to drive, with a coherent network of roads and expressways linking the city to the suburbs, and abundant parking and a lack of congestion (ironically due to Flint's decline in population from the 1970s to the 2010s).

Flint has long been one of the most dangerous cities in the United States, and as in most American cities, crime in Flint is heavily connected to the illegal drug trade and associated gang activity. The areas of Flint with the highest crime rates will be of little interest to visitors, but there is still enough of an overall threat that some additional precautions are warranted. Be sure to travel in groups, thoroughly plan out your travel route ahead of time, stay out of deserted or poorly-lit areas, and don't flash cash or other valuables. Additionally, walking after dark in most areas of Flint is not advisable. The Flint area has a surprising amount to offer visitors, but it is not a place that rewards exploration over planned activities, so it's really best to play it safe.