There is at least one time a year when East siders and West siders come together to meet up in the middle of the road (ha, ha – no pun intended) on Woodward Avenue, the divider between the two sides of the Metropolitan Detroit area. Eight Mile Road divides the North and South sides.
Once a year in August, East and West Siders meet here with their classic cars and spend the day cruising or watching the cool cars go by along the historical Woodward Avenue (M1) for the Woodward Dream Cruise. Actually, people from across the country attend this event too!
Within the Detroit, Michigan area, specifically the Southeastern portion of our State, each side might not seem different – at least to outsiders. However, if you speak to lifelong West or East Siders, you could get quite the debate on just how different we really are.
When my grandparents were growing up, my Nana (grandmother), who was Sicilian, was raised on the East Side of Detroit in the same neighborhood where my biological grandfather’s family lived. However, she divorced him and remarried the man who came to be known as my Papa (grandfather). Papa was Polish, and they lived on the West Side of Detroit, which was later renamed Hamtramck (also known as Polish Town).
As the years went on, suburban sprawl in the East and West took place, creating an even larger divide between the two areas. Take, for example, my ex-husband and me. He was born and raised on the East Side in the Utica area, near Lake St. Clair, and I grew up in the Plymouth-Canton area, near Ann Arbor. While we were both about a fifteen to twenty-minute drive to Downtown Detroit, our lives were uniquely different.
My ex and I dated for seven years before we were married. We had a long-distance relationship because I lived in Plymouth-Canton and he lived in Gross Pointe, which was about an hour’s drive, especially during high-traffic times.
I worked in the restaurant business in the Royal Oak area, off of Woodward Avenue, which was directly in the middle of us. After work on Friday night, I would go to stay with my ex (boyfriend at the time) at his house on the East Side for the weekend.
Initially, I liked the East Side because it was so different from what I was used to. However, I grew to despise the East Side because it was so hectic with traffic, and, in my opinion, had too much concrete and not enough greenery. People seemed rude and not very friendly, either.
The West Side was filled with newer homes with more green space between, less traffic, and a greater overall presence of greenery. West Side people lived a more relaxed lifestyle, were more diverse and inclusive, and were more artsy. Our schools were more progressive, with newer buildings and infrastructure, and we were definitely ahead of East Siders in fashion, music, and hairstyles.
I followed in my Nana’s footsteps because my ex-husband is also Polish, so our sons are of Sicilian-Polish heritage – created from one East Side parent and one West Side parent.
However, when we married and bought our first home, I refused to live on the East Side. So, we compromised and chose the Northern West Side in an area nicknamed the “Lakes Area”. When their dad and I got divorced, I stayed in our family home, and he moved a few miles down the road.
Then, about a year later, he moved back to the East Side, and our sons decided to stay here because they are West Siders. I am kidding – it’s mostly because their friends are here, and it’s too long a drive to school.
(Photo Credit: The Detroit News 2025 Dream Cruise)
East side Detroit food vs west side Detroit food
Let’s talk food – my favorite subject! From what I have learned, the East Side offers food from diverse cultural heritages, including Italian and German. The West Side has a more pronounced Mexican influence, hence the name “Mexicantown.” Soul food originates from a rich heritage of Black people, particularly on the West Side, with a significant culinary influence.
Since the 1980s, Detroit has experienced a significant influx of Arabic and Indian immigrants, further influencing our cuisine with Middle Eastern and Indian flair. We cannot forget our Greek influence in Downtown Detroit, especially in Greektown.
According to The Detroit Free Press, they break down Detroit’s food scene like this:
“The only American city with an Arab majority, Dearborn’s dining scene is rich with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants of various cultures. Here is where you’ll find some of the best Iraqi, Lebanese, Yemeni and Syrian staples in the country, like crisp falafel, creamy hummus, tender shawarma, syrupy knafeh and Turkish coffee.
As its name implies, Greektown’s culinary identity is largely shaped by early Greek settlers. Longstanding Greek restaurants and pastry shops remain. Here, you’ll find saganaki, or flaming cheese, on just about any menu as well as Greek salads, gyros and baklava.
A multicultural city surrounded entirely by Detroit, Hamtramck’s food scene is shaped by the immigrant populations that have settled there. Early Polish settlers remain, lending the region’s most popular restaurants for pierogi, potato pancakes and seared kielbasa…
On the city’s west side, Livernois Avenue boasts a rich presence of food businesses that reflect the African diaspora. Black-owned diners, restaurants, takeout joints and bakeries line the strip,”.
Lakes near Detroit Michigan
In the Northwest side, we have many lakes, and all within almost throwing distance of each other. Notably, we lay claim to more than three hundred and eighty-seven lakes, and of those lakes, three hundred and seventeen are named, while seventy are unnamed lakes.
On the East Side, they have Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Stoney Creek.
Although I love living northwest of Detroit in the Lakes Area, one thing is for sure – good food is missing! They do not even have an authentic Italian bakery where I can buy my cheeses, fresh imported pasta, and baked goods. You can’t beat the scenery, though!
I almost forgot to include the southern portion of the West Side, near Ann Arbor, where the Chain of Lakes is located. It is a watershed of the Huron River, covering northern Washtenaw County and southern Livingston County with these lakes:
- Big Portage
- Little Portage
- Base Line
- Zukey
- Strawberry
- Whitewood
- Gallagher
- Ore
- Tamarack
What divides East and West Detroit?
In conclusion, ultimately, whether you’re an East Sider or West Sider, Detroit’s diversity — in people, food, and landscape — is what makes our region truly one of a kind.