iness

Lessionals

ON THE COV - '

Downtown from page 21

1980), had a bar mitzvah at the former
Congregation Beth Achim in Southfield,
was a camper and counselor at Oakland
County-based Tamarack Camps. He
earned his undergraduate and law degrees
from the University of Michigan. He joined
a law firm for a few years, but then had his
own suburban practice for 14 years before
moving downtown.
He now lives in an apartment in
the old Fyfe Building at the corner of
Woodward and Adams, across from Grand
Circus Park, close to the Fox Theatre and
Comerica Park. In its heyday, the building
was a haven for shoe stores. He owns a
car, but walks every day to his office at the
other end of downtown. "Sometimes, I go
days without driving," he said. "I usually
use the car only to attend family functions
in the suburbs?'
His father, the late Richard Goldsmith,
was an Austrian immigrant who came
to Detroit in 1940, and also "believed in
the city," working there for many years as
a mechanical engineer, Goldsmith said.
His mother, Pearl Goldsmith, is a Detroit
native who graduated from Northern High
School (Class of 1940) and now lives in
Florida.
The Guardian Building downtown is a walking-tour highlight for Bob Goldsmith.
Goldsmith became a tour entrepreneur
after getting interested in Detroit touring as restaurants, including Coney dog tastings
the Motown Museum and the old Ford
a volunteer and tour leader for Preservation along the way. "Believe it or not, there are
Piquette Street factory.
Wayne, a non-profit organization.
134 Coney Islands in Detroit, a city with
"I also can arrange special tours of
"I've always been a history buff and
149 square miles; so that's almost one
Old Jewish Detroit, including the famous
my interest in historic places grew when
Coney per square mile:' he mused.
old synagogues that became churches;
I started giving tours for Preservation
Another popular tour subject showcases practically any ethnic group area; the
Wayne," he said. "I realized that I should
all the sculptures of nude women. These
Northwest Detroit and the Palmer Park
have my own tour company."
can be found at the Detroit Opera House,
area; the architecture of famous architects
He now personally gives two-hour walk- the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Main
like Albert Kahn (who was Jewish) and
ing tours every Wednesday at 6 p.m. from
Library and even at the Frank Murphy
Minoru Yamasaki; a Detroit Auto History
May-September, and every other Sunday
Hall of Justice and the Fisher Building and Tour; Motor City Music Tour; and the major
at 1 p.m. from May-October, both start-
on Belle Isle — if people want to venture
developments in the city since 2000."
ing from the front of the newly renovated
farther on their own to track down these
Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel. He publicizes
art masterpieces.
Bullish On Detroit
the tours mainly by distributing tour top-
Other walking tours cover Courts,
Goldsmith keeps up with Detroit politics,
ics and schedules to the hotel concierges.
Cops and Lawyers, 1920s Architecture,
but he doesn't consider himself to be an
"And, of course, I get the old-fashioned
1800s Architecture, Historic Hotels,
activist in any way.
word-of-mouth advertising:' he said.
Historic Churches, Park Avenue (mainly
"I voted in the primary (Aug. 4) mainly
"The tour cost is only $10 per person
restaurants and night clubs), Brush Park,
for the candidates endorsed by the Detroit
and reservations really aren't necessary,
Pewabic Tiles and Art, and a special tour
newspapers:' he said. "I'm very optimistic
but people should still call so we can
geared to photography. Detroit's new
that things will get better in the city and
expect them:' he explained. "I basically
downtown appearance really is a part of
that Detroit will make a comeback. Dave
just take whoever shows up and away we
almost every tour.
Bing is doing a good job so far as mayor."
go. I tell them in advance to wear com-
Detroit Tour Connections also offers
A fan of downtown restaurants, he
fortable walking shoes. They can park
a host of special group bus tours with
recommends the following as some of his
free at downtown city meters on Sunday
Goldsmith as guide, usually for $10-$15 a
favorites: for breakfast, Brooklyn Street
and after 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Walking
person.
Grill on Michigan Avenue near the for-
around downtown is a great way to learn
"Suppose a family is celebrating a wed-
mer Tiger Stadium ("a great traditional
about Detroit. People can live here all their ding, or bar or bat mitzvah in the Detroit
diner"); for lunch, Detroit Beer Co. on
lives without seeing the many interesting
area:' he said. "There might be enough
Broadway Street in the renovated Hartz
things in a big city. These tours give them
guests coming in from out-of-town to
Building ("I'm a regular there"), and for
a chance to do so."
warrant a bus tour I refer to as Detroit
dinner, Slows Bar BQ on Michigan Avenue
Goldsmith admits some of the tours are
Highlights, which includes Renaissance
in the old Corktown district ("but get
sort of "off-the-wall," but they're usually
Center, the Penobscot Building, the Fox,
there early because it's usually packed").
the most popular, such as the Coney Island Comerica Park and Ford Field, Orchestra
Goldsmith also makes meals in his
Tour of a large variety of Coney Island
Hall, the DIA, the Opera House, the Fisher, apartment, mostly shopping at the Eastern

22

A U ust 6 2009

Market or in the small stores of southwest
Detroit.
"I'm a great fan of Mexican food so I
spend a lot of time in that part of the city:'
he said.
While he seems to enjoy the life of a
bachelor, he points out, "I would love to
meet a nice woman and possibly get mar-
ried. As a Jew living downtown, I'm defi-
nitely in the minority."
One of his chief outside interests is par-
ticipating in the "Yiddish Football League"
in the suburbs, which he organized and
has been league commissioner of for
the past nine years. The six-man teams
play 10 Sunday morning games of touch
football a season — even in the rain or
snow — plus playoffs, culminating in the
Matzah Bowl.
Despite the constant walking on his
tours, Goldsmith finds time to sit down
and practice law, covering real estate, pro-
bate matters, wills, trusts, contracts, civil
lawsuits and misdemeanor cases.
Like most other businesses, the sluggish
economy has affected both his law prac-
tice and the tour business, "but I do about
60-65 tours a year:' he said, "and I love it.
And I love Detroit."

❑

Interested in learning more about
Detroit? Contact Bob Goldsmith at
Detroit Tour Connections,
(313) 283-4332, or
www.detroittourconnections.com