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Ultimate Visitor's Guide: Shelby Township and Utica

Welcome to Shelby Township and Utica. Whether you're here for business, pleasure, weddings, family reunions, or just passing through, Patch has your guide to what's not to miss.

 
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The beach at Stony Creek in Shelby Township.
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The Courtyard Marriott is one of the hotels in the Shelby and Utica area. Credit Ian Maloney
Andrews School is a more than 140-year-old one-room schoolhouse in Shelby Township. Credit Salam Zahr
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Welcome to town. For your visiting purposes, Shelby-Utica Patch has created the ultimate visitors guide.

Whether you have a few hours, days or weeks to explore our little gems of cities, you’ll find plenty to do from outdoor activates to shopping and fabulous dining.

But, first let us tell you a little about Shelby Township and Utica so you can orient yourself.

Shelby Township

Shelby Township is a Charter Township of Macomb County. It was established in 1827. According to the 2010 census, 73,804 residents live within the township’s 35.2 square miles of land.

Shelby runs from M-59 to 26 Mile Road, and from Dequindre to Hayes roads.

It’s bordered to the west by Rochester Hills and Rochester; to the north is Washington Township, to the east is Macomb Township and to the south are the cities of Utica and Sterling Heights.

M-59 is the main thoroughfare, which contains a good chunk of the businesses and shopping malls and M-53, is a highway that runs through north and south through the city.

City of Utica

Now, let’s take a look at Shelby’s little neighbor, the City of Utica.  Utica is made up of 1.8 square miles and has 4,757 residents, according to the 2010 census.

Utica was established in 1829, and boasts a small historic district centered around Cass Avenue and Auburn Road.

Fun fact, the nation’s largest Sam’s Club, with more than 140,000 square feet of space, is located in Utica. So if you’re a bulk shopper, strap on your tennis shoes and hit the Sam’s Club.

So, what’s there to do in these great cities?

What to do

Parks and Rec

  • River Bends Park: This park has everything you’re looking for and more such as a nature center, fishing sites and trap & archery ranges that are perfect for some fun in the sun.
  • Yates Cider Mill: Make sure to stop by the Cider Mill to enjoy some delicious ice cream during the summer and scrumptious apple cider, fudge and donuts in the fall. Yates is the perfect place for a scenic stroll any time of year and a great way to take the kids back in history to 1863. 

Auto History

  • Andrews Schoolhouse Museum: This is your chance to see one of the last one-room schoolhouses in Shelby dating back to the 1800s.  So head on over to the municipal grounds to see the building that was restored as part of Shelby’s Bicentennial Project.

Entertainment

Billiards

  • Dave and Busters: Want a place the whole family can hang out? Then check out the Dave & Buster’s where you all can eat together, and then the parents can shoot some pool while the kids hit up the arcade games.

Outdoor bars

  • Empire Lounge: This lounge is the perfect place to find a posh hangout right here in Shelby. Even better, this hotspot is the only martini lounge in the area to also offer dinner. So stop by for some great eats and to sip on their signature martini, The Great Empire.

Shopping

  • Lakeside Mall: With a wide variety of stores, eateries and amenities such lockers and children’s play areas, this mall is perfect if the weather isn’t cooperative or you just want to shop.
  • Partridge Creek: If it’s a beautiful summer day this outdoor mall has great stores and restaurants in addition to entertainment such as a movie theatre and summer concerts.

Golf

  • Stony Creek Golf Course: Located inside of Stony Creek Metropark, the course features 18 holes and 6,900 yards to golf on.
  • Cherry Creek Golf Club: Is a public golf course. There are 18 holes and more than 6,784 yards with a par of 72.

Dining

Shelby Township is known for its diverse cuisine, and here are a few local favorites. Find a complete listing of restaurants in the Patch Places directory.

Italian

  • Da Francesco's Italian Cuisine and Taverna: Da Francesco’s menu offers a large variety of pastas, chicken, veal, seafood, and steak. Some of their specialty dishes are pasta Marinara, veal di bosco, homemade gnocci, and canneloni.
  • Ristorante Piccirilli: For the romantic in all of us, Ristorante Piccirilli is the perfect restaurant to take a date for a very nice Italian dinner.

Mediterranean Cuisine

  • Lebanesse Grill: Lebanese Grill offers a comfortable and inviting ambiance along with traditional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food.
  • Cedar Valley: The grocery store/restaurant specializes in imported groceries from the Middle East and features Halal lamb, beef and chicken from the Detroit Eastern Market.

Thai and Chinese Cuisine:

  • New Great Wall: New Great Wall specializes in authentic Chinese cuisine.
  • Hong Kong Cafe: The restaurant has a full bar and offers various tropical drinks to add to a delicious meal.

American Cuisine

  • Metropolitan Cafe: Metropolitan Cafe offers great seafood, soups, salads and American fare.
  • Garden Grille and Banquet: Garden Grille has fresh soups and salads every day and fresh whitefish and perch from Michigan's own Great Lakes, as well as ribeye steaks.

Ice Cream:

  • Erma's Custard: Erma's Custard is a seasonal custard shop that has been family owned and operated since 1942.
  • Maceri's Soup and Scoops: There is a wide array of hot and cold comfort food to choose from, including the award-winning Ashby's Ice Cream, homemade soups, pitas and subs.
  • Ice Cream and Custard Shops: Famous for its oversized portions of custard and sundaes, Ice Cream & Custard Shops is located on the southeast corner of 26 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue in Shelby Township.

Lodging

Most of the hotels in town are located along Hall Road.

  • Courtyard Marriot: This Courtyard Marriot is located off of Hall Road on Utica Park Boulevard.
  • Comfort Inn: Comfort Inn is located on Hall Road just west of M-53 in Utica.
  • La Quinta Inn and Suites:  The hotel is located on Park Avenue near where M-53 and Hall Road intersect. Rates start around $75 a night.
  • Staybridge Suites: Staybridge Suites is located on Utica Park Boulevard near the Hall Road and M-53 intersection.
  • War-Del Motel: The War-Del Motel has been a staple on Van Dyke since the early '70s. It is conveniently located on the east side of Van Dyke, just north of 21 Mile Road.
Patch readers, tell us what are your favorite things to do with your out of town guests. Did we miss your picks? Tell us in the comments.

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