Head to North Oakland

Rochester and More!

Rochester is brimming with new developments, high-end shopping centers and gourmet grocers. Yet the charm of country life lingers from quaint cider mills to tree-lined downtown streets to picturesque parks and outdoor theaters. As part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Main Street Program, its post-country downtown is pristine and filled with more than 200 specialty boutiques, restaurants, salons, spas and other unique stores. The open-air Rochester Farmers' Market is also a necessity, open on weekends from early May to late October. The Paint Creek Trail, an 8.5-mile trail for hikers and bikers, also runs through downtown, and the Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University hosts regular outdoor concerts by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, as well as a range of national artists. If you'd rather watch the action, the Palace of Auburn Hills, home to the NBA's Detroit Pistons and the WNBA's Shock as well as a top concert venue, is just a short drive away.