Madison Building Detroit: Home Of The Coolest Party In Town

If you’ve ever driven through downtown Detroit at night time, you’ve probably noticed Detroit’s Madison Building at one time or another. Whether it’s the colorful lights and thumping music coming from the rooftop or the giant whale mural on neighboring Broderick Tower, the Madison is vibrant, attention-grabbing, and frankly, has always left me wondering who hangs out at this venue (and who you’ve gotta know to get an invitation).

As it turns out, you just need to know someone who’s throwing a super-sweet party. In 2011, the Madison Building (formerly the Madison Theatre) was purchased by Dan Gilbert’s Rock Ventures to be repurposed as a nerve center for entrepreneurial endeavors. Today, the building’s ground level is inhabited by Angelina Italian Bistro and Ashe Supply Co. (a popular coffee shop), while the rest of the building serves as event space for businesses, weddings, and more. As a social influencer for Verizon, I was thrilled to recently be invited to #ConnectDetroit, an end-of-summer event at the Madison (or M@dison, as it’s officially spelled) for Detroit Instagrammers to meet, socialize, and of course–take lots of “‘gram-worthy” photos.

The gathering took place on the roof of the Madison Building, which not only gave us a close-up look at the famous Broderick Tower whale mural, but also an amazing view of downtown Detroit (including Comerica Park, Grand Circus Park, and Woodward Avenue). The party began during “magic hour” (that time of day right before sunset when the sun shines perfectly for picture-taking), and you can bet everyone in attendance took advantage. I’m actually a little bummed that I didn’t have my camera with me, but I did snap quite a few shots with my phone.

In between noshing on little sandwiches and furiously typing out Detroit-related hashtags, I have to say I was most entertained by Brad’s determination to play the ‘gram game. You see, while he’s long been acquainted with his role as my Instagram husband, Brad has never managed an account of his own. Him finally trying to figure out feeds, filters, hashtags, and followers = one of the most entertaining evenings in my recent memory.

By sunset, the sky blazed with shades of orange, yellow, blue, pink, and purple. The view kept changing, but somehow, it kept getting better. And once again, Detroit surprised me with another side I hadn’t yet seen.

Thanks to Verizon for a spectacular evening!

Have you ever experienced downtown Detroit from atop the Madison Building? If not, what’s your favorite “exclusive” place to hang out when you’re in the area?