Detroit or Milwaukee?

Neither city is a reason to pack swimwear, but Milwaukee's beach is the better one to have on hand. Bradford Beach sits right below the East Side bluffs with volleyball courts and cabanas, and it is a real summer gathering place on Lake Michigan.

Detroit's best sand is at Lake St. Clair Metropark, about forty minutes' drive away, though its shallow water does warm up more. Belle Isle's small beach is the in-town option.

The two eat about equally well, from very different traditions. Detroit has the Coney Island hot dog, square Detroit-style pizza and Eastern Market on Saturdays. Its real strength is Dearborn's Lebanese and Yemeni cooking, which is worth the drive, along with Mexicantown and the Polish bakeries of Hamtramck.

Milwaukee's table is German and Upper Midwestern: the Friday fish fry, frozen custard, bratwurst, cheese curds and the supper club with its relish trays. Beer is part of the food culture there in a way it isn't in Detroit.

Detroit has the heavier sightseeing. The Detroit Institute of Arts, with Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals filling a courtyard, stands among the country's great museums, and the Motown Museum, the Wright Museum, the Henry Ford complex in Dearborn and the Guardian and Fisher buildings add more.

Milwaukee's highlight is Calatrava's winged art museum on the lake, followed by the Harley-Davidson Museum and the brewing-era mansions and churches. It makes two or three good days, where Detroit can fill more, as long as you skip the empty stretches in between.

Going out is roughly as good in either city but feels quite different. Detroit's nights are shaped by techno: warehouse parties, small serious clubs and after-hours events, spread across Corktown, Midtown and downtown and linked by taxi.

Milwaukee is a tavern city, with a corner bar on nearly every block, Water Street for the loud crowd and Brady Street for dive bars. It is the better pick for beer and patios, while dancers should choose Detroit.

Milwaukee has the better outdoors, mostly because Lake Michigan is so close. Olmsted's Lake Park, with its bluffs and ravines, long lakefront trails and kayaking through the centre put nature on the doorstep, and Kettle Moraine's glacial hills are an hour away.

Detroit is flatter and more enclosed. Belle Isle and the RiverWalk are pleasant, and the metroparks have wetlands and birds, but there is little in the way of open views or hills.

Milwaukee wins clearly, largely thanks to Chicago, which is about an hour and a half away by train with no car needed. Madison, Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings in Racine, Kohler and Lake Geneva fill out a good list.

From Detroit, Ann Arbor, Frankenmuth, Toledo's art museum and a passport hop to Windsor are pleasant enough, but nearly all of them need a car.

Both work well with children, and both have a large zoo. Detroit's star is Greenfield Village, with steam trains and horse-drawn rides, plus the Belle Isle aquarium, but everything is spread out.

Milwaukee is easier day to day. Discovery World and the children's museum are central, the Mitchell Park Domes help in cold weather, and summer brings the beach, baseball and lakeside festivals.

Both are car cities beyond a small walkable core, but Milwaukee is a little easier. Its downtown, Third Ward and lakefront connect on foot along the Riverwalk, buses reach the zoo, parking is simple and the lakefront trails suit a bike in summer.

In Detroit, the People Mover and QLine cover downtown and Midtown well, but Dearborn, the zoo and anything further out mean a hire car or ride-hailing.

Neither city is a shopping destination, and the offer is similar in size. Detroit's edge is its makers: Detroit-made watches, leather goods and prints in Midtown and Corktown boutiques, plus crafts at Eastern Market.

Milwaukee's browsing centres on the Third Ward's warehouse boutiques and galleries, and most visitors go home with cheese, beer or Harley-Davidson gear. In both cities, big brands mean a drive to a suburban mall.

Detroit leaves a little more in your pocket. Room rates are low for a large American city and jump mainly on game and concert nights near the downtown stadiums and theatres, so a midweek stay avoids the worst of it. The real extra is the car: beyond the cheap People Mover and QLine, most visitors pay for a hire car and parking or for ride-hailing.

Milwaukee's hotel prices rise with the season instead, peaking on summer festival and game weekends, just when the city is at its best. Against that, the lakefront, the parks and many festivals cost little or nothing, and a beer in a neighbourhood tavern is cheap. Tips and sales tax come on top of listed prices in both cities.

Detroit is the stronger music city. Orchestra Hall, the restored opera house, the Fox Theatre and deep-rooted jazz clubs sit alongside the Motown, soul and gospel tradition. The free jazz festival over Labor Day fills downtown, and live bands play most nights.

Milwaukee has a full set of companies for its size, including ballet and repertory theatre, and Summerfest is a huge draw. Outside summer, though, its programme is more local in scale.

Neither city is somewhere to unwind, but Milwaukee comes closer. Its pace is calmer, the lakefront walks are restful, and the resort village of Kohler, about an hour north, offers a proper spa day. Detroit's rhythm is work, sport and music, and rest there is limited to a hotel spa or a slow afternoon on Belle Isle.