The subject is lot rental for the Crossfire Club -

Another point of view:
We live at 11 and Woodward.
We went out tonight to see what was going on at each lot.
The advantage of the 17 mile and Woodward lot is it is closer to the hotel. The rental charge includes some perks as well. It is very pretty in that area for going on drives and seeing expensive houses on the different roads.
The problem is the space for the group is behind Fox and Hound and some office buildings. There are no sidewalks or any place to walk to. You won't see the cruise from where the cars will be. The traffic travels much faster, not at the 13 and Woodward cruise speed. It is on the east side of Woodward, which means you will end up driving north on Woodward more. This is a major pain. If you have a manual Crossfire this will be hell as from 8 mile or so until 15 mile or so it is very slow, (stop-stop-go-stop-go-stop-stop) when driving north. There is no "upscale city" near the $25 lot. This area has big buildings, offices and a gas station. No other place to grab a pop or a snack.
The Ferndale lot is... in Ferndale! Check out a map, it's many miles from Downtown Detroit. The cruise doesn't go to downtown in any event. This lot is clean and private. Ferndale has sidewalks, fast food, drug stores and Woodward Ave Brewery just across the street. There are many other little places to eat as well. It is 6 miles south of the other lot, making it farther from the hotel. Being on the west side of Woodward is a big advantage. You can use the south side of Woodward to cruise, loop around to a road off of 8 mile which is west of Woodward, go north and drive south again, avoiding the north side. The traffic going south doesn't jam up and flows much better than north. The best would be to "loop around" using 10 mile as it doesn't have any homes or business on it. Also 8 mile is not exactly the high light of the area! I use it, but I don't stop for gas or go sight seeing on the side streets. For sure I wouldn't in a Crossfire and being a blond! It is 3-4 lanes that travel fairly fast.
The very best would be to get space around 13 mile on Woodward. I agree that the good spots are likely gone now. When we were out tonight it was hard to find many that could hold 20 or so cars [to consider asking about renting]. When I first heard about these choices I thought the 17 mile lot would be best, Ferndale is a neat place, but its not Bloomfield Hills. What exactly does the club want a lot for?
RPM said the reason was for a place for the group to meet. The hotel lot would work for this or some other place that isn't on Woodward. The whole point of being on Woodward is to see the cruise and have the crowd see your car. Since we are too late to have a place to park and have our cars be seen, what does the group want to use a space for? If people are thinking of coming to the cruise to drive on Woodward most of the time, then meet up for a meal and some drinks, skip renting a lot, agree to meet somewhere in a lot that is big enough, but not on Woodward.
If people are wanting to park their cars, get out chairs, meet other members, spend time watching the cruise and drive, then you want to be on Woodward. The Ferndale lot is just off of Woodward about 40 yards. You would need to take your chair and walk up to the corner if you wanted to watch the cars. I don't think ,at this late date, it is a problem, especially when your talking $10 spots.
One solution could be I offer my house as a meeting point for pizza and drinks. A problem with this is when? Friday night some members won't be here yet, Saturday is the cruise and Sunday people are going home. Another is we can't be "late and loud" as I live in a family neighborhood. If people wanted a break Saturday afternoon we could meet at my home to have a bite to eat, coffee or something cool to drink. Maybe this would be a solution to not renting a lot?
Everyone has different expectations and experiences about this. I will be happy to go along with the group. We have attended the cruise each year since it started and have always had a ball.