Cover Stories
Giving by the book: A rundown of Detroit tomes for the literates in your life
Reliving Detroit’s “Golden Age” — Over the last decade, Chris Edwards and Elaine Weeks have churned out five books about the Windsor area. This year brings readers 5,000 Ways You Know You’re From Detroit, the duo’s first book about our fair city, and it’s a doozy. The handsome coffee table volume has been released in…
Thought for food: Edible gifts for every taste
Metro Detroit is home to some of the coolest, funkiest food purveyors in the country. Why wouldn’t you pass along some locally made sweets (or olive oil) to everyone on your list? Sister Pie, Rock City Eatery, Achatz, Grand Traverse Pie, Sweetbird Kitchen Pie Crust Crumbles My, oh my, metro Detroit has a lot of…
Gift ideas for the un-material girl (or boy) in your life
Don’t we all have enough things? Instead of unwrapping another sweater or tie, perhaps your beloved would rather find a spa package with their name on it under the tree — hey, we’re just thinking out loud here. We’ve rounded up some options that range from unusual sporting to a steam at the Schvitz. Pro…
Instead of going big-box, consider shopping smart and local at these smaller markets
Instead of hitting the mall for mass-produced items that will likely fall apart after a handful of uses, consider one of metro Detroit’s craft markets. Saturday, 11/25 Made in the Mitten Holiday Market @ Royal Oak Farmers Market This little market has it all — local vendors, live music, food trucks, and even photos with…
Quicken Loans aims to help 65,000 Detroit households avoid tax foreclosure
This fall, about two thousand Detroit families and households lost the roofs over their heads due to tax foreclosure. This occurred for a variety of reasons, but in most cases, the people put out were renters with irresponsible landlords who hadn’t paid their tax bills. In other instances, low-income homeowners who would have been eligible…
Main Art Theatre to host midnight showings of cult favorite ‘The Room’
Love. Betrayal. Friendship. The worst movie ever made? When Tommy Wiseau set out to make the 2003 quasi-autobiographical drama The Room, he was aiming for an Oscar nomination. Well, an Oscar never happened for the mysteriously rich marble-mouthed possible vampire, but what Wiseau did manage was to create a cult phenomena. Nearly 15-years later, The…
Nosh Pit is planning a vegetarian restaurant and food truck park in Hamtramck
The Nosh Pit Detroit vegetarian/vegan food truck is planning a brick-and-mortar restaurant and food truck park in Hamtramck. Owners and husband-and-wife-team Karen and Eric Schultz tell Metro Times that the restaurant will open at 2995 Yemens St. in downtown Hamtramck, and initially offer dinner service Thursday through Saturday. They already have the keys and are planning…
These are the 10 most wish-listed Airbnb listings in Detroit
Founded in 2008, Airbnb has quickly become a popular way to travel while avoiding sterile hotel chains or expensive bed and breakfasts. Just four years after launching, the company announced it had already facilitated 10 million bookings. According to data collected by the company, Airbnb listings are on the rise in Detroit, and the city…
Some modest proposals for Detroit’s Amazon HQ2 courtship
More than a month has gone by since Amazon closed its contest seeking a site for its second headquarters. The company had outlined the sort of civic assets it hoped to enjoy, and more than 200 communities put together proposals. Many of them involved generous subsidies — which some ill-mannered observers called “bribes” — to…
Ann Arbor’s State Theatre will re-open next week after multimillion dollar renovation
Designed by renowned architect C. Howard Crane and opened in 1942, Ann Arbor’s State Theatre closed 10 months ago to undergo an $8.5 million transformation. The theater, which will celebrate its 75th birthday just in time for a re-opening celebration on Friday, Dec. 8, is still in the process of being restored to its original…
Founder’s Brewing Co. opens its Cass Corridor brew pub next week
Founder’s Brewing Company’s Detroit brew pub will open on Monday. The Grand Rapids-based company announced that it’s holding a grand opening celebration for its Cass Corridor location on Dec. 4 from 3 p.m. to midnight. The 14,000-square-foot brewery is its second and is housed in the building that used to hold the Cass Corridor Food…
Highland Park kidnapping charges have been dropped against two alleged Detroit serial rapists
In a preliminary hearing at the 30th District Court on Tuesday, charges were dropped against Aaron Rashard Stewart, 22, and Quentin Davon Flemons, 19, who were connected to the sexual assault, kidnapping, and unarmed robbery of a Highland Park woman. The 31-year-old victim was riding her bicycle on July 18, 2016 near Second Avenue and…
Big Sean just received his third Grammy nomination
Talk about #blessed. Detroit’s own Big Sean woke up to some good news this morning. The 60th Grammy Awards nomination announcement made on Nov. 28 includes a Best Rap Performance nomination for Big Sean for his track “Bounce Back” from 2017’s I Decided. But, he’s got some stiff competition. Also nominated are Cardi B for…
This metro Detroit company wants to break the Guinness World Record for the largest ugly sweater gathering
’Tis the season for hot cocoa, caroling and … totally laying waste to Guinness World Records? For metro Detroit-based company UglyChristmasSweater.com, the holidays just got a whole lot uglier. In an attempt to break the world record for the largest gathering of people wearing holiday sweaters, the company is calling for all hands on deck,…
The historic Kiesling bar in Milwaukee Junction will be revived in January
The long-vacant Milwaukee Junction bar that Carlo Liburdi purchased off the foreclosure auction in 2015 and set out to remodel was like so many other buildings in Detroit with previous owners who didn’t appreciate their architectural features. White paint covered the walls, beams, and woodwork in the 1,200-square-foot space that was built in 1890s. It…
Supreme Court case has roots in Radio Shack robberies in Michigan and Ohio
The U.S. Supreme Court will take up Carpenter v. United States this week, turning the judicial system’s eyes toward prosecutorial discretion in searching cell phone records in criminal cases. At issue is interpretation of the Fourth Amendment, which defines illegal and unreasonable searches and seizures. In this case, prosecutors culled cell phone data to track…
Hundreds of mid-century treasures will be auctioned off at WSU’s McGregor building
A new auction company called Block House Auction will hold its first affair on Dec. 15. The sale will feature hundreds of mid-century pieces by notable designers like Adrian Pearsall, Poul Jensen, J.L. Moller, Milo Baughman, Nils Jonsson, Dunbar, Blenko, Michael Higgins, C. Jere, and more. The pieces range from lamps to chairs to planters…
Under new rules, the Spirit of Detroit will be showing a lot less team spirit
The Spirit of Detroit statue looks like it’ll be showing a lot less team spirit in the years to come. The authority charged with managing the statue and the city-county building before which it sits has established a new set of rules for putting a jersey on the bronze sculpture: You have to be a…
Bill Schuette campaign touts Mike Pence support
We’re not sure he should be announcing this too loudly, but we got a press release from Attorney General Bill Schuette noting that none other than Vice President Mike Pence has thrown his support behind his 2018 Michigan gubernatorial campaign. Pence’s political action committee is donating $6,800 to Schuette’s campaign, according to The Detroit News. The PAC…
Detroit’s ‘Fuck Trump’ graffiti pieces will give you hope
Donald Trump’s first year in office has been a whirlwind, to put it in the kindest of terms. It’s so hard to keep up on the deluge of news coming out of the White House that a quick reflection is in order: There was Trump’s attempted ban on travel from predominantly Muslim countries, the protracted…
Michigan wants Line 5 pipeline moved to underground tunnel
Canadian oil giant Enbridge Energy reached an agreement with the state of Michigan today that will see some major upgrades made to its aging, controversial Line 5 pipeline that sits at the bottom of the St. Clair River and the Straits of Mackinac. Per the agreement, Enbridge will move Line 5 to an underground tunnel…
Downtown Detroit workers are invited to pet lonely dogs on Giving Tuesday
As part of their Giving Tuesday outreach, the Michigan Humane Society will bring a cohort of adoptable dogs to Cadillac Square tomorrow and you’re welcome to pet them. The effort is called Pets for Pets, and passersby can stop and give lonely pups a behind-the-ear scratch — and make a donation to the state’s oldest and…
Red Hook Coffee opens inside Will Leather Goods
Red Hook Coffee shop owner Sandi Heaselgrave announced today she will operate a third location inside Midtown’s Will Leather Goods. In a press release, Heaselgrave said she has been searching for a Midtown location for two years and happened upon the space after hearing through a friend that the leather goods store was seeking an…
Short-lived Corktown bar Red Corridor has closed for good
After less than a year in business, Red Corridor has closed its doors for the last time. The closure was announced via a Facebook post on Friday. The bar, formerly Casey’s Pub, was embroiled in controversy since its less-than-auspicious beginning. It was originally going to open under the name “Hoffa’s Hideout,” but the name was…
Eminem doppelganger channels his alter ego in colorful, bong-filled exhibit
Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? Or maybe you’ve been told you look like a celebrity? Though the chance of you having a true doppelganger is one in a trillion, you likely fall into the same category as Philidelphia-based installation artist Alex Da Corte, who has been exploring the depths of his look-a-like, Eminem,…
Downtown Detroit pharmacy tech suspended after illegally doling out $32k in opioids
A downtown Detroit pharmacy technician has had her license suspended after allegedly participating in a scheme that filled 36 fake prescriptions for opioid and benzodiazepine medications. The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) ordered that Ikea Treadwell’s license be suspended after a complaint was filed that Treadwell allegedly dispensed thousands of pills with an “estimated street…
Update: Here’s where you can sign petitions to end gerrymandering in Michigan (Nov. 22 – Nov. 30)
The group Voters Not Politicians is still working to gather the signatures needed to get a proposal on the November 2018 ballot to end gerrymandering of electoral districts. The non-partisan, nonprofit group is proposing amending Michigan’s state constitution to establish a 13-member citizens’ commission made up of five independent voters, plus four each from the two major parties.…
Wearable, well-priced vintage comes to Farmington in time for Small Business Saturday
It’s Small Business Saturday, that time of year when you’re encouraged to shop local in the name of economic ethics. But if you want to supercharge your virtuous shopping experience, consider a place that celebrates a time when things were actually made here. The Lowry Estate, a vintage shop that’s settling into fresh digs in…
Shimmy Shack vegan food truck announces brick and mortar plans
The Shimmy Shack is not only rebounding from an incident in which someone vandalized its truck in South Lyon earlier this year, but is now announcing plans for a brick-and-mortar restaurant to open in 2018. The company made the announcement via press release and no more details are available at the moment. Shimmy Shack is…
John Conyers says he will not resign
If you’re one of the many powerful men recently accused of doing shitty things to women, what’s the acceptable response? Sexual harassment and assault allegations against members of rock bands Pwr Bttm and Brand New have resulted in canceled tour dates and a retreat from the public eye. Entertainment figures like Harvey Weinstein have been…
Let’s hear it for Thanksgiving, the third most profitable holiday of the year
Good news, everybody! Thanksgiving is here, and the news media couldn’t be happier. Why? Because you’re going to consume! You’re going to consume food: The average American will spend almost $100 on food and drink this weekend. Woo-hoo! Way to prime the economic pump, people! What else is great? You’re going to spend lots of…
The Morouns get their close-up in the new issue of ‘Harpers’
In case you missed it, or haven’t seen it yet, there’s a really well-reported feature story about one of Detroit’s least popular plutocratic families. It’s in the Harper’s, it’s about the Morouns, and it’s called “Crossing Guards” — subtitled “When private ownership of a bridge gets old.” Related It’s not the first up-close-and-personal look from a…
A former Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas guitarist has died
Former Jessica Hernandez and the Delta’s guitarist Michael Krygier has died, according to an announcement made on the band’s official Facebook page. Krygier had performed with the band for more than five years, but recently left to pursue his own dreams. “I am forever indebted to him for his talent, humor, creativity, friendship, and love.”…
It’s time to brush up on the history of the Hudson’s site
As Dan Gilbert and company prepare to break ground (with a helping hand from Michigan’s taxpayers) on Detroit’s long-dormant Hudson’s site, we’re presented with an excellent opportunity to examine the history of that block. It wasn’t always a “girder farm” as some have joked. In fact, over the years, the block has been one of…
Detroit area members of Colin Kaepernick’s frat to protest at Ford Field on Thanksgiving
These days, football and politics seem to go together like turkey and stuffing. And that trend will continue tomorrow outside the Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field, as a local member of Colin Kaepernick’s fraternity hosts a protest against police brutality and the NFL’s “blackballing” of Kaepernick. Eric Brown, an alumna of the Kappa…
12 Days of GRiZMAS returns with new festive lineup
‘Tis the season for giving and toking. Michigan’s own saxophone-wielding, Kush-smoking philanthropist (and also, DJ, musician, and producer), GRiZ, is coming home for the holidays, just in time to host his annual 12-day charity event. Related The 12 Days of GRiZMAS is returning for the fourth year in a row, and some things have changed.…
Adbusters co-founder Kalle Lasn wants to push the spirit of Buy Nothing Day through the holidays
For what seems like it must have been forever now, as the cold weather really sets in across most of America, we make our holiday shopping lists and check our budgets twice. It’s tradition and, having been insidiously (and gradually) married to many of our deepest emotional connections to the season, it seems on face…
Jeff Daniels the actor makes way for Jeff Daniels the musician
From a contentious novelist-turned-regretful family man, to an insufferable ever-placating news anchor, to a lovingly dim-witted dog groomer, Jeff Daniels the actor is a man of many roles. But it is perhaps that of the singer-songwriter, arts advocate, husband, and father residing in Chelsea, Mich. that requires the most agility. The truth is, it’s not…
Ferndale Radio stands on the shoulders of 20 years of protests, pirate radio
On Friday, a group of radio nerds will see a dream realized and make Ferndale history when Ferndale Radio begins broadcasting live from the Rust Belt Market on 100.7 FM. Ferndale Radio, or WFCB, is a Low Power FM (LPFM) radio station, a noncommercial service that can operate at a maximum power of 100 watts,…
Fact meets fiction in unconventional holiday flick
God made the heavens and the Earth in six days, but he didn’t create Christmas. That was left to Charles Dickens, who accomplished the task in just six weeks by writing the most beloved holiday classic of all time, A Christmas Carol. Of course, neither tale is true. But just as biblical stories make great…
Horoscopes (Nov. 22-28)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): You’ve been involved with people and situations that make you wonder what’s going on. Between the stuff that’s being shoved under the rug, and the things that aren’t being said, it’s hard for you to understand why someone with your brains and your abilities keeps getting the shaft. At the…
Savage Love: Public players
I’m a twentysomething straight woman. About a month ago, I had a really vivid dream in which I was at a party and engaging with a guy I had just met. We were seriously flirting. Then my fiancé showed up — my real, flesh-and-blood, sleeping-next-to-me fiancé — who we’ll call G. In the dream, I…
We don’t need no education
You have to hand it to them — on one hand, the Republicans who have run everything in Lansing for the past seven years have been consistent. They’ve done pretty much everything they can to seriously damage public education in Michigan. Relentlessly positive Gov. Rick Snyder started it all when he took office in 2011,…
Review: Pizzaplex does pizza by the books
Pizzaplex is the only restaurant in Detroit to seek certification as a purveyor of true Naples-style pizza: Vera Pizza Napoletana. The eleven pages of rules are improbably detailed and complex, and fun to read, like, “Specifically excluded is the use of a rolling pin.” The ruling Associazione specifies everything a certified pizzaiolo (pizza-maker) must use…
There’s more to come on the issue of marijuana
Supporters of marijuana legalization are getting closer to taking the question to the people of Michigan. The Committee to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol turned in petitions to the state Bureau of Elections on Monday. If the state verifies that 252,523 signatures on the petitions are valid, we’ll be voting on legalizing recreational use of marijuana…
Grizzly Bear just shook off 4-year hibernation, and they’re coming to metro Detroit
When your band is referred to as the American equivalent to Radiohead by critics and fans alike, the world takes notice of your absence. For Grizzly Bear, a band whose reputation was forged by both the music blog-industrial complex of the mid-2000s as well as their exploratory affection for restless rumination, that four year hibernation…
