As we go to press early on some of these pages, the stock market's still tumbling. We were too wrapped up in this issue to listen closely to what the president said about his latest package to deal with the crisis, but there's a rumor going around the office that he's asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff for a plan to airdrop large bills across major metropolitan areas. That'd be an end-run around the freezing credit lines. "When the free market fails, we must circumvent failure. We have no choice but to move to the free-for-all market": Did he really say that?
Seriously, though, these are strange days and a strange time to be coming out with our Best of Detroit issue. So we've tried, in the final days of this long project, to think of it as more than a "Best Of" issue, and rather think of it as the MT stimulus package. Our small bid, our bit of grease to the wheels of commerce and community — after the $700 billion bailout — to help the economy along.
You'll find lots of ideas in these pages from our staff, freelance writers and interns (and those we reached out to) — and from the many readers who took time to fill out our online ballots. Ideas about what's valuable, interesting, quirky and just plain good in our metropolitan area. Ideas about our recent political travails and what might lie ahead. Much of the package involves spending — for nights on the town, for meals, for the items that make the places we live in homes. And we want to help you get value for your suddenly-more-precious dollars. But community is more than commerce alone — something we always try to keep in mind at this paper.
Here's hoping you'll drink to that with us.Or at least share a cookie. —W. Kim Heron, editor
Community Chest - People's Poll
by Metro Times readers
Our local treasures, from media to politics to architecture, as judged by our readers
Community Chest - Staff Picks
by Metro Times staff
Super people, places and things, picked by our team of writers
Conspicuous Consumption - People's Poll
by Metro Times readers
Wherein our readers pick the best places to eat
Conspicuous Consumption - Staff Picks
by Metro Times food staff
From style to fare to special dishes, our staff picked what's best
Spend the Night - People's Poll
by Metro Times readers
The music venues and watering holes our readers love the most
Spend the Night - Staff Picks
by Metro Times staff
From upscale cocktails to rawk 'n' roll, our fave nocturnal haunts
The Glory of Capitalism - People's Poll
by Metro Times readers
Paper or plastic, our readers pick out the top of the shops
The Glory of Capitalism - Staff Picks
by Metro Times staff
Our staff counters with our own favorite places to plunk it down
