Patrick McNamara

"Tough Luck: Detroit Stories" Aims To Get Beyond Simple Ideas Of What City Is About

Every city is a complex combination of backgrounds, ethnicities, generations, values, tensions, and confluences. There’s not one reason, or even a few reasons, why Detroit is the way it is. Every Detroiter throughout history has their own story. There are many threads that connect to the larger narratives of the way we understand Detroit that a lot can be garnered from listening to individual stories from people that were actually there. Filmmaker Mary Sommers is putting together a film that t...

Gifts for DetroitersGuide to DetroitShinola

Creator of WILDSAM Guides Taylor Bruce Talks About Detroit's Soul

The WILDSAM Field Guides are more than just a standard tourist checklist of things to see, do, and eat. The pocket-sized guidebooks, which have been created for Austin, San Francisco, Nashville and now Detroit are part of “a new American series with a bygone sense of place” designed to get at “the soul of a city.” The Detroit guide does have a concise list of suggestions that are pretty spot on, but also focuses on the history of Detroit, the people that create the social fabric here, and e...

blightDetroit CrowdfundingDetroit Philanthropy

The Tricycle Collective Is Working To Help Detroit Families Keep Their Homes Through Crowdfunding

The Tricycle Collective is a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of keeping Detroit families in their homes. The funds raised through Indiegogo will contribute to the efforts of ten families who would like to purchase their current home during Round Two of the Wayne County Tax Foreclosure Auction happening this October. Michele Oberholtzer is a writer turned community organizer who is leading the campaign, and I met her over coffee to learn more. Oberholtzer became acquainted with the Wayne Co...

biking in detroitcommunityDetroit Bicycles

Meet Southwest Rides: A Neighborhood Bike Shop With a Community Mission

Sometimes businesses in Detroit come from other places. Some are grown in start-up incubators, some pop up spontaneously, and others grow organically and fill a need in the community. Southwest Rides, which opened on June 19, fills the need for a bike shop in Southwest Detroit. Six years ago Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (UNI) connected a young person who wanted to learn about bikes with a community member who volunteered to teach the skills. The program grew into a six week earn-a-bike progr...

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Enjoy Some Of Detroit's Coolest Restaurants For $15 During Dine Drink Detroit

Dine Drink Detroit is a ten-day event from October 2nd through October 11th in which a variety of Detroit’s best restaurants collaborate to offer signature food and drink combinations for $15.  The experience does not require reservations and invites people from the region to visit establishments that are part of the up-and-coming food culture in Detroit, which is quickly gaining traction and becoming an important facet of the city’s revitalization. If you would like to participate, check out...

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Eminem, Carhartt Team Up For Limited Edition Hoodie To Benefit Charity

Eminem announced today that the Marshall Mathers Foundation and Carhartt have teamed up to design a limited edition Carhartt “Force” zip-front hoodie. 500 of the hoodies will drop tomorrow (October 1) at 2:00 pm ET on www.eminem.com. All proceeds raised by the collaboration will be donated to the Marshall Mathers Foundation, which provides funds for organizations working with at-risk youth primarily in Detroit and its surrounding communities, as well as throughout the U.S. A broad definition o...

Detroit ConeysHighland ParkRed Hots Coney Island

Oh, The Places You'll Go In Detroit: Red Hots Coney Island

There is an “Art of the Coney” (or maybe a religion) that has been practiced by Richard Harlan for 40 years at Red Hots Coney Island in Highland Park. The place was opened in 1921 and holds the title as the oldest Coney Island in Highland Park, a little city that is almost completely surrounded by Detroit, and darn near close to the oldest in the city at large. “It’s the best damn dog in the world, and it’s made right here,” said Harlan with a big smile. He took over the business on Victor...

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PHOTO FEATURE: Exploring Detroit’s Canals

We donned our life jackets, settled into our bobbling kayaks, and paddled out of the St. Jean boat launch into a slight chop on the Detroit River. The late summer sun warmed our backs and we stuck close to the shoreline to minimize drag as we paddled upstream toward Detroit’s East side canals. My paddling partner and GoPro photographer is Scott Joseph of Travelstache. He journeys around the world, but also loves to explore Detroit when back in town. This trip sequels our trip around Belle Isle...

Cared StraightKickstarterScared Straight

Here's A Way To Help Youth Get "Cared Straight"

In the age of crowdfunding on the internet, the choice of what you contribute a few dollars to are limitless. Maybe you believe a new type of key fob is going to make the world a better place.  Maybe you want to help a young creative with their series on Croissant Man. Part of Daily Detroit moving forward is suggesting crowdfunding campaigns that solve problems in the city of Detroit or improve life for its residents and visitors. “Cared Straight,” a documentary by Alan Sedghi, is our first...

best detroit delibest detroit sandwichBest sandwiches in Detroit

5 Mouthwatering Detroit Sandwiches You Should Try

When people talk about Detroit, they mention the ubiquitous coney dog. However, there are many other types of great food in the Motor City. Recently, my friend the good Doctor and I set out to find some of Detroit’s great sandwiches at delis and sandwich shops around town. Here’s five that we think you should try. If you’ve got other ideas, let us know in the comments and we’ll do our homework! Food Exchange– “The Big Baby” The Food Exchange is an east side sandwich shop on Harper near V...

Brian StuderDetroitDowntown Detroit

Motor City Pedicab Offers A Fun, "Choose What You Pay" Way To Get Around The D

Detroiters are in need of good, reliable ways to get around town. Grabbing a traditional cab can be hassle. An Uber might not be available, and the bus might take an hour or more to arrive. That’s where Motor City Pedicab (MCP) comes in. Also known as a rickshaw, a pedicab is a tricycle with a two-seat passenger compartment. You’ll notice them on the street in the greater downtown area and assuming the ride isn’t too far, they’ll take you where you need to go on a comfortable, slower paced rid...

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Show Your Love for the D and Help Turn Around Lives With These Sandals

Sometimes, it’s the simple things that make the biggest impact. In this case, it’s sandals. Detroit Treads are comfortable and durable. They are made from scrap tires that are picked up in empty lots around the city, which cleans up the environment. The production of them provides real jobs for Detroiters (homeless veterans and at-risk youth) that otherwise wouldn’t be able to find work in the city. So if you want to by some footwear that really does some good in the world, consider grabbing a...

Detroit ItalianGonella'sGonella's Foods

Gonella's Italian Subs in Southwest are a Detroit Tradition

Walking into Gonella’s foods feels like going back in time. This Southwest Detroit Italian market and sub shop has been around for 75 years and is still going strong. It’s tucked into an off-the-beaten-path enclave of the city, at the intersection of Oakwood and Powell near the Marathon Oil Refinery and the Ford River Rouge Complex. From the outside, Gonella’s is a modest brick Detroit-style building in the grassy urban countryside type of neighborhood you can find in so many places around the...

BBQ in DetroitBest BBQ in DetroitFood

Greedy Greg's Is The Best BBQ You've Probably Never Had

Greedy Greg cooks up ribs, rib tips, and turkey legs outside of his home near McNichols and Gratiot on Detroit’s East Side. You might know him from his appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown: Detroit. In the show, Bourdain and Charlie LeDuff stop by Greg’s barbecue stand to try the ribs and his famous sides of mac & cheese and collard greens made by his wife Rochelle. The episode focuses on the food–which is wonderful–and briefly describes Greg’s operation as, “Detroit-style entrepreneur...