What to know and where to go in Metro Detroit

Detroit's New Shake Shack Gets A Sign

In today’s edition of minor but neat food scene updates, we spied that the much anticipated Shake Shack next to Campus Martius had their sign delivered today. The new location of the national burger and milkshake chain is in the First National Building and the windows face Woodward Avenue. It will be the first in Michigan. Shake Shack is an aggressively expanding brand with 100 locations (when the Detroit store was announced last year, it was just 84). They mostly serve burgers, hot dogs,...

It's Official: Dan Gilbert Has Bought The Old Free Press Building

Dan Gilbert, through his Bedrock real estate company, has added the old Free Press building at 321 West Lafayette in Downtown Detroit to his portfolio. Now, Gilbert owns both the old Detroit News and Free Press buildings, Both have a lot of historic significance. The 14-story, 288,517 square foot building was built in 1925 and designed by architect Albert Kahn has sat vacant since 1998. At one point, everything that happened at the paper, from writing stories to the printing of the pa...

Decision To Close Michigan Schools Are 'Without Input' From Districts, Educators Or Community Says EAA Chancellor

The news that state officials are moving to shutter as many as 38 Michigan schools triggered fear and fury from parents and educators. Concerns were especially heightened in Detroit where 25 schools were put on notice that they’ll have to close their doors in June unless the state decides that closure would pose an “unreasonable hardship” to students — or unless school leaders are able to block the closures in court. The state School Reform Office “is making uninformed decisions without cons...

Play Ball! Renovations To Calcara Park Finished, Youth Baseball Ready To Start

Calcara Park is now a field of dreams for young kids enrolled in Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) youth baseball programs. Last year PAL received a $25,000 Grand Slam Grant from Comerica Bank to renovate the field, located at Charlevoix St. and Ellery St. The completion of the park was announced by the bank at recent the Detroit Tigers Winter Caravan stop at the Comerica Michigan Market Headquarters. Comerica did more than just pass out dollars. Volunteers from the bank joined members of...

25 Detroit Schools Could Be Shut Down In June, 38 Total In Michigan

The state of Michigan Friday put 38 struggling schools on notice. After years of rock-bottom test scores and disappointing results, the schools were informed that they’re in serious danger of having to shut their doors forever in June. “Because we want all kids to have a good life after high school, our office is responsible for taking action when schools have been chronically failing for several years,” state School Reform Officer Natasha Baker said in a statement. A statement from Baker’...

CCS Students To Create Public Art Pieces For The District Detroit Near New Arena

Detroit has some pretty impressive pieces of public art, like The Spirit of Detroit, Monument to Joe Louis, and the Alger Fountain just to name a few. By this summer there will be even more pieces around The District Detroit. This week it was announced that Olympia Development of Michigan and Ilitch Charities have donated $800,000 to the College for Creative Studies (CCS) for  the “Art in the District Detroit” program that will allow a group of CCS students to design and create major pieces of...

Lack Of Winter Weather Means Changes To The Fire And Ice Festival In Rochester This Weekend

What happens when you plan a winter festival but then the weather doesn’t cooperate? You don’t cancel the festival, you switch gears. This is what Oakland County Parks and Recreation has done for this weekend’s Fire & Ice Festival in Rochester. “‘The show must go on,’ as they say in show biz,” said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. “Families from all over Michigan will still be able to experience many outdoor activities and the nice weather at the Fire & Ice Festival.” We highl...

Your City 5: Things To Do In Detroit For The Weekend Of January 20-22

We’re in the final weekend of the North American International Auto Show. If cars just aren’t your thing (or you’ve already been to the NAIAS) there is still plenty of stuff to do around down. Meridian Winter Blast — Detroit  If you have been waiting until February to go to the Winter Blast, you need to change your plans because it is happening this weekend. I wrote a post about all of the changes going on over at the Winter Blast back in December. There have been some additions to the...

Go! Sy Thai Will Open Second Detroit Location In Capitol Park This Friday

The developers behind The Albert, a luxury apartment building on Griswold street in Capitol Park, have been busy filling up their retail spaces as of late. Today we got word that the planned Thai restaurant, Go! Sy Thai, will open this Friday, January 20. Go! Sy Thai also has a location in the Midtown neighborhood of the city. It’s the fast casual spin on the sit down Sy Thai restaurant, of which there are three. They are in St. Clair Shores, Birmingham and Troy. The Capitol Park Go! Sy...

Why Is The Bat Signal On The GM Renaissance Center?

If you’ve been through downtown over the past few days you may have noticed a bat symbol shining on the side of the General Motors world headquarters, known as the RenCen. Why is there a constant beacon calling for the caped crusader, alternating with the familiar Chevy bowtie logo? It’s marketing, of course. Inside the North American International Auto Show, you’re going to find a life-size LEGO Batmobile to help promote the movie hitting theaters February 10, “The LEGO Batman Movie.” I...

Check Out This New Photo Of Detroit From The International Space Station

Early on Tuesday astronaut Shane Kimbrough who is stationed on the International Space Station posted a pretty cool photo of Detroit, Toledo and Cleveland at night. One thing we noticed right away was the color of the lighting in the city and suburbs are different. We can’t say for sure, but most of the city is now covered in whiter LED lights whereas a lot of the suburbs are under the yellow glow of a more traditional streetlight. Recently, Detroit completed the installation of 65,000 LED str...

PHOTOS: Inside Zarkpa's Purses & Accessories, Celebrating Three Years In Detroit

Three years for any business is an accomplishment, and I never need an additional reason to look at purses, so on Friday I visited Zarkpa’s on Woodward to talk with the owner, Tracy Garley. Zarkpa’s is located on Woodward north of New Center right across the street of the Detroit International Academy For Young Women and the Little Rock Baptist Church. If you’ve driven down Woodward, you have probably passed her store at some point.   Her store is filled with fun stylish purses, acces...

New Data Says Rents Rose 9.3% In Just One Year In The City Of Detroit

Remember how less than three years ago it was all the fashion to talk about buying a $500 house in Detroit? According to a new set of data released by RentCafe, today that might get you a little more than two weeks of rent. The average monthly rent in the city is now $932 per month. That’s a 9.3 percent hike from 2015. At least that’s the case for market rate rentals. RentCafe says part of the reason is constricted supply, with just 192 new units coming online in 2016. To give perspective,...

Martin Luther King Jr. Had A Dream In Detroit

Although Martin Luther King day is today – January 16, 2017 – we’re going to step back in history, to June, 1963. Before the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington, D.C., he used a version of it in Detroit at Cobo Hall in June of 1963. It was part of a “Walk to Freedom” march with more than 125,000 people coming to downtown Detroit. It was the largest until the famous event at the Lincoln Mall in Washington, D.C.   Why was the “Walk...

Detroit Public Television Will Launch 24/7 Kids Channel In January

Detroit Public Television (DPTV) has just announced a brand new 24-hour kid’s channel that will debut on Monday, January 16. This is the only free channel dedicated to 24/7 PBS KIDS programing. PBS Kids 24/7 will be on channel 56.2 over the air. With this new channel they have had to move the Create channel to 56.3 and the World Channel over to channel 56.4. Kids and adults will be able to stream the new 24/7 channel on mobile devices and tables from the pbskids.org website or the PBS KIDS v...

Elected Board Takes Control Of A "New" Public School District In Detroit, But Old Challenges Remain

The era of democratically elected school boards running Detroit’s schools officially returned Wednesday night with the swearing in of the seven new board members chosen by voters in November. “I do solemnly swear,” the board members said as they raised their right hands for the oath. “That I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this state and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of Member of the Board of Education of the Detroit Public...

Your City 5: Things To Do In Detroit This Weekend That Aren't The Auto Show

What to do if you don’t want to spend hours looking at cars in a convention center this weekend, or you’re looking for more? Everyone knows about the North American International Auto Show that opens to the public on Saturday, but what about other events around town? Let’s dive in. The Interviewees – Ferndale It’s been a while since I’ve highlighted an improv show over at Go Comedy. If you’re looking for something to do on Friday night I highly suggest checking out The Interviewees. The s...

Local Customization Crew Mobsteel Returns To TV With New Show Name, New Network

Love cars? Love customizations? How about a shot of history too? The HISTORY Channel has a new eight episode series that’s going to hit the air Saturday, January 28. “Detroit Steel” is described as celebrating “the Motor City’s automotive legacy by creating rare, custom rides that mix Detroit’s celebrated past and its evolving future. Adam Genei and the team at his car customization shop, Mobsteel, give vintage cars a modern, mean look.” Mobsteel has locations in Brighton and in the city of...

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