Detroit816

Detroiteducation

Tens Of Millions Of Dollars Spent On Improvements By Taxpayers And Nonprofits On Detroit Schools Are At Stake With Possible Closures

Parents, students and staff at the Fisher Upper Academy on Detroit’s east side gathered at the school last fall for an exciting announcement. The Ford Fund, the carmaker’s philanthropic arm, planned to spend $5 million on a new “resource and engagement center” inside the school. Parents were thrilled to learn that they and their neighbors would soon have access to services like job training and a food bank in the same building where their children go to school, said parent Kenya Tubbs, whose...

DetroitDetroit Policy ConferenceDetroit regional chamber

The Detroit Policy Conference Is The Can’t Miss Event To Talk About The Future Of Our Region

Each year Detroit hosts countless conferences, gatherings, and events that cover a wide array of topics and cater to variety of audiences. However, in terms of scale, relevance, and local “star power” there is perhaps none bigger than the Detroit Policy Conference put on each year by the Detroit Regional Chamber. The conference brings together more than 700 individuals from the business, government, and civic realms to inform and inspire the growing community of doers and change makers in th...

ChalkbeatDetroiteducation

Podcast: A Deep Dive On Detroit's Schools With Erin Einhorn And Julie Topping Of Chalkbeat

“If they don’t fix the schools, the rest will be meaningless.” – Erin Einhorn [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/dailydetroithappyhour/DD-5Happy-Hour-Chalkbeat_mixdown.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_email=”true” ] Subscribe to the Daily Detroit Happy Hour podcast for free on iTunes Detroit’s schools seem to be constantly in flux, and keeping up with it is a lot of work. Thankfully, Erin Einhorn and Julie Topping do that work for Chalk...

DetroitMenuShake Shack

Detroit's Shake Shack Opens This Thursday, See The Menu That Has Beer And Wine

Detroit gets worked up into a frenzy around new (to us) burger places. It’s no different with Shake Shack opening this February 23, 2017 at 11 a.m. Passing by today we saw that the window had the menu, and figured we’d share. Turns out this place will have non-stratospheric prices, which will be a big deal for office workers who don’t want to be dropping $20 a lunch. Here are a few highlights. A Shackburger (cheese, lettuce, tomato, ShackSauce) will run you $5.39, and a double $8.19. A...

cultureDetroitKumbuka II

Kumbuka II Will Celebrate And Remember The Beauty Of A Culture

Celebrating Black History Month while growing up was a little lackluster for lifelong Detroiter Kaylan Waterman. Although her parents were very intentional about educating all of their children about the experiences in their African-American heritage, most of the events Waterman attended focused a lot on the pain, sorrow, injustices, and systemic oppression of black history. They lacked a celebratory element. Last year the singer-songwriter of Vespre did something about it and organized Kumbuk...

AvalonDetroitPaczki

Avalon's Baked Paczki, Ranked

Every once in awhile I get an opportunity to try something that I’m actually excited about. Between the stacks of really bad products from PR pitch folks who don’t seem to realize we write almost exclusively about Metro Detroit, to the well-meaning Europeans who got in touch and thought that someone has flooded the Lodge freeway and it’s now used as a river because there’s so little vehicle traffic, we get some.. Interesting and creative.. Ideas thrown our way. But today was all about the Pa...

DetroitMack AvenuePewabic

Pewabic Planning A 2,500 Square Foot Expansion, Currently Raising Funds

Detroit’s Pewabic is looking to expand their facility to double production capacity. The new expansion would be used for a 2,500 square foot tile studio. The new wing (in blue in the drawing below) will be located along Hurlbut Street and the alley. The building will be a single story, and is designed to match the historic character of the rest of the Pewabic campus. The renderings were designed by inForm Studio. The expansion will allow the artisans there the ability to double the prod...

DetroithealthLifestyle

New Ranking Says Detroit Is The Least Healthy City In America

When it comes to being healthy, Detroit is ranked 150 out of 150 American big cities, according to a study released today. The folks at WalletHub have put together a ranking of large cities around the nation for how healthy they are. Detroit ranks far behind San Francisco, the healthiest city in the United States, which had a total score of 68.06 out of 100 possible points. Detroit clocked in at a paltry 28.37, below Memphis, Tennessee and Brownsville, Texas. Detroit had among the lowest p...

ComebackDetroitDetroit jobs

The Glass Is Half-Full At Most When It Comes To Detroit's Recovery, Say Professors

After decades of demographic and economic decline, culminating in America’s largest municipal bankruptcy in 2013, many observers were ready to proclaim that the city of Detroit was dead. But over the past several years, following successful resolution of the bankruptcy and the emergence of new municipal leadership, views have changed. Now academics and the popular press are documenting Detroit’s recovery and resilience. But does this positive image of Detroit reflect reality? Will the recovery...

Daily Detroit Happy Hour PodcastDataDetroit

Daily Detroit Happy Hour Podcast: How Data Helps Drive Detroit's Comeback With Garlin Gilchrist II

[smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/dailydetroithappyhour/DD-4Happy-Hour-Garlin-GilchristII_mixdown.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_linkedin=”true” social_email=”true” ] Data is playing an important role in shaping the city and working to improve services. Our guest this episode is Garlin Gilchrist II, the City of Detroit’s Director of Innovation and Emerging Technology for an interesting conversation about how data has been making a differ...

9303 East Jeffersonaffordable housingDetroit

A New Name And Future For 9303 East Jefferson

The Colony and Fisher Arms apartments at 9303 East Jefferson in Detroit has had a troubled past. For instance, in November of 2013, more than 150 law enforcement officers from the Detroit Police Department, Michigan State Police, and the FBI raided the apartment building and arrested 32 residents. That’s after receiving about 600 calls for service at the building in that year. But on Friday, Mayor Mike Duggan as well as the developers were showing off a very different story. The new owners...

Alternatives for GirlsAvalon BakeryChocolate Sea Salt Cookies

Tasty Cookies For A Great Cause At Avalon Bakery This February

February is quickly approaching, which means it is time to start thinking about what to get your Valentine. What if I told you that you could get your sweetie something delicious and have a portion of the proceeds go to a great cause? Avalon International Bakery is partnering with Alternatives for Girls (AFG) during the entire month of February with the initiative called Share the Love. Alternatives for Girls helps homeless and high-risk women by giving them access to support, resources and...

BridgeDetroitM1 Rail

Report: M1 Rail, New Bridge To Canada On Trump's Infrastructure Priority List

Two major projects that have gotten a lot of headlines are getting some more. Last night, interesting news from McClatchy came out. They’re reporting that two projects in Metro Detroit as well as a third in Michigan are on Donald Trump’s short list of infrastructure priorities. These priorities were apparently gathered from Governor’s offices across the country, who were asked to give 3-5 suggestions each. The projects had to fit four criteria, according to the report: * A national security...

DetroiteducationSchool Closings

25 Struggling Schools In Detroit Are Set To Close, But Nearby Options Aren't Much Better

Michigan education officials’ aggressive school closure plan faces a major challenge: It’s unlikely that most students displaced by closures will end up in substantially better schools. That’s because there are few schools in struggling cities like Detroit that have test scores significantly higher than the schools facing closure. The 38 schools — including 25 in Detroit — on the dreaded list have all spent at least three years in the bottom 5 percent on a state ranking that measures test sc...

DetroitDetroit Public SchoolsDetroit schools

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’...

Capitol ParkDetroitGo! Sy Thai

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...

DetroitNorth endPurses

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...

DetroitDetroit renthousing

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,...