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DetroitDetroit ArtistsPalmer Park Art Fair

QUICK TIP: Palmer Park Art Fair Showcases Detroit's Creativity This Weekend

The forecast for this weekend looks bright and inspiring for this free event for everyone in Detroit. This Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 75 professional artists, 12 emerging high school artists, food, interactive art activities, and live demos will color Detroit’s Palmer Park in this new season. This year, a new Teen Artists Program opens at the event as an opportunity for 12 artists from area high schools to sell their art work. These stud...

DetroitFood CitiesZagat

WATCH: Detroit One Of "America's Next Hot Food Cities," Food Scene "Revving Up"

More accolades for Detroit’s food scene as Zagat voters have ranked Detroit #3 on a list of America’s Next Hot Food Cities. Their go-to list reads like a who’s who of recent Detroit culinary cuisine, and includes shout-outs to talented local chefs. They mention Antietam, Gold Cash Gold, Green Dot Stables, Johnny Noodle King, Mercury Burger Bar, Motor City Wine, Revolver, Rose’s Fine Food, Selden Standard, Slows Bar-B-Q, and Wright & Co. It’s interesting to note that none of those places existe...

DetroitDIYIndie

Whateverfest Will Float Your Musical Boat This Weekend

Good vs. Evil. David vs. Goliath. Milk vs. Almond Milk. Kramer vs. Kramer vs. Godzilla. And now, the big bad Metrotimes Blowout versus the upstart Whateverfest. Sure, Blowout has Andrew W.K. and Perfect Pussy and the Black Lips, but those shows will be packed houses and tests of human olfactory endurance, as you stand next to a guy who just ate his weight in Crazy Bread wishing the encore had never been invented and praying for a cold shower. You’ll also pay 4x as much for the privilege, ha...

DetroitFoundationsFunding

Hey Foundations: Money Would Have Been Great, But Real Feedback Would Be Just As Useful

A recent Detroit News guest editorial gave me pause. As someone who’s been involved in a lot of different projects here in Detroit, I figured I could add my voice to the conversation, especially since our project Bus Riders Need To Be Engaged Too “made it” to the finals as well. But instead of positioning this as us vs. them as so many of the winners are worthy projects, I want to offer a suggestion. Sure, the money would have been great to get, but since we didn’t get it, it would have been...

DetroitDetroit FoodFood

YumVillage Merges Data With Dining To Help Chefs Break Through In A Tough Industry

Breaking into the food business is hard, especially as a chef, and definitely in a town like Detroit that’s better known for hot coneys than haute cuisine. YumVillage is trying to make it a lot easier, and they’re finding success doing it. What is YumVillage? YumVillage is a cloud-based service that enables a “Table D’ Hote” (a meal of preselected courses served at a fixed time and price to the guests at a hotel or restaurant) that brings together food enthusiasts around communal tables to s...

Ambassador Bridge CompanyDetroitdetroit riverfront

Agreement Paves Way For Large Expansion of Detroit’s Riverside Park And Room For Maroun's Bridge

The City of Detroit and the Ambassador Bridge Company have struck and agreement that would enable expansion and improvements to Riverside Park and the exterior of Michigan Central Depot. If the agreement is approved by Detroit City Council, the Ambassador Bridge Co. would transfer 4.8 acres of waterfront property to the city. This transfer will allow the city to expand Riverside Park to the west. The Bridge Co. would also pay the city $3 million to be invested in Riverside Park improvements....

BedrockBedrock Real EstateBon Bon Bon

Bon Bon Bon Opens First Chocolate Showroom in Chrysler House Downtown

Wildly popular Hamtramack-based chocolate company Bon Bon Bon sells out of bon bons so quickly they have opened their first showroom on the iconic Chrysler House first floor, all before their first year anniversary as a new small business. Their Detroit retail space is open everyday except Sunday and their Hamtramack center still opens every Saturday. Owner and chocolatier of Bon Bon Bon Alexandra Clark started with a desire for 200 sq. ft. of downtown retail space. Her team has transformed it...

Bands on BandsBlowoutDetroit

Bands on Bands: Artists Weigh In on MT Blowout, Share Their Must-See Shows

Starting tomorrow the Metro Detroit area will be consumed by the annual musical Godzilla that is the Metro Times Blowout. The four day event, which has grown to span the cities of Detroit, Hamtramck, and Ferndale, kicks off tomorrow with an opening party and show at St. Andrews, featuring the undisputed king of party Andrew WK, and local bands Flint Eastwood, The Beggars, and Cheerleader. Over the past several years, some fans of the blowout have complained about its multi-city expansion, fi...

CrowdfundingDetroitDetroit retail

Your Chance For $50,000 To Hatch The Next Big Retail Thing In Detroit Begins May 1

Have that idea that you just know would do well in the city, but don’t have the cash for it? Well, here’s your chance. The Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest returns for its fifth year and will begin accepting applications on Friday, May 1. Comerica Bank is offering a prize of $50,000 for entrepreneurs with a retail concept. In addition to the $50,000 cash prize, if you win, you’ll also receive a slew of support services including legal, marketing and advertising, accounting, public relations and...

birminghamCoffee CartCold Coffee

Tomo's Coffee On A Bicycle Cart Will Be Coming To A Farmers Market Near You Thanks To Kickstarter Success

At first blush, coffee on bicycle cart sounds a little crazy (and tasty), but it’s coming to Metro Detroit thanks to a popular online crowdfunding campaign. Tomo Coffee Company has surpassed their $7000 Kickstarter goal by more than $1,000 for a custom-made bike cart. The unique bike will transport a cold brew keg and tap system to sell ready-to-drink 16-ounce cups of coffee for $3 to $4. Business partners Kara Eggebrecht, Wesley Eggebrecht and Alex Mackenzie were able to reach their goal...

DetroitMosaic Youth TheatreNYC

A Special Series of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is Coming to Detroit

Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit has been chosen as the first theatre company to produce The Public Theater of New York’s PUBLIC WORKS musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” The production will take place at the Detroit Institute of Arts, May 7-May 17. “Partnering with The Public, which may have the richest and most important history of any American theater, is an incredible honor for the young artists of Mosaic,” said Rick Sperling, Mosaic founder and artistic director. “This is a...

DetroitJamaican Queensmusic

CHECK IT! Detroit's Own Jamaican Queens Premier New Video

In the seemingly endless sea that is the Detroit music scene, it’s rare that a band captures our collective attention span for more than a brief, shimmering moment. Every once in a while, though, a majestic group of wizards appear to leave us all feeling like a high school students again, feeling the liberating effects of our first Mike’s Hard Lemonade. For the past several years, Jamaican Queens have been just that for music fans in Detroit and beyond. Formed in 2012 by Ryan Spencer and Ada...

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That Meme About Detroit Water Shutoffs And The Giant Slide Is Shenanigans. Here's Why.

One version of this meme, “Detroit cuts off water to 30,000 families – builds 1,000 foot water slide downtown and charges $15 per ride,” has been shared more than 23,000 times with more than 22,000 likes. And we call shenanigans, on the level that most on the left of the political spectrum would be screaming from the hills if Fox News pulled something like this. It’s a great example of leaving out information to make a snappy point. First, the slide is to be set up by a private company, not...

15 Minutes Or BetterCrowdfundingDetroit

"15 Minutes Or Better" Aims To Bring Together And Educate Detroiters About Benefits Of Mass Transit

Mass Transit is a foreign concept to most metro Detroiters. The “15 Minutes or Better” project is aiming to change that. Younger people across the nation are clamoring for mass transit, and voting with their feet by moving to where they can take a streetcar, light rail, or other transit options other than driving their own car–the Motor City is no exception. Part of the hot real estate market in the central core of the city is in anticipation of the new M1 Rail streetcar. The reality is that...

CanfieldDetroitFellow Barber

Scotch And A Haircut? Fellow Barber In Midtown Putting In A Bar

You might of heard of Fellow Barber in Midtown. It’s a neat barber shop that is for the discerning devotee of a haircut and a shave that recently opened a Detroit location (there are three others in New York City and one in San Francisco). But while on a recent trip through and asking around, they showed us that there’s a bar under construction upstairs on the second floor. Although it’s still in the beginning stages (they plan an opening sometime in the spring) the second-story view is ver...

albumDetroitEDM

Detroit's Own GRiZ Releases New Album, "Say It Loud" - Listen To It Here

If you’ve not yet heard of hometown EDM hero, Griz, then get ready, because you’re about to hear him loud and clear. Griz is a true Metro Detroiter, born and raised in Southfield, and a graduate of Groves High School in Birmingham. His rise to EDM stardom began in 2011 with the release of his first album, End of the World Party, which led to opening slots on tours for more well established artists like Bass Nectar, Big Giagantic and Pretty Lights. He quickly gained popularity from his killer...

Best New Chef in AmericaDetroitFood and Wine

Three Detroit Area Chefs Nominated For “Best New Chef In America” By Food & Wine Magazine

Every year, Food and Wine Magazine highlights the top new culinary experts from around the country. We’re pleased to see that Marc Djzolija of Wright & Company has made the list, as he is the only nominee on the list located inside the City of Detroit. Other Detroit area chef nominees in the competition are worthy, and they include Torino’s Garret Lipar from Ferndale and James Rigato from The Root in White Lake, Michigan. If you haven’t been to Wright & Co. this might be your cue to check it...

Ally FinancialDan GilbertDetroit

A Story Behind The Scenes Of Buying A Skyscraper And Keeping A Company In Downtown Detroit

One of the things we thought most interesting during the press event was the anecdote Mayor Mike Duggan shared about the behind-the-scenes story on keeping Ally Financial (formerly GMAC) in the city, consolidating their 1,500 person workforce and moving along a deal to purchase a skyscraper with nearly a million square feet in it. We transcribed it and edited very lightly to let the story speak for itself. It’s an illuminating little look that isn’t going to get printed most places, not to men...