Quick Post
The free festival this year is the weekend of May 3rd and 4th. It's been running since 1966.
You can get all the details here but I'm looking forward to the traditional Polish food and the strawberry pies. Since I can eat there or take it home, I'll grab an extra pie for the road.
I'm Polish, but you don't need to be to attend.
Both days. there will be live music from local bands like the Polish Muslims, Kamerton, and the Kielbasa Kings. And don't miss the folk dances Sunday.
If you didn't know, St. Florian is the patron saint of firefighters. To honor that, on Saturday there's a firefighters march at 3:30p from the Hamtramck fire station to the church — followed by a mass at 4p.
St. Florian is at 2026 Poland Street in Hamtramck.
The 5% overall increase in service (starting today) means 13 routes will see more frequent buses, and 17 routes are to see expanded service hours on weekends, says press materials from the Detroit Department of Transportation.
This is in large part thanks to a $20 million increase in DDOT's budget, with money for additional maintenance, mechanics and bus stop staff. Another $2.7m is for more shelters and benches across the city.
45 new buses are joining the fleet, which will become nearly a quarter hybrid coaches.
Weekday Frequency Improvements
- 2-Michigan, 5-Van Dyke/Lafayette, 31-Mack: Improve daytime peak frequency to 20 minutes (up from 30 minutes)
- 3-Grand River, 7-Seven Mile, 10-Greenfield : Improve midday base to every 15 minutes (up from 20 minutes)
- 17-Eight Mile: Improve midday base service to every 20 minutes (up from 30 minutes)
- 18-Fenkell: Improve daytime frequency to every 40 minutes on weekdays (up from 45-50 minutes)
Weekend Frequency Improvements
- 1-Vernor, 5-Van Dyke/Lafayette : 45 minute daytime frequency on Sundays (up from 60 minutes)
- 3-Grand River, 6-Gratiot, 7-Seven Mile : Improve Saturday daytime service to every 20 minutes (up from 30 minutes)
- 8-Warren: 30 minute daytime frequency on Saturdays and 45 minute daytime frequency on Sundays (both up 15 minutes each)
29-Linwood: 50 minute daytime seven days/week (up from 60 minutes)
23-Hamilton/John R: 45 minute peak weekday service (up from 60 minutes)
Saturday and Sunday span improvements
17 routes will run from 7a to 9p. Previous hours had started later and ended earlier, be sure to check your schedules.
My pro tip: For now, I'm using the Transit app. I'm a regular bus rider, and having real-time tracking is quite helpful because although progress, there's still a long way to go.
According to press materials, it'll open on April 24, 2025 and will be in the old Andiamo spot on Main Street in downtown Royal Oak.
This will be the 71st location for the chain that was founded in 2010. They offer broths simmered for 20 hours, traditional Japanese rice bowls, handcrafted noodles, craft cocktails, craft beer, and more.
They also have what they call "premium" toppings like tender pork chashu, shrimp wonton and seasoned eggs.
The Royal Oak location will be open Sunday through Wednesday from 11a to 10p and Thursday through Saturday from 11a to 11p.
As Opening Day faded into the night, I noticed a vacant commercial space in Downtown Detroit come back alive as the new High Spirits bar soft opened.
Located in the old Garden Pub space (also known as St. Brigid's Bathtub Pub) between Lafayette Gardens and Lafayette Coney Island, the interior of the space has chic vibes without being overly dapper.
Owner Nick Kefallinos told me the grand opening is aimed for the middle of April.
Because of the limitations of the building — High Spirits will be drinks only, and might partner with others for food.
Located at 125 Michigan Avenue in Detroit, they have an Instagram you can follow.
A partnership between Ste. Anne's and the newly-formed The Catholic Initiative is paying for a $30 million rehabilitation of the Basilica of Ste. Anne, aiming to guarantee its future for the next couple hundred years.
Built in 1886, Ste. Anne's is one of 89 churches in the U.S. to have the "minor basilica" distinction. It is the eighth structure in the parish's history. Ste. Anne's dates back to July 26, 1701, two days after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and a group of French people traveled from Quebec and settled in Detroit.
The parish's history is linked to the whole state. One of its early pastors Fr. Gabriel Richard printed the first newspaper in Michigan, co-founded the University of Michigan, and was a delegate to Congress from the Michigan territory.
The Vatican approved this partnership. Part of the agreement transfers ownership of the building and campus to a non-profit to preserve the basilica and property.
The Catholic Initiative assumes all responsibility for maintenance and renovation, while the Ste. Anne's parish retains exclusive and permanent rights to use the property as a Catholic church and basilica through a 200 year renewable lease.
The Catholic Initiative is supported by the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, paying for $111 million in projects to guarantee long-term perpetuity for community institutions and programs.
Coffee Down Under, an Aussie-inspired basement coffeeshop at Shelby and Congress in Detroit's Financial District, will be done on March 15. They had been open for four years.
For some time now, a one-person operation has been all we can justify, but that has come with a bit too much unpredictability for the kind of reliable experience we strive to offer our guests.
While this chapter is coming to an end, we’re already working on ideas for what’s next—whether it’s a new concept in our space or the right partner to better suit the space and the evolving downtown landscape. If you have thoughts, we’d love to hear them!
The closure will not impact The Shelby, the bar next door.
I interviewed Coffee Down Under owner Tarun Kajeepeta for PBS Detroit at the start of 2023. He raised concerns then about the decline in office workers.
Of the three businesses I talked to for this piece, two are now gone from downtown. One left their retail space and consolidated at a building they own in Hamtramck, and the other restaurant is open — but has more limited hours and days than before COVID.
In a number of follow-up conversations, I've been told that the area seems to now have more foot traffic on weekends and evenings than during the day as more regional tourists spend time in downtown Detroit.
The Owner/Chef Megan Shaw says the new Street Beet spot will be "a full-service dining experience, a walk-up window for quick bites, an innovative bar program heavy on mocktails, and an in-house bakery program."
Street Beet has gotten a name for itself making fast-food inspired plant-based dishes.
They aim to create a true "third space" at 1800 Michigan Avenue in Detroit with "game nights, DJs, and a multifunctional community hub."
Street Beet will be open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner — and do a brunch. They'll be open at their current spot in Third Street Bar until the new spot is ready.
Washed Up Coffee is also coming to the space, ran by Emily Potter and Amélie Haakonsen, will run alongside their breakfast service and serve pastries as well.
If you're a listener to our show, you might know the name Amélie Haakonsen as also is part of Dessert Oasis - who we talked with for Detroit Coffee Week last year.
Haakonsen is adding this project on top of the other work.
No opening dates were given.
Only one Detroit City Council member — Angela Whitfield-Calloway who introduced it — supported a resolution to make the RenCen a historic district, subject to additional restrictions that would have helped preserve all of the towers.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan sent the following statement:
Designating the Renaissance Center as historic office buildings would have killed any realistic hope of redevelopment and pretty much guaranteed Detroit would have five empty towers sitting on the riverfront for the next 30-40 years.
Thanks to Detroit City Council’s strong stance today, the Mayor’s Office and Council can now move forward to explore all alternatives and develop the best solution for our city’s future.
The current proposed plan by General Motors and Bedrock is to demolish two of the towers, rehab one as more modern offices, another as residential, and improve hotel amenities.
A local group of restaurants is dealt another blow as their first location — on 1800 Michigan Avenue in Detroit — is closing, according a Facebook post from the owner Matthew Buskard.
Opened in 2015, the spot became a go-to for brunch for awhile. But the concept has been facing challenges at multiple locations, with recent permanent closures in Wyandotte, Ypsilanti, and Clinton Township.
Quoted from the post:
What’s next for Bobcat Bonnie’s is our renewed focus on getting back to who we were, and what our goals were. Fixing some of the issues we see here in the restaurant, fixing some of the mistakes we made, and being able to get back to being the spot that you use to love. Having fun, serving food and community, and a renewed focus on taking care of our people is what we will be working on. Somehow as we grew we lost some of that magic and focus, and as this economy has proven, you got to be at your best because money is tight, and folks are looking for GREAT places to spend those few extra dollars.
Their hope is to "re-create what was great about Bobcat Bonnie's" and "ALL of the Corktown staff" is moving to the Ferndale spot, save for a few who "couldn't join us" and are placed with other jobs in the neighborhood.
One of the most impactful stories long-term on Detroit isn't in the core of downtown, but up by the New Center and TechTown.
The Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences Research Center is will be a seven-story, $335 million building that will be home to various medical research teams devoted to cancer, neuroscience, cardiometabolic diseases, and immunology — as well as the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute.
I saw that major visible progress is being made and wanted to share a little update.
You can find it on Third Street, south of the boulevard and across from the Pistons Performance Center.
Part of the wider $3 billion Henry Ford and MSU partnership, this should be ready in 2027.
The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) board voted Wednesday to increase water service charges by 5.9% and wastewater charges by 4.5%.
But what you pay at home may be more.
The GLWA provides service to many local communities who then set their own rates, adding a markup to cover local costs.
In a release sent after the meeting, the GLWA says that the price of chemicals, utilities and construction materials has risen nearly 55% since 2020.
There's also a new multi-year flood mitigation study in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where the Corps and GLWA split the $6 million cost 50/50.
GLWA's 2026 budget is $954 million, up $48 million from the year before.
Public comment lasted three hours, with residents and local leaders like former state rep. Cynthia A. Johnson and Utica mayor Gus Calandrino in opposition.
The rate increases take effect July 1, after an annual 4% rate increase cap expires.
The spot I visited Tuesday was Brush Park Apartments.
It's a $19-million development with 53 affordable units and 3,800 square feet of commercial space at 269 Winder in Detroit.
The second is in Midtown. It's named MLK on 2nd, at 3515 Second Avenue.
That $11.5-million project has 33 units and also features ground-floor commercial space.
Out of the combined 86 units across both developments, 63 will be deeply affordable for those earning 60 percent area median income (AMI) or below, with the remainder being available for households earning 80 percent AMI or below.
The projects, funded through various partnerships including CVS Health, Fifth Third Bank, and government programs, aim to make sure Detroiters can afford to live in desirable neighborhoods.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said that more than $1 billion of affordable housing has been built in the last five years.
A simple hug helped break down the color barrier in baseball, and the story has a big local angle.
One Detroit did a segment about Steve Gromek of Hamtramck, and Larry Doby, the second African American in the MLB, and how their moment together sent shockwaves through not only Detroit — but much of the country.
Our podcast co-host Fletcher Sharpe was part of the piece, too. Have a watch.
I spotted that the retail space at 1425 Woodward in downtown Detroit is getting a new chapter.
Free People is an Urban Outfitters brand, focusing on bohemian fashion for women. There is a store in the Somerset Collection in Troy.
What is Free People? From their website:
Free People, a specialty lifestyle brand, serves as the destination for those who embrace creativity, inclusivity, and individuality. In support of their growing global community, Free People crafts and curates an expansive collection of apparel, accessories, shoes, swim, vintage and small business goods, and beauty – all in the name of Creative Spirit.
I don't have an opening date for you yet.
I saw visual progress is being made on the former United Savings Bank in Detroit's Capitol Park.
It's undergoing significant remodeling to an art deco-inspired design, and the addition of four new floors. Two stories will be for commercial space, and the rest will have 25 residential units.
Designed by Albert Kahn and opened in 1921, the building's facade was ruined by a "facelift" in the 70s that removed most of the windows.
The developers of 1133 Griswold Street are the Detroit-based RKP Group.
How the building looked in the 1920s, vs. just before renovation, then the rendering for the future.
The 54-inch wide pipe arrived in Southwest Detroit Thursday to replace a section that failed earlier this week, causing massive flooding that drove many out of their homes.
The GLWA says that it’ll be at least two weeks until water service is restored.
ICYMI, we talked about the details of the flood on our Daily Detroit podcast earlier this week.
The Great Lakes Water Authority also says it has removed water from the site of the water main break, and crews have excavated the area.
Per a release:
Based upon current conditions, it is anticipated that an approximately 12-foot section of pipe will need to be removed, and the replacement section of pipe has been ordered. The replacement pipe is expected to be delivered on-site within the next 24-hours.
FYI, The city of Detroit has set up a hotline at 313-774-5261. That's where impacted residents can go to get set up in hotels and other temporary services.
If you've been around Detroit for at least a minute, you know how important The Clique is. It's this diner on East Jefferson where you might run into everyone from a neighbor to a public official.
Bridge Detroit did a great write-up looking at the ups and downs the spot has faced. Go read the thing.
I'll be honest in that I've lapsed in going since the pandemic. Going to fix it this month. Diner breakfast is the best, IMHO.
Two things our fellow Detroiters have are pride and a competitive spirit!
So we at Daily Detroit thought we'd have a bit of fun on the made-up holiday celebrating Detroit - 313 day, March (third month) 13th - and host Detroit-themed trivia.
It'll happen at Tocororo in Eastern Market, doors are at 5pm and we'll get trivia going soon after 6pm.
Facts, history, anything is on the table.
We'll also put together a very special live podcast of Daily Detroit for the intermission (our show, if you're a listener, is usually only about 20 minutes long).
Trivia will be hosted by noted local author, journalist, and barchaelogist Mickey Lyons.
You'll be able to grab an alcoholic (or N/A) drink, order some food from their kitchen, and have fun with fellow Daily Detroit readers and listeners.
Tocororo has a very accessible drink menu, so no matter your price point there's something for you. Be sure to tip your bartender!
So head over to Eventbrite and register, free!
"Father Forgive Me" will be located in the former garage space of The Shepherd Detroit, adjacent to ALEO on Parkview. [Instagram with more pictures]
The venture comes from the hospitality group behind Standby, Deluxx Fluxx, and The Skip.
Interior design will be handled by Holly Jonsson Studio.
Plans include using The Shepherd's outdoor spaces, with programming aimed at fostering community engagement through art, culture, and conversation. You can follow them on social media here.
The Shepherd is a church that's been converted into a community, arts and entertainment space.
The 2025 Champagne Showcase Presented by Labatt is coming up! It's a fundraiser for the Clark Park Coalition, and the goal is to raise $20k to help with the preservation of their iconic outdoor ice arena.
This is not a tasting event. Get ready to watch some hockey! There also will be food trucks, a raffle, music, and a heated beer tent.
The teams are:
- Champagne Athletics - Detroit
- Bowline Financial - Grosse Pointe Woods
- Iris Mortgage - Grosse Pointe Park
- Iron Fish Distillery - Thompsonville
- Delaware North - New Boston
- Mens League Sweaters - St Johns
- Holiday Lighting Authority - Shelby Township
- Presses for Industry - Detroit
This family-friendly event is Saturday, February 22, from 1pm - 8pm. The event is free with a $10 suggested donation.
You can skate from 4pm-5pm in between the games. More details here.
Detroit's three casinos reported $104.8 million in total revenue for January 2025, with $102.3 million from table games and slots, and $2.5 million from retail sports betting. [MGCB]
Gaming revenue at MGM and MotorCity was up more than 12% each, while Greektown was down 2%.
MGM led the market with 48% share, followed by MotorCity at 30% and Hollywood Casino at Greektown at 22%.
The casinos showed overall growth compared to January 2024, with table games and slots revenue increasing by 8.9%, while contributing more than $20 million in combined taxes and payments to the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit.
The premium performance apparel company Greyson Clothiers has secured $20 million in Series A funding, led by NewBound Ventures and Chris Koch, CEO of NewEra, with participation from industry veterans and celebrities.
The investment round brings strategic additions to Greyson's board of directors, including Tom Nolan, CEO of Kendra Scott, and David Chu, founder of Nautica.
The company also attracted investment from Justin Timberlake, Larry Fitzgerald, Dylan Larkin, Eric Church, and PGA tour player Justin Thomas.
Founded in 2015 by former Ralph Lauren designer Charlie Schaefer, Greyson focuses on sophisticated luxury design with technical functionality.
Schaefer grew up in Birmingham, Michigan.
According to press materials, the new capital will fuel Greyson's expansion plans, including international growth, new brick-and-mortar locations, and more direct-to-consumer operations. The brand recently launched a womenswear line.
The company has stores in Atlanta, Denver, Detroit, Harbor Springs, Grand Rapids, New Orleans, New York City, West Palm Beach, and Seoul, Korea.
You can find their Detroit store at 1500 Woodward. Look for the monotone wolf statue out front on the sidewalk. And yes, I've done a double take before seeing it out of the corner of my eye.
J Dilla was an exemplary and legendary Detroit musician and producer whose beats have influenced music for years.
This year, the city of Detroit proclaimed February 7, his birthday, as "J Dilla Day" and put up an honorary street sign near Nevada and Charest where he grew up.
In part, the proclamation said that J Dilla (James Dewitt Yancey) “transcended genre and influenced not only Hip Hop and electronic artists but also pop, soul, classical and jazz musicians."
If you're new:
Check out Runnin' by Pharcyde...
Or what Spotify tells me is my most played J Dilla track, "So Far To Go."
On Tuesday, Michigan furniture retailer Gardner White announced GW HOME, a new upscale store concept that will open this spring in downtown Detroit. The 15,000-square-foot location will be across from the Hudson's Detroit development on Woodward Avenue.
The new store will feature select premium furniture, home decor, and unique local collaborations — marking Gardner White's return to downtown Detroit after originally opening there in 1912.
It's the company's 14th location in Michigan.
GW HOME also plans to host community events and partner with local artisans.