What To Know And Where To Go In Southeast Michigan
Our guest today is Kara Swisher, one of the foremost tech and business journalists in the country. Beyond her work at Vox and her column at the New York Times, she’s found success with her podcasts including Recode/ Decode and another she co-hosts, Pivot. I wanted to talk with Kara for a variety of reasons. After all, southeast Michigan is central to one of America’s most …
A couple of weeks ago there was news out of Montgomery, Alabama that they unveiled a new statue of none other than civil rights activist and icon Rosa Parks. It didn’t stop south of the Mason-Dixon Line. For three days on the Milwaukee bus system, they reserved a spot for Parks — along with a note and a rose — so that riders today remember her. It’s a pair of great …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXGtQdSc4g I was looking at the news catching up on what's happening in the world. The ongoing and spiritually exhausting presidential drama. Attacks in Syria, happening immediately after we stepped aside. Much, much more. And then I found this. It's a performance from Motown artist and Michigan native Stevie Wonder in what seems to be …
If you look at the headlines around Detroit’s turnaround, it’s often about megaprojects, large corporations, giant incentives and millions of dollars of demolition. Here’s the reality. Most of the things getting built right now, as far as residential, are for the very rich. The median home value in Michigan is about $153,900; in posh Oakland County, $251,400. Yet what we …
Although not the greatest of problems for our metropolis, it's among the most maddening because it didn't have to be this way. It's a series of human errors that didn't have to be made. After $187 million+ poured in from foundations, corporations and a bit from the Federal government, The QLINE could (in theory) be a shining beacon of what transit could be, even if it is …
Today in the news was the stories of scuffles at both of the famous American and Lafayette coney islands downtown. Apparently, there are yahoos who think it's just fine to break the glass on the windows there and insult the employees regularly. At Lafayette, someone used a boxcutter to bust the glass. It took 30 minutes for police to arrive at the downtown establishment. …
It's a sad day for lovers of Eastern Market and a quirky deli that's beloved by many. Mark Kurlyandchik over at the Freep is reporting that Russell Street Deli in Eastern Market is closing September 28. The reason? A landlord/tenant dispute. I strongly suggest you give it a read. There's an impasse between Russell Street co-owner Ben Hall and landlord Sanford Nelson. …
Multiple outlets are saying that the talks between General Motors and soon-to-be electric SUV maker Rivian about an investment have broken down. The reason why is what caught my attention. For quick background: Rivian has caught headlines a couple ways as of late, first for their big reveal in Los Angeles and then for a $700 million investment in Amazon. There have been …
So let's be clear. I don't like toll roads. The idea feels strange in the state that put the world on wheels. But we need to get real about what's facing us when it comes to road funding, and everything should be on the table. Our Detroit region is sprawling. The other week while reporting on a story in Macomb, I realized looking at Google Maps that the driving time from my …
Here we go again. Yet another Detroit developer with ideas rooted in the 1980s is trying to bring down another great, old building that has been part of the fabric of the city. The latest is the news that the first Detroit Saturday Night Building at 550 Fort that has a target on it to be demolished by the same folks who own the Fort Shelby Hotel. There's a petition online …
Podcasting is great because it's like radio, but better. Here are some key differences. Podcasts can be about whatever topic you're interested in because you aren't limited to the geography of how far the signal from a broadcast tower can go. The formats are more varied. Some are 20 minutes. Some three hours. As long as it's not boring, it's fine. There are usually …
In his latest divisive missive, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson sounds like an emperor yelling at the thunder clouds in the sky, ordering it not to rain. According to the letter, some CEOs of large companies and organizations in the area are getting together an initiative to either improve or go around the Detroit Regional Chamber. I have no knowledge of the ins …
The Detroit region already squandered the latest, best opportunity to invest in our region and sharpen our economic competitiveness, thanks to the intransigence of Oakland and Macomb Counties in stonewalling the latest Regional Transit Authority plan. The refusal of Oakland and Macomb representatives to simply approve putting the proposal before voters this year means we’ll …
Staring at the computer on Thursday night watching the Democratic debate for Michigan governor, a realization hit. Abdul El-Sayed could win this primary. It’s not that Gretchen Whitmer hasn’t been a public servant with a strong record. Or that she’d be a terrible choice of governor if you’re a Democrat. She’s running up against forces out of her control, forces that the …
The common story is that Detroit's suburbs have done great while the city fell apart and just now is coming back. And a common storyline I’ve heard is that Detroit wants a “free ride” off of the successful suburbs. Locally, people look at the city of Detroit’s decline as somehow separate from the suburbs. That after 1967 it all went to hell (although you should by know now …
The last few months have been crazy for us. Why? We now produce a daily, original, all-local podcast. Monday through Thursday we produce 15-20 minutes of audio that is the Daily Detroit Podcast. It includes originally reported stories, key headlines, and usually a feature audio documentary or interview. On Fridays we produce the Daily Detroit Happy Hour podcast with …
If you want to be a city of tomorrow, you need to have the building blocks for it. And tomorrow — even today, as Ford and General Motors have acknowledged with their recent investments in mobility — involves many different kinds of transportation options. Keith Crain’s editorial on June 17, "Say goodbye to the Motor City" was emblematic of old Detroit thinking. Detroit …
The candidates running for governor were out in full force at the Mackinac Policy Conference and for this edition of the Daily Detroit Happy Hour we caught up with Jonathan Oosting, political reporter from the Detroit News, about the race. Then, Sven Gustafson and Jer Staes from Daily Detroit then broke it down from their perspective. We also spent a few minutes in the …
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed dropped by Daily Detroit on Wednesday at the Mackinac Policy Conference to talk about his decidedly underdog candidacy, his progressive policies, why he lost the endorsement of Mayor Mike Duggan and firmly establish his outsider credibility. “A lot of politicians come here to rub shoulders with corporate lobbyists and try and …
The Detroit region is a proverbial frog boiling alive in a pot of water. There are several major topics being tackled up here at the Mackinac Policy Conference — talent, transit, the opioid crisis and education among them. But the through-line that we see between all of them is “Will Metro Detroit become a permanent second-class region?” See, despite what some …
Detroit looks to be in line to get its first-ever PGA Tour event. The Detroit News reports that the city will play host to The National, one of the professional golf’s major tournaments, when it moves from Washington D.C. to the Detroit Golf Club in June 2019. Quicken Loans will be the title sponsor in a four-year deal. The Detroit Free Press reports that Quicken Loans …
Nathan Bomey won several awards for his work covering Detroit's Municipal bankruptcy for the Detroit Free Press. And he turned that experience into a 2016 book titled, "Detroit Resurrected." Now, he's got a new book coming out. "After the Fact: The Erosion of Truth and the Inevitable Rise of Donald Trump" comes out May 8 in hardcover from Prometheus Books, but it's available …
The news out of Rochester Hills is sickening. If you didn’t know, a 14 year old teenage boy got lost. His mom had taken away his phone, according to Channel 4, and was looking for directions. So Brennan Walker did what any sensible kid would do, and knocked on a door of a home with a neighborhood watch sign for help. According to Fox 2, this is how Brennan describes what …
When it comes to planning our city, we had hoped developers might have learned a lesson after the demolition spree of the last few decades, where building after building was torn down for surface parking lots. After all, Dan Gilbert (and a host of other developers, large and small) have clearly shown that people want to be part of re-using historic structures, whether for …
It’s no question that the Apparatus Room has become a very popular destination for diners looking for an upscale dining experience. It is one of my favorite recommendations when people ask me where to go for a nice meal. Executive Chef Thomas Lents has created a great menu that is great for people with a variety of tastes. But if you really want to get to know Chef …
The ongoing saga of regional transit negotiations is like watching a friend tragically go after dating someone they really, really like - but the person that's the target of their affection just isn't interested. The reality is a four county transit solution isn't politically workable here. We should accept that and like Indianapolis, an Amazon top 20 city, move on. One …
There is currently a task force studying whether or not Royal Oak should create it’s own bus system. Yes, you read that right. Royal Oak Mayor Michael Fournier has appointed a seven person task force to see if Royal Oak should create a stand alone bus service. According to an article on the Daily Tribune there will be a public meeting on Wednesday, January 17 to …
Over the past few years we've noticed that there is a severe cultural disconnect in metro Detroit. Before you say "oh, another city vs. suburbs rant!" let's be clear: It's way more complicated than just city vs. suburb. Or black vs. white. This cultural divide doesn't respect city boundaries. Sure, there's a geographic element to it, but it's also tied to family and life …
To say that there has been a lot of buzz around the new Founders in Midtown is an understatement. National publications have been picking it up, one positioning it the anchor of Detroit as America's next beer city, as well as every outlet in town. Today, I got a chance to take a peek inside of the 14,000 square foot space before the doors swing open to the public at 3 …
Despite being a "hot" scene, opening a restaurant in greater downtown Detroit is not a guarantor of success. Two restaurants have fallen in the last week. Last night, Red Corridor announced on Facebook that they're closing after a year. The Metro Times reported their hellacious customer service interactions online. In a market with a lot of options, that …
I know that I have already written this weekend’s City 5, but I found out about another event happening on Saturday night. The Oakland Avenue Urban Farm is hosting an event called Crop Up. It is being curated by Detroit architecture and design studio Akoaki. The Crop up is an exhibition opening party. It is exploring art, …
