University of Michigan plans Detroit Center in Midtown

University to lease space from Max M. Fisher Music Center for 18 curriculum units

The University of Michigan is about to make its relationship with the city of Detroit a lot stronger. The home of the Wolverines recently announced that it has sealed a deal with the Max M. Fisher Music Center to lease 10,500 square feet of the structure's ground floor, which will contain classrooms, offices, and meeting space for the 100+ projects U of M currently operates within Detroit.

According to this article in today's online edition of the Detroit News, the U of M Detroit Center is already being renovated and prepped for the fall 2005 semester, when the center is set to open.

Programs offered include Art and Design, Social Work, Nursing and more.

It's Round Two for City Life, City Living

The much-anticipated 2nd annual City Life, City Living Expo takes place this Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, at the Ren Cen's Wintergarden.

The two-day event, scheduled to run from 11am - 2pm on Friday and 10 am - 3 pm on Saturday, is designed to educate and promote every facet of life in Detroit, including what it's like to live here; which developments are available to rent or to buy; where to shop; what to see, and more.

With nearly 50 participating organizations including Crosswinds Communities, the Detroit Yacht Club, Ego Detroit Magazine, and Create Detroit, the event is sure to please anyone interested in learning more about the downtown living-scene. Reps from several Detroit-only loft, condo, and apartment projects will be on hand to answer all of your questions. In addition, mortgage brokers, real estate agents, financial lenders, and banks have also signed up to participate at the expo.

If you are in the market to move downtown, why waste countless weekend days visiting individual sales offices when you can hit them all in one day? Think of it as your one-stop shop for moving downtown!

For more information on City Life, City Living 2005, visit citylivingdetroit.com.

Eastern Market

Detroit's Eastern Market

When I tell people I live in Detroit, I can usually anticipate that the infamous "Great, but where do you grocery shop?" question is not far behind. I am still shocked at the number of misinformed metro Detroiters that believe Detroit has no grocery stores. I wrote about this a while ago, and I'll say it again: this statement just isn't true. Detroit does have grocery stores, and some are the franchised ones, just like in the suburbs. Click here to read an old post of mine addressing this common Detroit misnomer.

As for today's post, its about groceries, but not the kind you buy in your regular old Farmer Jack or Kroger store. These are the ones that the farmer brings straight from the field. There's no processing, and prices are negotiable. These are the groceries that can only be found at Detroit's Eastern Market.


The Rocky Peanut Company

According to Eastern Market's website, approximately 45,000 visitors pack the market area each Saturday to shop for everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to meats, fish, flowers, antiques, pottery, and more. Although Saturday is its busiest day of the week, the market is open Monday through Saturday from 7 am - 5 pm.


The historic market turned 200 last year

In 2004, Eastern Market was a recipient of Governor Granholm's Cool Cities Initiative, a project designed to financially-assist underutilized developments within the state. With the funds from this accolade, Eastern Market plans to do a renovation of Shed 2, and to change the parking lot nearest to it into an entertainment plaza.

Plan on heading to the market soon? Here are some don't-miss sites:

-R. Hirt, Jr., Company, known for its variety of international cheeses and beautiful pottery
-Cost Plus Wine Shoppe has a dizzying assortment of domestic and international beers and wines
-Roma Cafe, Detroit's oldest operational restaurant

For more information on the market - including a full map - visit the market's website.

Motor City Music Conference explodes onto the Detroit scene

400+ acts. 40 venues. 5 days.

The Motor City Music Conference - expected to draw thousands into downtown Detroit this week - kicks off tomorrow with a bang: the Motor City Music Awards.

Legendary Detroit musicians Eminem and Aretha Franklin are both up for accolades, as well as Slim Shady's prodigy group, D12. The show will be held at the State Theater and is sold out.

If seeing your favorite local and national musicians is your thing, not to worry; there are plenty of other opportunities to do just that when MC2 - the nickname given to the fledgling music festival - swings into full-throttle Thursday night with plenty of acts to go around. Click here for a complete listing of artists, show times, and venues.

Along with hundreds of musicians of every musical genre imaginable, MC2 will also feature three full days of music and industry panels, as well as a music/lifestyle trade show at Cobo Hall. In addition, national music personalities Snoop Dogg and Moby are set to play full concerts. Snoop will be at Cobo on Saturday night, while Moby will play the State Theater on Friday. Proof from D12 will be in the spotlight at Envy on Thursday.

Tickets for the event come in various types and prices, depending on whether you want to see one day of music or all four, and whether you want all-access or first-come, first-serve seating. This article from Sunday's Free Press breaks the ticket complexity down to plain English. They range in price from $15-$100 and are available at Ticketmaster and one-day passes can be purchased at the venue, but get ready to stand in line if you choose this option.

MC2's website has information on anything else you need to know including detailed maps, artists times and venues, and more.

Global Nonviolence Conference Begins Today in Detroit

It's taken place in Durban, Atlanta, Miami, and Medillin, and now it's taking place in Detroit.

It's the 7th Annual Global Nonviolence Conference, a four-day event that aims to educate community and organizational leaders about particular strategies and approaches to deter aggressive behavior and to promote peaceful living and working environments wthn ther constituencies. The use of music, entertainment, and particular communication techniques are a few of the alternative methods to violence and aggression that will be addressed at conference break-out sessions.

This year's conference - entitled "Creating a Culture of Peace, Nonviolence, and Prosperity" - features daily lunch-and learn sessions, lectures by nonviolence experts, a Peace Jam concert, the 2005 Global Peace awards, and more.

Sponsored by the city of Detroit, GM, Comerica Bank, Coca-Cola, Providence Hospital, and New Detroit, the global nonviolence conference is being hosted by MINE, the Michigan Institute of Nonviolence Education and is located at Cobo Hall.

For more information, please visit MINE's website: www.nonviolenceeducation.org or call 877.403.2827. For a complete schedule of events, click here.

Save the Date: Tigers Game and Downtown Pub Crawl: April 23

Comerica Park on Opening Day '05

What better way to celebrate the beginning of baseball and Spring than by watching a Tigers game and then capping off the evening with a night on the town? For just $25, you can do just that on April 23 when Detroit Synergy has its first-ever Tigers Takeover and Pub Crawl.


Whoa! A Tiger's ticket, parking pass, t-shirt,
and bar crawl wrist band for only $25 - I'm there!

The day starts off with a tailgate from 9:00-11:45 am where you can meet fellow metro Detroiters and register for your game tickets, pub crawl wrist bands, game parking pass(included in the $25) and grab your free t-shirt (also included in the $25). Then, at noon, you'll head over to the game to watch the Tigers stomp the Minnesota Twins.

Once the game has ended, you and your new buddies will begin the evening at the first bar on the pub crawl route: Hockey Town. You'll finish the night off by visiting The State Bar, Detroit Beer Company, Coaches Corner, Cock and Bull, and The Hub.

If you've got a few friends that are interested in attending the TT with you, make sure to get the Superpass - it includes everything that comes with a regular pass except its valid for four people and is only $70.

Or, if you're like me and can't possibly last an entire day in the sun and then have the ability to party all night, tickets for just the pub-crawl are $15. They include the crawl wristband and a free t-shirt.

Visit http://detroitsynergy.org/projects/pubcrawl for more information and to purchase tickets. Procrastinators, please note - if you want to go to the game and the pub crawl, the last day to purchase your tickets is April 19.

The Detroit Public Library

The main branch of the Detroit Public Library

Since April 7 - 16 is National Library Week, what better time than now to write about the rich history of the Detroit Public Library?

Built in 1921, Detroit's magnificent main library was constructed at the request of then-mayor Edward H. Bennett, who felt the city's growing population deserved a new and grand place in which it could learn about things beyond its borders, as well as those taught in schools.

Designed by Gilbert Cass, an architect that had already proved his worthiness with such designs as the Woolworth building in New York and the Central Public Library in St. Louis, the exterior of the structure was purposely set back abnormally far from the edge of Woodward Avenue to create the illusion of two different worlds - the busyiness of daily life and the tranquility and beauty of the library.

Leading up to the building's entrance from Woodward Avenue, it is difficult not to be mystified by the beautiful landscaping, bronze sculptures, and bold recognition of famous theologians and scholars like Socrates and Plato, whose names were etched at the top of the building's exterior.

Inside, the ceilings are coffered in sixteenth-century style and on the walls Edwin H. Blashfield painted murals representing great authors, musicians and artists. On the second floor, readers can observe walls painted with murals by Gari Melchers, whose work there depicts early Detroit events.

Out with the old...

The site of the newest edition to Bob Maxey Ford

The Detroit car dealership that gained attention for selling the notorious red Navigator to the Kilpatrick administration last December is in the news again.

This time, though, Bob Maxey Ford is not making headlines based on the Mayor's antics.

The Detroit-based dealership, located on East Jefferson, has created a host of cheers amongst city residents for its rapid demolition of two abandoned buildings located directly across from it.

When the concrete and rubble has all been hauled away, the site will become the newest edition of the fledgling Bob Maxey Ford, which is shaping up to be a nice addition to the neighborhood.

City of Detroit's Riverfront Vision Becoming More Clear

The City of Detroit took another major step in the redevelopment of the Detroit Riverfront yesterday when it purchased land from Cemex - the last of the old cement companies that once operated on the riverfront.

According to this article in today's online edition of the Detroit Free Press, the city paid $23 million for the site, which will later be turned into a park.

Detroit's newest land acquisition is another addition to the multimillion-dollar redevelopment of the city's riverfront, which includes plans for a $500 million RiverWalk between the Ambassador and MacArthur bridges.

Twenty-six acres of prime Detroit riverfront to be redeveloped

Detroit-area developers will soon be scrambling to get their hands on a newly-issued parcel of riverfront property located on Detroit's west side.

The site, which is currently owned by Detroit Newspapers, has announced that it will close its printing plant - the area's only tenant - and plans to put the 1.5 miles up for sale shortly after that.

The current landowner, whose companies include both of Detroit's major daily newspapers, has hired a Southfield-based real estate firm to act as the broker in the sale.

According to this April 5 article in the Detroit Free Press, city leaders are pushing to have the area transformed from its current industrial state into a modern one which will include a mixture of new housing, parks, and retail establishments.

The 2100-acre area is prime real estate in downtown Detroit and will become part of the urban area's new RiverWalk, a stretch of land running along Detroit's shoreline from Belle Isle's MacArthur Bridge to the Ambassador Bridge, the International byway between Detroit and Windsor.

The RiverWalk is set to be turned into a walkable path designed to draw Detroiters to the city's largest asset, its river, as well as to provide a place for relaxation and enjoyment. Phase One of the project, which is currently underway, targets the eastern end of the riverfront, between the MacArthur Bride and Joe Louis Arena. Phase Two of the RiverWalk encompasses the area between Joe Louis and the Ambassador Bridge.

Visit the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy's website for further information and updates on the RiverWalk.

The Detroit Yacht Club

The Detroit Yacht Club from across the Detroit River

Did you know that one of the largest yacht clubs in North America lies right here in Detroit? It's true. The Detroit Yacht Club, located on a small man-made island adjacent to Belle Isle, has a clubhouse that encompasses 100,000 square feet.

Designed by George Mason - the architect of Detroit's beautiful Masonic Temple - the DYC's Mediterranean design makes it both an inviting and intriguing place.


Two-thirds of DYC members are not boaters

Although the name of the club indicates an association to boating, the Detroit Yacht Club is by no means a boating-only organization. In fact, two-thirds of its members are non-boaters. What does the club have to offer to non-boating members? Plenty. Below is an abbreviated list of some of the DYC's activities:

-Indoor and outdoor pools

-Year-round hot tub

-Fitness area

-Racquetball, squash courts, and tennis courts

-Golf and bowling leagues

-Cooking, swimming, dancing, tennis, and computer classes

-Ampitheater, picnic areas, and children's playscape

-Live weekend music

-Business and professional networking group

-Easter and Mother's Day brunches

-Over 40 different voluntary social clubs, including ladies bridge, water basketball, skiing, and gardening

-Year-round competitive swimming for children and young adults


The current home of the club is actually its fourth residence

Interested in becoming a member of this exclusive social club? The DYC has two upcoming prospective member receptions, the first on April 10 from 2-5 pm and the second on April 21 from 7-9 pm - where potential club-joiners can check out the DYC's interior, meet some of its members, and learn more about its history and current events. Call 313.824.1200 for more information.

Play Ball!

Tigers Opening Day is Monday, April 4

Get your peanuts, baseball gloves, and favorite jerseys out - its time once again for Tigers Opening Day!

Tomorrow marks the fifth year of Opening Day at Comerica Park stadium in Detroit, and the 104th Opening Day game for the Detroit Tigers baseball team.

Tomorrow's game pits our hometown cats against the Kansas City Royals. The stadium opens at 10:30 am, and opening day festivities start at 12:35pm.

Detroit's own Pastor Marvin Winans - six-time Grammy winner and one of the musically-talented members of the Winans family - will sing the National Anthem.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will toss the ceremonial first pitch towards the ceremonial catcher, Robert Ficano. Ficano is Wayne County's Executive and has been the ceremonial Opening Day catcher for the last two years. Kilpatrick has thrown the first pitch the previous three years.

The weather forecast for Opening Day looks great (for Detroit, at least) - 62 degrees and sunny.

For the complete 2005 Tigers schedule, visit this link. If you are looking for stats, rosters, or other Tigers information, visit TigersCentral.com or Detroit Tigers Weblog.

GO TIGERS!

April Theatrical Events in Detroit

If you like theater or live shows, April in Detroit is sure to please

Been itching to get out and see a show? Detroit has you covered. Check out a few of the events in store this month:

April 2 - 3: Cirque Dreams, Fisher Theatre

April 2 - 23: The Story, Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit

April 2 - 30*: Menopause the Musical, Gem Theatre

April 2 - 10: Godspell, Marygrover College Theater

April 3: Medea Goes to Jail, Fox Theatre

April 8: Two Plays: Twilight and the Trip, Broadway Theatre

April 9: John Hancock's Champions On Ice, Joe Louis Arena

April 12 - 17: Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Fox Theatre

April 22 - 30*: Evita, Wayne State University's Bonstelle Theatre

April 26 - 30*: Hairspray, Detroit's Masonic Temple

*=event goes into May

Make sure to check showtimes, as not all shows play every day.