There are people out there who view Detroit as a rundown, dangerous city. We have old factories here in the city, many of which have been abandoned and torn down. One of the most famous buildings is the old Packard Motor Car Company Plant. That, unfortunately is very rundown and falling apart. There is some good news though. The Russell Industrial Center (RIC) is one of those manufacturing buildings that have been saved.

The RIC is located at 1600 Clay Street, bordering I-75 to the west, and just due north of I-94. The Center was built in 1915, for John William Murray, and was completed in 1925. It was designed by Albert Khan, one of the most famous architects of Detroit. Murray wanted to use the building for auto-body manufacturing for the growing business. The building struggled to stay afloat even before it was completed. Business was suffering throughout its history, with Murray’s company merging many times. Murray sold the building in 1970 to Leona Helmsley, followed by another sale in 1981 to Dyson-Kissner-Moran Corp. (DKM), and another in 1991 to Wintor-Swan, a printing company. Finally, in 1998 the building became vacant after a tornado and flooding damaged it. In 2003, Dennis Kefallinos bought the building and renovated it, hoping it would become lofts and studio space.

Kefallinos’ bet paid off. He renovated the seven-building complex for $1 million. The complex now has more than one million square feet of space for studios and lofts for artists, creative professionals, and businesses. According to the building’s website, www.ricdetroit.org, “…studios range in size from 1000 to 7000 square feet each. Of the 2.2 million square feet, 650,000 are in use, with another 500,000 available for use. Infrastructure work is planned for another million square feet of space.”

When the building first opened up, it wasn’t called the Russell Industrial Center. It was the J.W. Manufacturing Company. The company merged in 1924 with three others to form the Murray Body Corporation. From then, until the late 1960s and 1970s when printing became the main use for the buildings, the Murray Body Company was one of the main manufacturers for Ford and Mercury. The company also produced parts for Packard, Lincoln, Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, and many other non-famous companies. In the last year of production it produced parts for Hudson-Jet and Aero Willys.

When the printing companies took over in the 1960s, over 130 companies occupied the building complex and printed. This is when Detroit was known as the printing capital of the Midwest for a short time.

This building complex has started a new trend in Detroit, urban development. The current tenants of the complex include: the Russell Gallery (Building 3), Art Studios, Stacey Ellis, the co-owner of B. Black Apparel, Madeline Stillwell, artist of Detroit Industrial Projects, Motor City Movie House, Architecture Practice, Woodworking Shop and Hand Crafted Furniture, Antiques, Kitchen and Bath Remodeling, Clothing, Furniture, Sewing, Photography Studios, Import, Export, a Health Food Store, a Performing Arts Studio, a Candle Shop, Custom Signs, Printer, and Helderop Pipe Organs.

The RIC also hosts a couple of events each year. The Russell Bazaar is an indoor marketplace, hosted by the tenants of the building on the first weekend of each month, showcasing art and wares. It brings in many people to look at and purchase what the tenants are selling. For those that want to sell their work, they can rent a booth each month.
Another event is the People’s Art Festival, which is held annually. Last year it was in August. The event is free and open to the public and features different pieces of art, music, merchandise, food, and entertainment. It is sponsored by many local non-profits and business to cover the costs.

What the RIC is doing is taking a former manufacturing plant, something that Detroit has an excess of, and turning it into something the community can use. Go and check out this place, because this is something that Detroit can use to look at and say, “Hey, the Russell Industrial Center is an old re-used manufacturing plant. If they can turn an old building into something plausible, why can’t we do that for the other ones?”

You can check out their website at www.ricdetroit.org. You can also contact their main office at (313) 872-4000 or email at centerric@aol.com. If you would like to contact their webmaster, Nick Polifroni, his email address is nick@ricdetroit.org.  You can check out my other articles at www.michiganjournal.org

The “NAIAS” has roots that go all the way back to when Detroit first started producing automobiles.  The first auto show in Detroit was held in 1907 at Beller’s Beer Garden in Riverside Park, near the Ambassador Bridge.  It has been held annually every year in Detroit, except between 1943-1952.  The auto show has been held at Cobo Center since 1965, and was renamed the North American International Auto Show in 1989.

The auto show has been a big draw, not only for just car lovers, but for the city of Detroit.  It brings in some major media outlets for the press preview, and a boat load of money during the charity preview.  This year the press preview ran from January 9-10, the Industry Preview on January 11-12, the Charity Preview on January 13, and the Public Show from January 14-22.  During the press preview, the media outlets that apply get in to take pictures and develop stories of what cars are being revealed.  The car companies usually reveal production cars they plan on selling in the near future and concept cars, vehicles that they may use toward a future production car.  The industry preview is where companies bring in people to take notes on the vehicles, compare them to their, or others, without all of the crowds and some VIP hospitality.

The charity preview is where the city accumulates some funds, privately.  The charity preview raises money for local charities.  This year the ticket cost was $250 per person, a black tie event, which means dress very classy.  The people around you are some of the most prestigious in the Metro Detroit area.  From Dan Gilbert, who is the third largest owner of real estate in Detroit, to some famous athletes from the Red Wings or Tigers, are the possible guests.  Since 1976, the charity preview has raised $84 million for children’s charities in Metro Detroit.  $33 million of that has been raised in the past seven years alone.

The NAIAS rakes in an estimated amount of $500 million by the auto show executives for the area.  That beats out the Woodward Dream Cruise, held annually each August by a long shot ($56 million).

Cobo Center, which is one of the largest convention centers in the world, boasts 2,400,000 sq ft.  It is located along Jefferson Ave. and Washington Blvd.  Its official address is 1 Washington Blvd.  It was built in 1960 and named after one of Detroit’s former mayors, Albert E. Cobo.  The exhibition space has access to the Lodge Freeway, and is located on the Detroit International Riverfront.  It also has access to the Detroit People Mover and the adjacent Joe Louis Arena.

The center is built on the original landing spot of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the Frenchman who found Detroit.  The building took four years to complete and $56 million.  It opened with approximately 1.4 million square feet.  The first ever convention held at Cobo was the Florist Telegraph Delivery.  Along with the exhibition space, Cobo Center also opened an arena, named Cobo Arena.  It had a capacity of 12,000 seats and was the home of the Detroit Pistons from 1961-1978.  The arena has also hosted many concerts, including Kid Rock, The Doors, Kiss, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, among many others.

As the North American International Auto Show began to grow each year, the convention began demanding more space, and threatened to move elsewhere.  Luckily, the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA), who owns Cobo Center and the NAIAS agreed to a new five year deal, early this month to keep the auto show here for another five years at the very least.

What helped was an upgrade that started in 1989.  That upgrade moved the space to 2.4 million square feet.  That was the last time the facility was updated, and 20 years later, was in desperate need of another.  It happened, and a brand new $229 million expansion project is in the works.  It is scheduled to be completed in January of 2015, in time for the auto show that year.  The plan is to demolish the seats in the arena and create a grand ballroom, and building a movable stage for better and more dramatic car reveals.  During the NAIAS this year, you won’t notice any upgrades, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.  A lot of the current renovations are happening out of sight, including making the building more energy friendly and efficient.

One big upgrade is the creation of a three-story atrium facing the riverfront.  The DRCFA will be using the riverfront to its advantage, to bring people in, and give the facility a wonderful view.  Along with the atrium, a brand new high-tech, digital video grid, across the front of the building’s façade.  New parking, a bigger and better food court, and a more open concourse are just a few of the items that are going to be upgraded at Cobo Center.

Finally, a new glass façade will wrap around the building from Washington and Jefferson, to the Detroit River, giving you some amazing views of the river and Windsor, Ontario.

The North American International Auto Show is a Detroit thing, and keeping it at Cobo Center, where it has been held since 1965 is what every Metro Detroiter should want.  Heading to the NAIAS and checking out all the cool production and concept cars is a must.  Tickets are only $12 for adults, seniors 65 and older $6, children 7-12 $6, and children 6 and under are free.  The public show runs until Sunday, January 22 from 9am-10pm with no admittance after 9pm and on Sunday from 9am-7pm, no admittance after 6pm.  For more information visit www.naias.com and www.cobocenter.com

MCS, as it’s known to many, was built in 1913 and was Detroit’s second railroad depot but the most famous.  The first one was on Third and Jefferson streets since 1884.  It burned down in late December and the brand new MCS was ready to go.  Within a half an hour of the former train station burning down, the trains were already rolling into the new station, cancelling its dedication that was supposed to happen on January 4.

The old depot is located along Michigan Avenue, in the Corktown district, outside of Downtown.  The cost of building the Michigan Central Station was $2.5 million ($55 million today).  It was the tallest train station in the world and the fourth tallest building in Detroit when it was completed.  The building consisted of a three story train depot, and an 18 story office tower.

The train station was in use the most during World War I and World War II.  More than two hundred trains left each day during World War I as many saw their loved ones go off to war, some coming back, many not.  A few of the famous people that walked through the halls of MCS include: Presidents Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, actor Charlie Chaplin and inventor Thomas Edison.  Henry Ford began buying up property in the 1920s only to have the Great Depression bring things to a halt.

With no large parking structure, the only problem of the area, ridership began to decline between both World Wars and after World War II.  Once urban highways became more prevalent and driving cars and air travel took over, riding the train became third string.  In 1956, the owners began looking to sell the building, and did, for $5 million (1/3 of its original cost).  The new owners tried to sell in 1963, found no buyers and again tried to sell in 1967.  As ridership began decreasing, the maintenance on the building decreased.

The restaurant, arcade shops, and main entrance all closed, along with much of the main waiting room.  Only two ticket windows remained for service to passengers.  Amtrak bought the station in 1971 and things seemed to turn around for a short time with the main entrance and waiting room re-opening in 1975 followed by a $1.25 million restoration in 1978.  Six years later, the station was sold yet again and the final train left the station on January 6, 1988.

Current owner, Manuel “Matty” Mouron bought the station in 1996, because of its proximity to the Ambassador Bridge.  Since 1996, Mouron has done nothing with the station, letting it slowly rot and die.

There have been many ideas presented to restore the old station into something new.  A couple of the ideas that have been presented include: A trade processing center, convention center and casino, Detroit Police Headquarters, and Michigan State Police Headquarters.  Most recently, the station has gone under renovations thanks to the Mouron who finally invested in something.  This past summer, renovations started in removal of asbestos, old windows, and the old roof.  In place will be a new roof and new windows.

This doesn’t mean that there are companies ready to move in as there is much more work to do on the inside.  Mouron brought Quinn Evans Architects in to oversee the restoration and give some quotes on what it would take to renovate the interior.  With Corktown seeing massive renovations, the depot may not be far behind.

There are other ideas citizens have put forth thanks to a new website set up by Mouron.  Talktothestation.com is open to anyone that has an idea for the station.  Although some ideas may not be taken too seriously, the ideas put forth may spur development.  Michigan Central Station is one of the most iconic structures of Detroit, especially since 1988 as it has been in ruins.  As workers continue to clean up parts of the building, more needs to be done.  With the help of those who want to see it rise again, ideas can fuel companies and businesses to put forth money and grants, creating new life for the once largest train depot in the world.

We will pick back up with Detroit and its rise in January.  Have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a safe and Happy New Year!

Feel free to check out my other articles at http://michiganjournal.org/ and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-zadorozny

We met up at the Woodbridge Pub, which just released it’s new Winter Menu. E and I waited for everyone to get there by having some icy cold beverages and white bean dip.  The dip was really good, it started getting really garlicky as it got warmer, but luckily I’m a huge fan of garlic.  Then after everyone got in, we decided that instead of going to Mexican Town like we would normally do, we’d try out Detroit’s new Seva.

Seva is Ann Arbor’s destination for veggie dining since 1973, serving breakfast (available all day), lunch, dinner, and housemade desserts. We have a full bar, featuring an eclectic wine list, rotating draft beers, artisan cocktails, fresh juice and espresso.  The restaurant opened a second location in Detroit’s midtown area, at 66 E. Forest Ave. between Woodward and John R.  They haven’t even had their Grand Opening yet, that’s scheduled for January 28th.  But we have all heard good things, and two of the ladies had already eaten there.  So we decided to give it a try.

It was like most Detroit restaurants, we walked in and immediately knew a bunch of people in there.  We sat in the bark bar area at a table for 5.  3 of us split a bottle of house wine, 2 had cocktails that looked (and tasted) amazing, one was called the Ricky something, try that one, it’s amazing.  We asked for the Cauliflower as an appetizer, it sounded really yummy, and must have been because they were sold out.  So we split some Yam fries, since they said the kitchen was backed up, it was apparently their biggest night to date, and we had just caught the tail end of it.  V ordered a Ruben, I got the Pesto Pizza sandwich, and K got the Thai noodle something.  Unfortunately, and this is not a reflection on the restaurant,  the food wasn’t all that amazing, my toasted sandwich was cold, and K’s food was even colder.  But the atmosphere was pleasant, wait staff was friendly, and even though my sandwich was cold, it was still good.

We left there and went to Honest ? Johns on Selden.  K wanted to get some food since all she had had was wine and some yam fries.  So 3 of us split a 40oz. Old Milwaukee.  K ate a Ruben and fries.  We sat in one of the big dark booths, it’s my favorite booth in the city.  We talked about all things you should talk about, lives, futures, pasts, hopes and dreams.  We eventually finished 40 oz of beer and discussed where to go next.  The Sugar House was closed for a private party, we could have gone anywhere, The Old Miami, Cass Cafe.  But we decided to head back to the pub, E, A and I all live in Woodbridge.

So we went back to the Pub we had left only a few hours before. And it was crazy packed! There were so many people!  It was Will Sessions After Party, he had played at the Detroit Institute of Arts before this and the Pub was jam packed with people dancing and having a good time!  It was the perfect ending to a wonderful night in the city.

I’m glad I was able to try out Seva, and I’m glad that I understand new businesses and that I will try it again, because I know it was just the wrong time.   I’m glad we got to go to all the places we went to.  I had fun dancing at the Pub for the little while I was there, I left not too long after we got there, because I had a 10am meeting in Birmingham on Saturday morning.  I had fun being able to eat at 3 different restaurants in the city, and didn’t feel the need to wait until a special occasion like Restaurant Week. We wanted specific things and we went and got those things.  It’s an amazing city, with a vibrant life that you have to see to understand.

And I hope you plan on seeing and eating all that Detroit has to offer in the new year!

Enjoy Detroit.

Erika Fulk
Inside Detroit, marketing and social media.

I got laid off in January. Never worked more than 40 hours a week on any one job. Spent most weekends gallivanting around Michigan taking photos of bicycle races.  Spent 3 weeks driving out to CA and back. I got my dog a puppy.

Worked up to 4 jobs a week. Become friends with people in all sorts of different social groups.  Put on the first sanctioned road bicycle race in the city of Detroit in over 20 years. Turned my dreams into reality.  Turned my reality into dreams. Started blogging for the Huffington Post Detroit. Started thinking about the future as a project that I can manipulate however I choose.  I spent a week in Dallas with family while George Clooney was filming Ides of March at Inside Detroit.  I turned 28.  I extended my circle of bicycling friends beyond measure.  I’m working on more new projects every day.  I tossed around the idea of moving to warmer climates for a job and a new life.  I’ve watched the one of the co-founders of Inside Detroit get married in a public ceremony in the middle of Downtown Detroit.  I went to a few Tigers games.  I watched the Lions have a hell of a season. I started work with the D:hive.  I went to a party in the David Whitney Building.  Watched Christmas Trees get put up on the Hudson Site. I rode the People Mover and made some new friends while doing it. I met Emanuel Steward and Tommy Hearns.

What I didn’t do in 2011 – I did not want.  I never looked around and felt sorry for the city I live in.  I never felt scared in the places I’ve been.  I’ve said goodbye to the co-founder of Inside Detroit, and wished her well on her new endeavors. I’ve seen a few good places close (Bureau of Urban Living which was replaced by Nest, so it wasn’t a bad thing really). I know of people’s houses and cars that have been broken into.  I didn’t get so wasted that I threw up in public.  I didn’t do anything all year that I wasn’t completely thrilled with the results.  I didn’t do anything I regret.  I didn’t go to a few parties that I should have.

Things that excite me for 2012 – Getting to go inside the GAR Building.

Putting on the second annual Criterium Detroit City. The possibility of absolutely everything. Riding my bike. Running my first 1/2 marathon. Being a tourist in my own town (sometimes you’ve just gotta). Being an insider.  Cinco de Mayo.  St. Patty’s Day Parade. Dally in the Alley. Noel Night. The Hoe Down. The Jazz Fest. Winter Blast. Running a 5k on Belle Isle on New Years Eve (I didn’t get to in 2011, but I will in 2012)!  The Detroit City Futbol League. Going on Canine to Five walks with my dogs. Being a part of something bigger than myself, all while being myself.

Again Detroit, thanks for making this all possible on a 20 hour a week pay check and a car when it snows.

The area that is on the rise is the commercial area along Michigan Avenue. There are already many businesses along the strip that have been there for awhile and are thriving such as: PJ’s Lager House, Nemo’s Bar, Hoots on the Avenue, the Corktown Tavern, and the Detroit Athletic Company.

There are buildings in the Corktown that have been sitting for a long time, but now are finding new life. Slows BBQ has revitalized an area at one point was super busy, thanks to the Michigan Central Station. Slows BBQ opened in 2005 and has since won many awards, ranking as one of the top BBQ joints in Michigan. It sits right across the street from the MCS and the block that it sits on has helped the buildings take new life.
The building that currently houses Slows BBQ was too small as so much business was coming through, that it moved next door, taking over a former Real Estate Agency Building. O’Conner Real Estate moved two doors down next to Astro Coffee and LJ’s Lounge. O’Connor has been around for more than 40 years and decided to invest in Detroit recently and Astro Coffee just opened up this past summer and LJ’s Lounge in the past year.
One building on the same block is a former Pawn Shop, next to The Sugar House has been empty awhile, but is looking at redevelopment and a new use. As first reported by Curbed Detroit, the former pawn shop was bought by several businessmen, Phil Cooley (owner of Slows BBQ), Toby Barlow (author and local celebrity), Ryan Cooley (Phil’s brother), Meghan Cooley (Ryan’s husband), and Brian Boyle (co-founder of Model D Media).

The plan is to turn the former pawn shop into a restaurant. It has not been said yet what type of restaurant it will be. Above the brand new addition to Slows BBQ, a brand new Bed and Breakfast is almost ready to go and it will be called Honor + Folly. It was so popular, it’s already booked.

Directly across the street from the Slows BBQ block is a former coffee shop, called Mercury Coffee Shop. The former sign still hangs there, and up until recently had paper covering the inside of the windows, which allowed no viewing into the building. That’s pretty normal to not see in abandoned buildings in Detroit but this was different. It looked as if something was going on, and it’s true, the building was being renovated. It may not be like the Broderick Tower, but it’s being turned into another restaurant. It will be called the Mercury Burger Bar and will open in less than two weeks. David Steinke and Dennis Fulton are the owners, which will also serve breakfast.

Another building, a bit farther down, towards the Downtown area, another former pawn shop was just recently bought by Joe Misfud and his partner Bryan Brincat. It is directly next to Nemo’s Bar. The plan is to turn it into an Italian restaurant and be ready by sometime in the next year.

These are just a few of the renovations currently going on in the Corktown area. Michigan Central Station is a whole different beast which we will feature in next week’s article. The revitalization of the Corktown area is giving Detroit something else to be proud of. Although it still has a long way to go, Corktown can be something it never was, a neighborhood with a vital restaurant scene, businesses galore and safe neighborhoods. To check out more information on the Corktown neighborhood, go to Detroit.curbed.com

Feel free to check out my other articles at http://michiganjournal.org/

By Chris Zadorozny

The same thing is happening right now, 6 years later, Inside Detroit is growing.  We’ve expanded our space and we’re now cohabiting with a new, just starting up, non-profit,  The D:hive.

“The D:hive will be a non-profit partnership that will help individuals connect with information and resources relevant to living, working and engaging in Detroit through the direct assistance of a D:hive team member. D:hive team members will act as “air traffic control” for many institutions, programs and projects that wish to serve, assist and partner with new Detroit residents”

Thursday, December 8th was the D:hive’s pre-launch party at the Madison Theater Building.

They asked for help pollinating the D:hive. Over one hundred fifty people were able to come out and share ideas on nine different resource questions that the D:hive is working on to assist individuals wishing to live, work and engage in Detroit. The questions were

1. Welcome to Detroit What information/resources exist, and what is needed to help individuals get to know Detroit?

2. Partner & Parallel Initiatives In Detroit, what efforts/entities already exist that the D:hive should know about, understand and possibly partner with?

3. Real Estate Information What residential and/or commercial real estate information is needed for those new to Detroit?

4. Retail Recruitment What essential retail is missing in Detroit?

5. Data Everyone Needs What data exists to assist newcomers to Detroit? What else is needed?

6. Innovator Profiles What other Detroit Innovators should be profiled and connected with?

7. Project Build Classes Please share names/contact info of individuals with project ideas who may need help writing their plan.

8. Grow Roundtables Please share names of existing urban innovators who may be interested in small monthly problem-solving gatherings. What specific topics should be covered/presented to assist existing urban innovators?

9. Job Postings How can more attention be brought to great job opportunities in Detroit?

The D:hive is located inside Inside Detroit, they ask that you come into the space and add your opinions to the boards.  The goal of all these boards is to see what people are talking about.

Jon and I worked Table #1, Welcome to Detroit, and it was amazing to see what people knew about and what they didn’t.  We split our boards into two different sides, one was what resources do people need to get to know the city, and one was what resources already exist to help people out?

The D:hive and Inside Detroit both invite you back into the Welcome Center, located at 1253 Woodward, to continue the conversation.  The reason we want your feedback is so that we can make this the most complete list anyone has ever seen.  We know that when only a few people are heard, voices get left out, and that’s not what we’re looking for, we want to incorporate all of your ideas, thoughts, and hopes.

So stop in, check out the 60+ merchants that are selling things in the Welcome Center.  Then step back into the D:hive and help us make a better Detroit by sharing what you know!

Come and help us fill the boards!

Erika Fulk
Social Media / Marketing for Inside Detroit

I walked to my car, brushed the snow off the window’s, not much there, but enough to make it hard to see out the back windows.  The I turned left on Library, left onto Clifford, stopped on the corner of Clifford and Woodward for the light.  And I’m not sure if you’ve seen the window display’s in Tall-Eez Shoe Store window, or in Oslo’s windows, but they are filled with christmas tree’s with the light blue/white Christmas lights on.

There are two Christmas Tree’s in front of Somerset’s City Lofts, with the same blue/white lights on it.

A beautiful way to see the city.  The snow flakes on the Woodward street lights lit up with the same color lights as those window trees.  The city is in sync, the holiday lights match.

So how does this relate to you?  Well, if you haven’t been downtown in a while then you should go and check it out.  It’s a side of Detroit that you haven’t seen before.  It’s bright, sparkling. It’s a whole new Detroit.  The streets seem brighter, cleaner, newer, and most of all you can tell that the lights have brightened the spirits of the people of Detroit.

What winter in Detroit means to me is friends that are willing to brave the cold.  I know that no matter how sick you are, you will have friends from all over the city offer to bring you meals to make you feel better. I know that I can ride my bike any where in the city and be safe. I know that I can go to most bars in the city and talk to the owners.  I know I can start a conversation with any one sitting next to me, because they are here for the same reasons I am, to get out of the house.

As the thunder starts to roll on another Detroit evening, rain starts to tap on the windows, I sit here and hope against hope that it does not turn to snow.  I long for summer when I can ride my bike without looking like the kid from “A Christmas Story”.  I long for the Detroit summer with its hot gusty winds, the summer smells in the city, the sounds of Tigers games echoing throughout the city.

Writing like this makes me feel a little “Sex and the City”, but what can I say, I love Detroit.  I don’t have sorted affairs with men, I can’t afford Manolo Blahnik’s, even though I’d really like too. But I do love my city. Detroit to me has everything I’m looking for.  It has a gritty and amazing past.  Someone posted a comment to my last post “Speak to your family and no matter what your ethnicity, you will find Detroit as part of your families historical DNA.” Detroit’s past is something that never ends.  It has that of the old world, gossip, intrigue, the rise and fall of greatness…  Detroit is the American version of Rome. We have Michigan Central Station, they have the Coliseum.  I used to read Russian history books, Russian history is a real life soap-opera. I didn’t think America was old enough to have the intrigue that Russia did.  But here I sit, surrounded by a remarkable history, that I’m reminded of every time I shepherd a tour with Inside Detroit.   Every time I learn something new. Ask me about the Scott Fountain.

Detroit has a gritty present, we’ve been plagued by corruption, exodus, failed mass transit, you name it, we’ve had it, recently.  But we’re combatting it.  Now, right now.  The people in this city, my friends, me, we are here making the city a better place. Making events, restaurants, stores, things, we’re making things happen here. The buildings that have been left behind are empty, blank, cheap and ours to make whole again.  The Woodbridge Pub, was once a liquor store, could you tell?  I have watched The Bronx and Motor City Brewing Works grow, The Park Bar and Cliff Bells get remodeled. The opening of City Bird and The Bureau of Urban Living and then watched that change into Nest…  How amazing to be able to watch things grow, change, reinvent, and then do it again.

and the  future will be what we make it.

Watching the lights pop up on Woodward, the Tree Lighting Ceremony, and the general amazingness of the holiday season in Detroit, put me in an unusually good mood for the cold weather.

As the photo says, And then they lived happily ever after.  Won’t you be a part of that happily ever after?

Erika Fulk

hoping you enjoy the weather.

I married my best friend, Garrett Menzel, on Saturday, October 22, 2011! He is a wonderful man, he is an awesome step-father and the best partner a woman could ask for. We met at a Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 7, 2010. I was not going to attend due to the fact I was sick. However, something “pulled” me to the party. I spent 75% of the party talking with Gary. We started dating immediately after that and have been inseparable ever since. He proposed to me at Iridescence in Motor City Casino-Hotel on Saturday, February 6, 2011. We completely enjoyed our dinner that evening as well as our stay at Motor City Casino Hotel. As we planned our wedding, and honeymoon, we decided we would wait to see the Detroit Lions’ 2011-12 schedule. If there was a home game near our wedding date, that was where we would go and stay Downtown for a few days. As it happened, they did have a home game on Sunday, October 23, 2011. Our plans for “Honeymooning the D” had begun. We then purchased a Groupon for Small Plates, Finn & Porter and Coach Insignia. We reserved a corner, king room at Greektown Casino-Hotel. As we told people our plans there was a mix of responses, from REALLY??!!! WHY??? and WOW! That is awesome! As our wedding date grew closer, we became increasing excited for our “Honeymoon in the D”.

Sunday, October 23, began with two of our friends joining us for the Lions game. In the 3rd quarter my husband saw the “wedding present” I set up for him “Happy 1 day anniversary” up in lights on the jumbotron. After the game we met up with my new sister in law, Sandy. She took us to Cliff Bells for a drink to celebrate our marriage (and to “drown our sorrows” due to Lions loss to Atlanta). She then took us on a tour of “must sees and must dos” within Downtown Detroit. We ended with dinner at Vicente Cuban Cuisine Restaurant. We were off to a wonderful honeymoon!

We checked into Greektown and enjoyed the nighttime view of Detroit! Out our window was the Blue Cross building with its pink ribbon lights. The other buildings that we could see were beautiful and made us wonder about their histories.

On Monday we proceed to ride the People Mover around and then ended up back at Endzone Restaurant in Trappers Alley for breakfast. We then went to Avanti Press for a tour and to pick up some greeting cards. This was not a planned part of our excursions, but it was a lot of fun and very interesting! For lunch we went to Hudson’s Café. It was a flood emotions for me, as this was a place that my mom and I would frequent when I was younger. My mom has been gone 8 years. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was modern yet comfortable. We went about stopping in a few stores and buying I <3 Detroit shirts for our children. I rested for a bit in our room and Gary gambled in the Casino (he broke even lol).

For dinner, our two-day anniversary, we went to Coach Insignia at the Renaissance Center. The view was amazing and we enjoyed watching the sunset. This was our second trip to CI and we will not be returning.

On Tuesday we set out for brunch/ lunch at Small Plates. They were not open when we arrived so we proceeded to Simmons and Clark Jewelers. Gary purchased a charm for my bracelet to commemorate our honeymoon. We then went to Small Plates to eat. THIS WAS AN AMAZING MEAL! The service was almost as enjoyable as the food! The staff congratulated us (everyone, including the manager). They even gave us a complimentary dessert, their chocolate chip cookie and ice cream and caramel creation, DELICIOUS!!
After lunch we stopped next door at the Detroit Brewery for a taste of beer. I am not a beer drinker and the bartender was very attentive in helping me choose one to my liking. We bought souvenirs for our “home bar”.
We proceeded to walk over to Inside Detroit and read some literature and looked over the merchandise.
We retreated back to our room for rest and gambling again. On the agenda for Happy Hour was Roast. We enjoyed an hour of drinks and appetizers. For dinner we went to Finn and Porter. Again, this was an amazing meal and experience! The service was terrific. The food was absolutely delicious and cooked perfectly. They treated us like VIPs. We spent 2 hours there, by our choice, and enjoyed every minute and morsel.

We spent our last night at Greektown by enjoying the view from our room.

We have shared our experiences with our friends and families. There are outings already scheduled for our return.

As mentioned in the second article of this series, when talking about the Somerset CityLoft, the historic district was the largest in the country and the busiest in the 1920’s.

The intersection of State Street and Woodward Avenue was the biggest (most congested) pedestrian crossing in 1925.

We’re going to dig deep and find out what really was there and what is being done to revitalize what was the best shopping district in the city.

Merchant’s Row flagship stores were the J.L. Hudson Department Store, Vernor’s Soda Fountain, Sanders Confectionery, the S.S. Kresge Company, and Kern’s Department Store. The J.L. Hudson Building, which is now just an empty lot, was the tallest department store in the world.

It was 33 stories high and had 2.2 million square feet of retail space. It was where every Detroiter went to shop Downtown. The building was demolished in October of 1998 and the lot has been empty since. The only thing that exists is an underground parking structure.

For 13 years, nothing has been talked about for the site until recently. Dan Gilbert, mentioned a couple of articles ago, is looking into the site and has requested a longer tax break for it. It currently has a tax break until 2017.

If Gilbert gets his way, which has happened frequently with the purchase of many buildings downtown, it will become a space that will hopefully get used again. His tentative plan for the site, or so the rumors go as of now, is that it would be a mixed use building of retail, office space, restaurants, and residencies. There is no firm plan in place to start building, but at least there is speculation for the former Hudson’s site.

The Kern’s Building was directly next to Hudson’s and the Compuware Building now sits on the site. Kern’s was another department store in Downtown Detroit, not as popular as Hudson’s but there was something that made it stand out from the others: its clock. The big saying back then was, “Meet me under the Kern’s clock,” as it was so busy that if you were under the clock, people knew where to find you.

Vernor’s was the pop of city. It has been around since 1866 and had a flagship store on the corner of Woodward Avenue and Clifford Street. Detroit is still known for Vernor’s but the flagship store on Woodward no longer exists. Tall-EZ Shoes now sits in the original spot where the drug store was. Sanders Confectionery was the ice cream of the city like Vernor’s was the pop of the city. Sanders original confectionery was right across the street from the Kern’s Building. Sanders now only has a handful of stores left in the Metro-Detroit area, but is working on building their once successful empire back up. A parking structure now is built on where the former flagship store was.

Finally, the Kresge Flagship store was located across the street from the Hudson’s store. Kresge is now known as Kmart, but back then was yet another department store that Detroiters shopped.

The original headquarters was located in Grand Circus Park, but the department store was in the small little corner of the world that was the busiest in 1925. The building is not what it once was, but it’s on its’ way. The former flagship store for Kresge now has a restaurant and a few shops.

Somerset CityLoft is also helping to revitalize the area. It was a bunch of shops from Somerset Mall in Troy, making mini-stores out of a couple ground level floors just off of Clifford Street on Woodward Avenue. It started something great, only one weekend a month from June-October. It looks as if the mini-stores succeeded as they will come back for the Christmas rush. They will be open December 1, 2, and 3 from 11am-7pm.

There are still many empty buildings in the former Merchant’s Row, but with the revitalization of the area, they probably won’t sit empty for long. Dan Gilbert and Somerset are leading the charge for the area. Don’t be surprised if this area once again becomes the heart of Downtown.

Feel free to check out my other articles at http://michiganjournal.org/

Written by Chris Zadorozny