During my stay in Detroit this summer, I have been trying to visit as much of the city and surrounding cities as possible. The other night, two of my friends invited me out to Ferndale. Without planning anything, they wanted to show me what Ferndale offered. Our only goal was to find a place to eat and somewhere to drink. We succeeded at both.

The Imperial –Recommended

Our first stop was at The Imperial, a fairly new taco joint on Woodward and Nine Mile. Two out of the three of us, including myself, had never been before and the place came highly recommended. We walked in around 7pm and the place was packed – a promising sign. The seating in the imperial is communal, so we sat ourselves at a picnic style table. A waiter came right over and we chose our drinks from a fairly lengthy beer selection – another promising sign. After my short experience I have described thus far, I was already a fan of the place. But, I wasn’t going to confirm my approval without first tasting the food. Everything on the menu comes a la carte and is cheap-to-reasonably priced. Since the imperial is a taco joint, I stuck to their “bread and butter” and ordered 3 tacos. Man was I happy with that decision, all 3 tacos killed. My only regret was not ordering more.

The Oakland – Highly Recommended

After leaving The Imperial, we made our way down Nine Mile to have a drink at The Oakland. It was a good thing I was with my two friends because I would never have found the place on my own. The Oakland does not have a sign on the outside of the building and their name is in very small letters on their door. They obviously don’t need to attract people by displaying a sign, as there were several groups of people already inside – a promising sign. The inside is completely black and decorated with an almost old English appeal. I dug it. Looking at the drink menu, cocktails seemed to be their specialty and I decided to try one out. At 22, I do not claim to be an expert drinker, so I basically picked the cocktail that sounded best to me in that moment. All I have to say about my selection is “Wow. That drink good.” I mean that cocktail rocked. I either was made the best random guess ever, or they are really good at cocktails. I’m going with the ladder.

Wayne State University is teaming up with Zipcar to offer car sharing, and its many benefits, to those on campus. The program officially kicked off earlier this week, and gives students, faculty and staff the convenience of having a car when you need it without having to worry about parking, maintenance, or other hassles that come with car ownership.

How does it work? Students, faculty and staff who are at least 18 years old pay a $25 annual fee, and can then rent the car for an hour or two, or for a few days. It’s available 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and gas, insurance, parking, and up to 180 miles of driving per day are included in the rates.

WSU is offering two vehicles to start, which will be located on campus. They’re self-service, so they can be reserved and accessed 24 hours a day. People with smartphones can use a Zipcar app to make reservations and lock and unlock the vehicle. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can call a hotline with a regular phone or use the Zipcar website to make a reservation.

“Zipcar provides low-cost, accessible car-sharing in many cities across the country, and we look forward to our students, faculty and staff having even greater access to all Detroit has to offer,” Timothy L. Michael, associate vice president of business and auxiliary operations and chief housing officer, said in a press release. “Zipcar will make it even easier to live on campus without the need for a personal automobile, in turn helping mitigate the high volume of traffic and limited parking in Midtown.”

According to Zipcar, one shared car takes as many as 15 privately owned car off the road, and that drivers drive less — which is better for the environment, too.

Wayne State isn’t the first university to have a Zipcar partnership; they’re one of about 230, including the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Zipcar is the world’s leading car-sharing network. Wayne State University students, faculty and staff can join today at http://www.zipcar.com/wayne/.

WSU also offers Zimride, a program that uses Facebook integration for friends to share commutes or rides. It’s another way to reduce traffic, safe money, and make it easier to park on campus, says the university. University students, faculty and staff can access the free Wayne State Zimride network at http://zimride.wayne.edu.

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Images courtesy of Wayne State University

Detroit's New Center neighborhood. We almost moved here.

Well, my raving about how much I love living in the city has rubbed off on someone else. Another friend of mine has announced that he wants to make the move.

And, he wants me to be his official tour guide.

He’s not a newbie to the city, though. Check out his blog; he talks about how for the first few years of his life, he grew up in the city, before his parents moved away in the 1980s. But he’s had plenty of jobs here, and doesn’t live far away, now. And, coming full circle, he wants to move back. Back home. And part of the reason is because of the message that is spreading that Detroit is a nice, happening, technology-focused, growing place to be.

It’s funny that my friend got his girlfriend on board the same way that my then-boyfriend, now husband, got me on board with moving to the city more than six years ago: small doses. A Tigers game. A walk around the Renaissance Center. A visit to Greektown. A trip out to Woodbridge. Volunteering at Artists Village in Old Redford. Slowly, it grew on me. And, eventually, I realized I wanted to live there.

So, when he asked me to show him around, he doesn’t really need me to show him around like someone who’s never seen the city. What he wants is someone to show him around the up-and-coming neighborhoods, where he wants to settle his family, and the restaurants, coffee shops, and other hidden gems. Everyone knows about Slows BBQ in Corktown. But do you know about Duly’s Place in Southwest? Or where to buy quality veggies during the week? Or which coffee shops take cash only?

That’s the kind of information I’m proud to say I can offer. I’ve lived downtown for three years, so I know where to go for the best wings (Sweetwater, no contest) and the best burger (Detroiter). I’ve lived in Midtown for three years and counting, so I know where things are beyond the obvious bakeries, bars and burger joints. (Vegan food? Monster sandwiches? Running routes? Punk bars? Late-night munchies? I got them.)

If you were designated as someone’s tour guide, where would you take them? What places should we not miss — places that are off the beaten path, maybe unknown to the typical game day visitor? I’d love to hear your suggestions!

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Sadness — no kale. No collard greens. No naturally grown carrots. No farm-fresh eggs. (And I eat a lot of eggs.) No hustle and bustle of people walking around, enjoying the day, mentally planning out their menus for the rest of the week. No lattes, no sausage. It was a pretty boring morning, actually.

But, I knew that although Eastern Market is amazing, there are other markets in the area, on both Saturdays and Sundays. After a quick search of the state’s farmers markets, I zoned in on one within reasonable driving distance, and persuaded my husband to go there after church on Sunday. We headed off.

It was nothing like my beloved Eastern Market. I don’t want to name names, because obviously the city and vendors work very hard to make it a success — and there were plenty of people there. But I couldn’t help looking around, thinking: “This is it?”

Friends, we are spoiled here in Detroit.

Shed after shed of fruits and veggies, fresh and cured meats, flowers. Artist with their own tables. And nearby businesses selling ice cream, pizza, cheese and nuts — yes, we are spoiled. Sure, my husband and I walked away with what we needed for the week — greens, tomatoes and a watermelon. But there was none of the bustle. No vendors yelling out their prices. Heck, I kind of missed people walking really slowly right in front of me! (OK, I didn’t. That part was nice.)

There was a story in today’s paper about how the Tuesday markets are already starting to pay off. Confession: I have yet to make it to a Tuesday market. But I plan to swing by today after work, when I have a bit of time. We need carrots, after all, and we haven’t had our Corridor Sausage in a while. It may not have all of the bustle, but it’ll surely have my favorites.

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Image courtesy of John Kannenberg via Flickr

There’s a new coffee spot across the street from where Mercury was, and it’s Astro Coffee. No, it’s not the same as Mercury, although some of the same people are involved. It’s a great coffee shop in Corktown that offers delicious single-origin coffees, including one my favorites, Intelligencia from Chicago. And sweets. And sandwiches. And turning that delicious coffee into espresso drinks.

To be honest, my husband and I looked at several houses in Corktown, but one of the reasons we weren’t crazy about the area is that there wasn’t much in the way of retail business there. There are a few bars up and down Michigan Ave., and Slows, and Mexicantown is nearby, but we wanted to be able to walk to more things. We ended up in Midtown, but still make it to Corktown quite a bit. So, naturally, I was thrilled to hear the area was getting another coffee shop, and a good one, at that.

In fact, I think we need a individual drip shop in Midtown… just sayin’…

Anyway, if you’ve been to Astro Coffee, I want to hear all about it. What’s the item I can’t miss? What’s the atmosphere like? Tell us all about it in the comments below.

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Image courtesy of feministjulie via Flickr

As a result, I’m always on the lookout for a good breakfast spot. Friends, I think I have found the best, cheapest place out there: Duly’s Place on W. Vernor and Junction, kitty-corner from Holy Redeemer Church, in Mexicantown.

OK, OK. I know I didn’t “find” it. It’s been around for 90 years this year — 90 years! — and if you’ve ever been, you know that the interior is almost as old. But I’ve always been up for a good dive bar — my husband took me to Fleetwood Diner in Ann Arbor on one of our first dates, and I still stuck around — and you can’t get more dive-y, or cheap, than Duly’s.

Disclaimer: I’ve only eaten breakfast there, and I usually get the same thing: the Mexican omelet. It’s a pretty traditional pepper, onion, ham mix, but with jalapenos, of course. My husband usually puts down a couple of egg, bacon and cheese sandwiches, or orders a typical breakfast plate of eggs, ham, toast, etc. The coffee is hot, the lady behind the counter is friendly, and the regulars have a good banter going with each other.

What you won’t find at this place is a stylish interior. Or even spotlessly clean. But the fact remains that instead of a shiny, colorful upscale diner that’s frequented by the well-to-do, this is a place with character — where you go and hang out when you want good food, and cheap. And sometimes, in the middle of the night.

Are any of you Duly’s fans out there? What’s your go-to meal?

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Of course, it didn’t take long for my “friends” to start ripping on the city on my Facebook page, especially after I posted a link to the Whole Foods announcement on my page. I’ll withhold names to protect the guilty, but my friend who lives in the Howell area posted this: “If the place isn’t stripped of copper before it’s done.” That was followed by a few comments from a friend who lives in the White Lake area: “I give the place a year before they shutter for underperformance. I could go into reasons but they would not be nice.”

Of course, there was nothing to be said about the new shopping center, or even other good news in the city, like how the Tigers are (barely) holding out their first-place spot in the division. It always comes back to two things: Detroit is full of copper thieves, and no one in Detroit could really appreciate something as nice as a Whole Foods (assuming it will be nice, of course). No one will shop there, and the people that do will just steal everything, of course.

Does anyone else get as mad about this attitude as I do?

I know for a fact that neither of these two friends has actually lived in the city. I know one comes to visit occasionally to see a Tigers game, but I don’t know about the other. So is it just plain ignorance? They don’t want to venture off the perceived safety of I-75 and Comerica Park and see what else the area has to offer beyond a ballgame and drunks wandering around Greektown?

Maybe I’m overreacting, but tell me what you think. What do you do when people hate on your beloved city?

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Image courtesy of ifmuth via Flickr

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Inge has been “my Tiger” for a while now, since I moved to the city and really started caring about baseball. (I grew up several hours north of Detroit, and the only sport my dad likes is golf, so I never saw a pro baseball game growing up.) I liked him because he was a good all-around player — decent batting average and could still field the ball — and seemed genuine and down-to-earth. My best girlfriend and I went to spring training once or twice over the years, and he was always willing to take a picture with us, to our delight. And staying with one team for a decade is pretty much unheard of, this day and age.

But, alas, batting a .177 is a pretty sure sign that your star is starting to fall. After a decade with the Tigers, and at age 34, I don’t think it’s highly likely that we’ll ever see Inge step up to the plat at Comerica Park again. Sure, he said all the right things at the press conference after the game last night — the team’s been good to him, his family is here, etc. And, realistically, who wants to pick up a struggling, 34-year-old third baseman? And pay him $5 million for the next two years to do it? Probably no one.

Inge, you’ve helped with many fond baseball memories over the years. I thank you for all you did for the team. You’ll always be “my Tiger,” even when you’re not.

Maybe I’ll come watch you play in Toledo.

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Image courtesy of Keith Allison via Flickr