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Andrew Zimmern is a hard guy to get a hold of – but it seems Detroit has gotten a hold of him in many, many ways.

All of his Motown love will show tonight during the world premiere of “Bizarre Foods: America” featuring his Detroit visit, which happened last fall. Everyone who met him was wowed by his charm and unique sarcasm. It’s the reason we rabid fans love his work. And it sounds like our loyalty will be met with a great episode, which starts at 9 p.m. EST on The Travel Channel.

Check out what the man had to say about our city, our food and our people. Zimmern has been traveling non-stop for weeks now, and he took the time to answer the Hub’s questions. I totally dig his commitment to eating and helping a reporter on the fly!

The Travel Channel

Q: Detroiters called you sharp, witty and a good eater. What would you call them?
A: Vibrant, welcoming, with a lot of heart. The people there have picked up where society has let them down. There’s a self-sufficiency there that’s just incredible.

Q: What surprised you the most about what you ate here?
A: Detroit is one of the most culturally diverse cities I’ve visited in a long time. It definitely shows in the food. It’s home to the largest Arab-American population in the country, not to mention its thriving Polish, Mexican and Bengali communities. With that comes honest, authentic food. What’s more, people from all over the United States have relocated to Detroit. I’ve eaten some of the best soul food in the country here. I’d argue that this kind of cultural cross pollination defines America, and it’s the kind of thing Detroit is doing well, maybe even doing it better than any other city in the country. Out of an absurd challenge, has come a renaissance.

Q: They say Detroit has great audiences — but do we have great food? People here would like to get on the foodie radar.
A: Absolutely. There’s so much happening here on a micro level. Eastern Market is simply amazing, and peppered mostly with entrepreneurs who are bringing this city back in a big way. I could’ve done the entire show there– not because there are so many different foods, but because of the stories we found. We met a woman who was selling iced tea (Grandad’s Sweet Tea). It’s a bottled product. Three quarters of their family were unemployed so they started making iced tea. Now it’s sold in eight or nine states and they have 20 employees. This kind of story is everywhere in Detroit, and it think it’s the key to revitalizing the city. I was thrilled not only by how great the food scene is there, but by how it’s also bringing hope to the community.

Q: What does Detroit need that you did not see?
A: Detroit is one of the most culturally diverse cities I’ve visited in a long time – I can’t think of anything I would add.

Q: What one memory will stay with you about this city — given that you’ve seen so much of the world?
A: There’s a place called Love’s Custard Pie. It is the best pie I have ever eaten in my life. It’s worth going just for that … chess pie, sweet potato pie, blueberry pie, buttermilk custard pie.

Oh, and the salted, fermented fish pizza from a little mom-and-pop shop (Amar Pizza) run by a Pakistani family in Hamtramck. I liked it because I like anchovies on my pizza. They have 20 pizzas, and their best-seller is still tomato sauce and cheese, but their fellow countrymen and people from Bangladesh love that salted fish pizza. It’s the best part of the show.

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P.S. Here’s my favorite comment from Zimmern’s personal blog post about the show. Hip, hip, hooray!

If I was a betting man I would be taking Detroit and giving the points, even doubling down. Plenty of people gave Detroit up for dead, and maybe it was already dead and no one knew it, but this city is gaining traction in its neighborhoods and small enclaves of commitment and its thrilling to see. I can’t wait to get back there.

That’s some food for the soul.

P.P.S. If you want to watch with some of the local Mower Gang guys who were in the show, head out to Ferndale’s Emory tonight. Everyone is welcome and The Emory is donating a portion of the bar tab back to the Mower Gang’s gas, gatorade, and beer fund. The event, which starts at 7:30 p.m., will be held at 22700 Woodward Avenue in Fab Ferndale.

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Did you have a yellow secret lurking in some dark corner of your home growing up? A pile of dusty evidence stashed in the basement or attic or under the stairs?  I know my family did. The only thing that saved our pile of National Geographic’s from growing unabated was that as a military family we moved every two years.

As a whole, National Geographic has weathered the move to online media well. Its magazines are still published and highly acclaimed but a great deal of its content is now available on line too — making it much more accessible than the file by pile so many of us used to resort to because the photographs and the articles were too wonderful to throw away.

I am hoping that’s still the case.  Since the latest issue of National Geographic’s travel publication “Traveler” features a wonderful and prominent section on Detroit – the teaser copy on the cover “America’s Surprise Comeback City” is followed on page 46 with a centerfold spread “Rise and Shine Detroit, hard times aren’t over but there’s no denying the Motor City’s new spirit”.

To which I say that’s the spirit and thank you to writer Andrew Nelson and photographer Melissa Farlow for the thoughtful coverage of our flawed yet fair city.

I didn’t cringe from yet another photo gallery of Ruin Porn as I flipped through the pages. Rather I ooed and awed and nodded with approval at their selections and coverage, which even includes a great “Made in Detroit” timeline of what they call “this uniquely American city.”

“Call it a rising, a revival, a new dawn—there’s undeniable energy emanating from Detroit… An expanding Detroit RiverWalk edges downtown, where corporations like DTE Energy, Quicken Loans, and Blue Cross Blue Shield have moved in thousands of workers. A favorite 1960s-era restaurant, the London Chop House, has announced its reopening. And that badge of gentrification, Whole Foods, plans to build a store in the inner city.”

Reading the magazine’s mission statement made me smile: “National Geographic Traveler reports on destinations of distinction and character, and we support efforts to keep them that way – believing that to enhance an authentic ‘sense of place’ will benefit both travelers and the locations they visit.” Detroit is all those things. Heck, we have distinction, character and authenticity in spades.

It was fun too to attend the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitor’s Bureau reception for the National Geographic team at the Westin Book Cadillac last week to hear the back story behind the decision to feature Detroit. Turns out that the editor Keith Bellows didn’t know when he made the assignment that Nelson grew up in Detroit. Whether it was a happy coincidence or kismet that brought this issue to be, this is one Detroit story I want all of us to share and share often. So don’t let this issue of the magazine gather dust even virtually. Read and see the whole spread on line and then be sure to spread the word – about Detroit’s comeback and its promising future.

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Pep-rally time: Gather around to learn the reasons you should be hopeful for Detroit from one of the city’s Grande Dames, Grace Lee Boggs.

…Because for every sob story, there is a community garden, where Detroiters are touching the soil, watching it transform lives and bellies, giving rise to an agricultural renaissance. And it gives Detroit’s youth a sense of process instead of just pushing buttons.

…Because there is a new depth to the word “neighborhood,” where neighbors are reaching out to each other and showing how Detroiters love deeply and fully.

…Because young people are learning that they can create their own work, empowering themselves and the city toward renewal.

…Most importantly, Detroiters are showing the world the true power of the classic statement: “Making a way out of no way.”

“We are at a time when we need to grow our souls,” Boggs said Wednesday at the Detroit Historical Museum as part of the Society’s Scholar Series. “We are challenging ourselves to become creators of a new world. And that’s happening in Detroit.

“Where others see devastation, we see a city emerging, a place where things are made new,” Boggs added. “It is a transition as profound as the transition from hunters and gathers or from agriculture to industry. … This is a cultural revolution. We can make a way out of no way.”

At nearly 97 years old, Boggs is a marvel of good genes, good deeds and just plain old goodness. Born in 1915, Boggs has seen change not only over the decades, but has a sense of change over the centuries. Think about this: She was in college during the Great Depression. She has been a leader of workers’ rights, Civil Rights, Asian American and African American rights, women’s rights and all that is right since the 1950s.

She has made Detroit her home for long enough now that she is one of the major forces in our city’s history and, even more impressively, our future.

Her appearance is so very deceiving – here is this petite woman whose wheelchair seemed to only cradle her bones. But once she opens her mouth and starts to speak, the room properly hushes to hear what this legend of peaceful change has to say.

Boggs’ talk was inspired in part by her most recent book, “The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the 21st Century” (with Scott Kurashige, 2011). Within these pages, she talks about Detroit with a sense of joy and respect – feelings that shine so keenly through her features as she talks about this lovable (!) city.

“Because of technology, we don’t have to mourn the loss of the assembly line. There is another kind of production rising,” Boggs said. “People can create. They can write. They can make change. … People will come to Detroit because there is something self-reliant happening here.”

For example, she pointed to the Freedom Freedom Growers, a group with a Southside garden and the dream of growing a garden and the community around it. This organic garden is grown on four lots leased from the city, and it is about asking people to participate – in life, in planting, in harvesting, in feeding themselves and one another – instead of being passive spectators.

“There are 1,000 community gardens here. And for many people, this is the center of the urban agricultural movement for the whole country,” Boggs said.

As background, I have kept an eye on Boggs’ work since I participated in a unique program called “Push the Edges” about 12 years ago. This strange year-long seminar and collaboration united journalists with Detroit-area community leaders in hopes of finding some sort of so-called common ground. Boggs was always the rabble-rouser, letting no lame or half-thunk comment go. She always called us to a higher ground, a more thoughtful place, a dignified end. I kinda dug that.

Detroit…Boggs style. “We have the space and the place to begin anew,” she said.

Amen, Mama Boggs.

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Detroit is the original DIY community. In other words, our crafters can beat up your crafters. Maybe that’s why artist Carole Harris finds so much inspiration here.

Detroiters are known for creating something out of nothing. So you’re bored on a Sunday afternoon in March? Create the Marche de la Nain Rouge! Want a place to buy bagels? Open up your own Institute. Like contemporary art? Take an old auto dealership and re-imagine it as something wildly wonderful.

Ms. Harris is just like all of her fellow Detroiters. She looks out her window onto Woodward Avenue, and she sees the beauty, motion and majesty of the city. She then translates it into a quilt. Not those flouncy ones you might have seen during a grandmotherly sleepover. Oh, no, art fans. These are genuine unique expressions of Harris’ vision – just through fiber instead of tempera.

Harris and I spoke this week to highlight her participation in Quilt Art: International Expressions exhibit at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House. The exhibit, which continues through March 25, features more than 30 quilts that will shake you of any old-fashion notions you might have about these lovely pieces of art.

The Ford estate is the first stop on the quilts’ national tour. Some 22 international artists from nine countries are showing their work there – and it is all free to the public. So not only do you get to go onto the grounds of one of the finest estate homes in Southeast Michigan (I am gaga about everything there – the view, the gardens, the grandeur) but you can explore the exhibit in full sans money from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Love that.

These are contemporary works. There is no pastel pink or puffy paint here. No, ma’am. The colors are sensual and saturated. Harris is taking the exhibit to the next level through her March 22 presentation on her version of quilting, which she considers Improvisational Art.

Some background on my new friend. Harris is a professional interior designer and longtime fiber artist. She learned needlework from her mother; she also grew up at a time when these arts were taught in school. Harris said she was a tall teenager, so she started making her own clothing as well. She got her art degree and started her career.

Her first quilt was in honor of her marriage. That was a standard quilt, allowing Harris to learn the basics of this art form, she said.

“It was a traditional pinwheel pattern, one of the oldest and most dominant patterns in quilt making. That was the last traditional quilt I ever made,” Harris said. “From there, I was experimenting with different formats. … For me, it’s too boring to do a pre-conceived pattern from somebody else. I’ve always approached my work as an artist.”

In other words, don’t think you’re going to snuggle up under her creations. Nope. These are the ones you hang on the wall, ponder, study, allow to free to your imagination.

And that’s how Harris feels when she creates them – they are symbols of the freedom she feels as she puts them together. Since she was old enough to know, Harris said she was drawn to painting, drawing and music. And she studied music for 10 years (until that teen thing got in the way). But it plays a huge role in her art.

“I’m inspired by music. … People will ask me what inspires me. I truly don’t have anything in mind to start. I put two pieces together and see if they speak to each other. It’s like playing one note, which leads you to the next note. It will tell you where it wants to go. It will help direct you.”

Her intuition, her imagination, her spirit of do-it-yourself-ness and improvisation guide her.

“I just love making them. I’m not concerned with the final thing,” she said.

So there you go, Detroiters. Don’t worry about the outcome. Just go try something. Let yourself be inspired. You’re doing great so far.

Now for the fine print…

Reservations for all programs, including Ms. Harris’ talk on improv quilt art, can be made at www.fordhouse.org or by calling 313.884.4222.

 Edsel & Eleanor Ford House is located at 1100 Lake Shore Road in Grosse Pointe Shores.  Since 1978, Ford House has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors to share in Eleanor Ford’s vision of preserving the estate for future generations to enjoy through interpretive tours, family activities, lectures, exhibits and gardens and grounds events.  For more information, visit www.fordhouse.org or call 313.884.4222.

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When you tune into WWJ AM 950 this Friday morning, you’ll notice their programming is just a bit different.  In addition to their normal news, weather and traffic reporting, they will be raising money for THAW, The Heat and Warmth Fund.

This will be the ninth radiothon that THAW has done with WWJ and this year the need is greater than ever.  From 5 am on Friday, January 27 until noon on Saturday, January 28th, organizers hope to raise $1.6 million, an increase of 20 percent from last year.  Susan Sherer, CEO of THAW is confident that goal can be reached because of the neighborly spirit in Metropolitan Detroit.

“This is really about neighbors helping neighbors.  We’re all experiencing in our own neighborhoods people who are losing their jobs, having their homes foreclosed, having to move and cobbling together their next landing spot,” she notes.

THAW works to help people who are in danger of having their gas or electric service shut off.  A lawsuit that kept much of their federal funding in limbo has been resolved, but that funding does not cover the bills for everyone who needs assistance.  Events like the radiothon help THAW reach the 20,000 people from around Michigan who have called for assistance.

Sherer is quick to point out that the majority of people only seek help from THAW once and the organization works to help families with small children and/or senior citizens first.  And even though we have experienced a relatively mild winter so far, that does not mean heating bills are smaller this winter.  Many of the people THAW serves live in older homes with poor insulation.  The difference in energy costs between a weatherized home and a non-weatherized home can be as much as $1,000 per year.

That is why THAW is piloting a few programs to help people be proactive about their situations.  They are collaborating with organizations to assist people with weatherization, energy optimization and budget counseling.  Sherer firmly believes that this approach will ultimately help more people pay for the energy they use without any assistance.

To participate in the radiothon, go to WWJ’s website or THAW’s website.

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This story is about a T-shirt slogan that got a little full of itself. That’s soooooooo Detroit Snob.

Don’t you love how those two words sound together? Detroit Snob. It feels so wrong it’s right. And it’s a slogan that fits in every sense of the word.

What began as an ironic statement has become iconic. It has evolved into a full-fledged philosophy for Desiree Cooper and Pat Williams Taitt Euseary. They are unofficial presidents of the Detroit Snob Club. It’s one of those hoity-toity, obnoxious, highfalutin types of Club – the only difference here is that pretty much anyone with attitude is welcome to join.

Those are the key words to the Detroit Snob: With Attitude. ‘Cause you cannot roll with such a bombastic bunch unless you’re willing to put yourself out there, take no guff, be fully present. In Detroit. For Detroit. Around Detroit.

In other words, the next time you’re in a Detroit funk, try talking to a Detroit Snob. They’ll set you straight.

“Any way you cut it, (Detroit Snob) gets dialog going in this town,” Cooper said. “Right now, this is a message that needs to be said.”

Cooper, the longtime writer and venerable columnist for The Detroit Free Press, started the Detroit Snob movement shortly after she and the paper split ways about three years ago. The idea had long floated in her head – a mixture of the youth culture she observed in the city and the concept that Detroit no longer needs to apologize for itself. Crime? Check. Scandal? Check. Endless abandonment? Check. That’s just the way it is – and it is so much more.

“I know these things are here. I don’t need to be reminded of it,” said Cooper this week during our interview. “We’re tired of apologizing for Detroit and we’re tired of explaining Detroit. And if you don’t get it, you’re just not in the Club.”

Who is the Club? Any like-minded person who follows the Detroit Snob credo. (And it doesn’t hurt if they own and wear a Detroit Snob shirt. More on those later.)

What is a Detroit Snob? A Detroit Snob is high-minded, but always down-to-earth. A Detroit Snob offers action, not excuses. A Detroit Snob is a serial optimist. A Detroit Snob finds art where others find scraps. A Detroit Snob plants green where others see gray. A Detroit Snob never offers apologies, only possibilities.

That’s the philosophy behind this city Snobbery. “It sets me afire. And that fire is contagious,” Cooper said.

The Cooper family started the t-shirt company. That was the idea at least. Then, the grown children who needed a job actually found jobs. That left Cooper, Taitt Euseary and their tribe of helpful and supportive retailers to sell the shirts. And, sometimes, it’s been a bit of a hard sell.

Ask Rachel Lutz. The owner of The Peacock Room at 15 E. Kirby has about a dozen of the shirts in stock. And she fields the standard quizzical look that people have when they first see the slogan. “I like the shirt, and I like Detroit,” Lutz says, doing her best imitation, “But I don’t want to be known as a snob. That’s not very nice.”

Au contraire, mon frère. A Detroit Snob is nice indeed. Besides the befuddled, there are two other typical reactions, Cooper said. One goes like this: “Ah, no, thanks.” The other sounds a little like this: “Exactly. Yes. What sizes do you have?”

Speaking of fire, that’s one reason Detroit Snob has grown beyond the t-shirts, although they’re mighty pretty and be-dazzled (love the one that has the Spirit of Detroit sparkle!). In December, the grandmother of one of Cooper’s friends and fellow journos lost her house in a fire. Within days, the Snob community via Facebook and the Snob blog rallied, gathered bag upon bag of clothing and supplies for the family. Seeing people step up – especially during a time and season when most things feel so financially tight – convinced Cooper that this Snob thing was turning out to be far more than she anticipated.

Now, it’s not going to become an Snob-occupy Detroit thing by any stretch. It’s just that this little phrase has some standing power – something to rally behind, perhaps.

“I do feel it is bigger than a label. It’s about dignifying a life that Detroiters have cut out for themselves,” Cooper said. “We’re not going to back away from the city; we’re going to embrace it. We might be high-minded, but we’re also caring. We’re a roll-up-your-sleeves kind of metro area.”

Speaking of sleeves, the shirts also are available at Flo Boutique, Spectacles, The Lido Gallery and Savvy Chic in Eastern Market and Franklin. Not that you have to buy one. A Snob is a Snob even without the cool uniform. But it would be a nice one to round out a Detroit t-shirt collection. Just sayin’.

Oh, and you don’t have to live in the city limits. Nope, Cooper isn’t going to stand for that nonsense. She herself after living in Detroit for two decades has embraced regionalism and moved to the suburbs. So just focus on being an ambassador, would ya? Don’t worry about borders, about leaving, about staying, about arriving. Just care. A regional mindset is about letting all boats rise, allrighty?

“My feeling is if you’re willing to put that t-shirt on you’ve earned that authority. You don’t give up that commitment because you don’t live within the city,” Cooper said. “We’re all part of this dysfunctional relationship – we love it no matter how much we’re abused.”

She knows. Cooper has told “the Detroit story” for decades as well. She always was impressed with Detroit from the moment her worldly feet touched ground here. Here’s what Detroit has that other cities don’t have because of its failures, she notes. We have a sense of what it’s like to be on the other side: to be rich, to be poor, to be hungry, to be full. Being a part of the community is expected. To help the fellow or lady across the road is necessary. We are connected through assumption – the assumption that you have to help everyone if you have any means at all.

“Detroit is great at reinventing reinvention,” she added. And when you’re tired of serving in the trenches, that youth comes powering in to give it their try. That new energy – those new Snobs – come in and give you reason to hope again.

“It’s contagious,” Cooper said.

Note: I’ve just got to add that Cooper’s Snobbery got me thinking. And then acting. So I dropped my wah-wah-wahing about the kids’ stuff to do in Detroit. Instead of moaning about what there isn’t to do, the kid and I ate lunch at the Russell Street Deli, got some ice cream at the Moo-town ice-cream shop and checked out The Peacock Room. It was a slow start to seeing new things. But it’s nice to have new energy and a reason to stretch beyond the norm. Hopefully, my need to rant will take a much-needed break for a while. Thanks, No. 1 Snob!

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Contrary to popular opinion the internet and cell phones have not relegated libraries to “relic” status. Instead, this modern technology can give them a new lease on life … a new mission for those who choose to accept it, if you will.

“Our neighborhoods have a passion for the libraries,” she says, emphasizing that no one wanted to close the libraries and that the Detroit Public Library is doing all in its power to fill the gap.

Here’s how the program would work.

If you’re old enough to remember ordering books from the Scholastic Magazine and then waiting excitedly for a few weeks to get them her plan will ring a bell. Students will be able use the computers at their schools to borrow books from the Detroit Public Library. The library will send the books to the schools and the schools will send them back. Or, if the student has an iPad, iPhone or Kindle, the books could be downloaded. Books can be checked out for three weeks. Yes, Virginia, there will be still fines if the books are late.

“Kids want to learn,” Mondowney says. “They get excited when a new book arrives. They have a basic desire and excitement to learn.”

The Detroit Public Library has a lot to choose from. It is the 20^th largest library in the nation with just under 7.3 million volumes.

There is a catch. They have to work out how many licenses the library has for each book before the program could into effect. Mondowney is on it and is working with organizations such as Random House to find a solution. “We need to work it out like Apple did with streaming music … or like Amazon did,” she says” Amazon was an early adapter for books on line.

“We can promote reading like never before,” she says.”We cannot do things the old way. We must look at how things are packaged for this generation.”

The idea comes from a similar program called Limitless Libraries in Nashville. When the program was fully implemented in all district high schools there circulation increased by 125 percent during the 2010-2011 school year, making an extensive collection of 1.5 million items and all the resources of the Nashville Public Library available to faculty and students.

“As a child, if the library by me would have closed my life would be been diminished. I was introduced to such heroines as Anne Frank,” she says. “The library is the biggest treasure we have. It is like winning the lottery.”

As Lady Bird Johnson once said “Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest.”  Detroit’s neighborhoods have that interest.

Photos by Karpov the Wrecked Train

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I’ll be so bold as to say…2011 was not a banner year for Detroit. So what resolution could make this New Year any different?

That was the question I posed to some of the city’s biggest boosters – and they responded with some ah-may-zing answers. These are the kind of deep thoughts that have me making some resolutions of my own. (I’m stealing my friend Cathy’s idea and having one resolution every month; 12 resolutions to do more, be more, think more.)

Oh, and I also asked these fine folks to do me one more favor. They had to tell me the ONE thing they would keep the same in 2012…in other words, was there anything working for Detroit? Funny thing was, nearly everyone had something good to say. (What a bunch of optimists I run with – nice, huh?)

Here’s a look at what some of the city’s movers and shakers say they would change about Detroit in the year ahead.

Dominic Arellano, founder and executive director of Forward Arts: Education. It will take years for Detroit K-12 schools to get back on track. It truly needs to happen for our city’s long-term future. This is an opportunity.

Phil Bator, local editor of Thrillist: I’d like to put a nail in the coffin of the city v. suburbs debate. There’s good & bad aspects of every neighborhood. Some are right for you & some are right for others. Be happy while staying open to everything.

Terry Bean, Founder at Motorcityconnect: I would create a massive campaign that is shared through every available medium that communicates one message: From Monroe to Flint and from Ann Arbor to Windsor we are all Detroit. The more we work together the less work each of us will have to do.

Terry Blackhawk, Founder and CEO at InsideOut Literary Arts Project: I would keep Brother Nature and all the other vendors at WSU’s farmers market. I’d make sure the streetlights were on in the neighborhoods.

Jason Brown, Principal, PublicCity PR and co-founder of the Great Lakes Showcase: To do something about no parking/standing zones in the City. I don’t work in the city, but it seems like they are everywhere when people should be allowed to park on the  streets, if they prefer. I can’t tell you how many tickets I’ve received while going downtown, want to park on the street and then there’s a no standing sign 30-50 feet down the road that you didn’t know was there. Parking needs to be looked at.

Sandy M. Hermanoff, creator of the “Believe in Detroit” campaign: The one thing I would change about Detroit in 2012 is the financial crisis. I would make it go away, just like it never happened. I know that is totally unrealistic, but I can dream.

Monica Marie Jones, author of “Monday Morning Motivations” and speaker: The mindset of the people. I often hear residents talking so negatively about the city. I know that there is a lot going on that we can complain about, but why not take that energy and put it into something positive.  I feel that if we collectively change our perception of the city, then we can make positive change. If we begin with changing how we think and how we speak, then take action instead of just talking…we can make a HUGE difference. We are all made very aware of what’s wrong with the city every day…so I would love to hear people talk about what’s right with the city for a change.

Menachem Kniespeck, President & CEO, Michigan Friends of Education-Operation: Kid Equip: My dream is that all metro Detroit’s kids will have books and school supplies to be successful in their education. To do that, in 2012, we are going to start reaching out to students and teachers in the Detroit Public Schools.

Amy Kuras, freelance writer and awesome Detroit mom: The one thing I would change about Detroit is for the leadership to be people-focused instead of trying to protect their own little island of power (i.e., city council should cut their budget, unions should concede, etc. to work for the greater good of the city).

John F. Martin, photographer and owner of John F Martin Photography Inc.: I’d change a lot, but first up would be its marketing. The city has a lot to offer, but no one knows about it and most of the citizens aren’t the best ambassadors, sadly. The old adage is true – you gotta spend money to make money. Spend some on advertising everything the town has to offer.

Gail Perry-Mason, investment expert, author and creator of Money Matters for Youth: The one thing I would change about Detroit in 2012 would be to bring more retail to our downtown (near wear Cass Tech building was), also more groceries stores in our city and have churches adopt schools, and parks. We need more good news everyday and have a Detroiter of the week highlighted on the radio, newspapers and local TV stations.

Tom Nardone, owner of PriveCo. and leader of the Mower Gang: I would remove all of the self doubt and self pity from the people of this area. I’ve lived elsewhere and traveled to all 50 states and I can tell you that there is no area in this country that is better at making stuff. My hope in 2012 is that we can stop doubting ourselves and start rubbing it in other peoples’ faces. America needs a reminder that Wall Street doesn’t make anything; they are a bunch of dorks in suits. In our town, we make real stuff.

Mascha Poppenk, filmmaker and creator of “Grown in Detroit”: Politics (more power to the people) and hands up for the DIY mentality in Detroit!

Erin Rose, Founder, CEO at Pick MI Date and Positive Detroit: To see the divide between the suburbs and the city continue to diminish, ending the finger-pointing, and become more of a unified region.

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And here are some of my favorite ideas of what should stick around in ’12:

The weather. I can’t remember a better year for weather. If this is global warming, I say, screw you, Florida. Bring it on! – Tom Nardone

That’s easy. Lions and Tigers in the playoffs. – Jason Brown

One word that I have always used to describe Detroit is “resilient”.  No matter what blows we endure, the city continues to press on, produce phenomenal talent and have hidden gems that shine through dark times like no other. These hidden gems include the night life, the sports teams, the restaurants, the cultural and literary arts, and some amazing community organizations.  Despite the odds, there is a pulse that this city has that never dies. – Monica Marie Jones

The spirit of all the people who believe in Detroit. We have to keep that alive and never give up hope that indeed Detroit is going to be a great city again. – Sandy M. Hermanoff

Detroit culture. Our arts play a major part in our city’s culture and we have a great arts scene that has been getting stronger. And I love how we have an East Coast vibe at a Midwest pace sort of feel. — Dominic Arellano

I wouldn’t change a thing about the creativity, passion & enthusiasm of the people & local businesses bringing great things into the area. 2012 is shaping up to be a continuation of this spirit & I can’t wait to see it all unfold. – Philip Bator

To keep meeting interesting people from all over the world who come here to experience firsthand what Detroit is really all about. There is an excitement in the air that is intoxicating, that many visiting Detroit wish they could bottle and take home with them. Instead, quite a few travelers are now residents who packed up their belongs and have moved to Detroit. No wonder travel website TravelClick estimates that Detroit will lead the nation in travel growth over the next 12 months. – Erin Rose

What I would not change (except to hope it gets even better) is the amazing groundswell of enthusiasm and entrepreneurship that’s changing the culture here. I’ve been here a long time and never seen such a surge of people who want to move here, start businesses, and do something good. – Amy Kuras

Oh, man. What not to mention? The mentality in Detroit. Its people. Its people. Its people. – Mascha Poppenk

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These days, it seems people cannot get enough DETROIT in their media.

We are pretty fine, if I must say. And that is why Thrillist is here.

To the uninitiated, Thrillist is a leading men’s digital lifestyle publication currently reaching more than 3 million subscribers. Yes, women can read it as well. But the goal is to give today’s man a serious, down-and-dirty list of where to find the hotness when it comes to food, drink, entertainment, nightlife, gadgets and gear. In that order.

Our edition, which launched this week, will be edited by local writer (and Texts from Last Night Editor) Phil Bator. Warning: Do not go to this web site if you are reading this at work. Wait until you get home and can prep a spreadsheet or something to hide what you’re reading from your spouse. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

A little about Phil: This guy is wicked smart – he went to the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. (Seriously, I love this school. And the quality of the men they graduate.) He then majored in advertising at Michigan State University. He moved to Royal Oak after graduation and got into the Text site, which his brother co-founded. Fame, fortune and an eye for sassiness – he is a good representative for our city. At least, I think so.

Check out our Q&A and his suggestions for the best steak, haircuts and beer for Metro Detroit men. Add a comment or two if you agree or if you have other suggestions. They just might end up on the Thrillist site. Or not. Phil’s in charge, not me.

Q: Detroit is known for its mustaches, deer hunters (Ted Nugent) and its hatred of exercise. What will you tell the rest of the world about Detroit?
A: Speaking as a non-mustachioed, Ted Nugent-averse, exercise enthusiast, I like to think that Detroit has something for everyone. From Corktown to Clarkston, there is a ton of different ways to spend a day or evening out…whether you like Uncle Ted or are a member of PETA. Example: last summer, I went from an outdoor chicken race held in the field next to a bar to raise awareness for urban farming to an all-out meatfest of a dinner where I probably ate a sibling of said chickens. Diversity’s never tasted so delicious.

Q:  Explain to me how men feel about living here when the economy is tanking and the car culture is somewhat under attack?
A: Detroit is no stranger to hard times. I can’t speak for everyone, but there’s no point in dwelling on the difficulties. We’re a tough town. We dig in and push forward. Detroiters epitomize hard work & we know feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t get you anywhere. I swear I didn’t just lift that copy from the Eminem/Chrysler commercial, as much as I want a gospel choir singing my work whenever I walk into a room.

Q: Who are your male role models around the city and why?
A: Anyone who hasn’t moved to Chicago. But really, anyone who has seen an opportunity in the area and decided to pursue it, wherever it might take them…that isn’t Chicago. I look up to the loads of individuals, both men & women, who are investing their time, energy, effort & money to better the metro-Detroit area, from park clean-ups to tech start-ups.

Q: What makes you happy to be a guy in Detroit?
A: It’s an exciting time to be around Detroit, especially if you’re active and keep an open mind. I’m happy here because there’s no excuse for being bored. Also, El Barzon. You can’t eat at El Barzon and tell me you’re not happy. It’s impossible. And you’re probably a liar. Holiday season bonus reasons: I have family still in the area (hi Grandma…see you on Thanksgiving.) I also like being the person that friends who have moved away call when they’re looking for the places that administer a healthy dose of “why the hell did I leave Michigan for _______” along with enough drinks that have them wishing for their adopted city’s public transportation. Now let’s call you a cab.

Best Steaks
-       Forest Grill: 735 Forest, Birmingham, MI. 48009. Get the in-house, dry aged filet and don’t even hesitate to say yes when the server asks if you want foie gras on top.
-       24 Grille: 204 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI. 48226. Angus Kona Strip – huge steak covered in a Hawaiian coffee dry rub…perfect. Wrap half for morning steak & eggs leftovers. You’re welcome.
-       Ronin Sushi: 326 W. 4th St, Royal Oak, MI. 48067. You’re going to call me crazy for putting a sushi restaurant on my best steaks list until you try their New York Strip. Then you’ll call me with tears streaming down your face after eating a life-changing steak.
-       Mario’s: 4222 2nd Avenue, Detroit, MI. 48201. Classic Italian food served by tux-wearing waiters. Order the petite filet with Mario’s Zip Sauce to see why they’ve been open since 1948.
-       Beverly Hills Grill: 31471 Southfield, Beverly Hills, MI. 48025. Pepper Crusted Filet. Simple, classic & cooked to perfection. Go early or late.

Best Haircut/Grooming
-       Shane Johnson: (248) 376-7612. One of the best currently doing it in the Detroit area, Shane is currently by appointment only. Cutting in a few different locations until he locks down a permanent space, book now before he’s booked solid daily.
-       Merrillwood Barber: 251 E Merrill St, Ste 208, Birmingham, MI. 48009. Ask for Bruce & tell him I sent you. He’s been cutting hair for longer than you’ve had yours.
-       Gentlemen First: 6551 Allen Road, Allen Park, MI. 48101. Previously voted Best Barbershop in Michigan by the Detroit Free Press & Detroit News. Relaxed shop with great cuts.
-       Maalouf Salon: 387 S.Old Woodward, Birmingham, MI. 48009. Your girlfriend trusts everyone at Maalouf with her hair & so should you.
-       Trim Barber House: 26 N. Main St, Clawson, MI. 48017. Come for a hot shave & massage. You deserve it. Or at least tell yourself you deserve it.

Best Beer Bars
-       Detroit Beer Company: 1529 Broadway, Detroit, MI. 48218. The beer is almost entirely local & your best bet for pre-, mid-, or post-game drinks during football or baseball games.
-       Motor City Brewing Works: 470 Canfield, Detroit, MI. 48201.You don’t need to see a “born on” date on the bottle because you’re watching it being made. Now make like a proud parent by drinking it in the Tap Room…errr..wait. The beer. Drink the beer.
-       Tashmoo Biergarten: 1416 Van Dyke, Detroit, MI. 48226. Cold weather has closed Tashmoo for the season so you missed out if you didn’t make it down to this pop-up space for its initial six Sunday run. Placing it on this list is my not-so-subtle plea at hoping it returns when the temperature finally crawls back above 50.
-       Redcoat Tavern: 31542 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI. 48073. You came here for a burger but can’t leave without a beer. Wide selection of bottles & draught with great seasonal specials.
-       Atwater Brewery: 237 Joseph Campau, Detroit, MI. 48207. Brewery & Tap Room located in the historic Rivertown district. Seriously German & seriously awesome.

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Jim Gibbons was the only starter on his fifth and sixth grade football team. Midway through the season he was “fired.” The coach simply told him, “You aren’t starting anymore.” Gibbons quit.

Jim Gibbons, president of Goodwill Industries International

That night his dad sat him down and talked to him. “You are losing your vision. We don’t know if it is going to stop deteriorating or if you will become totally blind. You are going to have to work harder and become more creative to get half as much as the next guy.”

But “quitters never win and winner’s never quit.” That was the lesson he learned. He went on to study industrial engineering at Purdue and got good grades. He sent letters to the big recruiters from Detroit and Flint and got 50 ding letters while his friends were getting two and three offers. It was hard to work through, he says, but winners never quit. He went to work for AT&T and later went to Harvard Business School and became the first blind person to graduate from its MBA program.

Gibbons may be blind but he’s a winner and is helping many others become winners. He is president of Goodwill Industries International and is committed to making his life better and the lives of the people in his life better.

The people in his life are often those who too many look down on as “nothing.” Those with disabilities. Those with issues. Those whose disabilities and issues make them truly miracles. Those who want to show the whole world they are somebody. Those who believe winners never quit

I had the pleasure of talking to Gibbons a short time ago as he was getting ready to speak to the Detroit Economic Club on November 30. In that speech he will discuss Goodwill’s complex social enterprise and how for-profit companies can use Goodwill’s philosophy to not only be customer-focused and market-driven but also socially responsible.

“Our model has a market that insures long-term viability,” Gibbons says. “It is a culture of entrepreneurism and community service. The power of the Goodwill model is that decisions are made at local level. We have more than 100,000 entrepreneurs today and that will double over next few years.”

Almost all of us know about Goodwill and the good work it does. We’ve dropped off truckloads of clothes, old furniture, appliances, knick knacks and odds and ends to one of their 2600 stores nationwide. However, many of us aren’t fully aware of the breadth of programs and services Goodwill provides.

It trains people for careers in fields such as financial services, computer programming, manufacturing and emerging industries, including technology and health care. It provides support services, such as transportation, childcare or financial literacy courses.

Goodwill also has a partnership with Dell, known as Reconnect, which is a free drop-off program for consumers who want to responsibly recycle unwanted computer equipment. That partnership keeps used computers out of landfills and preserves the environment. By repairing and rebuilding computers, participants learn to be computer technicians. If you’re looking to drop off a computer contact Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit.

Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit creates jobs and training opportunities for people in Detroit and other communities.

“Nationally and locally I see nothing but additional human need, which sparks our interest in growth … creating an employment platform to use as a training and employment engine … a social service,” he says.

This year alone Goodwill International will serve 2.4 million people and it grew its employment numbers from 91,000 to 98,000. Those were new jobs created by local Goodwill operations.

“Our goal is to continue to grow at that clip and we need to do that,” Gibbons says. “People we serve are knocking on our doors at a clip of 20-30 percent more a year.”

Some of those jobs are created by your local Goodwill resale store. There is a new one opening in Canton. The resale model is one Gibbons says Goodwill is re-engaging across the nation. It’s no wonder. Resale is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. Goodwill Industries alone generated $2.69 billion in retail sales from more than 2,500 not for profit resale stores across America in 2010, according to the Association of Resale Professionals. (Just a quick aside — my kids found some of their coolest finds at the Goodwill store in high school.)

So how do we get that Goodwill model to work? It takes three parts humming together, Gibbons says. Individual accountability. Community support. Employer investment in the workplace.

“Goodwill is an organization filled with passion and every day innovates for their communities,” he says. “We don’t think of innovation as the next iPhone but the next idea to help people in the communities we serve.”

Gibbons and his accomplishments are truly miracles, but I doubt he would ever put it that way. His commitment is to Goodwill and the people it serves and to helping others overcome adversity … to re-engineer themselves and take the world by storm.

Gibbons’ favorite movie says it all. It’s For Once in My Life. It’s an awesome and inspiring true story about a special group of people and their dream to make music. It’s a look at the Spirit of Goodwill® band, a unique assembly of 28 singers and musicians, all with disabilities — ranging from autism and behavioral disorders to cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and visual impairments — who share an uncanny gift for music, joy and friendship. It’s a celebration of overcoming the odds.

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Happy Friday, Detroit. We made it to the weekend. But if you dread Monday’s return, you need an introduction to Monica Marie Jones.

Since I met her a while back, Monica has provided my Monday motivation. Every week, I slog through my spam, Groupons and other detritus to find her emails. That’s because Ms. Jones is the kick in the pants I desperately need on those blue Mondays.

Her wording is simple. Her ideas hardly revolutionary: Take care of people, believe in something larger than yourself, look beyond your normally narrow focus. The emails are brief. But they serve a purpose. And that’s to bring an extraordinarily complicated world into focus, even if only for a minute.

And that’s all most of us Monica fans have: A minute to spare in an otherwise chaotic day. And she takes advantage of every second. For two years now, Monica has sent out her weekly missives to an ever-increasing fan base. She even inspires on Twitter and Facebook (hey, it’s a social-media age). And if you’ve missed any of them, I’ve got good news. She’s put them together for your reading pleasure.

Monica will release “Monday Morning Motivation” next week. What started as a writing exercise to get her own keister moving has become an actual book. This alone is something worth cheering. If you’ve done any writing at all or if you aspire to the Great American Novel, you know how difficult it is to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. There is a reason great authors go mad (and bloggers, but I digress).

“Mondays make people feel depressed. They’re dreading work or school. So it’s the time when people need (to be motivated) the most,” Monica told me. “More than one person has told me that the suicide rate is higher on Monday mornings.”

Add Michigan’s dark winters and her Nov. 12 release date cannot come fast enough. Really, I get no kickbacks for hyping the book. I just really dig someone who has this much positivity to share. She’s from Detroit. She’s all about the city. Monica is trying to do something good…and that is why I look forward to seeing what she writes every week.

A lot of what Monica writes about is specific to Detroit and Michigan. We can have a pretty dark mindset here to accompany our dark winters. And there is a determinedly spiteful attitude we all take on from time to time…it comes with the territory, I suppose. It is hard to constantly live among shiny hipster do-gooders, happy artists and up-and-coming retailers/eateries/night clubs. But I digress again.

“People seem to love them. If I missed a morning, I get texts and messages all day long. People are really reading them,” Monica said. “I had a friend whose husband unexpectedly passed away, and she told me that reading my emails gave her hope every week. … I try to put a positive spin on this city. It is resilient, and I want people to look at the positive.”

This is a woman who lives by her word. She sees Detroit as half full, not mostly empty. Going through her writings was a revelation – it reminded her as well as to what was important, what mattered to her, what was going on her life as she wrote that day.

Here’s how Monica suggests you use this book: Read one chapter each week for a year – there are 52 chapters for a reason. The idea, she added, is to tackle one chapter on Monday morning before doing anything else (or someone gets in your way to bust your groove). Mull over the words. Try to make a change. Go over your progress with others. I dare you not to change your life, Oprah style.

“Of my writing, this is what comes easiest for me. I feel like this is my calling or inspiration. Even if it helps even one person, I’ve changed one life,” Monica said. “It was nice to go back and be reminded of that. I’ve got to practice what I preach.”

The “Monday Morning Motivation” book-release celebration will be from 12-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Essence of Motown Literary Jam and Conference. The conference will take place inside the Virgil Carr Cultural Center at 311 E. Grand River.

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The sounds and smells of Christmas wafted through Campus Martius Park as the 60-foot Michigan-grown Norwegian Spruce was lowered into Cadillac Square on November 2 and Detroit took its first steps toward the magical holiday season. You could smell the pine as the tree was lifted off the truck and hear the sounds as the Salvation Army Band played Christmas carols.

Salvation Army Band

Cut down on October 31 this beautiful spruce made its way to Detroit from the 4-H Kuttenen Center, a Michigan 4-H Foundation conference and retreat facility near Cadillac.

Finding this tree was no easy task, says Marsha Gray from the Michigan Christmas Tree Association. (Yes, we do have one in this state and guess what … Michigan is the nation’s third-largest Christmas tree producer in the nation and is unique in the variety of trees it can grow. We’re also third in total sales with about $40 million annually and second in acreage. North Carolina and Oregon are the other two states that lead in this area.)

In their quest to find this gigantic Michigan tree, Campus Martius and Gray pulled out all the stops.  Just as everyone was close to giving up, the Association’s vast grower’s network located the tree with help from Michigan State University Extension and its Christmas Tree Area of Expertise Team. Soon the giant Norwegian Spruce was earmarked for Detroit.

Over the next few weeks it will be decorated with more than 19,000 lights as Campus Martius gets ready for Detroit’s Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on November 18. The tree will shine brightly at the Thanksgiving Day Parade and be on display until January 9. The skating rink at Campus Martius also opens that night and stays open until mid March.

Also opening on November 18 and running for 10 days (Nov. 18-27) will be the Christmas Wonderfest, an outdoor old world shopping market like you’d see in Europe. It will feature unique gifts from cultural institutions across metro Detroit … the Henry Ford Museum, Detroit Historical Museum, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Wayne State University Press, Pewabic Pottery, Detroit Museum of Contemporary Art, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Motown Historical Museum, the Parade Company, Music Hall Center for Performing Arts, Detroit Public Television, Detroit Artists Market and StreetCorner Music.

Christmas tree arrives at Campus Martius

What a great place to shop. “Here’s where you can get that special something about Detroit for your family and friends,” said Mark Loeb, the producer of Wonderfest. He hopes Wonderfest will be part of Detroit’s future Christmas celebration as well.

There’s adult magic, too. The market place will also feature a beer garden or as Bob Gregory, president of Detroit 300, which runs Campus Martius, points out, it’s an experience that’s been popular in Germany for more than 500 years … the Hofbrauhaus Biergarten. The garden will serve its original hofbrau beer imported directly from Germany as well as the Christmas market specialty … hot mulled wine.

Here’s a quick “run of show” for the November 18 tree lighting ceremony. The DTE Energy Foundation and DTE Energy are major sponsors.

Almost ready to decorate

It begins at 6:30 with the lighting of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle, which kicks off that fundraising campaign. The Selected of God Choir, which we all remember from Chrysler’s Super Bowl commercial, will sing. There’ll also be music from the Michigan Philharmonic Brass Quintet, the Michigan Opera Theatre Children’s Choir and soloists and the funky Detroit band Nightline, which will perform some Motown Christmas favorites.

Around 8:00 Santa, Mayor Bing and other dignitaries … along with everyone in the park … will light the tree. Following that the skating rink opens and the party begins and runs until midnight with live music from Detroit’s own Wall Clocks.

You can also take a ride on a 50-foot Ferris wheel … or on a carousel pony for those who are more “grounded.”

Let the holiday magic begin.

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Are there any dreams that would make you would work next to the Arctic Circle in Alaska for months, virtually alone, at a fish cannery? Where, when you take your morning run, there’s a good chance you’d run into a bear or a moose?

Metro Detroiter Jackie Gross braved that environment to fulfill her dream … about spandex. Not just any spandex. It’s called UR Sportswear. She self-funded the development and prototypes through her Alaska trip and then went to Kickstarter to make it possible to ramp up production on sportswear that actually fits right.

As an avid runner and former college coach, Gross found most of what’s out there for runners, climbers, yoga enthusiasts and other active women takes away focus from the athletics. It doesn’t fit well, it’s unattractive or a combination of the two. So she reached out and asked people who are actually working out, running and being active what kind of sportswear they wanted. For the first product line she surveyed more than 300 women athletes. By directly asking those who actually are going to use the clothing, she was able to find out what they’re really looking for and develop a unique product.

Whereas companies like Nike and Reebok are generally top down in their approach, UR Sportswear is aiming to be the clothing choice of those who are the doers … the athletes themselves. UR Sportswear is starting off on the right foot. Social interaction is part of its DNA and it has a constant feedback loop between customers and the company.

“I think people want to be in control of what they wear and feel like what they have to say should be taken into consideration in designing their workout apparel,” says Gross. “They want to have confidence in what they’re wearing.”

The Michigan State graduate is now taking the project to Kickstarter to raise $35,000. Admittedly that’s a hefty sum but this kind of project uses a high-tech material. That requires capital to buy a special fabric that cannot be purchased in small quantities. It’s smart thinking to ask for that money since one of the top reasons businesses fail is underfunding.

“The goal is to keep everything in the United States, Michigan and Detroit … the manufacture, the design, the marketing, everything,” says Gross.

She is already planning a factory visit in the next couple of months to personally ensure the working conditions and quality of a potential supplier.

Once UR gets funded, it plans to expand into menswear and is already are surveying men about their needs.

If you’re interested in helping establish a new business that will help diversify the Detroit economy you can pre-purchase a pair of the first line of UR spandex shorts or contribute in anyway comfortable for you.

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Dear Suburban Parents:

Gut-check time. Have you taken your kids to Detroit lately? Because you need to foster city love. And you can have fun, too.

Hey. Don’t get defensive. I’m just like you. I live outside of the city, so I cannot throw stones too far. I hugely admire the families that are fully committed to Detroit. To try to make up for my geographic faults, I make a conscious effort to take my two tots into the city on a regular basis.

They go to the Science Center (or will soon). They roam the Historical Museum. They terrorize the Detroit Institute of Arts (sorry, nervous docents). They follow the Nain Rouge down Cass Corridor. They play in the parks, cruise the Riverfront, throw rocks at the Ice Houses. They’re little Hipsters in Training.

Our latest sojourn was to PuppetART. I’ll admit – this one was more for me than for them. And if you haven’t ventured out of your zone to try this place, you are MISSING OUT. With capital letters, baby, so you know I mean it.

It actually was just the two of us this time…my 4-year-old diva and me on a Girl’s Day Out. I just brought the kid as cover for my own good time. (And it started with sweet, sweet crepes from Good Girls Go to Paris; I’m a very spoiled brat. But I digress.)

PuppetART Center is located in Detroit’s Theater District, just a few blocks from the Michigan Opera Theater, Music Hall and the Gem and Century Theaters. And the location couldn’t be more fitting. This is more than puppetry. This is theater.

This is art in all of its forms. This is educational entertainment of the highest form. Artistic Director Igor Gozman explains that pretty much everything within the art world is on display during a puppet show: acting, painting, sculpture, dance, song, literature. Stories of all kinds are told here – poetry, political satire, folktales, legends, fairytales, myths.

Since 1998, artists and puppeteers from a variety of international origins (its foundation are a trio of former Soviet Union puppeteers who have toured together since 1995) have provided a regular rotation of classic stories. Every month, there is a different show.

The new “Snow Queen” performances that start in December promise to be outstanding; a recent Kickstarter campaign got the project funded for a three-year run. The economic downturn has been hard on PuppetART; people are staying close to home, not spending money, not focusing on the big picture. And giving kids a great experience in the city may not be a priority…although, I’d argue, it has to be.

And did I mention the culture? Oh yes. There is diversity; the real stuff, not just what some college professor forces on you. You can balance the guilt for letting your kids play hours of “Angry Birds” by taking them here. Really. And guilt is the hot button of the modern parent. You need to balance that screen time with some theater, puppet style.

The 70-person theater is intimate. There are seats close enough to help the tiny ones see all the action yet enough room for kids in elementary or middle school to spread out. The stage is small, but so are the actors so you get used to it. And it is never stagnate – the puppets move across it like Beyonce in her pre-pregnancy days. They strut. They stroll. They fight and tussle. They own every inch of the space. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, the stage shifts, a curtain moves, a scene changes in a way you didn’t expect. It is magical, even for us crusty old folks.

Don’t expect to see Kermit when you walk in. This is more refined. The puppets look and sound like real people based on our experience watching “Firebird,” a Russian folk tale that tells the story of star-crossed lovers. The puppets move more like humans as well – something so eerie, elegant and amazing that you’ll find yourself completely enthralled. Like a kid. Like a well-educated kid.

And there’s more than just the show here. There’s the studio, where children and parents can learn how to make puppets and move them about. There’s the museum, where the art work created for PuppetART’s shows and others are on a rotating display.

Yes, I loved it. My kid loved it. We came back to our vehicle – which was parked right where we left it, undamaged and ready to roll – and went home to stage our own performance. Granted, it was with finger puppets, but the magic was still there.

So come to Detroit. Bring the little ones. I think you’ll like what you find there.

KD

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