Notes From the Neighborhood

The Real Guide to Visiting Detroit

  We’ve all been there. You tell your family you’re planning a weekend trip to the 313, and suddenly your Aunt Linda, who hasn't crossed 8 Mile Road since 1994, gasps like you just announced you’re moving to a moon colony with no oxygen. "Is it safe?" she whispers, clutching her pearls. "I saw a doc

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Wavy Siding, Big Problems: Why We Steer Clear of Asbestos Shingles

If you’ve spent more than five minutes driving through Detroit’s historic neighborhoods: from the stately streets of Boston-Edison to the cozy blocks of East English Village: you’ve seen it. It’s that distinctive, rigid, slightly "wavy" siding. Sometimes it’s a faded gray, but more often than not, i

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The Bodega Gap: Why Detroit Needs More Neighborhood Corner Stores

  If you’ve ever lived in New York, Chicago, or even parts of Philly, you know the magic of the "corner store." In NYC, they call them bodegas. In other places, they’re delis or markets. But whatever the name, the concept is the same: a small, reliable shop just a few steps from your front door wher

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