In Part I of my multiple part series, I covered coffeehouses in Detroit proper. Today, I’d like to run over a few of my favorite coffeehouses in the “inner ring” suburbs of Detroit. Read after the jump for the short reviews
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Unless you’ve been on the moon you know what’s coming this week. Wrestlemania 23 comes to Ford Field on April 1st and their are related events all over the City leading up to the event. Even better news is the econimic impact on the region. Think SBXL Jr. According to private econimic consulting firms, SBXL generated $49.3 million for Detroit. The Tigers playoff run of six games last year brought in $37.8 million. (On a side note, I think I personally contributed a large part of that!)

Even though the wrestling match doesn’t have all the corporate sponsors that comes with the Super Bowl, revenue is expected to top $25 million. I have to admit, I am not a WWE fan. In my opinion, pro wrestleing is the number one reason why aliens haven’t landed yet! They look at that and say, “Oh no, they are not ready.” All joking aside, this sporting event is a needed shot in the arm for the city’s economy.

To give you an idea how huge this is, these are some of the facts. Fans are coming from 29 different countries including 5000 alone from across the river. VIA Rail Canada has set up a “Wrestlemania Express” to bring about 700 to the city from Toronto. Even though 65,000 tickets have been sold, topping the $5 million mark, Ford Field is under construction to expand seating on the field.

One more added advantage is that it’s another opportunity for Detroit to show off, including all the new development going on in the Central Business District. Bars and restaurants will be packed this weekend, spilling into next Monday for the Tigers opener. If you’re coming down, remember this. . .before you leave, your fun tank will be full!

If there’s one thing I associate with warm weather and Belle Isle, it is the delightful crowds of people gathered for family reunions and outdoor parties.

Every weekend from May through September, the island park is packed with hundreds of people that gather to reminisce, celebrate and make new memories.

Interested in reserving a shelter for your own celebration on Belle Isle this spring or summer? The Detroit Recreation Department starts accepting reservations the week of April 2.
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Can’t make it to Cancun or Cabo this weekend? No problem, Double R’ has a great substitute. Make your way to the Grand Central Lounge at 311 E. Grand River downtown tonight. This hip club is kicking off their Spring bash at 9. Don’t bother partying in a booth all night. Instead, reserve a warm comfortable bed. That’s right, just like the $80 cover clubs in Miami with tropical plants and sheared sheets. Leave your ‘jammies at home.

Elysium is hosting their annual “Paradise” party to celebrate the arrival of Spring. The party kicks off at 9 p.m. tonight. The club has been transformed to look like a beach with beach chairs, umbrellas and palm trees. Bring those bikinis ladied cuz’ swim suits are optional. $10 for women, $20 for the guys.

Christine from Detroit sent us some interesting information a few weeks ago about an alleged incident her boyfriend Rob had last November involving the Detroit Police. It is a pretty long story — click here to read the full version — but here are the basics according to Rob’s blog:

Rob lives in a neighborhood just south of Boston-Edison. Rob’s next-door neighbor moved to Ypsi 2 years ago because of high crime levels in the neighborhood, but she hasn’t been able to sell her house in Detroit yet. Since she now lives 40 minutes away from the home in Detroit, Rob keeps an eye on the house (which he alleges has been ransacked several times) and has a key to it.

Last November, Rob noticed “a suspicious white van with a broken-out back window” and then saw 2 men and a woman exit the van with a cordless drill and a flashlight. A few minutes later, “we hear loud cracking noises from wood boards on the front of my neighbor’s home” says Rob, so he unsuccessfully attempts to get his old neighbor on the phone and then calls the Detroit Police. Rob alleges that when the police officers arrived on the scene, they didn’t do anything to catch the alleged intruders and instead scolded Rob for not minding his own business.
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I learned today that WDET is changing some of their overnight programming. They’re canceling Liz Copeland’s show outright and pushing Ed Love from 9 to midnight rather than from 7 to midnight.

I don’t really know what is going on in the management at WDET (I know there were some shake-ups) but it appears they are slowly changing format to more news/talk oriented programming. In fact, over the past two years, their programming has gone from music and creative programming to almost an exact duplicate of what is aired on Michigan Radio (91.7), which is based out of Ann Arbor but reaches all of Metro Detroit.

This sucks. I’ve gotten attached to listening to Ed Love on my drive home from work (usually around 7ish) - his musical tastes are way more eclectic than the jazz programming on 90.7. Why is WDET trying to duplicate Michigan Radio? I know that Michigan Radio has been successful but isn’t Public Radio supposed to be about programming and not ratings? Shouldn’t public radio target niche audiences that commercial radio doesn’t program for because it’s commericially impossible to get enough listeners, like jazz, classical, independent radio, and so on? I can get news programming on about a dozen stations, why is WDET trying to be yet another boring news station? Is broadcasting syndicated PRI programming from Washington DC really that much cheaper than producing new and unique content?

I have become a YMCA addict of late and my African Dance class on Saturday afternoons is feeding my addiction. My only dancing experience is whatever I pass off as dancing in the clubs and I was definitely put in my place. I am learning straight from professionals, and the instructors really push you hard from the beginning. There is no time to think, you just have to feel the music and go with it. The class is accompanied each week by a drum line of four to eight drummers. You can’t help but be drawn into the seductive beats and moves. The Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs (MCACA) makes it possible to bring in dancers from all over the world to teach. Last week, a dancer from the National Ballet of Guinea was our guest instructor. It is strange learning a dance from a culture that I did not grow up in, but it is also interesting to see the roots of what has become the norm in mainstream hip hop culture.

In the middle of all the new building construction going on in the downtown area, it’s sad to report that a historic one is coming down. Ilitch Holdings Inc. has asked the Detroit Historic District Commision and other groups like Preservation Wayne for permission to demolish the Fine Arts Building at 44 W. Adams. Built in 1905 as an office building, it also contained the Adams Theater.

Originally called the Kunsky theater, The Adams was added on to the rear in 1917. The entrance was in front of the Fine Arts and a tunnel connected its patrons to the theater. From the beginning until closing in 1988, the Adams offered movie goers a wide range of entertainment. Vaudeville, silent flics, talkies and, in the fifties, CinemaScope, cutting edge cinematography in the fifties. The marquee was condemed in 99′ and removed. Towards the end of it’s run it was an adult theater.

That’s the bad news, the good news is that I remember reading somewhere that Ilitch wanted to restore the Fine Arts because his offices at the Fox were busting at the seams. Now with the request to tear it down, they probably will have to agree to replace it with new construction. I live in the Kales next door and I sure hope they don’t build too high and block my view of left field at Comerica Park!

This post is inspired one of our readers, Kim, regarding where Detroiters drop their cash. Do you even think about where you spend your hard earned money? Next time you do, take a geographic look your checkbook and see what localities get your support. This city’s economy is supported by its residents, residents of surrounding suburbs, and tourists. There are direct ways to do this by choosing city retailers vs. suburban retailers. There are also indirect ways, for example, if you are faced with the choice between Netflix and Blockbuster at home movie services - think about choosing Blockbuster as this company is providing jobs in the city.

After a $100,000 rehab since Dec. 30th, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle will have a “Grand Re-opening” this weekend, Mar. 24-25. The museum is dedicated to the maritime history of southeastern Michigan and is very popular. Included in it’s exibits is an update on “City on the Straits” which looks at three centuries of the history and ecology on the Detroit River. The re-opening will be from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday. Beginning March 31st, their hours will be 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. For more info, call 313-821-2661.