This post originally appears on Metromix Detroit as part of my regular contributions to the site.
‘Tis the season to be thankful. The Thanksgiving holiday is a perfect time to reflect on all the things we’re grateful for, from friends and family to health and housing. Those items are all on my thankful list, but there’s another important one that rounds out my top five – living in metro Detroit.
Take a minute to look around you. Yes, metro Detroit and our state as a whole have faced some pretty tough times throughout the past few years. But, there are countless reasons to be grateful for living here and having the opportunity to experience all the amazing people, places and organizations that comprise metro Detroit. Maybe we’re not as swanky or entertainment-centric as New York City, but it’s impossible to get bored living in this region.
So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I give you five awesome reasons to be thankful for metro Detroit:
1. Venues that offer fun and unique activities
Tired of the same old dinner and a movie every weekend? There are plenty of “out of the box” activities to choose from in metro Detroit when you’re in the mood for something different.
Painting With a Twist recently opened in Ferndale. Find a friend or a group, bring your favorite wine or other beverage and paint a picture of your choosing. A local artist leads you in painting the picture step-by-step, and you get to take home a beautiful work of art at the end (no artistic skills required!).
“I coin this place as the brand new fun in town,” said Michelle Lewis, Painting With a Twist owner. “Painting With a Twist is a place where you can come and open up your creativity and/or unwind while sticking to a budget. Opening Painting With a Twist is my way of giving back to the place that has given me so much.”
If painting isn’t your cup of tea, check out:
• Glow ‘n bowl and Rock ‘n Bowl with DJs spinning at The Majestic’s Garden Bowl.
• Culinary Escapes’ food tours of metro Detroit.
• Wine tasting events and wine making classes at Vintner’s Cellar or one of the many wineries in metro Detroit.
2. Dive bars that are way more “cool” than “dive”
Sure it’s fun to hang out at a brewery or dance club, but the dive bars sprinkled around town are a whole different experience that add some character to metro Detroit.
“The Old Miami is one of my favorite dive spots in Detroit,” said 29-year-old Norman Witte from Pontiac. “There’s always a great vibe at the Old Miami. It’s also a fun place to watch bands and perform because they do a great job of supporting local artists like my band Lune Noir, which is doing a show there on December 4.”
The Old Miami also has one of the coolest outdoor areas in the city, with its funky lawn ornaments and cozy outdoor chairs and porch swings.
Some other local dive bars that are more than worthy to be your evening hangout of choice are Gusoline Alley and Nancy Whiskey’s.
3. Restaurants with scrumptious breakfast and brunch menus
It’s no secret that metro Detroit has earned it’s bragging rights for the continuously growing list of impressive restaurants that populate our area. Us breakfast lovers are the real winners because many of those restaurants offer breakfast and brunch menu items that will make your tummy do a happy dance.
“Metro Detroit has an incredible nightlife, and after a night of excess, no one wants to wake up and make breakfast,” said Joe Hakim, a 29-year-old St. Clair Shores resident and founding member of The Hungry Dudes. “There’s nothing better than an Irish omelette from Hilton Road Cafe or biscuits and gravy from Mae’s.”
There are so many good breakfast and brunch spots to choose from, but consider eating at Toast, Café Muse, The Pantry Restaurant or Jumps the next time you’re yearning for some breakfast goodness.
Pumpkin pancakes from Toast in Ferndale
4. Artistic organizations and creations
If you haven’t experienced at least one of the creative organizations and inventions that exist in metro Detroit, then you’re seriously missing out. Our region’s creative culture has busted out of its shell, and local artists and creative pioneers are making lots of noise so metro Detroit becomes well known around the world as a region of innovation.
Case in point: i3 Detroit, a non-profit public workshop dedicated to blending art, technology and culture through classes, co-working and collective thinking.
“The motivation behind i3 Detroit was to get inventors, builders and hackers out of their garages and basements and into a social setting where they would share resources, knowledge and contacts,” said Nick Britsky, a 29-year-old Royal Oak resident and founding member of i3 Detroit. “i3 Detroit has led to a number of creative projects and connections nationwide. Make Magazine even called us the biggest hackerspace in the country.”
i3 Detroit is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creative works and organizations in metro Detroit. There’s also:
• Handmade Detroit, an organization started by a group of crafting chicas who believe in the unique value of handmade goods, the act of creation and good old community building.
• Tyree Guyton’s Heidelberg Project, located on Detroit’s east side. Tyree has used everyday, discarded objects to create a two-block area full of art, color and symbolism. The Heidelberg Project is recognized worldwide as an artistic expression that has preserved and beautified forgotten neighborhoods.
• Chazz Miller’s Public Art Workz. Chazz’s goal is to revitalize northwest Detroit into a world-class public art showcase using murals as the catalyst for change. Chazz and his team create murals through the metro Detroit area and provide a vehicle for individual expression through lessons, tutoring and after school arts activities that bring together professional artists, art teachers and art enthusiasts.
5. And finally…the people
The companies and organizations I’ve mentioned so far are just small pieces in the huge puzzle that when put together, comprises everything that makes metro Detroit so fun, unique and special. But, it’s really the people who live here who make this region extraordinary.
I am most grateful this Thanksgiving for everyone locally who has touched my life in some shape or form. So I encourage you to not only visit the places that make metro Detroit so hip and happenin’, but get out in the community, meet your neighbors and continue doing things that make this great region shine.
Before you do that though, chow down on some turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, and have a happy Thanksgiving!