Detroit Hustles Harder

Moving to Detroit? I have lived in the greater Detroit area for a year and a half now. And although I do not live in the Detroit city limits, I do live 8 miles outside of the city. We spend a lot of our time in Detroit for work and play.

Since moving to Michigan, I have learned quite a bit about my new home. For example, it took me a while to understand this, but Detroit and Metro Detroit are connected but different. Metro Detroit is considered the suburbs and many Detroiters do not consider Metro Detroit the same thing as Detroit.

But I’ve met people from the ‘burbs who will say they live in Detroit, even though they’re referring to the metro area. It’s kind of confusing. Me personally, I usually say I live in Metro Detroit.


**UPDATE: This post was originally written in October 2016. It has been updated with new photographs of life in Detroit and the metro area. 9/18/19**


 

HERE ARE 15 FUN FACTS ABOUT THE D FOR IF YOU’RE MOVING TO DETROIT:

15 Fun Facts About Detroit
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1. DETROIT FOOD IS AMAZING!

Since moving to Detroit, we have tried an assortment of Detroit-style foods. Have you ever had a Detroit-style pizza? It’s delicious! You guys, I was stuck on those chain pizza restaurants when I lived in Tennessee.

But Detroit pizza? It has given me a newfound love for pizza! And not just pizza, but other types of food, too. Greek, Italian, and Polish, just to name a few.

Supino's Pizzeria Detroit
Photo of my nephew Landon eating a “ginormous” slice (his words) of Supino’s Pizza!
Beans and Cornbread Southfield
One of our favorite Metro Detroit restaurants is Beans and Cornbread! Photo of Travis and Zechariah at Beans and Cornbread in Southfield, Michigan
Brunch in Detroit
Detroit also has an electrifying brunch scene! That’s quite the word choice for describing brunch, huh? But the food served for brunch is AMAZING! I want to try it all and I hope to try more places! Photo of a delicious Vanilla Bean waffle I ordered for brunch at the Cafe Muse in Royal Oak, MI

RELATED: THE ART OF BRUNCHING IN DETROIT


HONORABLE MENTION: DETROIT FOOD TRUCKS

Which leads me to another great food discovery I have found in Detroit: the food trucks. I love all of the food trucks that serve authentic food.

Hero or Villain Detroit Food Truck
Photo of Zhen standing in front of Hero or Villain Food Truck

WE LOVE DETROIT 75 KITCHEN FOOD TRUCK!

One Detroit-based food truck restaurant we love is Detroit 75 Kitchen. It’s a stationary food truck restaurant located in Southwest Detroit. Detroit 75 Kitchen features these delicious, mouth-watering artisan sandwiches.

My favorite day to go is on Fridays because of the fish sandwiches. They are SO good! I have never had a fish sandwich as delicious as the one Detroit 75 Kitchen makes.

15 FUN FACTS ABOUT DETROIT
Detroit 75 Kitchen is one of our favorite restaurants in Detroit. (Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra)
15 THINGS I LEARNEDA BOUT DETROIT
Michala loves Detroit 75 Kitchen’s artisan chicken sandwich and seasoned fries. Photo Credit: Jennifer Hamra
Chef Mike Nassar is the co-owner of Detroit 75 Kitchen. All of the staff are very friendly! (Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra)

2. MICHIGAN LEFT

I learned if my GPS says take a right and then a sharp left, it more than likely means to make a Michigan Left. A Michigan Left is when you make a legal U-turn. It’s the only legal way to turn left on most major streets.

A Michigan left is an at-grade intersection design which replaces each left turn with a U-turn and a right turn. The design was given the name due to its frequent use along roads and highways in the U.S. state of Michigan since the late 1960s. In other contexts, the intersection is called a median U-turn crossover or median U-turn. The design is also sometimes referred to as a boulevard turnaround, a Michigan loon or a “ThrU Turn” intersection. “Michigan Left”. Wikipedia

When I first saw a Michigan Left, I was very confused. I didn’t understand why I had to keep driving down the street just to make a turn around to turn left. But after living and driving in the area for a while, I get it now and I actually prefer it. I wonder how I’ll feel when I go back home, though?

Michigan Left
Stylized depiction of the design in Grand Haven, Michigan, at US 31 and Robbins Road (north to the right), showing the additional area necessary to make a turn on a narrow median. (Credit: Nandhp on Wikipedia)

3. BUMPY ROADS IN DETROIT (AND THROUGHOUT MICHIGAN)

Speaking of the driving, the roads here are a little bumpy. In some areas, it’s very bumpy. I remember when we first moved to Detroit, I would get very frustrated every time we were on the road. At the time, I was very pregnant so each bump was uncomfortable for me. Now, I am used to the bumpy roads. In fact, if we are driving on a smooth road, I notice it right away.

Some of the roads are in poor condition because of the winter weather. There are so many potholes and cracks in the road. It’s ridiculous. And there seems to always be some kind of road construction.

What makes it worse is a week before moving to Michigan, we bought a new minivan. A year later, our minivan has a few dings in it. As my husband says, you have two seasons in Michigan: winter and road construction.

The roads in Michigan can get pretty bumpy because of the cold, snowy weather in the winter. CREDIT STEVE CARMODY / MICHIGAN RADIO

4. EASTERN MARKET 

I love Eastern Market! I try to go every chance I get. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed a lot of my photos are taken in Eastern Market.

Eastern Market is a big city market which features a farmers market and vendors who sell unique products. We have discovered art, clothing, jewelry, and musicians at the Eastern Market. There is always so much to see and experience. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the beautiful murals which are on display throughout Eastern Market.

A few of my favs at Eastern Market are the farmers’ market, Supino’s Pizzeria, Germack Coffee, Mootown Ice Cream, clothing vendors, and the mural art.


RELATED: A SUNDAY DATE AT EASTERN MARKET’S FLOWER DAY


Eastern Market Shed 2
Photo I took of Eastern Market Shed 2
Moo Town
My children enjoying ice cream at Moo Town in Eastern Market. (Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra)
Supino's Pizza
Delicious pizza at Supino’s Pizzeria (Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra for Good Life Detroit)
fel3000ft’s mural in Easter Market (Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra for Good Life Detroit)

RELATED: FEET ON THE STREET TOURS OF EASTERN MARKET


5. BEAUTIFUL CULTURES FOUND IN DETROIT

I’m from a small, Army town so living near an Army post I have met people from different cultures. But when we moved to Detroit, I was amazed at the rich culture found in the city.

I love the diversity of the city. I love learning about different cultures, too. And there are so many events and festivals to celebrate the different cultures. I always feel like it’s one big party in celebrating culture. It’s an amazing experience!


RELATED: CELEBRATE INDIA CULTURAL EVENT AT THE DIA IN DETROIT


Beautifully Wrapped Headwrap Expo in Dearborn, MI (Photo Credit: Jennifer Hamra)
Photo from an Arab American cultural celebration I attended in Southwest Detroit.
Celebrate India at the DIA (Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra)
Judy Bowman Detroit Artist
“Church Ladies” by Detroit artist Judy Bowman
Traditional African dress and Gele headwrap
I took this photo of a woman at the Detroit African World Festival. It was when my blog was called The Good Life.

6. CARRY ON. IT’S JUST SNOW.

When we lived in Middle Tennessee if we got 3 inches of snow just about everything closed. But here in the D if it snows, it’s business as usual.

Last winter, it snowed on and off in Southeast Michigan. I can’t quote the exact numbers for you, but I just know the amount of snow was considered lower than normal. And when it snowed, schools remained open. So did the businesses.

And that surprised me. Again, when I lived in Tennessee if it snowed, schools were closed and most businesses closed, too. So as a Tennessean, the snow in Detroit seemed like a lot of snow to me.

But according to Detroiters, it was a very mild winter. I’m a little nervous to see what a “normal” winter is like then!

Michigan Travel
It snows quite a bit in Detroit! Photo of me on a snowy day in the metro area.
snow at lake
Carry on. It’s just snow! (Photo of my son Elijah at Lake St. Clair)
Michigan Snow
Photo of my daughter Michala standing in the snow. Lol

7. IN DETROIT, IT’S A POP– NOT A SODA.

Simply said – a soda is called a pop in Detroit (and all of Michigan). Whereas in the south, it’s called a soda or a coke. I’m just now starting to call it “pop”.

It sounded so strange to me to hear people refer to a soda as a “pop”. Even the restaurant menus say “pop” on it!

Faygo
Faygo is a Detroit-made pop brand. My favorite is Red Pop. Michala really loves Cotton Candy. (Photo credit: Faygo)

8. DETROIT LOVES EMINEM.

So Eminem is from Detroit and most of Detroit loves Eminem. You can pretty much hear an Eminem song on the radio almost every hour. Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but radio stations here do play Eminem quite frequently.

And it doesn’t just have to be an Eminem song. It can also be an artist featuring Eminem! I mean, Travis and I have heard Eminem songs that we didn’t even know were Eminem songs!

9. DETROIT PROUD!

Detroiters love their city!

“Detroit Hustles Harder”

“Say Nice Things About Detroit”

“Everybody vs. Detroit”

Moving to Detroit? Here are 15 Fun Facts About Detroit!
Photo of me wearing a “Detroit VS Everybody” hoodie in Eastern Market Art Park in Detroit.

These are all very popular sayings (and some businesses) in Detroit. My husband says he has never seen people have so much pride in their city. And the great feeling of pride for Detroit is very catching.

We’ve been living here for a year and a half now, and from our experiences, we believe Detroit is on the rise. I’ve heard people say and read articles stating Detroit is in the midst of a renaissance.

Travis believes this is true. He also thinks we made the right decision to relocate to the greater Detroit area. I have to say, I am happy we moved here, too. πŸ™‚

Moving to Detroit? Here are 15 Fun Facts You Need to Know.
“Detroit Hustles Harder” Photo Credit: Jennifer Hamra
Detroit Pride
Photo of myself at Eastern Market, standing in front of a beautiful Sydney James mural (Tee is from Detroit-made brand Northern Fashion)

10. WELCOME TO THE MOTOR CITY!

Detroit is the heart of the automotive industry in America. Home of Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. I didn’t fully understand the meaning of “Motor City” until I learned these three major car companies are headquartered here in Detroit.

Travis always says, “Chances are if you know 40 people, you know somebody in the auto industry.”

The GM Building at night in Downtown Detroit. Photo Credit: Jennifer Hamra

11. DREAM CRUISE

The Woodward Dream Cruise is a huge car event that happens annually on the third Saturday in August. People come from all over travel to Detroit to participate or experience the Dream Cruise. 

The Dream Cruise is a big deal here in Detroit. On Saturday, from morning to night, cars drive and up and down Woodward Avenue. Many people have parties at local businesses along Woodward or hold cookouts outside of businesses on Woodward Avenue. Some people like to sit outside with their family and just watch the cars drive by.

Wooward Dream Cruise
Photo I snapped at the Woodward Dream Cruise 2019. (Photo Credit: Jennifer Hamra)

Today, the Woodward Dream Cruise is the world’s largest one-day automotive event, drawing 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars each year from around the globeβ€”from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the former Soviet Union. North American cruisers from California, Georgia, Canada and all points in between caravan to Metro Detroit to participate in what has become, for many, an annual rite of summer. “History”. Official Website of the Woodward Dream Cruise 

Woodward Dream Cruise
Photo I took of a classic car at the Woodward Dream Cruise. Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra)
Moving to Detroit? Here are 15 Reasons to Love Detroit.
Travis and Zhen checking out a classic car at the Dream Cruise.
Zhen and I at the 2019 Dream Cruise.

12. POPULAR DETROIT-BASED CAR SHOWS: NAIAS AND AUTORAMA

Again, because Detroit is the capital of the automotive industry, I found out NAIAS and Autorama are very popular car shows. NAIAS stands for North American International Auto Show.

It is held every year in Detroit, and all of the top automotive brands attend the car show. They feature their new vehicles and even some prototypes. NAIAS is said to be one of the largest car shows in the country!

President Obama even made a special appearance at this years 2016 show. Now, I’m not a big car person (my husband is), but I really enjoyed NAIAS and I plan on attending the 2017 show!

AUTORAMA

AutoRama, on the other hand,  is a car show which showcases classic cars and products from the automotive industry. It was our first time attending the show this year. We went on AutoRama’s “Student Day” and then again on a different day so my husband could attend. My husband and son were in car heaven, by the way.

Lexus at NAIAS 2016
Photo I took at the 2016 NAIAS in Detroit.
NAIAS 2016
Photo I took at the 2016 NAIAS in Detroit.
Corvette
Photo I took at the 2016 NAIAS in Detroit.
AutoRama 2016
Photo of Elijah checking out a car at AutoRama in Detroit.
AutoRama 2016
AutoRama 2016 in Detroit (Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra)
Detroit AutoRama 2016
AutoRama 2016 in Detroit (Photo Credit: Jennifer Hamra)

13. JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY HAS A BIKE.

Except for me. I don’t have a bike. The last time I had a bike, I was probably a teenager, and even then I don’t remember riding my bike that much as a teen. But in Michigan, bicycling is very a popular activity.

Families even ride their bikes together. This was one of the top things I noticed about Detroit and Metro Detroit. Every time we would go out in our van, I noticed people riding their bikes around. I felt so inspired that I told Travis we have to get bikes!

Also, many bicycle enthusiasts customize their bikes. Again, this is something I was not accustomed to seeing. The first customized bicycle I saw was in Detroit and I was absolutely amazed!

Detroiters love biking so much that they even have bike meetups in the city. For instance, Slow Roll Detroit is a very popular bike meetup that meets on Mondays in the summertime. While Soul Roll Detroit meets on a regular basis throughout the year.

Soul Roll Detroit
Soul Roll Detroit is a popular Detroit bike meetup. (Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra)
Slow Roll Detroit Opening Day 2017
Slow Roll Detroit on their opening day at Eastern Market. (Photo credit: Jennifer Hamra)

14. DETROIT ABANDONED BUILDING AND URBEX PHOTOGRAPHY

Detroit is known for its abandoned building and urbex photography. Many people from around the world actually travel to Detroit to explore the historic abandoned or old buildings and photograph them.

When I lived in Tennessee, I first learned of urbex photography from Memphis-based photographers on Instagram. I thought it was pretty cool and was immediately drawn to it. I had no idea at the time Detroit was a popular city for urbex.

When I found out about the Detroit urbex scene, I started researching how I could explore the abandoned buildings and photograph it. So far I’ve found a few photography groups who host tours. I went on my first urbex tour a few months ago at the Highland Park Ford Executive Office. (Yes, it was legal. πŸ˜‰ It was a paid tour with a photography group.

Yellow Hat. Photo Credit: Jennifer Hamra
Photo Credit: Jennifer Hamra
15 FUN THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DETROIT
Photo Credit: Jennifer Hamra

15. IF YOU EVER GET LOST IN DETROIT, JUST FOLLOW THE MILE ROADS!

Mile roads are unique to Southeast Michigan. Have you heard of the movie 8 Mile? Again, another Eminem reference there, but before I moved to Detroit, I just thought 8 Mile was the name of the movie.

It wasn’t until after we moved here, I learned the 8 Mile reference to Detroit. Eight Mile Road is the dividing line between the City of Detroit and the ‘burbs aka Metro Detroit.

Travis and I have discovered the mile road system is a great way to navigate our way around the large city and metro area. I also learned when most people ask me where I live, I need to say which major mile road I live near and the intersecting street.

It took me months to figure this out. For the longest, I was telling people the actual neighborhood we live. I get it now. πŸ™‚

“A Beautiful Detroit Begins with You.” Photo I took of a floor sign at the Avalon Bakery in Downtown Detroit.

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Written by

Jennifer Hamra

Freelance creative Jennifer Hamra created her blog Good Life Detroit in 2015 after relocating from Tennessee to Southeast Michigan.

Inspired by her love for personal blogging and photography, Jennifer likes to share her favorite Detroit things, from cool places to visit (the hidden gems are her favorite!) to the amazing people she has connected with over the years.

When she's not busy juggling family life and her creative projects, you can find her at an art gallery, community event, farmers market, or spending quiet time at home with a good book and cup of tea.

Jennifer lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband Travis and their six children.

Connect with Jennifer on social media @goodlifedetroit on all social media platforms or via email at [email protected].