Quick Facts:

  • Giant teddy bear installed October 28, 2025 at Hudson's Detroit, 1208 Woodward Avenue

  • Located in Nick Gilbert Way plaza between Campus Martius and Grand Circus Park

  • Honors Hudson's Santa Bear tradition (1985-2007) and Nick Gilbert's legacy

  • Part of Decked Out Detroit holiday programming through January 2026

  • Represents Detroit's connection between history and renaissance

  • Accessible via QLine at Grand Circus Park station

A 26-year-old memory, a century-old tradition, and a giant teddy bear sitting in downtown Detroit are teaching us something profound about what it means to come home.

So there I was on October 29th, scrolling through my Detroit news feed (as one does when you're completely obsessed with this city's…

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It’s a crisp Saturday morning in downtown Birmingham, Michigan. You step out of Birmingham Place, the city’s iconic high-rise condo building on Old Woodward, and stroll to grab a latte from a cozy cafe near Shain Park. Living here has undeniable charm, walkable streets, upscale boutiques, top-notch restaurants. But as you sip your coffee, a practical question comes to mind: Is it actually cheaper to rent a condo here than to own one in 2025?

That rent-versus-own dilemma is on a lot of Metro Detroit minds lately, and for good reason. After all, home prices are up and mortgage rates aren’t what they used to be. Many lifelong Michiganders grew up hearing that owning a home is always the smart move, the classic “American Dream” our parents and grandparents…

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Game day in Detroit isn’t just about the action on the field or the final score, it’s a full downtown experience. Before the first pitch or opening kickoff, fans flood local pubs and patios, turning the city’s core into a sea of team colors and camaraderie. Afterwards, win or lose, many stick around to celebrate (or commiserate) over a round. Detroit boasts what Forbes once called “the most compact sports district in America,” with three major venues, Ford Field, Comerica Park, and Little Caesars Arena, all within a short walk. That means whether you’re heading to a Tigers baseball game, a Lions football matchup, or a Red Wings/Pistons showdown, you have a ton of great bars and eateries nearby for pre-game and post-game fun.

This guide taps into real…

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Detroit made history on November 4, 2025, by electing Mary Sheffield as its next mayor – the first woman ever to hold the city’s top office. The Detroit City Council President and lifelong Detroiter won in a landslide, capturing about 77% of the vote to opponent Solomon Kinloch Jr.’s 23%. With 100% of precincts reporting, Sheffield earned 88,229 votes to Kinloch’s 25,725, a margin so wide that she noted it may be the largest in Detroit’s history. The Associated Press called the race for Sheffield just over an hour after polls closed, underscoring the decisive nature of her victory. At a jubilant election night party at MGM Grand Detroit, hundreds of supporters cheered and chanted “Mary! Mary!” as the 38-year-old mayor-elect took the stage to claim…

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November in Metro Detroit brings a feast of new flavors and foodie excitement. As the autumn leaves fall, lifelong locals are buzzing about fresh restaurant openings, highly anticipated spots on the horizon, and fun food events that capture our community spirit. In true Michigander fashion, we’ve gathered the latest dining news, from cozy neighborhood bistros to big downtown debuts, all served with a side of genuine local insight. Read on for a curated rundown of where to eat next and what not to miss this season.

dirtyshakedetroit, instagram

New Restaurant Openings (Fall 2025)

Detroit’s dining scene is always evolving, and this fall has delivered a bumper crop of new places to try. Here are some of the hottest recent openings making waves:

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Imagine cruising down I-75 on your morning commute, but instead of white-knuckling the wheel, you’re sipping coffee and helping your kid review a homework assignment, all while your SUV handles the driving. It sounds like science fiction, but General Motors has officially announced plans to make this a reality by 2028. In a city like Detroit, where the automobile is king, GM’s new “eyes-off” driving technology is more than just a headline, it’s a glimpse into a future that could reshape how Metro Detroiters drive, live, and even choose their homes. This conversational yet informative deep dive breaks down GM’s big news on hands-free, eyes-off driving and why it matters to families and savvy locals here in the Motor City.

GM’s New Chapter: Marrying…

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Saline Township, MI, In a quiet patch of Washtenaw County farmland just outside Ann Arbor, something big is on the horizon. Not another corn harvest, but a massive high-tech data center that promises to put Michigan at the forefront of the AI revolution. OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT, is partnering with software giant Oracle and developer Related Companies’ digital arm to transform 250 acres of rural Saline Township into a 1-gigawatt “hyperscale” computing campus nicknamed “The Barn”. Locals who have driven along Michigan Avenue past the iconic red barn on the property may soon see it standing at the gateway to one of the country’s most advanced artificial intelligence facilities instead of endless rows of crops. The project’s sheer scale and…

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Downtown Farmington, Michigan is getting a vibrant new centerpiece: the Farmington Art Promenade. This pedestrian-friendly corridor, also called “The Promenade” or sometimes the “Art Park Promenade” in planning documents, will transform a one-block stretch of downtown into a walkable gallery and gathering space. Spanning from Thomas Street to Grand River Avenue, the Art Promenade links key community hubs: it connects to Riley Park and the Walter E. Sundquist Pavilion (the heart of Farmington’s festivals) and will eventually lead onward to Shiawassee Park via a planned accessible trail. In short, a formerly ordinary cut-through is becoming an extraordinary public space filled with art, greenery, and hometown spirit.

Expected Timeline: The vision is…

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Detroit’s dining scene moves fast. Entire corners flip from quiet to vibrant between Labor Day and Halloween, and 2025 is no exception. This guide zeroes in on the season’s most buzzed-about newcomers and fresh reopens across Detroit and nearby suburbs, with practical details first and a quick, four-sentence snapshot of what to expect. Every listing pulls hours, address, phone, and website directly from the business’s official site, so you can plan with confidence.

Below are the places locals are actually talking about right now. Start with the essentials at the top of each entry, then skim the four-sentence quick take for menu highlights, vibe, and when to go.

Want the city’s all-time heavy hitters too? Here’s the Top 50 Restaurants in Metro…

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Detroit’s 99th annual America’s Thanksgiving Parade® will bring star power and hometown pride to Woodward Avenue on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 27, 2025. This year’s parade, themed “Thanksgiving is Better in Detroit!,” features Grand Marshals Mayor Mike Duggan and retired WDIV anchor Devin Scillian leading a star-studded lineup of Detroit icons and entertainers. Emmy-winning actor Sam Richardson, “Shooter McGavin” actor Christopher McDonald, Detroit Lions legend Dexter Bussey, and Miss Michigan 2025 Hannah Palmer are among the celebrity guests joining the giant floats and balloons. Parade-goers can also look forward to eight new floats (including a giant “Big Head” tribute to Tigers hero Kirk Gibson), a Broadway opening performance from The Lion King,…

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