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Have a Good Time! - - Exploring South Oakland
In Detroit, many of the really great destinations rarely hit you in the face. Instead, you have to work a bit to find them, but are typically rewarded for the efforts. The same is true in the numerous communities that spiral out of the city. Although easily looked over as quiet suburbia, some of these communities, like those in southeastern Oakland County, possess vibrant downtowns and other unique destinations that make them definitely worth exploring.
Frolicking in Ferndale
Reveling in its recent resurgence, Ferndale today is home to an increasing multitude of urban-focused, culturally aware and progressive professionals. These are folk who value a walkable community, independent shops and restaurants, and a good café to while away the hours. And boy do they support it. Visit Ferndale on any given weekday or night, and you'll find it brimming with a menagerie of intellectuals, musicians, artists, post-hippies, techno freaks and other assorted urban dwellers.Edgier than it's northern neighbors (and cooler in many minds because of it), Ferndale is a must to explore. Begin highbrow with a bit of gallery gawking at Revolution or the Lemberg or Susanne Hilberry galleries. Each represents great local artists deserving of national attention, as well as other notable names from around the globe. After art, move on to literature at the Ferndale branch of John King Used Books, just off Woodward Avenue. With 60,000 books, you have endless options to fill your shelves, and at a fraction of new-book prices. Keeping in the "recycling" theme, you should also venture into Mother Fletchers, a family-run vintage boutique. A must for second-hand addicts and other fashionistas, this shop is filled with real retro-nothing stonewashed here. Record Time is also a must-hit. Although famous locally for its dedication to Detroit electronic music, this music Mecca features thousands of new and used vinyl, as well as CDs, in every genre. Of course, if new is more your thing Ferndale has plenty of it as well. Venture into Milleu or House of Chants for unique, one-of-a-kind clothing, or Naka for great home accessories. To carry you through your adventures, be sure to pop into Xhedos Café for a cup of java or chai. Bags full, belly empty? Ferndale has many options. There's Maria's Front Room for home-country Italian, Bart's for a great brunch or Christine's Cuisine for Eastern European comfort food. Higher-end diners should be sure to reserve a spot at Assaggi for four-star fare. And if that's not enough, Ferndale also has plenty of bar food. Woodward Avenue Brewery, the Emory and Buffalo Wild Wings are among the most popular. For later night fun, the Magic Bag Theater hosts critically acclaimed musicians in a cabaret setting. Of course, if you're feeling the need to work off a few calories, take a spin on the crowded dance floors of Posh and the Bosco.
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Royal Oak Reinvented
As you move north on Woodward Avenue, things get a bit more polished. Once a much-vacant downtown, Royal Oak today is rehabbed and renovated almost beyond recognition. It is no longer up and coming. It up and came, and so did the people who live here. At one time primarily blue-collar, Royal Oak today is filled with successful white-collar professionals, which is good news for all the independent shops, restaurants and theaters that depend on their business-of which there are plenty. For one, the Main Art Theater. A godsend for film lovers, this is one of the area's few sources for independent movies. Refreshingly small and old-fashioned, this theater-free of neon kiosks and arcade games-is all about the movies. The Detroit Zoo, located walking distance from downtown, is also a great day out. Only here can you frolic among hundreds of brilliantly colored butterflies, be within inches of the undersides of a polar bear, and stroll (or should I say hop?) side-by-side with kangaroos.The boutiques in Royal Oak are also first-rate. Try American Apparel for sweatshop-free fashions, Sole Sisters for savvy shoes and Shine for the best in bath and beauty. Royal Oak also has great eats. There's Vinotecca, where fashionable foods packed with cheese, sausage and fish are paired remarkably well with the hundreds and hundreds of bottles of wine. If you're hankering for something a bit heavier try Bastone, a traditional Belgian restaurant and brewpub, or Café Habana for Cuban cuisine. Other good options include Little Tree for sushi, Pronto for creative deli, or Memphis Smoke, as notable for it's one-time bartender, Meg White, as it is for its zesty soul food. For dessert, pop into the chocolate paradise that is Gayle's Chocolates and belly up to the bar for homegrown chocolate drinks and treats.Nightlife options in Royal Oak are endless, as are often the lines to get in. Sports bars like Fifth Avenue Billiards, Woodys and the Royal Oak Brewery dominate, but you can also dance the night away at the Sky Club or grab a martini in the swanky Goodnight Gracies. For a bit more edge, head to Gusaline Alley, a pristinely preserved dive bar left over from Royal Oak's rougher days. The newly revamped Royal Oak Music Theater is also great for live music, presenting acts as diverse as Bloc Party to ‘ahem American Idol Taylor Hicks.
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Beauty in Birmingham
Things get a touch glitzier and ritzier as you travel north on Woodward Avenue to the elegant and prestigious town of Birmingham. Even though it's oozing with money, this community is small and charming with enough interesting shops, galleries and restaurants to make it a great destination for a day (or night) of lollygagging.Let's face it, in metro Detroit, there are few places to grab a coffee and wander city streets. Birmingham, because it's so damn beautiful, is one of the best. So pick your caffeinated poison-Starbucks, Caribou--Birmingham has both, and hit the pavement. Maple Avenue has a few choice shops that won't break the bank: Anthroplogie, Caruso/Caruso and Nicole Miller are great for more original, but still trendy duds. For interior inspiration, Design Within Reach and Linge Roset are worth a pop in, if only to drool over the designs. For more fun, you can also pamper your inner child at Adventures in Toys or your more grown up one at galleries like David Klein, Robert Kidd or Cameron Scott. For food, you have a feast of options: Forté and Mitchell's Fish Market both offer award-winning, raved-about cuisine, but with a hefty price tag. A more economical option is a potpie and a pint at Dick O Dow's Irish Pub or a shot of raw juice and some fatoosh at Elie's Mediterranean Cuisine. The nightlife in Birmingham is eye-opening. After dark, the streets swarm with couture-garbed teens seeking to see and be seen. Don't miss their cars, their clothes or, most importantly, their bags-it's like MTV's Sweet Sixteen live. For more intelligent entertainment, of course, you can head to the Birmingham 8 or Palladium 12 movie theaters for all of the latest and greatest flicks. For other escapist pleasures, you may prefer to duck into a local watering hole, like the Blue Martini or Edison's for a cocktail (or two).
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The Great Malls of Troy
A bit east of posh Birmingham (and as financially established), Troy is worth visiting for one main reason, The Somerset Collection. Never described as a mall (but it is), the "Collection" is the nicest condensation of consumerism in the area. It's here you come for your Betsey Johnson frock, Puma shoes or Tumi messenger bag. Beautifully designed with soaring ceilings, palm trees and brilliant skylights, the Somerset Collection is high-fashion, high-style and, of course, high-prices. But who cares. As they say, when in Rome (or Troy)...Troy is also great for Asian cuisine. The Somerset Collection has the trendy and always-packed-to-the-gills P.F. Changs. But there are also more traditional (and equally great) establishments, like Benihana for sushi and Shila, a Korean gem tucked away amidst the other infamous Troy mall: the Troy Motor Mall.
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