Not Exactly A Retraction, But...

I know my earlier post poked fun at the Big D, but the reality is, the Metro Detroit area has charm all it's own. Other "miserable cities" included L.A. or New York, which people flock to all the time. So I don't think the rating score holds all that much weight when you factor in other benefits of the cities, like the fact that they are situated on major trade routes by land, air, and waterways. In fact, I've had the unique experience of diving into the Detroit River on New Year's Day. If you are really interested in how human reflexes work, I suggest trying that.

I know a ton of musicians and artists that call Detroit home. Everyone knows it's the home of Motown and Techno, artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to the White Stripes. (Or my own band, En Passant!) In addition to playing out for 4 years at Detroit's famous la dolce vita restaurant, I have had the honor to perform with members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, through the Kirk in the Hills Choir (which won Hour Magazine's Choir of the Year in 2004). Detroit boasts a host of cultural, musical, and artistic scenes that cannot be found in any city.

Additionally, Ann Arbor, the home of my alma mater, U of M, is located only 45 minutes away, and is swarming with intellectual and creative thought. A little known fact is that Ann Arbor actually has more theater (and stadium) seats per capita, than any other city! This info came to me from my boss at the time, an author who I worked with to research, compile, and edit "Seats," entertainment guides for major venues in New York and Chicago, and her business was near Ann Arbor.

Detroit is where my parents decided to set up shop and raise their family, and I'm grateful they did. Detroit and neighboring Windsor, Ontario are home to many Bosnians, Serbs, and Croatians. Would you believe I can buy vegeta, sipak, homemade burek, cevapi, or Bajadera's only a few miles from my house?? (Only someone from the former Yugoslavia would know what all that means...) And while I don't know if my father had a particular fondness for the city, he managed to grow two successful businesses here as an entrepreneur. He even threw the opening pitch at Detroit's Tigers stadium for being business man of the year or something like that.

So, I was not trying to disrespect "The D." It's going through a bit of a rough time, but it's still a good home.
Mike and I enjoying wine before the symphony at the beautiful Max M. Fisher Music Center adjacent to Orchestra Hall.