Welcome to The Metropolitan!!
Greetings and Welcome to The Metropolitan!!
About me:
After relocating back to Detroit after living 10 years in Atlanta, I must admit it was a bit of a culture shock. I had become accustomed to hanging out until the wee hours of the morning with what seemed like unlimited social options. I attended College there and never left, professing that I would never move back to Detroit. Unfortunately, my heart had other plans and I began getting homesick and felt this unyielding force pulling me home.
I must admit that I wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of living in Detroit full time…there never seemed like anything to do. It seemed, in my opinion at the time, that going to the Nightclub all everyone did (ok, so thats all “my” friends did anyway 
Luckily that year, the 2006 Superbowl was underway and I decided to come back just days before the main event. I could sense something different about Detroit, something that I had not experienced over the past 10 years of visiting. To my surprise, it seemed that Detroit was coming to life right before my eyes, I could actually feel the energy in the air. It was almost surreal!! From the first time that I drove downtown, I was in awe of the vast transformation that had taken place in a such a short period of time. I mean, I had just visited the City just months prior and was still wondering how they were going to pull it off. (Man, It’s amazing what a plan, action, and the right support can do) For the first time in my adult life, the streets were clean, there were pseudo storefronts all along Woodward, and most of all there was actually life, and a vibrant energy that I was used to experiencing in other jmajor urban cities…not Detroit. I knew that something was different and I knew I wanted to be a part of the excitement in some way! I knew that I was meant to be back home!!
So over the past 3 years, I made it my personal mission to get re-familiar with all things Detroit, things that I had forgotten or simply never knew existed. I joined several organizations such as Cityscape Detroit, volunteered at a local Community Development Organization, and supported many other orgs, but most of all I made it a point to get out and about going to various museums such as the DIA and MOCAD, local galleries such as 555, new hot spots including one of my favorite Detroit Breakfast House or Vicentes, and countless special events from a Tigers Game to a concert at the FOX. My itinerary was so full that my friends were calling, emailing, and Facebooking me to find out what was going on in town for the weekend. Thing is…Detroit is full of cultural and social options, but i must admit, you do have to search for things to do and that can get daunting. This is why I decided to start writing The Metropolitan. I wanted to create a single social source for my people to find out what’s going on in the D. My goal is to expose Detroit based establishments, and to promote those that have weathered the storm…no matter how bad it ever got!! The worst is definitely behind us and the cloud has officially lifted. Change is here!!
Detroit is definitely going through a major transformation, and the momentum is undeniable. I have met so many great people since being in Detroit and I think that not enough of them get the recognition that they deserve! This blog was created to help at least help to fill some of the voids that I see in Detroit’s social landscape…a comprehensive online destination for young folks to find out what’s going on be it joining one of the countless professional organizations for networking, or finding out what the latest hot spot is in town.
Since being home I have had a renewed appreciation for all things Detroit, in particular the culture and people that have stayed here. Detroiters are the most resilient. proud, and passionate people, and make me proud to call Detroit home. The momentum is overwhelming. Detroit “is” a place that we can have it all…and Live, Work, and Play!!!
“I’m not a socialite, I just love to have a good time and support a good cause!!”- T. Stephens
