Thursday, May 17, 2012
I thought I wanted to ditch the big ride – until I drove a loaded 2012 Chevy Suburban.
Editor's note: This is the latest in a series. Read all of the Patch Drives installments here. Here’s the thing: I thought I was ready to ditch the big ride. I thought I was looking for something more compact — well, as compact as you can get while loading four kids and all their stuff. I thought those things until I drove a loaded 2012 Chevy Suburban. Two days in the Suburban rekindled my passion for extra large cars (and big hair bands, too, courtesy of SiriusXM Radio). When I drove my giant custom van into the parking lot of Matthews-Hargreaves Chevrolet in Royal Oak, I admit I got what is becoming a familiar twinge of nerves. Like I’m going on yet another first date. Will they like me? Will I like them? Before I jumped down out of …
A hotel development firm out of Farmington Hills has purchased the empty lot at the corner of Woodward and Maple.
Though much of it is still speculation, talks are under way about building a new mid-level hotel at the corner of Woodward and Maple, the site of the former Barclay Inn. The property was purchased within the last month by the Farmington Hills-based hotel development firm Group 10 Management, Birmingham Planning Director Jana Ecker confirmed. The site of the former Barclay Inn has stood empty since early September 2011, when the building was demolished after being condemned in 2010. The property was owned by TCF Bank, who purchased the building in September 2010 from Pomeroy Investment Corporation. This isn't the first offer on the empty lot, a visible vacancy in the city's Triangle District. Ecker said the lot has been under contract five …
42.546775
-83.211315
Woodward Ave & E Maple Rd, Birmingham, MI
/articles/could-another-hotel-be-on-the-way-for-former-barclay-inn-site
/locations/7036839
This vacancy is located right in the heart of downtown Birmingham.
Hate seeing empty storefronts around Birmingham? Make your opinion heard on what kind of businesses should move in with this week's Visions for Vacancies: 223 W. Maple Rd. This downtown shop, located right next door to the newly-opened Detroit Guitar and across the street from Adventures in Toys, has been closed up for several weeks. What do you think should happen to that space? Should Detroit Guitar think about expanding? What kind of shop would fit in well in that strip of prime real estate along Maple Road? You don't need to be a commercial developer or city planner — or have money to invest in a business project — to have the next great idea. We want to hear about it.
42.546653
-83.216375
223 W Maple Rd, Birmingham, MI
/articles/visions-for-vacancies-what-should-happen-at-this-closed-up-downtown-shop
/locations/7032977
We peek into the wash buckets of some of the areas savviest spring cleaners, who reveal 12 great tips to help clean up your act.
When interior designer Brian Clay Collins of Grosse Pointe embarks on his annual spring-clean at his northern Michigan home, it’s with glass cleaners, vinegar and lint-free towels in-hand, among other things. “The absolute requirement for clean wood floors is warm water with a bit of white vinegar, used with a big sponge rinsed frequently,” said Collins, who owns Brian Clay Collins Design. “This is all done, alas, on hands and knees!!” Like hundreds of other homeowners who now are focusing on sprucing up, freshening and deep-cleaning their homes, Collins swears by favorite products. For example, he prefers Glass Plus for cleaning glass “becaue it’s ammonia-free, so less likely to damage the silvering on mirrors.” Dr. Jennifer Bonde, owner…
Chop Shop Kitchens is currently leading the pack of Birmingham spots to pick up grilling supplies, which include Kroger and the Birmingham Farmers Market.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Monthly figures for Oakland County show residential real estate market still rebounds.
Refreshing news for local home-sellers is in the latest look at sale prices for homes and condos in four Metro Detroit counties. Median prices rose to $70,000 in Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Wayne last month, a 1.6-percent rise from March. The new median is nearly 19 percent higher than in April 2011, says a report Monday from Realcomp II Ltd., a multiple listing service in Farmington Hills. Selling prices rose within each county, extending a four-month trend for 2012. Livingston County has the highest median ($150,000), followed by Oakland ($114,500), Macomb ($72,500) and "Greater Wayne," excluding Detroit ($62,000). Percentage increases from the previous April are in a table below. Sales volume slipped for the first time in 10 …
Memorial Day is just around the corner and already, the grills are being prepped. What's the best spot in town to find those hotdogs and hamburgers?
We're on a quest to rate the best of the best in Birmingham. So far, we've asked you about such things as car repair shops, coffee shops, family-friendly restaurants, barbershops, florists, breakfasts and places to buy pastries (check out all of them at Readers' Choice in Birmingham). This week, we're talking about the best place to find Memorial Day grilling supplies. Visit Birmingham Patch Directory to find a list of Birmingham's grocery stores and markets, then vote for your favorite by 9 a.m. Friday; we'll publish a story that day declaring a winner. Did we miss your favorite spot? Leave us a comment letting us know! Then, vote in our poll and write a review of your favorite grocery store or market: Because this poll is not …
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-83.207799
Papa Joe's Gourmet Market & Catering
34244 Woodward Ave, Birmingham, MI
/articles/readers-choice-what-s-the-best-spot-for-memorial-day-grilling-supplies
711146
/locations/7008447
42.546811
-83.209794
Kroger Food and Pharmacy
685 E Maple Rd, Birmingham, MI
/articles/readers-choice-what-s-the-best-spot-for-memorial-day-grilling-supplies
711409
/locations/7008448
42.53159
-83.214219
Grapevine Market
100 W 14 Mile Rd, Birmingham, MI
/articles/readers-choice-what-s-the-best-spot-for-memorial-day-grilling-supplies
711687
/locations/7008449
42.55069
-83.21761
Harmon St & N Old Woodward Ave, Birmingham, MI
/articles/readers-choice-what-s-the-best-spot-for-memorial-day-grilling-supplies
/locations/7008450
42.531696
-83.223998
Market Square
1964 Southfield Rd, Birmingham, MI
/articles/readers-choice-what-s-the-best-spot-for-memorial-day-grilling-supplies
1798321
/locations/7008451
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Whether your lilacs are old or new, or if you're thinking of planting some new shrubs or trees, these tips from professionals help the sweet-smelling plants thrive.
At this time in May, those driving down Adams Road in Troy may be tempted to slow down, thanks to a riot of lush lilac blooms that adorn the grounds of North Hills Christian Reformed Church. The head-turning, enticing grove isn't just any patch of lilacs. Located in the churchyard on the east side of Adams just north of Big Beaver Road, the remaining lilac patch, about 150 by 60 feet, once stretched across what is now Adams Road. When that road was built, much of the grove was torn down. Then came the church. “For some reason or another, every time we expanded the church, we had to cut down or encroach upon the lilacs,” recalled Jon Feikens, who has been a church member since 1972 and has seen three expansions on the property. He and his …
Friday, May 11, 2012
The golf course at the Bloomfield Hills country club has seen the likes of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus since it opened more then 90 years ago.
The votes are in, and when it comes to hitting the links in the Birmingham, Bloomfield and West Bloomfield area, Patch voters are clear: the Oakland Hills Country Club is the best golf course in the area. Patch readers had a variety of golf courses to choose from in Readers' Choices: What's Your Favorite Golf Course in the Birmingham, Bloomfield Area?, from Birmingham's Lincoln Hills Golf Course to West Bloomfield's Bay Pointe Club. But with 33 percent, it was the Oakland Hills Country Club, located on West Maple Road just east of Telegraph, that was named Patch readers' favorite. Open since 1916, the golf course at the Oakland Hills Country Club has been used for numerous PGA events featuring legendary golfers including Arnold Palmer and …
42.545012
-83.276793
3951 W Maple Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Oakland Hills Country Club
/articles/readers-choice-oakland-hills-country-club-named-patch-readers-favorite-golf-course
/locations/6995759
Thursday, May 10, 2012
This minivan is a smart person's car. But am I ready for that?
Editor's note: This is the latest in a series. Read all of the Patch Drives installments here. Who says boring isn’t cool? OK, I said that, just a couple days ago. But after driving a Honda Odyssey I realized boring still isn’t cool, but smart is. And the Odyssey is a smart person’s car. This week I headed over to Honda Bloomfield to test drive an Odyssey. Here’s the thing: I know a few Honda people. You probably know Honda people, too. People who swear there is nothing better than a Honda. People that are practical. People that are serious. People that read the safety reports before shopping for a car. People that are, well, kind of boring. I like to think of myself as more of an edgy, fun, cool kind of chick (that’s why I drive a …
R Jeppostol
3:53 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Nice Work! enjoyed reading this piece. more ›