BY LINDA BACHRACK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RACHEL HOLLAND
rothers Jeremy and Daniel Haberman
were bemoaning the absence of a
sophisticated, modern lounge in the
Detroit area when the perfect space
became available in Ferndale.
Jeremy's company owns the Magic Bag enter-
tainment venue and Daniel is a Georgetown
Law School grad who "was not so excited about
practicing law."
The two grabbed the building, right next door
to The Bag on Woodward, and conceived The
Bosco, a contemporary, stylish bar sans cigar
smoke, pulsating music and sensory overload.
"We felt there was no nightclub targeting
young professionals or creative people," says
Daniel, 27. "There was nothing between stodgy
and cheesy."
"The Bosco is quiet," adds Jeremy, 29, "more
conducive to conversation. We play intelligent
music — European, funk, jazz/fusion, African,
world — and we're somewhat selective about
our clientele."
That means, when you queue up to get in the
door, you should forgo the gold chains and dou-
ble-breasted suits. You'll be told, politely, that
you're overdressed for the club. On weekdays,
after work, suits are fine, but a casual look for
the weekend is preferred.
The idea is to provide young creatives an
upscale spot for a cocktail or a cup of cold sake,
the bar's signature drink.
However, if you're over the age of 35 and
don't happen to work for J. Walter Thompson,
the Habermans will welcome you (as long as
you're dressed appropriately and act according-
ly). "We invite a hip, gay, black, Jewish crowd,"
says Daniel.
Says patron Ed Nakfoor, a 30-something free-
lance writer from Birmingham, "The Bosco is so
refreshing, so aesthetically pleasing. It's got all
the right pieces. It's like a cool joint
for our generation."
And what, exactly, is a bosco? It's
an Italian term, meaning "woods."
But, for the Haberman brothers, who
grew up in Detroit and attended mid-
dle school in the Cass Corridor, it was
the name given to the abandoned lot
that was their school playground.
"Yes, we named the bar after our
ghetto playground," laughs Jeremy.
Also, the name was apropos to the
environment they wanted, which
included an outdoor brick patio, com-
plete with natural grass, three honey
locust trees and a sleek cascading
waterfall. "Plus there's no pretentious
vibe to the name," says Jeremy.
Inside, John Winters of View
Studio used pale woods, wicker, slate
tile, gray marble and muted green
upholstery on curved banquettes to
give The Bosco its clean, spare look.
Center for Creative Studies graduate Bryce
Moore designed the wood bar and tables.
Just a heads-up if you venture in to check out
Ferndale's newest establishment: Try a Charbay
vodka cocktail or a Far-Eastern Seabreeze. In
this enviornment, they bring new meaning to
taste and sophistication.
STYLE AT THE JN • NOVEMBER 2001
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