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Arts & Entertainment

Detroit Booster

Linda Yellin founded tour company
to connect city and suburbs.

Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News

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ichelle Passon of
Commerce Township
did not grow up in the
Detroit area, but she has lived in
Michigan for many years. Although
her involvement in the Jewish
community has helped to keep her
informed about activities in the
general community, she recently
has had two chances to learn much
more first-hand.
Passon has participated in Feet
on the Street Tours — one taking a
group of friends on a bus tour of older
homes in Midtown and another usher-
ing members of the Cancer Survivors
Network for Jewish Women through
Eastern Market.
The visits were conducted by Linda
Yellin, owner of Feet on the Street
Tours, set up to customize all kinds of
sightseeing trips into Detroit. With the
focus varying from history to architec-
ture and food to music, Yellin is happy
to accommodate organizations, out-
of-towners, party guests and families
looking for a fresh outing. Travel is by
foot, bike, car and bus.
"It's easy to tell that Linda loves the
city, and she passes on that feeling:'
Passon says. "We got a lot of informa-
tion and enjoyed the in-depth experi-
ence.
Feet on the Street Tours, operating
for two years, started from a personal
interest of Yellin, who has worked as a
mental health therapist with a special-
ty in pre- and post-adoption services
for 25 years.
"I like the energy and diversity of
the city," says Yellin, 58, who runs the
business out of the Southfield office
where she has her therapy practice.
"I've been going downtown for years
and developed relationships and con-
tacts.
"I was encouraging people to go into
the city to experience it, and I joined
a volunteer preservation organization.
I started tours and outings for differ-
ent groups I was part of; and by word
of mouth, people learned what I was
doing.
"I started to create those tours
five years ago before formalizing the

Debbie Bridges and Linda Yellin of
Feet on the Street Tours

business. I chose the name because I
believe that the city and suburbs are
interconnected socially and economi-
cally and Detroit needs more support
through feet on the street."
Yellin, who needs scant time to
schedule small tours, has two monthly
excursions she titles "The Good, Bad
and Hopeful — You Be the Judge." A
bus leaves the Eastern Market area at
11:30 a.m. on the second and fourth
Saturdays of each month through
November, and participants see spe-
cial sights, landmarks and areas under
revitalization, hearing stories about
famous and infamous Detroiters.
Yellin, who has taken many Jewish
groups through the city with an
emphasis on old Detroit neighbor-
hoods, arranged a couple of trips for
the Jewish Historical Society, and the
group made her a board member.
Also a member of the Detroit
Convention and Visitors Bureau,
Yellin recently hired Debbie Bridges
to extend the outreach and programs.
They are working on plans for family
tours.
Prices for the guided outings start at
$15 per person.
"People who grew up in the area are
getting a fresh look:' says Yellin, raised
in Oak Park. "I certainly didn't appre-
ciate the city's history in the way I do
now. ❑

Information on Feet on the
Street Tours is available at
www.feetonthestreettours.com
and (248) 353-TOUR.