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Shoppable Cities

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Put on your walking shoes and see what Metro Detroit has to offer.

Lynne Konstantin I Contributing Writer

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etro Feel. Metro Appeal." The Berkley Downtown
Development Authority bestowed the city with that
tagline and has worked hard for years to bring it
life. Many of Berkley's small-town touchstones remain: The
Berkley Theatre, though no longer showing films, still stands
where it has since 1940; Clark's, on 12 Mile, has been serv-
ing ice cream for decades, recently adding frozen yogurt; and
Sila's, just down the street, has been filling diners with pizza
and pasta for ages. And the children of the parents who once
brought home the most fantastic new toys from the Doll
Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop are now doing the same for
their kids.
But the metro half of the equation is what has brought atten-
tion — and shoppers — to Berkley. New boutiques and restau-
rants are popping up constantly. The Yellow Door Art Market,
on 12 Mile at Griffith Avenue, is an "an ever-changing eclectic
art fair" that sells the wares of dozens of local artists and crafts-
people. Spend some time at June Moon Furniture to check out
its reproductions of furniture and home decor designers like
Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen. Outfit the fashionable man
and woman on your shopping list at City Style, where you'll find
a cool collection of shoes, apparel, handbags and other acces-
sories. And you're sure to find something unique at Catching
Fireflies, a gift shop with something for everyone, from curious
kids to creative-minded adults.
While you're there: Stop in at Butterfly Bake Shoppe for a
pastry, cookie or homemade doughnuts — and coffee, of course.
Or sniff out the Atomic Dawg, a hotdog joint gone modern-retro,
featuring homemade everything and lots of wiener variations.

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Find reproductions of designer furniture at June Moon in Berkley.

B

irmingham has had a self-suf-
ficient economy based on local
business from its very start,
when John West Hunter, the first perma-
nent resident, built his log cabin during
the winter of 1819. Soon, foundries, tan-
neries, blacksmith shops, broom makers
and more defined the booming frontier
community.
Of course, most
Birmingham's popu-
Metro
Detroiters
lar Winter Market
remember
down-
in Shain Park runs
town
Birmingham
through Dec. 2.
for its high-end,
fashion-forward
designer- chic independent boutiques
like Mark Keller and Here and Now,
anchored by the iconic Jacobson's.
Today, Birmingham is taking back
its independence, restaking its claim of
being the destination for edgy, charm-
ing and eclectic shopping (and dining)
experiences. Some favorites include
Complex, a two-story concept shop
housing multiple retail concepts under
one roof (among them: Platform for
women's shoes from Sam Edelman

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November 15 • 2012