Behind the Scenes

BACK IN FEBRUARY, when the Hour Detroit staff was planning this issue, we were brainstorming ideas for a travel story. One avenue was to highlight summer travel destinations. Another was to talk about day trips for May. Our digital editor, Christina Clark, had a thought that would cover both. “You know, May is the start of roller coaster season,” she said. “And there are a bunch of new ones opening this year in and around the Midwest.” Christina (pictured here with her partner, Mike) knows what she’s talking about. She travels all around the country visiting amusement parks to take on the biggest and baddest coasters — 137 so far. Check out six drivable destinations beginning on page 67. As for Christina’s favorite roller coaster: “Hands down, Lightning Rod at Dollywood, followed immediately by Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point and Intimidator at Carowinds.”

Contributors

Explore the latest book from award-winning journalist and DBusiness magazine editor R.J. King. “Detroit: Engine of America” is the real life story of how the city grew, step by step, from a French fort on the riverfront in 1701 to become the world’s largest manufacturing economy in 1900.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE TOWN YOU CALL HOME?

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Brad Ziegler

PHOTOGRAPHED CHARLIE LEDUFF, PAGE 38

“I settled on Bloomfield Village South [five years ago] because I can easily walk to Birmingham, it’s close to the Lodge to get downtown quickly, and the neighborhood is charming with meandering, tree-lined streets and sidewalks. It’s quiet yet extremely close to so much!”

Brad Ziegler is a Detroit-based photographer who specializes in environmental portraiture for magazines, corporations, ad agencies, and more. His creative skills are frequently requested by publications around the country.

Patty LaNoue Stearns

WROTE TOP TOWNS, PAGE 47

“My husband and I returned to the Detroit area in 2015 after living on a lake outside Traverse City for 15 years. We found a 1958 ranch home in a wooded area of Troy and love the parklike property and the proximity to great restaurants, Cranbrook Academy of Art, the Woodward Corridor, and downtown Detroit via the I-75 freeway.” Award-winning journalist and author Patty LaNoue Stearns is a former staffer at the Detroit Free Press, Traverse magazine, Detroit Monthly, and Ward’s Auto World. She has written thousands of stories covering everything from cars to haute cuisine and is a regular contributor to state and national publications.

Ryan Patrick Hooper

WRITES CULTURE

CALENDAR EVERY ISSUE, PAGE 64

“My current home is in the historic Woodbridge neighborhood, walking distance from the Cass Corridor, where I’ve lived and worked for years. Yes, the Cass Corridor — not Midtown, which folks have been trying to rebrand for decades now. To me, Midtown is a place to come and spend money — a business district. Cass Corridor is a neighborhood and a sense of place — a community. That’s what has kept me there for almost my entire time living in Detroit, and I pray I don’t get Midtown-ed out one day by rising rents.”

Ryan Patrick Hooper is the host of CultureShift, a weekday arts and culture program that airs on 101.9 WDET, Detroit’s NPR station. He is a New York Timespublished writer and a 2020 Regional Murrow Award winner in broadcast feature reporting.