14 reasons I live in Detroit (part 4 of 5)

9. The Grocery Options
Yes, the grocery options. You might have heard that Detroit doesn’t have grocery stores…well that’s simply not true. There are 100+ full-service grocery stores in Detroit including 5 within 3 miles of where I live and that doesn’t even count Eastern Market (the largest historic open-air market in the country). In fact, Eastern Market is where the grocery stores do their grocery shopping. While most people know of the Saturday retail market (and now Tuesdays during warmer months) the main business of the market is selling wholesale to grocery stores and restaurants…mostly between 12am and 5am.  Other than Eastern Market, our most frequented spots are Honeybee Market, Lafayette Foods and yes, Whole Foods sometimes, too.

10. Unique Retail
Just because we don’t have a Gap on every corner doesn’t mean we don’t have shopping. We have local shops with both fashionable and functional items. Some have been serving the community for decades like Source Booksellers, which offers an amazing selection of non-fiction books, or Spectacles where you can find the coolest t-shirt you’ll ever own or pick up a CD by an amazing underground artist. We also have more and more new places like Run Detroit, where you can get everything you need for running, walking or however you stay active, and Busted Bra Shop, which carries more than the name implies. We even have a Meijer now just in case I need a new shower curtain at 9pm. (See our checklist of downtown retail options here.)

11. Affordability
For 10 years I was able to afford to live right downtown on an entry-level salary and when it came time to settle down, my husband and I were able to afford our perfect house in Lafayette Park and still be within walking distance of everything. Though prices are going up in some places, it is still much more affordable than any other city of similar size.