We like it when readers tell us where to go - so to speak. As proof of that, we offer Detroit Home's first-ever Best of the Good Life, a reader survey of where to live and where to shop in our region and our state. The following results are a tabulation of responses from readers. They're the best. It's the best. Enjoy.
Place to live in Macomb County
HARRISON TOWNSHIP
This boating enclave has a canal culture that's attracted boaters for years. Trendy aspects include a newurbanism style subdivision built there in the past few years.
Antiques store
DUMOUCHELLES
Photo: Brian Widdis
Their large store windows on Jefferson in downtown Detroit beckon with chandeliers, candelabra and gilt-framed oils. The fine arts auctioneer and estate appraiser has been in business since 1927. Recent auction catalogs have offered a Chickering 1895 grand piano, a Vienna Art Deco bedroom set, English oak grandfather clock, Stickley oak server, an unusually large mahogany dollhouse on a stand, early 20th-century German tin windup toys, and a 15-piece silver-plate punch bowl set. For a listing of scheduled auctions, check dumouchelle.com.
Place for a vacation home
HARBOR SPRINGS
Readers prefer property on Lake Michigan by a 6-to-1 margin over the sunrise side of the state. Harbor Springs, which was voted the most popular cottage community, has the added benefit of good antique shopping. For French country pieces, check out L'Esprit Antiques (lesprit.com) and Joie de Vie (joiedevieantiques.com). Pooter Olooms Antiques carries French and Scandinavian pieces (pooterolooms.com).
READERS' TIP: Bob-lo Island
The redeveloped former amusement park on the Detroit River between Amherstburg, Ontario, and Grosse Ile, attracts Detroiters seeking an accessible home away from home. boblo.ca.
Shopping for funky décor
ROYAL OAK
In the downtown district and on Woodward, décor-oriented shops include Italmoda, Bright Ideas, Home, Architectural Artifacts, Larsen at Home, Recherché Furniture and Bellerose.
Place for penthouse living
MIDTOWN AND DOWNTOWN
Tall buildings are the first clue that Detroit is the place for living the high life. Beyond the obvious, there's the almost monthly news of another loft or luxury condo development. Readers mentioned the Park Shelton condo project in Midtown. Add to that recent news of the Book-Cadillac luxury residential project and, as the readers said, you've got a winner.
Source for local art
THE ANN ARBOR ART FAIR
As popular for the fine arts and crafts on sale by 175 exhibitors as it is for the social spectacle it has become. artfair.org.
READERS' TIP: Annual CCS Student Show
Insiders know that the College for Creative Studies' annual student show is a place to snag works by emerging talents. About 5,000 pieces, ranging from glass to painting, are sold, with proceeds benefiting students. 313-664-7465.
Place to live in Wayne County
THE GROSSE POINTES
Photo: Brian Widdis
They've got water, pools, pink, green and madras, the Village and the Hill, streetscapes right out of Home Alone and quick access to Tigers games, the Yacht Club and the DAC - not to mention a straight shot along I-94 to Metro Airport.
Upholstery fabric
HABERMAN FABRICS
Readers say it's a material world at this fabric wonderland in Royal Oak. Products include a line of custom upholstered furniture. 248-541-0010, habermanfabrics.com.
READERS' TIP: Michigan Design Center
Michigan Design Center in Troy has 12 showrooms that deal primarily in fabric. Some of its furniture showrooms (which sell to the trade) also offer limited fabric lines and manufacturer-specific upholstery offerings. 248-649-4772, michigandesign.com.
Buy a couch
ART VAN
It's the most important - or at least most-used - piece of furniture. Readers said sofa shoppers should visit Art Van for dependable variety and new contemporary lines. Product information and store locations; artvan.com.
Best plant nursery
BORDINE'S
Photo: Scott Breithaupt
In garden terms, call it a perennial - or evergreen. Bordine Nursery was founded in 1939 and now has four locations (Brighton, Clarkston, Grand Blanc and Rochester); bordines.com.
Best shopping in Oakland County
BIRMINGHAM
Already attractive for its stylish street scene, Birmingham is a draw for the décor minded. Here's why: Maison, Aedis Design, Allstate Billiards & Patio Furniture, Arhaus Furniture, Arkitektura, Atwood Fine Architectural Cabinetry, Azar's Oriental Rugs, Babyhood, Baker Birmingham, Birmingham Hardwood Imports, Caden Design Group, De Giulio Kitchen & Bath, Design Within Reach, Avenue Gallery, Birminghan Door, Cambridge Fireplace, Ethan Allen Home Interiors, Hagopian World of Rugs, The Italian Dish, Kitchen Studio, La Belle Provence, Ligne Roset, M.T. Hunter Country Store, Smith & Hawken, Waterworks, Woven Treasures. For a full listing of shops by category, check enjoybirmingham.com/find.
Landmark home
THE FORD ESTATES
It's no surprise that, in metro Detroit, the favored mansions were built by auto barons. Readers prefer Ford (Edsel, Eleanor and Henry) when it comes to memorable estates. They cited the Fair Lane Mansion in Dearborn and the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe. fordhouse.org; henryfordestate.org.
READERS' TIP: The Bishop's residence
The so-called Bishop's residence in Palmer Woods is impressive for its sheer size. Built in the 1920s, the home provided elegant digs for bishops Michael J. Gallagher and John Dearden. The Detroit Archdiocese sold it to a private owner in 1989. Former Detroit Piston John Salley lived in the home at one point.
Shop for gourmet food
PAPA JOE'S GOURMET MARKET & CATERING and HOLIDAY MARKET
Dab on some lip gloss and comb your hair before you stop in because, as locals know, these emporiums are so popular with foodies that you're bound to see someone you know just as you're reaching for the smoked whitefish. Holiday Market, Royal Oak; 248-541-1414, holiday-market.com; Papa Joe's, Birmingham; 248-723-9400, papajoesmarket.com.
READERS' TIP: Mexicantown
Southwest Detroit's Mexicantown has long been a popular destination for tostadas and margaritas. Now the markets, bakeries and boutiques are reaping more acclaim. Stock up at Evie's Tamales and the Honey Bee/La Colmena Market, which is known for its chorizo (pork sausage seasoned with chili or paprika). Evie's; 313-843-5056; Honey Bee, 313-237-0295; mexicantown.org.
High-end furniture
BAKER
On Woodward Avenue across from the 555 and Birmingham Place luxury residences, and on the edge of the emerging Triangle District, Baker's tailored storefront, with its trim black awnings, reflects the classic furnishings within. Baker also has a showroom open to the trade in Michigan Design Center, Troy. Birmingham; 248-593-9608. Troy; 248-649-6730.
READERS' TIP: Roche Bobois
The furnishings are European and sophisticated, contemporary and Provencal. And we have two right here in metro Detroit. Novi; 248-347-6889; and Michigan Design Center, Troy; 248-833-0300.
Best lake to live on
ST. CLAIR
With waves and freighters and sloops and cruisers, Lake St. Clair looks like a Great Lake. And it's convenient for busy-but-serious boaters who don't have time to navigate more distant ponds. It's not bad for a view from the living room, either.
READERS' TIP: Lake Angelus
It's Michigan's smallest city. With just 148 houses and 346 residents, a local paper dubbed Lake Angelus "the northwest corner of heaven." That heavenly appeal includes its secluded lakefront, luxury homes and 125 acres of nature preserve.
Store for stocking the kitchen
WILLIAMS-SONOMA
Think Kitchen-Aid mixers, microplane graters, seasonal serving pieces, and stemware. Ann Arbor, Livonia, Novi, Troy, Rochester Hills; williams-sonoma.com.
READERS' TIP: Kitchen Glamor & The Pointe Pedlar
These shops tied for second place as good bets for kitchen tools. Insiders head for these retailers when they need a gift for the cooks on their list. Kitchen Glamor (inside Hawthorne Appliance), Birmingham; 248-644-2200; Pointe Pedlar, Grosse Pointe Farms; 313-885-4028.
Best town for garage sales
GROSSE POINTE
Photo: Brian Widdis
Readers overwhelmingly agree that Grosse Pointers drag good stuff out to their driveways. As the thinking goes: G.P. types are more likely to hang onto family heirlooms and also move less frequently - both habits that lead to a buildup of belongings that must be sold eventually.
Second-hand shopping
SECOND SEASON
Savvy decorators and designers find specialty pieces at Second Season consignment in Berkley. Owner Nancy Garcia is particular about the objects she will accept for resale. 248-414-9026.
Shopping in Wayne County
GROSSE POINTE
Two districts - The Hill and The Village - have a provincial feel that's part of the charm. But that smalltown atmosphere is big city enough to offer a generous measure of sophistication. For table settings, check out The League Shop; 313-882-6880, theleagueshop.com. For linens, head to Kramer's Bed Bath and Window Fashions; 313-881- 9890, kramersbbwf.com.
Place to live in Oakland County
BIRMINGHAM
It has a real downtown, sidewalks, a variety of often-quaint residential architecture, movie theaters and a basset-hound parade every spring. Some of the streets (at least those not already transformed by mega houses) have managed to retain a small-town Americana feel.
Light fixtures
MICHAEL'S LAMP SHOP
Photo: Scott Breithaupt
One of the owners is always present at this Lathrup Village shop. Voters picked Michael's because they'll custom-order shades, re-cover old fabric shades, create lamps from customer-supplied objects and order replacement parts. Michael\'s also stocks 4,000 shades and sells vintage fixtures. 248-557-8828, michaelslampshop.com.
Best communities for newlyweds and young families
BERKLEY AND THE POINTES
When it comes to a first mortgage, young couples flock to Berkley. In a nutshell, when Royal Oak got hot, prices climbed. So house hunters who still wanted the central convenience of the Woodward corridor gravitated to the postwar charm of Berkley, which has a small retail district that covers life's necessities. Think pizza from Amici's and beer at the Berkley Front. When babies arrive, different things matter - things like community parks with pools, which may explain why child-oriented readers picked the Grosse Pointes as the best place to raise children.
READERS' TIP: Wyandotte
Wyandotte's affordable charm and downtown retail are attractive, as is its easy access to downtown Detroit - just a 14-mile drive over the I-75 Rouge Bridge. Once famous for industry, the city - named for the tribe that originally settled the land - has residential streets lined with vintage homes, a bustling main drag and a waterfront along the Detroit River.
Plumbing and hardware fixtures
RUSSELL HARDWARE
Photo: Scott Breithaupt
This specialty shop (in Bloomfield Hills and Petoskey) - in business since 1917 - sells hardware for doors, cabinets, kitchens and baths. A celebrity clientele comes for the array of styles from Victorian to contemporary with brands that include Jado, Baldwin and Hansgrohe, among others. 248-644-0100, russellhardware.com.
Best shopping in Macomb County
IN AND AROUND LAKESIDE MALL
Hall Road, which is most notably anchored by Lakeside, is the county's shopping mecca. The shopping vortex is catching the eye of some retail heavyhitters, including Nordstrom and H&M. Décor-related shops at Lakeside include Macy's and the Yankee Candle Co. In the same area, look for Ethan Allen, Gorman's, Thomasville of Lakeside, Jimmies at Home, Klingman's Furniture and Amish Direct Furniture.
'Hood ready for rediscovery
FERNDALE
Retailers and gallery owners figured out Ferndale was a good deal. Now young dwellers in apartments, flats and duplexes are staying put and forking over downpayments for homes. All the elements for real-estate revival are there: Woodward corridor, vintage architecture, expanding downtown retail.
READERS' TIP: Mount Clemens
Mount Clemens dropped off the radar after modern medicine eliminated the need for its mineral baths. Now, the city's neighborhoods and downtown district are beginning to, once again, bubble with activity.
Shopping outside Detroit
BRIGHTON
Downtown Brighton is a growing district, thanks to residential construction in the northwestern corridor. For a listing of retail by category, visit brightoncoc.org/directory.
Neighborhood to aspire to
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
Sunday drives along the bucolic roads that meander in and around Cranbrook engender real-estate yearning. It's something about those slate roofs, ivy-covered walls, and old stone gates. Readers frequently cited the Cranbrook-area homes, those along Martell Drive in particular.
READERS' TIP: Pleasant Ridge
Pleasant Ridge, the tiny city (population 2,500) sandwiched between Royal Oak and Ferndale, has a large fan base. Smaller than a square mile, the city's side streets are lined with '20s-era Georgians and Tudors.
Area rugs
HAGOPIAN WORLD OF RUGS
The ongoing popularity of wood and stone floors eventually drives homeowners to seek out floor covering. Hagopian, a family-owned retailer since 1939, imports and manufacturers traditional, contemporary tribal and oriental rugs. Birmingham; 248-646-7847; Novi; 248- 449-7847; and Oak Park (outlet); 248-546-7847.
Affordable furniture
ART VAN
There's a reason why homeand apartment-owners flock to this 29-store retailer owned locally by the Van Elslander family. The variety and dependability give it a classic department-store store feel - but with a dash of sophistication and a new contemporary line - EQ3 - introduced just last year. Insiders say it's the place to go for mattresses. artvan.com.
Historic neighborhood
INDIAN VILLAGE
When it comes to classic architectural beauty, several Detroit neighborhoods capture readers' imaginations. Readers most often cited stately Indian Village as the best historic neighborhood. (Check it out by cruising Burns, Iroquois and Seminole between Jefferson and Mack.)
Luxury linens
A TOUCH OF LACE
Displays at this locally owned Bloomfield Hills boutique are like confections - pretty enough to eat. Product lines include Pratesi, Anichini, D. Porthault, Sferra and Matouk. 248-645-5223, atouchoflace.com.
READERS' TIP: Nancy's Linens
This Sylvan Lake retailer carries Bella Notte, Home Treasures and John Matouk. 248-683-0450, nancyslinens.com.
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