In choosing places to settle, early pioneers sought out geographical advantage: high ground, access to waterways, abundance of resources, and other considerations necessary for survival. Today's "pioneers" have replaced the need for high ground with affordable rent, and concerns for survival with concerns for an active social life. So it follows that geography has played a major role in the growth and development that has steadily turned Ferndale from a sleepy, working-class family town into one of the most diverse and creative communities in the metropolitan area.
Alternately viewed as the buffer or the bridge between the city of Detroit and its affluent northern suburbs, known collectively as Oakland County, or the O.C. to you, Ferndale has benefited from the push/pull relationship its geography brings. The quick access to jobs and amenities located in either direction has helped it grow, but the notion, however misguided, by some that it is "too close for comfort" to the infamous 8 Mile Road border has helped to keep it from growing up too quickly, and kept it affordable. The result is a suburban community that is both urban and genuine.
Woodward and 9 Mile Road bisect the city. The intersection forms the X and Y axis for the city's nightlife and shopping districts, which are surrounded on all sides by mid-20th century flats and single-family homes. This close proximity between residential and commercial space creates a community where people take to the streets and get to know one another. It's a city where a walk with the dog often becomes cocktails on a sidewalk patio before returning home.
Never having been bloated by a surge of hype, Ferndale has been able to retain the character of its roots while rising up to meet the needs of the creative class that increasingly calls it home. There are still working-class, beer-and-shot dives in which classic rock reigns on their juke boxes; at the same time, young urbanites drink mojitos in the design-conscious environs of '
The Bosco, while, down the street, representatives from Detroit's illustrious rock scene drink whiskey and bum smokes off one another during shows at the
Magic bag. In the end, it all works together because each cliché is, in some way, Ferndale, without any one of them actually defining it. After all, at 2 am, last-callers from all these places will find themselves walking home to the same block.
If there's a common meeting ground for Ferndale's diverse make-up, it's the
Woodward Avenue Brewery (simply known as, 'The WAB', by it's regulars). The bi-level microbrewery, bar and restaurant first cemented itself in the community by reaching out with an offer the city's hip, but cash-strapped, residents couldn't refuse: half-off food Mondays. A decade later, there's still a wait to be seated on most Monday nights and the place itself has become a locals' clubhouse.
While Mondays may be a WAB tradition, Sunday brunch is a universal rite of urban living; and Ferndale honors this rite through a number of options. The retro-styled
Toast fills up earliest, followed by the quirky
Flytrap Diner, where the house-specialty Swat Sauce has become a favorite breakfast condiment. Hangovers are vanquished with the make-your-own Bloody Mary bar at
Emory, while others are simply soaked up by the extra large portions at Club Bart. On the street, hipsters, hiding behind aviators, pass new parents pushing their young children in SUV-like strollers. Sometimes these groups travel together. Sometimes they are one in the same.
West 9 Mile holds the city's main shopping district and, despite the Old Navy located deceptively at its gateway corner, it's a decided step away from national chains and the "everything to everybody" mindset of national retailers. It's an area with the personality of the city itself. Businesses here fill specific niches, as if custom-ordered by the residents. Coffee and tea houses, new and used records stores, salons, bakeries, cafes, restaurants and boutiques sit closely side by side. If you absolutely must do some one-stop shopping, a dollar-store still resides.
The fashion-foward boutique,
House of Chants, was one of the first in the new garde of downtown Ferndale to set up shop and has maintained a devoutly loyal clientele since. Close by,
Mother Fletcher's is a holy grail of vintage finds,
Dragonfly constantly updates with 'of the moment' accessories, and
Record Time is a destination stop for fans of the area's international electronic music labels and its thriving indie rock scene alike. Keeping them all caffeinated is the boho-chic coffee house, AJ's Cafe (formerly Xhedo's). The through-line they all share is a sense of effortless hip that speaks of the city itself.
Dotted throughout the downtown, Ferndale's dining options have grown with the city. Neighborhood staples, such as
Maria's Front Room and
Como's Restaurant, continue to thrive. But, these classic, family-run spots now blend in to a larger melting pot of stylish options and varied cuisine. Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, French, and Creole all find representation.
Assaggi, a local Mediterranean bistro, regularly tops "best of" lists, while the sushi lounge,
Sakana, has gained word-of-mouth notoriety for both its cuts of fish and the DJ-run weekly parties they host.
In the heart of West 9 Mile, the lesbian and gay community center,
Affirmations, has recently opened in its new space. The impressive, multi-use facility host programs, support groups, and a series of social activities. Its prominent location on the downtown strip again speaks of the diverse community Ferndale has fostered. Celebrating this diversity, in the early summer, the downtown shopping district becomes a weekend-long, gay and lesbian-centric street festival known as "Pride Fest".
Outside of the center hub of Woodward and 9 Mile, facets of Ferndale's character exist as well. On a quiet stretch of Livernois, the
Susanne Hilberry Gallery curates some of the most forward-thinking and relevant exhibitions in the Detroit area. In the industrial corridor at Woodward Heights and Hilton, recording studios and loft developments have begun to make neighbors with the manufacturing shops that still reside there. East on 9 Mile, in a tiny strip mall, Christine's Cuisine has become a regular carryout spot for the city's on-the-go residents.
With increasing regularity, signs are being posted on sites that promise to soon deliver 'modern, loft-living' to Ferndale. Working on the city's Twelve:01 and ID loft developments, Frank Guirlinger attributes the city's allure as having been able to grow as "an organic community". In doing so, it offers an urban living experience in a way that is "uniquely Ferndale."