Our Best of Detroit list — where you, the readers, decide the winners and finalists — is finally here, and we’re thrilled to share the results. You’ll find the top vote-getters across more than 200 categories in multiple areas that make up the fabric of metro Detroit: arts and entertainment; community and sports; food and drinks; health and beauty; and services and retail.
Now it’s time for our staff to share their favorite things. Here, they answer my question: What was your favorite metro Detroit-related event or experience from the past year?
“Going to a Tigers game at Comerica Park on Father’s Day with my dad. It felt like the peak of Detroit, watching the game with a hot dog and beer in hand, soaking up the sun and the energy of the city.” —Sabrina Seldon, Jr. Art Director
“Immediately after his first game as a Detroit Lion, I met Za’Darius Smith at a Chief Keef concert at the Fillmore Detroit, and it’s all thanks to one young, undertrained host. As we were being led to our box seats, the employee mistook Smith’s booth for ours and proceeded to try and kick out the newly acquired defensive end. After the mistake was realized, Smith extended a hand and proceeded to dap me up.” —Will Reaume, Assistant Editor
“Now that my dad is finally retiring from the United States Postal Service after 51 years, I can spend more time with him, which we tend to do over coffee at Mia’s Bakery & Coffee Shop in Madison Heights. Specifically, we always schedule a lunch whenever Mia’s updates its seasonal coffee flights. We’ve been there many times, and the coffee flights always deliver!” —Erica Banas, Digital Editor
“I’ve been spending a lot of my weekends at the Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham. I’ll head to the quiet section, sink into one of the oversize chairs, and attempt to catch up on reading, though it usually turns into a nap because it’s that peaceful. What keeps me going back is the Idea Lab. You can use everything from vinyl printing and embroidery machines to 3D printers, so it’s become my go-to spot to work on personal projects and make things I wouldn’t be able to anywhere else.” —Lisa LaBelle, Media Rep
“Meeting Cardi B in March after her show at the Little Caesars Arena. She was so down to earth and cool and just like, real. You would have had no idea she was this super rap/pop star! I was very surprised. One would think you’d get this crazy girl/woman that you see on social media. It was also midnight and after the show, so she was probably tired and more ‘normal’ at that hour.” —David Benvenuto, Senior Circulation Marketing Coordinator
“I have two! I was able to get street parking right by the LCA when I went to see Stevie Nicks. I considered it a personal triumph. Also, I was having coffee at Atomic Coffee in Royal Oak one Saturday morning and was sitting next to Tim Meadows, who was waiting for his latte to be made.” —Andrew Kotzian, Senior Accounting Associate
“My favorite memory has to be the Taylor Swift candlelight [tribute] concert at the Masonic Temple. Truly a magical night I’ll always remember.” —Kayla Yucha, Marketing & Events Assistant
“During a DJ set at Dally in the Alley, a circle formed near my group. A bunch of people who didn’t know each other took turns hitting dance moves. My friend moved to the center and did a backflip; everyone started screaming and cheering. I didn’t know he could do that.” —Jack Thomas, Associate Editor
“Meeting Cardi B in March after her show at the Little Caesars Arena. She was so down to earth and cool and just like, real. You would have had no idea she was this super rap/pop star! I was very surprised. One would think you’d get this crazy girl/woman that you see on social media. It was also midnight and after the show, so she was probably tired and more “normal” at that hour.” —David Benvenuto, Senior Circulation Marketing Coordinator
This story originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition
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