This Little Free Library is located along the Detroit area's Kercheval, one of the main roadways…read morethrough the city. It is hard to miss, with one red box (the library) and one blue box (a LIttle Free Pantry) in front of a store. The pantry didn't have much in it (this isn't a great neighborhood) but the library was full. Two shelves, stuffed with mostly children's books. Nothing that caught my eye today. This is charter number 19313 and the steward has their contact information in the database. The only caption reads, "We live in a tiny suburb just outside of Detroit. We started this as a project in our neighborhood to see if we got enough interest to build others around Detroit's East Side." [Review 17964 overall - 360 in Michigan - 1485 of 2022.]

Located in front of the Grosse Pointe Memorial Church and complete with a cross on top of the…read morelibrary, this is a smaller Little Free Library but the concept is the same. Free books to take and enjoy. Bring a book if you have one you've already read. It's all about literacy and it's free. This library is a faded paint with a wooden roof. A single door with a clear panel and inside is a single shelf of books. A variety of nearly all paperbacks that are surprisingly not all religious books considering the location. Awesome. This is charter number 47999 and there is no steward or caption listed only other than "Henry." [Review 17972 overall - 365 in Michigan - 1493 of 2022.]

[NOTE: There are TWO Little Free Libraries here, a shouting distance between them along the…read moreRiverWalk east of the RenCen. Yelp thinks they are one and they merged them. I will update and remove the second one, reviewing them together because sometimes, it's just not worth the trouble to sort out the hamsters that run the wheels that power Yelp's engines.] These TWO libraries are tucked along the eastern stretch of Detroit's Riverwalk, and stand as humble, weathered companions. Made of wood and softened by years of Detroit wind and sun, it shows the kind of wear that only comes from being well-loved and left to the elements. Its placement near the river gives it charm and visibility, but also leaves it vulnerable. The faded paint and slightly warped edges hint at seasons of service. Inside, just a couple of books rest quietly in each, waiting for the next curious passerby. Though the selection is sparse, the spirit of sharing is unmistakable, and the structure itself feels like a small act of community resilience. A fresh coat of paint would go a long way, but even in its current state, it's a gentle reminder that stories still circulate here, even when the shelves are nearly bare. These are charters number 6814 and 6817. They are not listed in the Little Free Library database map. There is no name or sign on either of the libraries indicating a steward or sponsor. [Review 1001 of 2025 - 477 in Michigan - 24555 overall]

This library is located in the ground floor lobby of the Broadway Street People Mover Station. It…read morelooks a little movable so it may show up elsewhere in the station. A pretty wood with a lovely staining, the library has a single door and a large glass window. Unfortunately, it was completely bare today. Nothing inside it. This is charter number 207725 and it is listed in the Little Free Library database map with this caption, "We aim to benefit the community by providing free access to books and sustainable transportation!" There is no steward listed. [Review 965 of 2025 - 447 in Michigan - 24519 overall]

The Commons is a wonderful neighborhood resource. Great little coffeeshop with some sandwiches…read more Laundry facilities that are clean and work well. They just opened their Tech Center upstairs that has computers and Internet. I think there's also after school programs for children, there's help for seniors and low income people to get help navigating the various programs or grants that may be available to them. Even if, you don't need laundry, internet/computer access or help with navigating the various programs to help with property taxes, etc. just come in and grab a coffee and a snack.

It's Friday morning in Detroit, and your weekend might not be off to the best start. You might…read morestill be feeling a bit perturbed about the announcement that a major-coffee chain barred its employees from wearing anything in support of BLM. Doesn't help that you haven't gotten your caffeine fix yet either but have no fear, this delightful coffee shop, laundromat, and community space combo has got you covered! All drinks are $4 or less so you can get a delicious espresso, latte, mocha, chai, tea, cold brew, or iced tea without having to break the bank. Make good use of your corona stimulus check to support this hidden gem, which is also black-owned (a HUGE plus in my book!) Oh, what's that you say? Fighting fascism got you feeling famished? The Commons offers a plethora of food items as well to satisfy you and provide the needed calories for all good community activism. Offerings include soups, chilis, pastries, and baked goods. The Commons also offers products from local vendors like Populace Coffee, GreenHouse Soups&Chili, Kaleidoscope Chocolate, Pink Elephant Products, INTU Specialty Teas, Rishi Organic Tea, On The Rise Bakery, Avalon, Sweet Potato Sensations, Nikki's Ginger Tea, Faygo, Calder Dairy, and more. What's not to love?

What a fantastic place. When the only complaint I can think of for a place is it's too difficult…read morenot to spend too much money there it's pretty much a slam dunk for five stars. And the thing is most of the books here are very reasonably priced if not outright bargains. It might be heresy but I think I like the Northern iteration of John K King books more than the OG King store in downtown - and that too is five stars. With just one level and a layout nothing like the sprawling labyrinth of the flagship store, the Ferndale spin-off is much more manageable and browsable. Not too mention not as freezing in the winter or boiling in the summer. (I just gave my review of John K King South - now nine years old! - a quick reread and I was so reverential to that store I didn't even mention that. No crying in bookstores, I guess.) It's been far too long since I've been to JKKN. In fact I asked the sole employee tonight, wearing a bandana almost just like mine as a mask - I think his might have been midnight blue and not black - if they still had a cat. He told me no, that was before his time. I already figured it wouldn't be the same cat, but it's too bad that late feline doesn't have a successor. Bookstore cats are even more of a dying breed than old school indie bookstores like this. I came in for a cookbook or three, as it's embarrassing how little cooking knowledge and experience I have in my forties and I'm looking to step my game up. I ended up leaving with almost $70 worth of books, with a $5 2 disc DVD set of Cream in concert being part of that total. I got a John Waters hardcover memoir of hitchhiking for $8.50, well below the $26 cover price. I picked up the first collection of Walking Dead comics for $5.95, a big beautiful coffee table called Masters of American comics for $12, Academic Graffiti by W.H. Auden and some sports guidebooks from the 70s for my dad. Nothing local, St. Louis Blues, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Flames, but they're wonderfully vintage. There were also a handful of books that tempted me mightily but some modicum of self control kept me from snatching up. A book about The Stooges, one about erotic comics and one about the Cannonball cross country race are still on the shelves waiting for a lucky patron to take them home. When I finished cashing out my bandana clad clerk asked me if I wanted a bag or a box. That dude knows what's up, as I had some serious weight in that stack. Now I got a nice old Xerox box when I get my purchases filed away. The North remembers!

I visited John K. King Downtown a few years on my first visit to Detroit. I visited the King North…read morelocation last week when I was in Ferndale with my family. This location doesn't have the four floors of the downtown location, but it's still an incredible used bookstore. You walk in and you just smell old books. It's a little musty, it's packed wall to wall with books, and you can definitely find a gem here. I found two books I couldn't be parted from, while my mom found one of her own. If you don't need a particular book, but you're just in the mood for a browse, this Ferndale satellite store is worth a visit.

Great selection! Even found a 2 of the Golden version Funkos, but better yet, the Bombshell version…read moreof Poison Ivy that I have been looking for YEARS. I'm really just happy to have found this store.

Massive collections of vinyls, funko pop mart figurines. Loungefly bags, Legos, books, recycled…read moreLegos and book. Many many good gems can be found here. I didnt see a lot of workers in the building so I'm unsure if future trips there will be any help with top shelf items and getting answers to questions... Some stuff around the store needs to be dusted. Looks like some inventories get sat for too long... I noticed a lot of things didn't have price markings on them... which sucks to not know. But overall, I've noticed that their prices are way more than actual retail price. Not sure if that's price gouging and/or just greed... I would pay attention to the prices here. I could really just spend all day in there but I will definitely be back for the books

I'm not even sure where to begin. The owner sure knows what to say to make you believe this place…read moreis magical when deciding to send your child here. It's very quickly you realize after that it's not going to be the case. Don't send your child here unless you want to be nit-picked to death. Our FIRST problem started with a stye my son got on his eye and she made me bother the doctor for 3 doctors notes for, all saying the exact same thing with different wording, she just likes to make you jump thru hoops for her own fun. Next was my son not being fond of the taste of her tap water, and us making a simple request to send him with bottled water instead to which she told us we would then no longer get all of our snacks and meals included (which we pay for in the HEFTY monthly tuition) over WATER. I'm sorry for wanting to make sure our child is hydrated. You will be bombarded by emails miles long. She likes her "rules" one of those being not to take "too long" to say goodbye to your child. And by her standards in and out in her own "5 minutes time" simply is still too much time. Even tho you have a list of things they expect you as the parent to do before you may leave, answer 10 covid questions, temperature check, wash hands, take off coat but don't dare take a minute to say goodbye to your emotional 4 year old before you leave for the day. Apparently coming from a loving home is a punishment. That was our final straw. Oh and enjoy constantly having her throw up removing you for any and every LITTLE thing. This woman makes mountains out of mole hills. I'm convinced she only wants to keep security deposits and that's why she literally makes you want to leave the place. On our last day she ran down former employees making insane accusations about them. She ran down past parents (to which I'm sure we have joined the club) and set me up to "feel bad for her" so that I would be quiet and let go a situation that should've never happened in the first place. don't even get me started on how she kept our belongings for two weeks after we left instead of giving them to us on our last day. Again making you jump through the most absurd hoops. So parents beware. She is short staffed, and seems to be running a day care not a preschool since her toddler teacher has now left. So glad to be off this roller coaster and in a much kinder, considerate and compassionate place!

Rebecca's Learning Center (RLC) was a distasteful experience for me. One of the early red flags was…read morethe fact that, even though the parking is limited, there is a strict 10 minute drop off allowance. If you miss your assigned window, you were instructed to call RLC and you were given a new drop-off time frame after everyone else, which could be over an hour later. I have a 3 year old, who may not be as cooperative in the morning as an adult, and I work in the hospital setting; I can't be late... this was very stressful! Interaction with the owner Becky, also caused heightened stress. I felt I was always walking on eggshells with her and knew I had to agree with all new policies and procedures or my child would be removed. I felt as if I could never even engage in an open dialogue regarding any concern or issue. This included, when the staff wrongly communicated Michigan State law regarding children and their course of antibiotics. Another glaring red flag was/is the overall health policy that requires an absolute 24-hour symptom free child. Any little sneeze or cough required the child to be excluded from RLC; we are talking about toddlers and young children. More than once, we were instructed to pick our child up due to sniffles that had suddenly developed within the first hour of arrival at RLC. I expressed concern regarding the upcoming allergy season as my child suffers from seasonal allergies. During our time at RLC, there were many blatant red flags, I could go on for pages. The bombardment of paperwork that required initialing and or an email response indicating comprehension and agreement, was never ending. As a working parent, in all honesty, I did not have time to thoroughly read and question each new rule. I needed daycare for my child. There appears to me to be an underlying hostile interconnection with parents. In addition to the massive late night, chaotic emails which required careful reading and investigation to determine the actual purpose, our child was dismissed without cause hours before we expected RLC to provide daycare. There was no phone call from Becky. We were instructed to communicate through the attorney and not expect our personal property to be returned to us for 2 weeks, again through the attorney. My experience makes me wonder, if Rebecca's Learning Center is truly the caring, award winning environment it proclaims to be, shouldn't that carry over to parent relationships as well? I would stay far away from this daycare/preschool, this stress was overwhelming.