The holidays are packed with delectable stuff, like baritone sax giant James Carter at the splendid Cliff Bell's, shows at Cranbrook, the DIA and the Henry Ford.

But do not miss what many consider the next best thing to a visit from St. Nick himself: the 7th Annual Detroit Sounds & Spirits fundraiser for C.O.T.S. at the Magic Stick. Bands, merriment and mayhem.

Come all ye faithful Detroit lovers and doers and peek inside FilterD, your weekly guide to good times.

Nestled alongside its more notable neighboring cities, Berkley and Clawson are all-too content to keep their small town charms secret. Their downtowns are compact and have the kind of handmade feel other urban centers strive for and rarely achieve. Metromode explored every nook and cranny to give you the inside scoop.

Smoky bars are nothing new in SE Michigan but ones that smell like apple and peach?

Hookah culture is becoming more and more popular with young Metro Detroiters, and Dearborn, with its large Middle Eastern population, is ground zero.

Whether it's high-tech innovation or cultural inspiration, Metromode's photographer Marvin Shaouni has been there to capture the heart and soul of Metro Detroit. Now, as the clock counts down 2008 we offer a retrospective of his masthead images from the year.

Happy New Year! We'll see you when we return on January 8th.

The ARSENAL OF DEMOCRACY may have only been strong enough for one war 60 years ago. Today, Detroiters are asking Congress to save the arsenal of democracy. But Congress isn’t listening. So what is left of it? Michigan Now’s Chris McCarus looks for answers. 

The race is on! States around the Union are looking into alternative energy strategies big and small. And Michigan is no exception. With all the talk of wind power and alternative fuels, discussions of solar have been pretty absent. Is it our notoriously grey winters? Kelli Kavanaugh checks out who's looking to let the sun shine in in Metro Detroit.

While there's no shortage of big box multiplexes in Metro Detroit, the region also boasts a handful of vintage and offbeat movie houses that make a trip to the theater all the more magical. Not only do these venues offer a wider range of cinema, we at Metromode swear the popcorn tastes better.

Barter is back, resale has embraced upscale, and salvage goes green as Metro Detroit tightens its belt and widens its consumer options. Local businesses are successfully leveraging the Internet and up-to-the-minute trends to revive old tyme economic practices.