When times get tough people start looking for a reason to laugh. No one knows this better than comedy club veteran Mark Ridley, who's been busting the guts of Metro Detroiters for more than 20 years. And even in though credit is tight and the economy tighter, he's decided to renovate his storied Royal Oak Comedy Castle.

Splitting her time between the Motor City suburbs and the Mile High City, Metromode's Tanya Muzumdar sees ideas and innovations ripe for importation. Maybe instead of going it alone, Metro Detroit should consider going West for some urban inspiration.

Haute child in the city! Metro D proves that fashion isn't solely the province of the coasts. Detroit Fashion Week celebrated local couture with stalwarts like Made In Detroit and Carhartt while impressing fashionistas with upstarts like Ferndale's Femilia. Marvin Shaouni got a a backstage pass to photograph the event and chat with well-dressed native son Joe Faris.

Like many rustbelt communities River Rouge has seen better times. But one man's urban decay is another man's opportunity. Enter urban pioneer Rick Manore, co-founder of the former C-Pop gallery in Detroit. Working with municipal leaders, he's converted the former offices for U.S. Steel into the Red River Artist Center. The goal? To build an arts incubator that helps revive the city's downtown.

New Orleans has gumbo and po'boys. Chicago has deep dish pizza. Phillie has the cheesesteak. Detroit has... crepes? Our Franco-Canadian origins aside, the Metro region is hardly a hotbed of French cuisine. And yet, Creperies are popping up like dandelions. Foodie blogger Nicole Rupersburg investigates le mystere.

Welcome to the Bro-tisserie. It was only a matter of time before Millennials put their profane stamp on the whole cooking show craze. Meet Dave Graw and Derek Swanson, Metro Detroit's potty-mouthed answer to Ted Allen and Alton Brown. Could these web series upstarts be the answer to culinary GenX'ers and food-obsessed Boomers? Adult supervision suggested.

Over a billion downloads can't be wrong! iPhone apps are the new gold rush of software development, turning backroom start-ups into overnight successes. And Metro Detroit is getting in on the action.

You don't have to go to New York City or Chicago to get top-of-the-world views. Urban professionals are rethinking the traditional big house, big yard template of living, and moving into downtown high rises. From Royal Oak to Birmingham to Ann Arbor, Metromode gives you a sense of what it means to be "movin' on up" in Metro Detroit.