And here at MT world headquarters, we take your opinions seriously. We tally your ballots by hand — no wonky voting machines for us. We add them up carefully, double-checking them, even holding recounts if necessary. We’ve yet to bring in the Supreme Court, but don’t think we wouldn’t consider it.
After all, this is important. This is the Best of Detroit. And here, if nowhere else, your votes count.
So let us know what you think. Mail in your ballot, or fill it out at www.metrotimes.com. We’ll tally the results, and on Wednesday, March 14, we’ll tell you the Best.
The Best part
You could win a Best of Detroit Night on the Town! We’ll draw one name from all qualifying ballots postmarked by midnight, Feb. 14. The winner will get *****TK.
The Electoral Rules:
• Only one ballot per envelope.
• Only one entry per person/e-mail account.
• Don’t photocopy: Only original Metro Times ballots will be accepted.
• At least 15 categories must be marked on a ballot or it will not be counted.
• Ballot stuffing (yes, we can tell) will disqualify the "stuffee," and stuffed ballots will be discounted.
• Metro Times employees are not eligible to vote.
Ballots must be postmarked by midnight, Wednesday, Feb. 14!
PROFESSIONAL LOAFING
Best Place to See a Blockbuster Film
Best Place to See an Independent Film
Best Place to Go On Belle Isle
Best Free Entertainment
Best Local Cultural Festival
Best Local Music Festival
Best Place to See a Concert
Best Place to Hear a Concert
Best Theater Performance Space
Best Comedy Club
Best All-Ages Club
Best Place to Schmooze
Best Place to Slum
Best Place to Go Dancing With a Partner
Best Place to Go Dancing by Yourself
Best Place to Go Dancing to Find a New Partner
Best Place to Dance Outdoors
Best Museum
Best Downtown Art Gallery
Best Suburban Art Gallery
Best Use for a Useless Sunday (besides Belle Isle)
Best Reason for Adding Another Day to the Week
Best Next Underground Trend to go Mainstream
Best Place to Shoot Pool
Best-Smelling Place
Best Place to Hold Your Nose
Best Hobby to Turn Into a Profitable Business
Most Dangerous Home Appliance
Best Celebrity to Clone
Best Celebrity to Genetically Alter
Best New Career for Laid-Off Dot-Com Workers
Best Place to Meditate (besides Belle Isle)
Best Local Place to Hide Out for the Weekend
Best Place to Stargaze
Best Place to Bird-Watch
Best New Fashion Trend
Best New Fashion Trend to Kill
Best Way to Kill Time
Best Michigan Vacation Spot
Best Ontario Vacation Spot
Best Way to Make More Time in Your Day
Best Video Arcade
Best Casino Food
Best Casino to People Watch
Best Slots
Best Way to Lose Money (Besides Gamble)
Best Imported Beer
Best Michigan Microbrew
Best Room to Rent for a Party of Less Than 100
Best Room to Rent for a Party of More Than 100
BLOWING A WAD
Best All-Around Department Store
Best Thrift Store
Best Place for Bargain Shopping
Best Independent Men’s Clothier
Best Independent Women’s Clothier
Best Place for Cool Eyewear
Best Store to Get Hip-Hop Gear
Best Store for Dressing Like a Rock Star
Best Mall
Best Non-Mall Shopping District
Best Place to Find a New Style
Best Smoke Shop
Best Head Shop
Best Vintage Clothing Store
Best Place to Buy a Computer
Best Cool Furniture Shop
Best Place to Upgrade Your Garden
Best Used Record Store
Most Knowledgeable Record-Store Staff
Best Overall Record Selection
Best New Vinyl Selection
Best DVD Selection
Best Independent Bookstore
Best Used Bookstore
Best Comic Shop
Best Children’s Book Store
Best Store for Unique/Educational Kids’ Toys
Best Art Supply Store
Best Hobby Shop
Best Place to Satisfy a Footwear Fetish
Best Place to Satisfy a Chocolate Fetish
Best Adult Novelties Store
Best Place to Buy Affordable Art
Best Place to Upgrade Your Sound System
Most Aggressive Electronics Store Staff
Best Place to Buy a New Car (Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw)
Best Place to Buy a Used Car (Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw)
Best Fruit Market
Best Health Food Store
Best Big Box Store
Best Beer Selection in a Store
Best Wine Selection in a Store
Best Place to Make an Impulse Purchase
Best Pet-Sitting Service
URBAN LIFE
You Know You’re a Detroiter When:
Best-Kept Local Secret (besides Belle Isle)
Best Place to Live Downtown
Best Lofts
Best Apartments
Best New Use for Tiger Stadium
Best Motto for Detroit
Best Reason to Make Detroit the Next "Survivor" Location
Best Unsung Local Hero
Best Place to Find Parking Downtown
Best Place to Entertain Out-Of-Towners
Most Walkable Neighborhood
Best Neighborhood For Artists to Take Over Next
Best Solution for Suburban Sprawl
Most Worthy Charitable Cause
Best Old Building
Best New Building
Best Building to Blow Up
Best Building to Redevelop
Best Neighborhood to Buy a New House
Best Neighborhood to Buy an Old House
Best Place to Find Nature in the City (besides Belle Isle)
Best Road to Meet a Pothole
Best Construction Site
Best Not-Yet-Added Addition to Detroit’s Theater District
Best Alternative to the Riverfront for Permanent Casinos
Best Public Artwork
Best Place to See Outdoor Graffiti
Best Detroit Answer to Chicago’s Cows or Toronto’s Moose
Best Playground (besides Belle Isle)
Best Community Organization
Best Place to Play Hooky From Work (besides Belle Isle)
Best Place to Implement a "No Cell Phones" Policy
Best Place to Spot a Local Celebrity
ROMANCE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Best Place to Meet Mr./Ms. Right
Best Place to Meet Mr./Ms. Wrong
Best Pick-Up Line
Best Pick-Up Line to Avoid
Best Euphemism for Being Horny
Most Original Euphemism for Masturbation
Best Romantic Gift
Best Place for a First Date
Best Date Flick of the Past Year
Best Classic Date Video
Best Place to Profess Your Love for Someone
Best Place to Propose
Best Alternative to a Church Wedding
Best Michigan Honeymoon Destination
Best Anniversary Getaway
Best Way to Spice Up Your Sex Life
Best Tune to Shag By
Best Place to Cheat On Your Partner
Best Way to Forget the Ex
Best Place to go on a Blind Date
Best Way to Ruin a Date
Best Way to Dump a Bad Date
Best Home-Cooked Meal for a Date
Best Florist
Best Jewelry Store
Best Restaurant for Playing Footsie
Best Place for an Afternoon Delight
Best Aphrodisiac
Best Turn-On (for Guys)
Best Turn-On (for Gals)
Best Spot for Outdoor Sex (besides Belle Isle)
Best Way to Bring Up the Subject of Safe Sex
Best Place to Get Treatment for STDs
Best New Baby Name
Best New Baby Name to Avoid
SPORTING LIFE
Best Local Spectator Sport
Best Area Athlete
Most Exciting Local Team
Most Disappointing Local Team
Best Local Athlete to Trade
Best Athlete to Bring to a Detroit Team
Best Place to Celebrate If/When the Wings Win the Cup
Best Gym to Work Out
Best Gym to Meet Someone of the Opposite Sex
Best Gym to Meet Someone of the Same Sex
Best Place for Outdoor Exercise
Best Place to Scoot
Best Sporting Goods Store
Best Sports Bar
Best Ski/Snowboarding Hill
Best Non-Organized Sport
Best Idea for a New Extreme Sport
Best Marina
Best Illegal Place to Skateboard
Best Hiking Trail
Best Local Beach
Best Public Golf Course
CIVIC DUTY
Best Candidate to Run Against Dennis Archer
Best Person to Replace John Engler
Best Next Job for Ed McNamara
Best Way to Fix Hamtramck
Most Trusted Political Figure
Most Trusted Corporate Citizen
What Ever Happened to ....
Best Local Activist
Best Nickname for George W. Bush
Best Way to Survive the Bush Administration
Best Reason to Support a Third Party
Best New Job for Al Gore
Best New Use for Old Voting Machines
Best New Job For Bill Clinton
Best Reason To Convince Bill Clinton to Move to Detroit
Best Way to Make Sure the Real Winner Wins Next Election
Best Way to Make Politics Fun
Best Reason to Vote
Best Subject of Conversation Instead of Politics
Most Important Political Issue
Best New Job for Detroit Police Chief Benny Napoleon
Best Reason to Get Involved in Politics
Best New Use for the State Fairgrounds
Best Next Head of Detroit Public Schools
Best Person or Job Category to be Followed Around by the Fox 2 News Crew
MEDIA BLITZ
Best Local Weathercast
Best Local TV Show
Best Hidden Local TV Treasure
Most Talked-About Local Story
Most Ignored Local Story
Best Title for a Bill Clinton-Hosted Game Show
Best Drive-Time Radio Show
Best Local Talk Radio Host
Most Obnoxious Morning Show
Best Sports Radio to Catch
Best Sports Radio to Miss
Best Student-Run Radio Station
Best Local Media Merger Yet to Happen
Best Way to Counteract Media Monopolization
Best Way to Use The Web at Work
Best Local Band to Make it Big Next
Best Local Band to Reunite
Best Local Zine
Best Film About or Set in Detroit
Best Novel About Detroit to Make Into a Film
Best Local Recording Studio
Best Local Indie Record Label
BEST OF THE METRO TIMES
Best Columnist
Best Writer
Best Story
Best Cover
Best Special Issue
Best Cartoon
Best Place for Loose Lips Columnists to Hang Out
Best Reason to Go to the Metro Times Web Site
Most Needed Addition to the Metro Times
Most Needed Addition to the Metro Times Web Site
Best Question to Ask Isadora
Best Person (Real or Fictitious) to Add to Metro Times Staff
Best Use for the MT When You’re Done Reading It
Best Reason to Love the MT
Best Reason to Hate the MT
CHARLIE PLEASE NOTE, ONCE AGAIN THESE NEXT TWO SECTIONS ARE TO BE DIVIDED UP BY WAYNE, OAKLAND, MACOMB AND WASHTENAW COUNTIES. THANKS!
STUFFING YOUR FACE
Best Bakery
Best Deli
Best Bagel
Best Chinese restaurant
Best Japanese restaurant
Best Soul Food restaurant
Best Greek restaurant
Best Indian restaurant
Best Local Italian restaurant
Best Thai restaurant
Best Polish restaurant
Best Middle Eastern restaurant
Best Mexican restaurant
Best Vietnamese restaurant
Best Pizza
Best Buffet
Best Restaurant for a 3 a.m. Meal
Best Carry-out
Best Coney Island
Best Vegetarian Restaurant
Best Seafood
Best Barbecue
Best Waitstaff
Best Wine List
Best Restaurant for Dessert
Best Restaurant for a Big Splurge
Best Funky Hole-in-the-Wall
Best Breakfast
Best Atmosphere
Best Place to Buy Groceries
Best Coffeehouse
PLEASE APPROACH THE BAR
Best No-Cover Bar
Best Happy Hour Spread
Best Bar for Lunch
Best After-Hours Place
Best Place To Hear Techno
Best Place to Hear Jazz
Best Place to Hear Blues
Best Place to Hear Rock ’n’ Roll
Best Beer Selection
Best Top-Shelf Liquor Selection
Best Microbrewery
Best Strip Club
Best Gay Bar
Best Lesbian Bar
Best Place to Play Bar Games
Best-Looking Club
Best Bar to Find a One-Night Stand
Best Karaoke
Best Cocktail Lounge
Your Name:
Address:
City, State, ZIP:
Daytime Phone Number:
Send this ballot to:
Metro Times
Best of Detroit 2001
733 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 48226
Or fill it out online at www.metrotimes.com.
To qualify, entries must be postmarked or e-mailed by midnight, Wednesday, Feb. 14!
