November has been a historic month for the city of Detroit. A hotly contested election, a monumental court hearing and national attention for a Detroit small business are just a few of the happenings of the month. With so many things to write about, I found it impossible to decide on just one. So coming faster than a Sportscenter highlight reel, here comes my take on all of them.

New Mayor

 How could I not start with the election of Mike Duggan? I don’t want to sound like a broken record, so I won’t repeat what has been said in all of the post-election coverage. However, I will say that I’m very excited to see what our new mayor can do. His ideas for economic development through entrepreneurship and small business are very much in line with the current culture of the city Having political support to encourage these sectors means that we could see some very exciting companies launched in the near future.

Eyes on Detroit for Historic Ruling

Everyone in the nation was glued to the trial earlier this month where Judge Stephen Rhodes heard arguments for throwing Detroit out of bankruptcy court. The decision will be handed down on December 3^rd. Whether or not you feel that Detroit should be allowed bankruptcy protection, the decision will set a precedent for municipality bankruptcy nationwide and will surely be the most talked about subject in the country on Tuesday.

Campus Martius Prepared for Christmas

This was my first year experiencing the tree lighting downtown and if you’ve never been before, it is a can’t miss event. Live music, Olympic ice skaters and a new-year’s-eve style countdown all without an admission fee…what better way is there to spend a Friday night?

Positive Media

With all the negative press that constantly bombards the city, I was pleasantly surprised when I was sent an article from a major news outlet that took an optimistic view of the city. The Huffington Post wrote about proposed projects around the city and what they would look like in their article “This is What Detroit Could Look Like in 2033…and Beyond”. It’s worth a read if you haven’t seen it yet.

Small Business Saturday

Everyone has heard of Black Friday—it has become a shopping phenomenon over the past decade synonymous with 4am store openings, long lines and crazy shoppers—but have you ever heard of Small Business Saturday? For the past few years, American Express has dedicated the day after Black Friday to promoting small business throughout the nation. They provide a tool to map out all of these businesses in your community. I found it fun to find a small Detroit business to patronize. If you’re looking for something to do—check it out. You may discover a hidden gem in the city! In fact, one Detroit business, Pure Detroit, was granted a spot in the national American Express Small Business Saturday commercial this year.

So what is the big takeaway from all these happenings? I think it means that living in Detroit is more exciting than ever, and is only gaining momentum. What other city is more regularly in the news? And the best part: the stories are changing from those of despair to those of hope. I can’t wait to see what December brings!