Hamtramck Disneyland

Hello, Metblogs readers! My name is Brad. As a recent Atlanta transplant (a good one, I promise) and new Metblogger, I thought I’d give the customary bit “about me.”

I’ve spent the majority of my still-hanging-on-to-mid-20s life in Detroit. From the rural cornfields of my youth to Anytown suburbia to an ethnic enclave in the heart of the city (see photo — thanks, wellohorld).

Detroit will always be my home. I’m sure I’ll someday return to the ‘burbs, have a few (truly unfortunate) kids, zip around in my Prius and long for the days of yore (i.e. today) when responsibilities were minimal and optimism abundant. My decision to leave, however, wasn’t merely due to underemployment. I’d been everywhere. The nice neighborhoods with mansions few realize exist, the frightening-in-daylight spots frequented by svelte jean urbanites, and every arterial road into the most distant of sprawl. It was time for something new.

Four months ago, I figured “ITP” was a succinct confession from a budding vandal or the typo of a Juggalo. Now, apparently, I live there — and it’s pretty neat. I’m genuinely eager to explore and become a part of what I hear is a large but close-knit community. Along the way, I hope to document some of my findings on this very blog. I’m still trying to figure out what exactly that may entail, but I can promise a surplus of bad jokes and vague references to pop culture that are more depressing than ironic.