Detroit is back BIGTIME!
Detroit's regeneration follows a major economic and demographic decline across the city in recent decades – caused by the departure of automobile production. The once famed Motor city, birthplace to Motown music and capital of the Art Deco Architecture phenomena fell upon hard times in the 90’s and early 2000’s, at one point even declaring bankruptcy. But you can’t keep a good city down and the people of Detroit have proven once again that they are America’s most industrious, innovative and passionate people when it comes to love for their city. Detroit has emerged on a new footing over the past five years and is now on a roll. When you visit Detroit you feel as though you are in a great historic city. And you are. Much of Detroit is defined by the Art Deco movement that swept across America in the in the 1920s and ’30s, and the city’s skyline features the best of that style and period. The buildings are still awe inspiring and as part of the city’s rejuvenation most of them have been lovingly restored to their original state with modern amenities. One of those restored buildings is The Aloft Hotel, located on the corner of Park and Woodward Avenue in Detroit’s historic David Whitney Building. With its four-storey, marble lobby the architecture is like no other accommodation or hotel in the city. The building’s original detailing remains intact and is beautifully contrasted with the modern décor of the rooms. My room overlooked Comerica Park, the home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team. The Comercia Stadium opened in 2000 as part of a downtown revitalization plan for Detroit, which included the construction of Ford Field, adjacent to the park. I was never a fan of watching baseball until I went to a Detroit Tigers game at Comercia park. The design is intimate and modern but you feel like you are in a 1950s setting, close to the players and the field. It could be all the brickwork or the lights and airy stadium. There is a magic and nostalgia to the place. It certainly is a contrast to the cavernous, impersonal Rogers Stadium in Toronto, home to Canada’s famous Toronto Blue Jays team. The Jays could learn something from Detroit about how to build a fan-friendly ball park.
Heidelberg project: In the heart of Detroit’s urban area lies an outdoor art environment that is redefining run-down neighbourhoods. With a unique sense of creativity, The Heidelberg Project artist, Tyree Guyton, has transformed his neighbourhood into an outdoor art gallery. His work represents both the decline of old Detroit and the promise of the renewed and reframed 21st century Detroit.
Shinola: Shinola LLC is an American luxury lifestyle brand which specializes in watches, bicycles, and leather goods. Founded in 2011, its name is a nod to the former Shinola shoe polish company that operated in the early and mid-20th century. The company is owned and operated by Bedrock Brands, a privately owned Texas investment group, and was launched by Tom Kartsotisone of the founders of the Fossil Group retail conglomerate. Shinola is a watch factory and although they are proud of their product, they pride themselves most in providing American jobs. Their Detroit watch factory embodies the Motor City narrative of innovation. They made a conscious decision to set up their watch factory, in Detroit in the historic (and recently renovated) Argonaut Building. To build out the watch factory, the company partnered with Ronda, which also brought in expert watchmaking veterans to train Shinola's watch assemblers, all of whom had no prior experience in watchmaking. Currently, the factory has the capacity to produce 500,000 watches a year. Most of the workers assembling watches are local Detroiters, and many of them come from the auto business. Since the company's founding in 2011, it has grown to over 400 people.
Detroit Denim jeans: So there was this guy named Eric Yelsma’s who had a dream to make something great. He thought, good enough is not enough. That’s why his jeans are like no other. Detroit Denim jeans are the culmination of uncompromised quality, US-sourced, selvedge jeans made in Detroit. Now I like jeans and have always been fond of what I considered the real deal – which was Levi 501’s. However this guy convinced me that I was wrong and that his jeans are the best quality jean in the world. And I am not kidding you when I say unfettered that they absolutely are the best and most comfortable and durable jeans you will ever wear. The only thing that came close to topping his jean clothing line was his men’s fragrance called "diesel being poured on a pine tree and lit with a cigar". And YES, it smells exactly like that!
Third Man records: Third man records opened a state-of-the-art vinyl production facility in the heart of Detroit’s historic Cass Corridor neighborhood in February 2017. This meticulously designed boutique vinyl record production facility features a unique customer experience and provides guided tours featuring the history vinyl records, the beauty of record sounds and production and the continuing importance and place of vinyl records when it comes to recorded music. As the first label to operate a fleet of brand new, environmentally efficient pressing machinery within a purpose-built manufacturing infrastructure, Third Man Pressing minimizes water waste by using recycled water from the record curing process in the air conditioning system, thus creating the only fully climate-controlled pressing plant work environment in the world. Each pressing station is outfitted with a digital touch screen control for temperature, hydraulic compression, and extruder speed, equaling increased control for the highly trained staff as well as a superior product. The plant was engineered to not only be environmentally sustainable, but also community sensitive with its innovative noise reduction construction techniques. Third Man Records bring classic vinyl music back to the future and to do it in Detroit , a city rich in musical talent and with a storied musical history.
Wright and Co: A cool vibe, with a lively environment, this restaurant is on the second floor of a beautifully renovated building downtown (on Woodward just a block from Comerica Park). They don't take reservations but you can go to the bar and hang out while having some great craft cocktails served by a professional and friendly staff. The menu of small tapas type plates offers tasty fare. I loved the delicious gnocchi and the flavorful pork. The food, service, and location were top.