18 January 10 • 2019
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ALONG WOODWARD AVENUE
There’
s lots in store for holiday shop-
pers looking for local artists, makers,
entrepreneurs and a cool experi-
ence at 1441 Woodward Collective
and 1520 Woodward, where Detroit
artist Lisa Spindler has her studio.
A stroll past WeWork Mer-
chant’
s Row will take you
to John Varvatos, Detroit is
the New Black, House of Pure
Vin, Bonobos, Warby Parker, Under
Armour and Nike among many
others. New on Woodward Avenue
this holiday season is the Shinola
Hotel featuring the clothing stores,
Good Neighbor and Madewell, and
new stores from Shinola and Drought.

FROM IADS TO CAPITOL PARK
“I feel blessed to have many rabbis
as part of my life in Jewish Detroit.
I often find myself working on proj-
ects with Rabbi Dan Horwitz of The
Well, Rabbi Ariana Silverman of the
Downtown Synagogue and Rabbi
Yisrael Pinson of Chabad. I grew up
at Temple Beth El and have worked
with Rabbi Megan Brudney at the
Beth El Community Transformation
Center in the former Temple Beth El
on Woodward.
“Recently, Sarah and I have enjoyed
getting to know Rabbi Asher Lopatin,
the new rabbi at Kehillat Etz Chaim.
And, of course, I still have close ties to
Rabbi Joshua Bennett who led me on
Teen Missions to Israel as a teen and
as a staff member.
“Standing at the corner of Grand
River and Griswold, you see a vibrant
neighborhood growing around Capitol
Park,” he says. “Years ago, this dis-
trict was mostly vacant. Today, the
view is very dramatically different.
Here on the street, we can admire
the Downtown Synagogue’
s new
mural painted by world-renowned
artist Bunnie Reiss, a massive mural
by Beverly Fishman and the mural by
Detroit’
s Charles McGee.
“The retail and dining that have
emerged — remixed, rethought for
the 21st century and repurposed for
beautiful new spots — include Detroit
Bikes, Eatori and Eli Boyer’
s Lovers
Only Burgers.”

28 GRAND – CAPITOL LOFTS
“When we started thinking about what
life would be like for people working
Downtown — living in a 275-square foot
loft — we realized that a public space

like Capitol Park would serve as a hub —
their front yard, their backyard, the space
where they’
d hang out, walk their dogs,
dine out and entertain.
”
With its line-up of glass-enclosed
holiday market kiosks and a new heated
lodge all decked out for the holidays and
operated by Jeremy Sasson, Capitol Park
invites a leisurely stroll-through.
Just “passing by” on her way to the
synagogue, Rabbi Ariana Silverman,

also a resident of Woodbridge, joins the
conversation. “It’
s exciting to see more
and more families with kids now in our
neighborhood. And that includes the
Jewish community, our next generation
of Detroiters.
”
Adds George, “Capitol Park is special
to me. Developing Capitol Park is a
project that allows me to bring together
my professional life, my personal life
and communal life. Sukkah by Detroit is
a perfect example of an astonishing
success; working with friends and part-
ners from Bedrock and the Quicken
Loans Community Fund, the Downtown
Synagogue, The Well, Federation’
s

NEXTGen Detroit, Hazon Detroit,
Chabad and Hillel of Metro Detroit cre-
ated an innovative Jewish community
project to activate a Downtown public
space, thanks to the generous support of
the William Davidson Foundation.
”
Silverman agrees, “It was inspiring to
see how all those organizations were able
to partner so that the whole was greater
than the parts. Sukkah by Detroit suc-
ceeded beyond our expectations as a way

to expose Judaism to everyone, make it
accessible … and fun.
“Because of its location, Capitol Park
is emerging as a place the Jewish com-
munity has adopted,
” Silverman adds. “In
planning the candlelight vigil for
Pittsburgh, it was clear that Capitol Park
was the one place to be.
”

CAPITAL SQUARE
As George observes, “Detroit is a place
for hearty people — happy to be out and
about during the winter, especially if you
give them something to do and a good
reason to come celebrate.
”
Towering above the Holiday Market

shops and the festive scenery of Cadillac
Square, a 26-foot menorah stood as the
centerpiece of 8th Annual Menorah
in the D event, hosted on Dec. 2 by
The Shul Chabad-Lubavitch of West
Bloomfield, in partnership with the
Jewish Federation, Chabad of Greater
Downtown Detroit, Quicken Loans,
Bedrock and other supporters.
Beyond adding a new level of enter-
tainment to the shopping experience, the
Cadillac Square Market offers a pipeline
for start-up retailers and businesses
seeking to open a brick-and-mortar
in a Bedrock building or other space
around the city of Detroit. New and
returning ventures this year include 248
Studio, Ashley Gold, Beirut Souk and
Nostimo Kitchen, to name a few.
A family-friendly retreat for shop-
pers, Cadillac Lodge beckons with
comfy couches and plenty of room
to sit, eat and drink indoors, with
nearby Parc restaurant leading the menu
offerings.

WOODWARD ESPLANADE
Our final stop takes us to Woodward
Esplanade and the Spirit of Detroit
Plaza. The Esplanade is a heavily used
new linear park, created by converting
unused road medians into public space
with gardens, pathways, art and movable
seating. The space culminates in the new
Spirit of Detroit Plaza.
As George explains, the space was
created by closing Woodward Avenue
to cars between Larned and Jefferson
and adding new seating, programming
and other amenities. “While the space
is still experimental, it makes the defini-
tive statement that our city streets aren’
t
just for cars — but for people, too.
”
He adds, “
As Dan Gilbert likes to say,
‘
Money and numbers follow; they don’
t
lead.
’
I feel incredibly fortunate to work
for a company that is for more than
profit. Beyond our work in public space,
the Quicken Loans Community Fund
has a team that thinks about housing
stability, a team that thinks about educa-
tion and employment, and a team that
thinks about growing and supporting
business and entrepreneurship. We also
have a team that motivates and mobilizes
our Team Members — 17,000 strong
in Detroit and about 30,000 around the
country — as entrepreneurs, volunteers
and stewards of our city.
” ■

Vivian Henoch is editor of myjewishdetroit.org,

where this article first appeared.

TOP: In Capitol Park with Rabbi

Ariana Silverman. ABOVE:

Just warming up in the fami-

ly-friendly Cadillac Lodge.

continued from page 16