 FEBRUARY 4 • 2021 | 29

I

n a mostly futile effort to infuse 
novelty into a year in which 
almost every day has looked 
the same, I’ve taken to exploring 
Detroit as if it is a city I am visiting. 
And since this has escalated into an 
increasingly elaborate “staycation,” 
I thought I’d share a bit about how 
you might get your travel fix in — 
all while operating within CDC 
and state health guidelines, and all 
within the city of Detroit.
Think of this like a New York 
Times “36 Hours In” article but 
adapted to the surreal dystopian 
present in which we all suddenly 
live. 
A brief disclaimer on my risk 
tolerance: I am in my 20s, healthy 
and without co-morbidities, living 
alone and working from home, and 
thus am not exposed to others who 
are at high risk of carrying COVID. 
I have not had COVID and do not, 
to my knowledge, have antibodies 
against it.
That said, I’m pretty cautious: I 
am in a pod with my partner, who 
also lives alone. We don’t go inside 
friends’ homes or, really, anywhere 
indoors. We go grocery shopping 
or pop into restaurants to take out 
food, always with masks. We don’t 
eat at restaurants indoors or out-

doors, ever. Other than the occa-
sional Lyft (masks on), we drive 
everywhere.
All of this is to say: This article 
is based on what I am comfortable 
with, but please don’t take my per-
sonal choices as medically sound 
recommendations! They are only 
travel recommendations — and if 
you take them, please do so cali-
brated for your own risk profile. 
Alright, ready? First things first:

DAY 1
• Book yourself an escapist evening 
(or two) somewhere that feels very 
far from home. 
 For this, I recommend the 
Shinola Hotel. The boutique hotel, 
curated by the familiar lifestyle 
brand, is even more elegant than its 
watches. The property is immac-
ulate, and they are applying the 
same level of detail to their COVID 
precautions (temperature check 
at the entrance, mandatory mask 
compliance among staff and in 
public spaces, wellness kits featur-
ing gloves, a mask, Emergen-C and 
a sanitizing wipe on every night-
stand, gym temporarily closed) as 
they did to the finishes.
 Those finishes are what make the 
hotel so special — from the art on 

the walls to the inlaid flooring pat-
terns and midcentury accents to the 
semi-private libraries outside some 
of the suites, the hotel is a fully 
immersive exercise in class. 
 My favorite detail: In some rooms 
you can call the front desk and 
have them send up and set up a 
Shinola record turntable — there’s 
a well-stocked record library in the 
lobby from which you can borrow 
classic jazz and recent releases alike 
(Rooms starting at $191/night right 
now).
 
Bring your favorite things.Pack 
anything but your work. Leave 
your laptop at home. Save the space 
for books and magazines — extra 
points for bringing a good novel. 
Add in a bottle of wine, snacks and 
bubbles for the bubble bath you 
can and should take in the massive 
marble bathtubs in some suites.
If you’re feeling virtuous, pack 
your sneakers and running gear — 
the Riverwalk, Dequindre Cut and 
Eastern Market are near enough for 
a brisk and scenic run, if that’s what 
you’re into, or you can log into a 
live virtual Citizen Yoga class from 
your room. 
 
Pop over to the seasonal pop-up 
shops. Curated by the real estate 
developers and ground floor gurus 
at Bedrock, a smattering of pop-
up shops can be found around 
Downtown, some of which will 
stick around through March. Check 
out the Playground Detroit art 
gallery pop-up on Farmer Street 
(the original gallery sits on the East 
Side of the city), where a selection 
of prints are on display, along with 
quirky and colorful design items 
and gifts. 
 
Order extra special take-out. 
Detroit’s phenomenal food scene 
has had a tough year, but the tal-
ented chefs behind old and new 
favorites continue to deliver — now 
curbside or to your home. I’ve 
had a lot of takeout in the last few 

continued on page 30

Get Your 
Travel & 
Dining Fix 

A foodie “staycation” in Downtown 
Detroit can be fun in times of COVID.

LAUREN HOFFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHY

ESSAY
NOSH

