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