I Took a Solo-ish Trip Back Home to Detroit

I took a 6 a.m. Delta flight from LGA to Detroit. It’s only about an hour and a half, so it always feels like a quick trip. My mom picked me up from the airport so we could spend the morning together and knock out a few errands before check-in. Once we wrapped up, she dropped me off downtown atthe Siren Hotel(1509 Broadway St.), which is my go-to whenever I’m staying in the city. It’s inside the old Wurlitzer Building and has this vintage, slightly surreal feel with velvet sofas, patterned wallpaper, and soft lighting that makes everything feel kind of dreamy. It’s across from the Detroit Opera House and close to both stadiums. I’ve stayed in a few different room types, but this time, I stayed in the Parlor. It had a king-size bed and a view of the People Mover, the Detroit Athletic Club, and the rooftops nearby, including the top of the Opera House, where I saw a mid-afternoon wedding. Probably not the ideal weekend to say “I do,” with a music festival bumping a few blocks away, but still, it was cute to see. After unpacking, I met my mom downstairs for one last stop before she headed home.

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My mom wanted to grab flowers fromEastern Market(2934 Russell St.) before heading back home, so we drove six minutes; you get to see a lot of art murals along the way. We parked near Shed 6 and wandered through the stalls. On the way to the flowers, we grabbed the last of the berries and cherries. The market runs from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., but if you want the good stuff, you need to get there early. We passed racks of vintage tees and jerseys. I wasn’t there to shop, but I took note for my next visit. Saturdays are more about the farmers’ market; Sundays shift toward local art, music, jewelry, and random knickknacks you end up taking home without planning to.

After looking through the vintage racks at Eastern Market, my mom and I wandered onto a side street that had a live DJ and a few food vendors set up. It felt a little like a block party, so we grabbed a table and sat for a while. One of the food trucks was from a place calledMidnight Temple(2466 Riopelle St.), which I hadn’t been to before. We ordered the chicken hakka noodles, then ended up chatting with a couple from Brazil, which was funny since my brother lives there. One thing about the Midwest: People will talk to you. After that, my mom drove me back to the hotel so I could get ready and meet up with some friends for the first night of Movement.

After getting ready, I met up with a friend to walk over toHart Plaza(1 Hart Plaza) for the first day of Movement. It’s about a 15-minute walk from the Siren, which made going back and forth super easy, especially if you need to run back to change your shoes, which I did. As soon as I stepped inside, the bass hit me straight in the chest and all the memories from when I last attended in 2011 came rushing back. I met up with more friends at the stage closest to the Detroit River, where you get a full view of Canada across the water. We sat in the grass for a bit catching up, then spent the rest of the night bouncing between sets by Dames Brown, Dom Dolla, Floorplan, and Carl Craig. It had already been a long day, so I wrapped things up around 11 and headed back to the hotel to call it a night.

I woke up around eight, which counts as sleeping in for me. I’d left the windows open, so the morning light came pouring in, and the sky was this perfect shade of blue. I just sat in bed for a bit, soaking it in, knowing I’d be running around all day. Eventually, I made my way toMadcap(1413 Farmer Street), a coffee shop across the street from the hotel that I’ve been to a few times. I ordered my usual almond-milk latte and a croissant, then sat outside in Parker’s Alley, this tucked-away stretch downtown that kind of gives New York vibes with its little shops and restaurant patios. Most of the stores weren’t open yet, so I just chilled there for a bit, people-watched, and sipped my coffee. Then I headed back to the Siren to get ready for the rest of the day and take a few mirror selfies in the lobby.

I took an Uber to meet up with my friend Hannah, who lives downtown, and we spent a couple of hours at theDetroit Institute of Arts(5200 Woodward Ave.). I hadn’t been in a while, so I was really looking forward to seeing what was on view. One of the featured exhibitions at the time was “7 Mile + Livernois,” by Tiff Massey, which is a sculptural tribute to Black Detroit culture, identity, and adornment, rooted in the artist’s personal history and the legacy of the city’s Avenue of Fashion. The museum was pretty quiet when we arrived, which made it easy to move around without feeling rushed. My favorite room was filled with contemporary works by Black artists, including pieces by American, Ghanaian, and Nigerian creatives. We also spent time in “Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898–1971,” an exhibit dedicated to the history and influence of early Black film. The DIA always has something worth seeing, and it felt good to ease into the day with art before everything picked back up.

After spending the morning at the museum, my friend drove us from the DIA over toPeriodicals(4892 Grand River Ave.) in the Core City neighborhood. It’s a quick five-minute trip across town. I’d heard about the Black-owned magazine and concept store a while ago but hadn’t had the chance to visit until now. The space is super cool, with a curated selection of art books, independent magazines, zines, and even a few skin and beauty products. It was a quick stop, but a good one. Cool detail: Periodicals now partners with the Siren hotel to bring a mix of its magazines and unique products to the hotel’s gift shop. Afterwards, I went back to my hotel to change and meet up with some friends from NYC to walk to the music festival, where we saw a couple of sets ending with Coco & Breezy’s, which was cut short due to the severe weather.

With the music festival shut down due to rain, the group I was with wanted to find a nice indoor bar to dry off and grab a drink. We ended up walking over toQueens Bar(35 E Grand River),about 13 minutes from Hart Plaza and right across the street from the Gucci store. As we walked in, the entire bar was singing along to a late-2000s song I can’t quite remember, but the vibes were up. We stayed for one round of drinks, and then the group decided to head to MotorCity Wine for a day party that had been going on since 2 p.m. I decided to slip away and go back to my hotel to relax and grab dinner at Ash Bar, which is located on the second floor of the Siren. It’s temporarily closed in Detroit now, but it’s reopened in Baltimore inside Hotel Ulysses. I ordered a glass of orange wine and the pappardelle with fungi, took it back to my room, and took a moment to reset before going back out.

After some much-needed alone time, I took an Uber toMotorCity Wine(1949 Michigan Ave.)to meet back up with friends. I got there just in time to catch Ultra Naté’s set, which made the whole trip worth it. Seeing her perform in such an intimate space, surrounded by friends, felt sofree. I grabbed another glass of orange wine and danced under the disco ball for a little before heading back to the festival grounds solo to catch the tail end of Kevin Saunderson and Idris Elba’s B2B DJ set.

After bouncing in and out of the festival, I linked back up with friends atSpot Lite Detroit(2905 Beaufait St.) for one of the after-parties. It’s part record store, part café, part bar, part gallery, and by night, a full-on dance floor. Some of the best DJs from Detroit and beyond come through, and the setup feels like the city’s own Tiny Desk with a record wall as the backdrop. We caught sets by Ron Trent, Anané Vega, and Louie Vega, and the energy was magical. There’s never been a night I’ve left Spot Lite thinking,Why did I come here?The crowd is a range of ages, and everyone is there for the music, so endless hours on the dance floor are expected. I looked at my phone at one point and realized I had hit 26,000 steps. I didn’t leave until around 4 a.m.

After a late night, I needed to sleep in. I headed toAlba(2124 Michigan Ave), a coffee shop in Corktown with Brooklyn-esque vibes, for a slow morning. I ordered an almond-milk latte and a breakfast burrito, grabbed a corner table, and started reading my book while I waited for my friends to meet me. After breakfast, we drove out to a Memorial Day BBQ at a friend’s parents’ house on the east side of Detroit. We were there for a few hours before I realized we were around the corner from the house where my mom grew up, which made the whole thing feel even more like I was home without being home. After a wholesome backyard hang, we all piled into my friend’s Jeep and headed back downtown for the final day of the music festival.

Some friends were throwing a record-release party atParamita Sound(1517 Broadway), a Black-owned wine bar and record store right next door to the Siren. I try to stop by every time I’m in Michigan because it’s such an intimate space with great music and drinks. We pulled up to catch Musclecars’ DJ set, sip orange wine, and grab some merch before walking over to Hart Plaza for the last night of Movement.

It was the last day of the festival, so I stayed with my friends until the very end. There are a ton of food and beverage stations on-site, so I grabbed a corn dog (my first ever) to help hold me over for the night. We caught sets by Goldie, Terrence Parker, DJ Minx, and Honey Dijon. Honey’s set closed out the night and ended up being one of my favorites from the whole weekend. After another full day of dancing (I hit 29,000 steps), I made it back to the hotel and was in bed by 12:30 a.m.

I woke up early and spent the morning chilling in my hotel room. I’d requested a late checkout, so I had a little extra time to grab a solo breakfast before packing up. I walked over toDime Store(719 Griswold St. #180), which serves brunch all day and is just a short walk from the Siren. This was my second time eating there, and it was just as good as I remembered. I ordered a coffee and the duck bop hash, which is one of their popular dishes.

On the walk back to the hotel, I stumbled across a pop-up fromRobyn Detroiton Griswold Street (now located at 441 W Canfield St.). It felt more like an art gallery than a retail space, with clothes and artwork by local designers and artists displayed alongside thoughtful write-ups about each one. Even the fitting room was part of the experience; you could write on the walls using one of the markers that hang from the ceiling. I ended up buying a $48 Japanese incense kit from Fragile Glass, a brand you can also find at Lichen in New York. I also stopped by a spot I hadn’t visited before called Throwbacks Home byWoodward Throwbacks(now located at 11500 Joseph Campau) and saw a few tables and dining sets I wish I could’ve shipped back to NYC. While the Midtown location is now closed, the Woodward Throwbacks team still makes sustainable furniture using reclaimed materials out of their warehouse in Hamtramck.

I headed back to the hotel to pack up quickly and check out by 1 p.m. I left my bags at the front desk and wandered into the gift shop in the lobby, which sits right next toCandy Bar, the very pink cocktail lounge I didn’t make it to on this trip, but have been to twice for my birthday in the past. The gift shop is solid, though. It’s got the best merch, including the Siren hat and keychains, plus a really good magazine selection worth flipping through.

I walked over toSan Morello(located on the ground level of theShinola Hotel) for a late lunch. It has outdoor seating, and with the sun shining, I wanted to do some people-watching downtown. I ordered the marinated olives, arugula salad, and a glass of white wine. Afterward, I stopped by Huddle Soft Serve (2 John R St.) for a cup of chocolate frozen custard from its walk-up window, then hopped on the Detroit People Mover, a nearly three-mile above-ground train that loops around downtown in about 15 minutes — and it’s free. It felt like the perfect low-lift way to squeeze in one last look at the city. Back at the hotel, I spent a little time at the workstation table in the lobby to catch up on emails. Around 5:30, I headed out to drop my bags at a friend’s place. We ended the afternoon with a walk to her community garden to pick strawberries and flowers before dinner.

Since it was my last night downtown, I wanted to catch one more live-music moment before heading out. My friend took me toNorthern Lights Lounge(660 W Baltimore St.), which ended up being the perfect spot to wind down. My body was tired from dancing all weekend, so it felt good to just sit and listen to the band while we ate dinner. The lounge is super spacious, with big booths near the stage and a relaxed vibe. We ordered the English-style fish and chips, a taco salad, and two ginger beers. The band was playing bossa nova all night, and it was the best way to close out the weekend.

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