Good morning! We’re getting perfect weather for swimming in the Detroit River (it’s safe to do on most days, which we know thanks to new Outlier science reporter Koby Levin!). We’ve also got updates on an Apple store (maybe), local artists making moves near and far, and fashion history preservation — what’s not to love?
We’re here to help you make this holiday weekend one for the books, whether you’re observing Memorial Day or Techno Christmas. <3 Team Detour
Backtalk
Last week, we asked you to share your recommendations for “third places,” and we got shoutouts for some great spaces to find community — we’ll share them all soon, and please, keep ’em coming! But first, a response from reader Ted T.:
“I live on the lower eastside and without a car in Detroit, I don’t really have a third place that I can just be and connect with others. I would say something like Lakewood East Park, or the gardens at Detroit Abloom, but typically it is a solitary visit. Our library is closed and there is no other place open to just hangout for free.”
Our ideas: When you’re done perusing the flowers at Detroit Abloom, why not take a walk across Manistique and get involved with the Community Treehouse? About a 20-minute stroll away from there, you’ll find Feedom Freedom Growers where you can help grow food and community on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Nearby, Hope House Detroit also has program and volunteer opportunities. Check out The Solutionaries Collective to connect with local artists, organizers and visionaries, and to learn more about these and other third places in your neighborhood.
Have more ideas for Ted, a third place you love in another part of the city or your own request for help finding one? Hit reply or email kate@outliermedia.org to share.
Detroit in Five
Snuffed out: Just a couple weeks after its coming-out party, a queer nightclub downtown went back in the closet faster than you can say “marginalized.” The building owner, Michael Higgins, reportedly had the pride flag taken down at Flaming Embers and told staff not to talk to media about the bar being a queer space following a news article about its reopening. Several staff members quit rather than work at not-gay sports bar. (The Detroit I Love, Metro Times, Detroit News)
More than a number: New U.S. Census figures show that Detroit is still losing people — and may have lost its 40-year title of being the largest majority-Black city in the U.S. With just 680 more Black residents, Memphis took the title last year, though experts remind us these are estimates. More news on our metro area melting pot: An analysis of 2021 Census data shows that the Detroit area has about 190,000 Arabic speakers, about 13% of all Arabic speakers across the country and the most of any metropolitan area. (Detroit Free Press, Pew Research Center)
See ya never, Somerset: Is Detroit finally getting an Apple store? Word on the street — or really, the scoop from Crain’s Detroit Business — is that Bedrock might seal the deal to put the retailer on Woodward downtown (paywalled). Nearby retailers are already salivating over potential foot traffic (paywalled). We’ve heard this before, though, so don’t count your iPhones before they’ve charged. (Crain’s)
Using the blue bins: OK, Detroit — we’re doing better when it comes to recycling. Our rates have doubled in the last few years, but we’re still only recycling about 8% of our waste (the statewide average is 21%). Need a bin? Request a free recycling container from the city. (BridgeDetroit, City of Detroit)
Summer Kickoff
The forecast calls for sunny weather in the 70s and 80s this holiday weekend — finally!! We hope you’ll be making the most of it, and since it’s the first year that the Grand Prix isn’t taking over Belle Isle, you’ve got extra motivation to hit the beach or trails… if you’re not dancing through dawn during Movement, that is.
🏊 Come on in, the water’s fine: Sure, we all love Detroit’s “jewel,” but one thing that divides many park visitors is whether it is a good idea to wade in the waters at Belle Isle Beach. It turns out the water is perfectly safe most of the time. We talked to a molecular aquatic ecologist, a hydrologist and others to get the deets on bacteria, safety issues and some handy guidance on when you should dive right in and when you should stay on the sand. (Outlier Media)
🏝️ Brush up on Belle Isle: Detroit’s island park isn’t just great for swimming and sunbathing. Check out our updated guide to Belle Isle with tips for getting the most out of your visit. Two disappointing tidbits we learned: The on-island shuttle is not coming back this year, and the fate of the giant slide is still TBD. (Outlier)
🎉 Clear your mind: It’s Movement weekend, that magical time for celebrating electronic music and techno, one of Detroit’s many musical gifts to the world. Tickets are still available for the official festival, which takes over Hart Plaza Saturday through Monday (and has more on offer than music alone). But that’s just the one center of the action, with an endless array of patio parties, barbecues and all-day/all-night marathons to fill every hour of the weekend, starting tonight. For a glimpse of the offerings, check out Metro Times’ curated picks for Movement and their guide to parties beyond the festival, where most of the magic happens. For a more comprehensive look, see events lists from Resident Advisor and 19hz.info. (Movement Music Festival, Resident Advisor, Moodyman on Instagram, Detroit Metro Times, 19hz.info)
Other things to do…
🎵 If you’re meh on Movement, there are still nonstop shows this weekend:
- Dwele, tonight, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino, $34 and up
- Sunset Rubdown, tonight, The Loving Touch in Ferndale, $20
- “Respect: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin,” with music, art and a pink Cadillac, Friday through Sunday, Orchestra Hall, $29 and up
- In The Tradition Jazz Ensemble, Saturday, Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, $25
- The Pharcyde, Pete Rock and Ro Spit, Saturday, Russell Industrial Center, $20
đź“· Grab your camera and head over to the Eastern Market tonight for a walk with photographers who will offer tips and tricks of the trade. Free, RSVPs encouraged.
🧶 Weave through the nostalgia of childhood at Allycia Laura’s art show, “A Soft Place to Land,” opening at Hamtramck’s Public Pool gallery on Saturday. The exhibit will remain open through July 1. Free.
🍯 Take your taste buds on a ride with combinations of honey from Bees in the D paired with mead on Wednesday at B. Nektar in Ferndale, with eats from The Lobster Food Truck. Tickets are $40.
Culture & Community
đź—ż Israel and Erik Nordin sculpture “Path of Life,” made with steel from demolished Joe Louis Arena, gets a home in Riverside Park…
♻️ Get to know artist Simon Anton, showing work in Venice Biennale exhibition “Everlasting Plastics”…
🎥 Documentarian Kate Levy talks navigating art versus activism and making “Detroit Will Breathe,” screened at film fests and streaming now while also serving as a court document…Â
🖼️ Two Black-owned art spaces open in Ferndale: painter India Solomon’s Fluid Spaces shop and event planner Lauren Fresh’s Imani Immersive Gallery (an underwater-esque “adult playground”)…
​🕺 Fresh off their selection for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, The Spinners donate 375 vintage performance outfits to Motown Museum…Â
(Freep, CAN Journal, New York Times, Hyperallergic, Metro Times, Billboard, Hour Detroit)
Written by Aaron, Alex, Koby, Lynelle, Malak, Miriam, Noah, Sarah and Kate, who’s hoping for a weekend as full of tomfoolery as the hijinks runaway steer Lester brought to I-75 this week.