Hostel Detroit

05/16/2025

INTRODUCING: THE DETROIT EXCHANGE ARTIST RESIDENCY

Hostel Detroit is proud to announce our new artist residency program with the debut exhibition "Lookouts" by photographer and printmaker Danya Ensing.

📸 The Exhibition: "Lookouts" examines the dual nature of observation – places that offer perspective while also serving as warnings. Through 35mm and 120 film photography, Ensing creates contemplative spaces that invite viewers to consider what deserves our watchful attention.

🌟 About the Artist: Danya Ensing works across photography, printmaking, and community-based projects. Her previous work "Gateway: Ghost Boards" explored billboard usage as indicators of social and economic shifts. As Director of Art Detroit Now and former Projects Manager at Hostel Detroit, she brings unique insight to this inaugural exhibition.

🌍 Our Mission: The Detroit Exchange Artist Residency fosters cultural connections through art. We provide exhibition space for emerging artists, engage communities through events and workshops, and produce limited-edition zines documenting each residency. This initiative reflects our commitment to creating meaningful encounters between visitors and local creative communities.

📍 Exhibition Details:
Opening Reception: Friday, May 30th, 2025, 6:00-9:00 PM
Location: Hostel Detroit, 2700 Vermont St, Detroit, MI 48216
Admission: Free (Donations welcome to support future residencies)
Exhibition Duration: 90 days

Join us May 30th as we open our doors for this exhibition and introduce our artist residency program to the community.

https://www.hosteldetroit.com/detroit-exchange-artist-residency/

03/09/2025

This International Women's Day, we're honoring a woman who transformed Detroit through ideas that rippled far beyond our city limits. Grace Lee Boggs—philosopher, activist, and visionary—was reimagining Detroit's future long before "resilience" and "sustainability" became buzzwords. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, this Harvard PhD moved to Detroit in 1953 and spent seven decades fighting for radical change alongside her husband, Black autoworker and activist James Boggs. Their modest house on Field Street became the epicenter for a revolutionary vision of community-led transformation, with Grace continuing the work well past her 100th birthday.

Today, the Boggs Center carries on her legacy of "visionary organizing" – the idea that communities can solve their own problems through collective action rather than waiting for outside help. When you visit, you'll see how her philosophy directly inspired Detroit's urban farming movement, community schools, and cooperative businesses. For anyone who wants to understand Detroit beyond the headlines, Grace's vision offers the deepest insight into the city's grassroots resurgence.
On this day celebrating women worldwide, we invite you to explore her legacy. Monthly tours of Boggs-inspired initiatives are available through the center, or borrow one of our bikes to visit the urban farms and community projects that grew from her ideas. Her book "The Next American Revolution" is also available in our hostel library – required reading for understanding the Detroit you'll experience beyond downtown.

03/05/2025

Happy Paczki Day!!! (Pronounced "POONCH-key" – and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!) Today, Dutch Girl Donuts becomes the heart of Detroit's beloved culinary tradition. Once a Lenten ritual brought by Polish immigrants, it has now grown into a citywide tradition that unites everyone. Dutch Girl Donuts has been serving up donuts on Woodward Avenue since 1947. On Fat Tuesday, the only thing on the menu is Paczki. The are made by hand, with a steadily increasing line outside that reflects that in Detroit, community and delicious food are inseparable.

03/03/2025

A tropical escape in any season! Detroit's Belle Isle Conservatory has been a sanctuary of warmth and green since 1904. Albert Kahn's masterpiece provides the perfect natural respite and demonstrates why Belle Isle is one of Detroit's most precious public spaces.

03/02/2025

Food justice looks like community ownership! The Detroit People's Food Co-op in the North End is creating food sovereignty through collective economics. Open to all, this grocery showcases what's possible when neighborhoods take control of their food systems.

03/01/2025

Saturday mornings in Detroit mean one thing to locals: Eastern Market! While other travelers are hitting corporate tourist spots, you'll be shopping alongside Detroiters at America's largest historic public market. Grab breakfast, browse local art, and stock up on Michigan-made products at this 130+ year Detroit tradition.

02/28/2025

Hidden in plain sight right Downtown! The Belt transformed a former garment district alley into an outdoor contemporary art museum. Murals and installations rotate regularly, making every visit unique. This constantly evolving art space showcases Detroit's creative energy year-round. Also, a great place to grab a drink :)

03/09/2024

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Looking down Woodward Ave.

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12/14/2023

Did you know Carhartt is a Detroit company with a rich history of manufacturing right here in the Motor City?

The entrance to Carhartt's first plant at 1605 Michigan Ave. from 1940 | PC: Wayne State University Digital Collections

Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, Carhartt, a family-owned business, employs more than 3,000 associates worldwide.

Today, the flagship store is located at 5800 Cass Avenue, Detroit, where it offers a wide range of Carhartt's renowned durable workwear and accessories. Additionally, there's a Carhartt pop-up space at 441 W Canfield St, which brings a unique shopping experience to the city.

If you're driving from I-94, one of the largest murals in the city—painted by locals from Detroit—can be seen on the building.

Take a trip to Carhartt to pick up some holiday gifts for your family!

11/02/2023

The American side of the Gordie Howe Bridge construction - as the M/V American Spirit prepares to tie up at Mistersky Fuel Dock.

The Spirit is one of thirteen ships on the lakes that exceed 1000 feet in length, and is also a sister ship to the largest on the lakes - Paul R. Tregurtha.