At the heart of Little Village, The Shepherd anchors a burgeoning creative scene, transforming a once-dilapidated Romanesque-style church into a multidisciplinary arts campus. The restored sanctuary—its arched windows and brick façade intact—now hosts exhibitions, performances, and gatherings, while neighboring homes have been thoughtfully converted into intimate restaurants and small businesses, creating a walkable cultural enclave. The campus extends outdoors with a skate park and a sculpture garden dedicated to the late Detroit artist Charles McGee. A few blocks away, Lantern, a sleek, light-filled building designed by OMA, the firm founded by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, houses artist studios, nonprofits, and retail spaces.
Where to Eat
Detroit’s dining scene mirrors the city itself: rooted in immigrant communities, shaped by Black excellence, and propelled by a new generation of chefs who see possibility where others once saw decline.
Housed in a restored 1910 firehouse, Ladder 4 is where you go for a special occasion. The wine list—one of the best in the Midwest—leans natural and European, and the menu is innovative and seasonal; oysters, crudo, pommes purée with bone marrow and truffle, pork chop schnitzel, and a perfectly cooked, dry-aged côte de boeuf. Alpine-inspired cuisine finds a soulful home in Corktown at Alpino. Think hearty pastas, French pork sausages and veal cutlets, braised, shaved, and marinated vegetables, and an impressive bar program. Flowers of Vietnam—housed in a former Coney Island— pairs Vietnamese flavors with an expansive wine list and brightly flavored cocktails. Their caramel chicken wings, green papaya salad, clay pot sakura pork belly, and “shaking beef” are all crowd favorites.
Few cities champion chef-driven reinvention quite like Detroit. At Rose’s Fine Food, Molly Mitchell’s cult-favorite daytime diner has transformed into an intimate, green-and-pink candlelit dinner space with a Polish-leaning menu. Don’t miss the cabbage lasagna. At Puma, the little sibling to Barda, expect South American-style live-fire cooking, Peruvian-style ceviches served directly from their raw bar, and a tropical-inspired cocktail list. Medusa, from the team behind SheWolf, brings Sicilian exuberance—citrus, seafood, handmade pastas—to Midtown. No trip to Detroit is complete without a stop at the city’s longtime favorite, Selden Standard, where chef Andy Holliday serves up seasonal, wood-fired small plates and mains, alongside a stellar cocktail program.