Rock Star Shopping at Eastern Market
Do you ever wonder what happens on the weekend?
We’re always looking for cute, quaint little shops with unknown designers, vintage, and/or up-cycled rock star gear. So, it’s no surprise that our recent trip to Detroit’s Eastern Market uncovered some gems.
Resident Rock Stars (Muhammad Ali T-shirt)
We were drawn there by a Facebook announcement about the 1st annual Detroit Festival of Books, hosted by The Book Club of Detroit. That coupled with our daughter’s newfound obsession with thrifting—and the $10 burning a hole in her pocket—made us make the trip to Eastern Market—my first in probably 15 years—for this great multi-purposeful event. (—Yes, I just made that word…)
Browsing
Waiting to have a black and white manual photo taken
Though, the book fest was what drew us there, it was so crowded—even after only having opened 30 minutes prior—that we could not adequately browse the shelves. –If you are anything like us, we like to spend a few minutes with a book before we decide what to buy. The atmosphere was not conducive to that.
Video of Festival of Books
–Instead, we reveled in the idea that there are still quite a variety of brick and mortar bookstores in the Metro Detroit area and are making plans for our very own book crawl, so that we can vet these babies properly. It was also refreshing to see authors signing and talking about their books, and publishing houses hawking their trade, all while musicians played in nearly every corner. Very nice ambiance.
Musician
We were walking through the area feeling good vibes. We got our photo taken by Fixed Position Photography. (That black and white portrait is part of our cover art for this post.) We were seeing colorful and interesting murals. Encountering convivial shoppers.
Food Trucks
We were smelling wonderful aromas coming from food trucks and local restaurants. In fact, we had planned to eat in one of what I understand are the cool, new eateries there, but by the time we were ready for “linner”—yeah, that’s our family’s word for lunch meets dinner—at about 1 o’clock, the wait time to get into sit-down establishments was at least 45 minutes.
Walking Around
In the end, were able to snag some a little rock star gear, support local artists, find out about other events to come in that area, and enjoy a great family walk. This was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Most of the Haul (minus my daughter's vinyl record and birthstone crystal)
Where do you find unique items to fit your quirky style? Which shops should we add to our list, so that when we are visiting your town, we can check them out? Make sure you mention them in the comments below.
I n S h e d :
Fixed Position Photography
Instagram: @fixedpositionphotography
Email: Fixedpositionphotography@gmail.com
Black and white manual camera shoots. Friendly. They made us feel like a million bucks!
BlinkLab
Nickhomrich@gmail.com
(310) 689-9705
Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest: @blinklabworkshop
Etsy.com/shop/blinklab
Major upcycler. License plate lamps, pencil cups, etc. Cool coasters. Useful art.
S t o r e f r o n t :
People's East Record Store
1464 Gratiot Ave Detroit. MI 48207
http://peoplesdetroit.com/
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 11am-7pm; Sunday: 11am-4pm
Wide variety of vinyl at very affordable prices. Super nice. My daughter bought an album for her “new” record player. All she needed was $2 and time to browse.
Well Done Goods
1440 Gratiot Avenue, 1D (ground floor) Detroit, MI 48207 ☏ 313-404-2053 Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 11-7; Friday 11-9; Saturday 10-8; Sunday 11-7; and closed Monday.
https://welldonegoods.com/
Their tagline is “Great for your gifting emergency.” Cool stuff and well-displayed. Ties are their specialty, but there is tons more to discover. The store was like a Wonderland to us. Bruce bought a retro-print t-shirt. (see haul above)
Boro Resale 1440 Gratiot Ave 1A Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 888-9648
Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 - 8; closed Sunday
bororesale@gmail.com
Tastefully curated, well-decorated, and well-laid resale and consignment shop. Felt like being in a high-end boutique. Extra friendly and a treat to shop.
Smplfd
1480 Gratiot Ave.
Detroit, MI 48207
Https://Buy.Smplfd.Com/
(313) 285-9564
Hours: Wednesday - Friday 11 - 7; Saturday 10 - 5; Sunday 11 – 4
Stylish and well-laid out display of Detroit wear, designer, upcycled, and vintage clothes. Very urban aesthetic. Has quite a men’s collection. Extensive online store (in case you can’t make it to Detroit).
