During one of the very first coffee-conversations that Dave and I had together last year, we discussed the importance of time. Time is something that Dave holds with very high importance; it is something that isn’t given back. Not just in the sense of having to spend hours at the DMV, stuck in traffic, or regretting the movie choice made for the evening. Time is the biggest aide in growth, and healing. Time is needed for rest, enjoyment, to appreciate what we have around us, what to address, to work on. Time can also become very different for individuals. Days of the week, as well as seasons, can alter how time is experienced depending on schedules, residence, lifestyles, and perspective.
Sundays are Dave’s Saturdays, and they are my…Sundays, and the only current days that we have off together. We try to balance them with a mix of attacking tasks that neither of us were able to get to during the week; romanticizing the mundane with grocery shopping/cleaning/errands together with coffees from a local shop. Sometimes we spend the day with friends, brunching, bar-hopping, or shopping. Occasionally we tackle something off of our list of wants. On this particular Sunday, we invented: The Village Crawl.
Dave has lived in Island View for a few years now, but hadn’t had the chance to checkout some of the newer places in the nearby villages. I, a new resident to the area, as well as directionally challenged, wanted to get a better idea of where everything was in the area. We decided to go exploring by foot, starting with coffee!
Or so we thought. Because someone (me), decided to sleep in, and then take a little longer getting ready, the coffee shop we frequent was closing up for the day. The diner next door however, was still open for a few hours and had coffee, and more importantly, food.
Norm’s Diner is a charming, women-owned spot located in Detroit’s West Village. Their focus is serving fresh and locally sourced food for all-day breakfast and lunch, with specials. The interior is bright and cozy, and the vintage touches like the candy machine, are top-tier nostalgia.
Our food was delicious! We split the biggest BLT I have ever seen, a salad special, and some house-made sausage. They had sold out of a lot of items, which tracked because they were bustling with customers. They have grab & go items as well, which we want to try for the errand-running days because I love me some pasta salad.
Next up was a walk over to Brewery Faisan, a place I have frequented often, but Dave had his cherry popped.
Brewery Faisan is a micro-brewery, that not only brews tasty beers, they are almost always hosting events featuring local music, artists, and food pop-ups. They are located in Island View, close to the house, which is great because the Periphery, a Raspberry Saison, is my favorite and it is 7.3%.
I love the Mid Century Modern furniture, ample seating both indoor and outside, the awesome staff that we love chatting with, but my favorite thing about this brewery is that it is the best place to meet new dog friends. I don’t think that I have ever been there when there wasn’t a doggo present, and I can’t wait to bring our pit Bella on our next visit!
We left the brewery and wandered over to the Island View Kiwanis Park, as the cutest, hand-made sign informed us. I have rode past these statues on my bike many times and had always wanted to take dumb photos with them, we checked that item off my list, hence the dumb photos.
I wasn’t even aware of the little library, which is probably the biggest little library I have come across.
On our way to a frequent haunt of ours, we saw that a new shop was opening up, Dandy Detroit. Dave is basically the mayor and knows everyone, so of course he knows the person behind the operation. I love that the building is being used, and for something exciting and unique.
We also passed by another coffee shop that we hadn’t tried yet. We will amend that and report back, like the good coffee sluts we are.
We weren’t actually going to stop at Two Birds until the way back home, but after two beers and park shenanigans, our bladders were pissed. We resolved that, and then immediately refilled with gin and sodas.
Next up: Father Forgive Me, located on the grounds of The Sheppard. I had first heard of The Sheppard when I had moved into Dreamtroit last summer. We explored the outdoor sculpture park, honoring the late Detroit artist Charles McGee, and had drinks at Father Forgive Me.
There’s a lot more involved in The Sheppard, and I would like to do a follow-up post sometime soon. It was the perfect early-evening to sip gin in a beautiful space, and run around the grounds before wandering off to our last stop: Collect Beer Bar.
Collect Beer Bar used to be located on Gratiot, in the Eastern Market area. Because I had lived in the market for a couple of years, I had frequented Collect often. At first I was sad when they announced that they were moving to English Village, but the newer space is fantastic. They are family-owned, and another place that you will most likely find a doggo, or five, hanging out at.
They have a rotating tap, as well as a fridge stocked with beers, ciders, and wine. Lots of NA options, and delicious/dangerous shots of Four Roses.
We were going to stop back in at Two Birds, but at this point we had walked 1-2 miles in between each stop, and my tired butt was craving the couch and Indian take-out.
I cannot express enough of how much I love where we live, and spending the day slowly enjoying our time together here. Walking, taking silly photos, talking, planning, wandering down streets we haven’t walked down before, and making new friends were all a welcome recharge from the business of everyday life. Taking our time to enjoy what we have, together.
Until next post, xo.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
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