Recognize the building above on Michigan Ave? Until earlier this summer, it was the office of O'Connor Real Estate on the first floor and home to Slows BBQ owner Phil Cooley on the second floor. Now O'Connor is two doors down on the other side of Astro coffee and this space is being primed to become the next big thing for Corktown. And by big thing, we mean little twee thing. Meghan McEwan announced on her super chic blog designtripper yesterday that she will create a bed and breakfast in the second floor apartment. It's going to be tiny (two rooms!) but it might change the game in Detroit tourism. The B&B will offer the full neighborhood immersion experience, showing out-of-towners a different side of the city than the big downtown chain hotels. She's calling it Honor + Folly.
Location, location, location! Honor + Folly is important because it completes a power play of changes down its Michigan Ave block. More than any other street in the city, this one is making a serious effort to have it all and the addition of a place to stay might be a feather in its cap. Let's start at the far left. Slows BBQ is undoubtedly the rallying-call that brings locals and tourists together over deliciousness. Not to mention it has been a major player in Corktown redevelopment and will eventually expand into the first floor under Honor + Folly, to the right. Moving down the block, they'll also be next to Astro Coffee, whose summer opening might be the most press-lavished event the city has ever seen in caffeination. Next up, we've got the new O'Connor location. No big changes there, but in terms of the Detroit real estate game, this power player for the neighborhood has been working hard at bringing in new residents. Skip past the bars and what you see at the end is an old Pawn Shop space that's been bought by several partners such as Phil Cooley and Toby Barlow (an author, Ad man, and local celebrity) for development into a restaurant. What the addition of two hip bedrooms means is that this block is officially a highly-sought destination. Because you don't open something super cute in places that make the rest of the world afraid of Detroit. Meghan has already booked her first guests and it doesn't open until mid-November. Stay tuned for interior design obsessions and opening buzz!
CurbedWire Update: New info emailed into Curbed HQ. Meghan her and husband Ryan Cooley (brother of Phil) are also partners in the Pawn Shop-to-restaurant venture. The fifth partner is the co-founder of Model D, Brian Boyle.
· Stay: Honor + Folly (Soon!) [designtripper]