Detroit: Boston Edison’s The Congregation
As you know, we like to feature cool and unusual places. This week is no different. We are back at The Congregation which we featured back in 2021 when we first stumbled across them. A lot has changed since then and we wanted to bring them back to front and center, to highlight all the cool and exciting things they have to offer. They are located in The Boston Edison District at 12th St (Rosa Parks Blvd) and Atkinson, just 1 block from the corner of 12th street and Clairmont. The location of the incident that sparked the Detroit riots of 1967. It seems to check all the boxes of the types of places we strive to find and share with everyone. Historical building or location (check), good food (check), cool coffee selections (check) and a bar serving more than just beer and wine (double check) Welcome to The Congregation!
The Congregation is the site of an old church that was built in 1924. You can read more about it here. It is amazing that this building is still standing, while nearly 1400 buildings were burned or damaged during the riot, the church was left untouched. The inside structure remains pretty much the same as it was through the years with vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, original brick walls and maple flooring throughout. There are even still a few church pews that are used for seating. When you go there, you have to check out the organ which dates back to the 1870’s. It is considered one of their main focal points of the interior giving it that “church feeling.”
The inside has a limited seating capacity, with room for maybe 40-45 people, but they do have a large deck and a nice yard with about 12 picnic tables surrounding a bonfire pit. They offer different activities throughout the week:
Zumba classes
Yoga Classes
Trivia nights
Kids art classes on weekends
Live music most Saturdays from 6:00PM to 7:30PM
On top of the full bar and their incredible coffees and lattes, they have great food. They offer pastries, bagels, croissants, avocado toast, sandwiches, soups and salads as well as seasonal specials. We have been there a few times in the past year. We try to stop in whenever we are in the area. We have had a lot of the items on their menu which is constantly evolving. One of the things we have enjoyed the most is their Turkey Brie-L-T sandwich served on sourdough. Our favorite sandwich hands down. They also offer a Vegan Chickpea sandwich which is a Chickpea salad with chipotle mayo, lettuce and tomato served on marbled rye bread.
The Congregation, is located at 9321 Rosa Parks (12th Street) on the corner of Rosa Parks and Atkinson. They are open Tues-Fri 8AM-9PM, Sat 9AM-9PM, Sunday 9AM-6PM and closed on Monday.
Until next week. Enjoy Life and Eat Well! Also if you or anyone you know anyone looking to buy or sell a house have them call me I’d be happy to help them out.
- Keith & Teresa Becker