The Local 1253 Boutique to sell, yup, local goods on Woodward Downtown

Inside Detroit, the nonprofit tour and Welcome Center operator, has added another feather to its cap with the opening of The Local 1253, a collection of  locally-designed and hand-crafted arts, crafts and goods produced by Detroit-area artists, craftspeople and merchants.

The Local 1253, which is located in the same Lofts of Merchants Row retail space as the Inside Detroit Welcome Center, stocks products both Detroit-themed and non-themed, including tee-shirts and other apparel, jewelry, home goods, specialty candles and soaps, handbags and totes, photographs and note and post cards with an intent of targeting Final Four visitors.

Heading up the collective is Emily Linn -- who creates City Bird, a line of city-themed housewares, accessories and paper goods, with her brother, Andy -- and Michelle DiMercurio, a freelance graphic designer, photographer and crafter. "Inside Detroit graciously let us use their space," says Linn, who noted that the team hopes to continue the project through the summer.

Over Final Four weekend, Linn said there was plenty of foot traffic. "It was steady with people coming into the Welcome Center," she says. "There was a reason for people to come into the space anyways -- it was a nice convergence."

Featured vendors include Sarah Lapinski of Wound Menswear and Motor City Sewing, tee-shirts from Detroit Shirt Company and Robert Stanzler's Detroit Manufacturing and birch-bark jewelry from Bettula.

The Local 1923 is located at 1253 Woodward. Call 313-268-6562.

Source: Emily Linn, The Local 1253 and City Bird
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh