A 4.5-acre stretch of woods on Detroit's east side is now home to Islandview Sauna Club — a wood-fired outdoor retreat that feels more like a Northern Michigan basecamp than a city spa.

Why it matters: The club taps into a nationwide sauna trend while turning an industrial pocket of Islandview into an outdoor gathering space.

State of play: The project was originally envisioned as a larger hospitality development with possibly a boutique hotel, restaurant and sauna on a sizable plot of land.

• Instead, co-owner Jacques Driscoll and Tamas von Staden, a Royal Oak-based architect who partnered on the project, pivoted after falling for handcrafted, wood-burning saunas they learned about at a Minneapolis event.
• "We unexpectedly bought these saunas," Driscoll tells Axios.
• The purchase forced them to get started and let the project grow organically. They've invested about $150,000 so far in three saunas, a canvas basecamp tent, fencing and a cold plunge setup.

What it's like: Guests rotate between saunas heated from about 160 degrees to 200-plus and a cold plunge that's hovered around 33 degrees in recent weeks.

• The recommended flow for beginners: 10-15 minutes in the sauna, a few minutes cooling off outdoors (or in the plunge), then repeat.

What they're saying: The outdoor experience is intentionally elemental — wood smoke in the air, a bonfire and people lingering in camp chairs between sessions.

The intrigue: The site runs along an old rail corridor that has naturally reforested, creating a north-south green swath through an industrial stretch of the city.

• Much of Detroit's culture "is turned inward — you have to go through a door to get to it," says von Staden.
• "I really like the idea of Islandview being this neighborhood where culture is turned inside out and it's accessible to everybody."

What's next: Future plans could include cabins or A-frame lodging, a food component and outdoor programming — built gradually over five to 10 years.

If you go: 1000 Beaufait St.

• 4-8pm Friday, 1-5pm Saturday-Sunday.
• $25/hour; reservations required.

Pro tip: Friday nights are currently the easiest slots to book, and owners say the camp is especially magical after dark.

A new photo exhibition at Irwin House Gallery examines decades of Detroit policing through the perspective of a former detective who learned difficult truths about the criminal justice system.

State of play: "Friendly Fire," from Detroit native artist Khary Mason, reflects his experiences on both sides of the law.

• The show depicts his path from watching police TV shows as a child to entering the police academy looking to become a hero. And then — discovering uncomfortable truths about the system, at odds with his intentions.

Zoom in: Mason went from working as a Detroit homicide detective to investigating claims of wrongful convictions under the Michigan Attorney General's Office, helping get six individuals exonerated.

If you go: Friendly Fire runs through March 15. Hours are noon-7pm Thursdays-Saturdays and noon-5pm Sundays, plus by appointment. Events include an open mic night 6-9pm today hosted by Mason and a soundscape listening party Feb. 22.

• Irwin House is at 2351 W. Grand Blvd.

Zoom out: Alongside partners, Irwin House has also organized Sacred Spaces, a fourth annual self-guided tour across the city throughout Black History Month of Black-led arts spaces.

• More than 20 spaces are participating, with exhibitions and events including a free art exhibition with art for sale at Alkebulan Village (1-5pm Saturday and Sunday) and the opening of "From Ghana and Beyond" at Harper Galleries (noon-5pm Saturday and Sunday).

⚕️ A judge ordered mental health treatment for the man who reportedly ran his car into a terminal at Detroit Metro Airport. (Free Press)

🗓️ Ramadan is expected to start Tuesday evening (the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle), lasting into mid-March, with charity, community support, food events and communal gatherings throughout the metro. (Detroit News)

❌ Footage of Michigan native Nicole Curtis of HGTV's "Rehab Addict" using a racial slur led to her show getting pulled from the network.

• The show had featured several homes being renovated in Detroit. (News)

A startup participating in Detroit's Sustainable Cities Challenge is testing if fast electric vehicle charging can work in older urban grids without costly upgrades.

Why it matters: ElectricFish says its approach allows fast charging to be deployed using existing connections, avoiding utility upgrades that can slow electrification by adding permitting time and cost.

State of play: The company installed a high-speed EV charger at Eastern Market that draws power slowly from the grid, stores it in large batteries and dispenses it to vehicles in short bursts.

• The charger can deliver up to 400 kilowatts while drawing just 30 kilowatts from the grid, company officials tell Axios.

Zoom in: At Eastern Market, the charger has been operating for several months, connecting to passenger vehicles, rideshare drivers and test vehicles.

What they're saying: The charger can add significant range in minutes, comparing the experience to refueling a gas-powered vehicle, co-founder and CEO Anurag Kamal tells Axios.

What's next: ElectricFish is reaching out to local gas stations to deploy their units, Kamal says.

The recently reincarnated Rose's Fine Food nabbed the top spot as the Free Press' 2026 restaurant of the year.

Catch up quick: Rose's was an east side brunch diner that closed in 2023. It reopened last year as a dinner spot, offering Polish favorites and dishes inspired by the cuisine.

What they're saying: "Where there were once briny allusions to [chef-owner Molly] Mitchell's Polish American heritage — pickles here and there, dill everywhere — the newer recipes are more personal, culled directly from the chef's fondest memories growing up with Polish grandparents," Freep restaurant critic Lyndsay C. Green wrote.