The Schvitz

Man oh man.

If you have a friend coming in from out of town and you want to show them something that actually feels like Detroit, The Schvitz has to be on the agenda.

This place is a staple. A real one. Historical, gritty, weird, warm, and full of character. I honestly wish there were five more of these around the city, especially during those cold Michigan winter months when your bones feel like they need to be steamed back to life.

You feel the history immediately. The building has that old Detroit soul — rough around the edges, but beautiful because of it. Nothing here feels overly polished, and that’s kind of the point. It has everything you need, without pretending to be something it’s not.

Now, yes, the crowd can lean ultra-hipster at times. A little cliquey, a little “moved in from the burbs, bought the big old house, and now says Detroit like it’s a lifestyle brand.” But hey, that’s part of the modern Detroit mix too. No real hate. I usually just close my eyes, keep to myself, and let the sauna do its magic.

My recommendation? Come early. Stay longer than you think you should. Don’t rush it. Go outside, get some fresh air, sit by the fire, then come back in and order some food.

And yes, you can get a steak and pierogies here.

How Detroit is that?

Now, for the restrooms.

They have co-ed restrooms on the main floor with two stalls and two urinals. They were clean, but personally, not private enough for me — especially when the place gets busy. That really brings the rating down.

Accessibility is also a challenge here, which is unfortunately common with older historic Detroit buildings. 🚫♿️

There’s also a restroom by the pool/showers, but during my visit, it felt pretty much unusable. Just being real.

Outside of that, The Schvitz is absolutely worth checking out. Maybe it becomes your thing. Maybe it doesn’t. But you won’t know until you sit in the heat, sweat it out, and let the place show you what it is.