6th & Detroit, Long Beach’s OG mid-century modern outlet, is celebrating ten years of old-school furniture, interior design, independent fashion, and good ol’ community connection.
And what better way to celebrate than through a good ol’ fashioned pseudo-block party? Come Saturday, April 18, from 11AM to 4PM at her 412 Termino Ave. store, Michelle will host not just her own goods, but an array of food, drinks, and creations from some of the finest in the Long Beach community.
Wait—tell me more about this party…
Michelle’s party? It is a reflection of the connections she’s built along the way. Stellar food and drinks. Music. Leather goods. Wood masters. Floral maestros. And, of course, vintage.
Food:
Beverages:
- Vinyl: @recordbox_lb
- Leathergoods: @grbgmade
- Woodwork: @altaloma.co
- Florals: @xylemflorals
6th & Detroit is, through and through, a Long Beach story of determination.
For Michelle Qazi, 6th & Detroit did not begin with a storefront. It began with accumulation: Years and years of vintage pieces gathered inside her home. An instinct for curation. And, eventually, the realization that what she had built privately might resonate publicly.
“The shop started off technically in 2015, just on Etsy, just from hoarding vintage in my house and deciding to sell it,” Michelle said. “Then I got word on the street that there was a cute little space opening up in the East Village. And after doing a few pop-ups locally in Long Beach, I decided to open up shop there and give it a try.”
Those early pop-ups—at Maker’s Mart, May Collective, and Prism—offered immediate proof that Long Beach was ready for something specific: a retail space built around highly curated vintage rather than general resale.
“At that time, there wasn’t anyone really selling the kind of vintage that I was, which was mainly focused on a boho mix with mid-century,” she said. “It was super curated, and I think people really appreciated that in 2016. I knew the demand was there for a physical shop.”
6th & Detroit came to Long Beach at the right place at the right time.
That timing mattered. 6th & Detroit arrived just as Long Beach itself was beginning to more consciously embrace its own mid-century design heritage—from Cliff May homes to Edward Killingsworth landmarks and civic icons like the Terrace Theater. Michelle had already been living inside that world long before it became a broader cultural conversation.
“Even when we got our Cliff May Rancho in 2007, it was still a lot of original owners who all felt like we had this secret little neighborhood,” she said. “Now you’ve got this mile-long wait list of people trying to get in. It’s just cool to see architecture and design really take such a huge rise.”
In many ways, the shop grew alongside that awareness, becoming one of the city’s clearest expressions of design-minded retail during a moment when Long Beach was beginning to understand that part of itself more fully.
Its original Downtown chapter also unfolded during what many longtime residents still consider one of the most energetic eras for the East Village Arts District. It was a period defined by constant foot traffic, cultural programming, and a kind of creative density that shaped an entire generation of small businesses.
The shift to Belmont Heights wasn’t about dismissing DTLB, but evolving.
“It was at its prime,” she said. “Buskerfest, Summer and Music, Live After Five—I even hosted a show at the shop for Live After Five. It was so sick. I’m so grateful to have been there during its prime of that era.”
But as Downtown shifted, so did the practical realities of operating there, and eventually Michelle began looking elsewhere. When friends at Prism told her about a Belmont Heights storefront, she immediately recognized the fit.
“I took a look at it and fell in love with the neighborhood and knew right away: this is our new home,” she said. “It’s just so fitting, and it’s been such a great move so far.”
What has emerged in Belmont Heights is less a traditional retail shop than a hybrid community space—something Michelle openly embraces.
Turning toward community: 6th & Detroit is less self-focused in all the right ways.
“The biggest shift of all is that it’s way more community-focused,” she said. “With monthly workshops and monthly events, the shop has turned into a place where we kind of all gather. And not just to come buy vintage. You can learn ikebana floral arrangement. You can learn Japanese calligraphy… There are so many different workshops, and people just come and hang.”
Her husband jokingly calls it a community center, a label she happily accepts and “takes as a compliment.”
That spirit defines 6th & Detroit’s 10th anniversary celebration this weekend, which brings together food, music, local vendors, and pop-ups—including giving smaller businesses the same opportunities she once received. “My favorite part about events is when I can give other small businesses a chance to pop up,” Michelle said. “There have been so many times where it’s their first pop-up, and I’m just like, yes—let’s go for it.”
6th & Detroit has evolved from a solo project into a multi-pronged, brand-sharing space.
For Michelle, the anniversary is less about nostalgia than gratitude.
“Ten years is such a big deal,” she said. “It’s wild. I’m just so proud of it, proud of what it’s become and how it’s evolved. The community really shows up for it, and I just want to give this party to them as a gift—to say thank you for always showing up.”
And thanks to that showing up, the space isn’t just Michelle and her collection. It is an array of brands that now call 6th & Detroit their brick-and-mortar home:
- Nice One Vintage: a fun eclectic collection of clothing and home goods
- Nue Vintage: timeless, classic vintage clothing and accessories
- Sang House: the best collector of ’80s and postmodern objects
- Pilgrim Vintage: curated clothing and handmade beaded accessories using vintage glass beads
- Joohwa Archives: carefully selected vintage sterling silver jewelry
- Mind To Light: hand-fused glass housewares and accessories
6th & Detroit’s 10th anniversary celebration will take place on Saturday, April 18, from 11AM to 4PM, at 412 Termino Ave.
