I’m not one to lose myself in thought very often, but when it does happen it’s always an adventure. Last week, I was riding my bike past Michigan Central Station in Corktown and thought, I can’t wait until this building is operational again. Wouldn’t it be great if I had enough money to buy it?

I was recently in Kansas City visiting some friends from Peace Corps. While we were there we visited a restored train station that was filled with people and family festivities for the holidays. It got me thinking, what would I do with Michigan Central Station if I owned it?

Quick side story…

Do you remember those moments in English class when your teacher or professor would tell you to write? “Just write,” I remember them saying like it was as easy and intuitive as brushing your teeth. Like a psychologist trying to pry thoughts out of your complex mind with a patronizing tone. “Just write. Don’t think about the words coming out on the page. You’ll have time to organize your thoughts later. Now is the time for writing.”

These moments always stressed me right out. I was not a good spontaneous writer and I didn’t like someone constantly whispering to remind me how easy it should be.

The point I’m trying to make is that if I had a pen and paper while I was riding my bike past Michigan Central Station that day, I would have written a novel and I have no idea what sparked the sudden burst of thought. So, instead of a novel, I’m going to try and capture a few of the main points that I remember in this post.

When I thought of what I would do with the currently vacant Michigan Central Station I immediately thought of an Eastern Market-type scenario where local business owners and entrepreneurs who don’t have brick and mortar locations could go to sell their products. Detroit is filled with tons of small business owners with really cool, creative ideas and this would be a great way to foster that talent. Right?

Michigan Central Station at night. This photo was taken by my Challenge Detroit colleague, Nadir Ali, who also owns a business on the side called 3andathird. Very talented guy with a great eye for photography. Go to 3andathird.com to check out his product line and other photos!

Well, that brilliant idea lasted a few seconds before I started to wonder if the market for small business development in Detroit is becoming oversaturated? Is this something anyone else is concerned with? Or is my minimal knowledge of economics way off here?

A few weeks ago my girlfriend and I went to the Detroit Urban Craft Fair at the Masonic Temple. When we walked into the large hall where all the vendors were set up, we were both very impressed. Just the size of the event was incredible. But as we started walking through the aisles it seemed like we were constantly running into small variations of the same idea (jewelry, stationery, and other small handmade goods). Just to clarify, all of these things were fantastic, well-crafted items, and all of the vendors I met were incredibly kind and generous, but it seemed to become a bit redundant as I moved through the aisles.

A look at the Detroit Urban Craft Fair at the Masonic Temple

I was lucky enough to get to several of the holiday markets in Detroit over the past few weeks, but the more events I went to, the more I realized that a lot of these small business vendors have very similar products. One item that comes to mind is some variation of a Detroit-themed T-shirt that usually has a prideful statement on the front or back and an old-English D. These T-shirts are so prevalent that you would think the market for them must be oversaturated despite high demand.

I don’t know everyone’s story. Maybe these businesses aren’t intended to be a sole source of income, or maybe it’s just a hobby. What I do know is that people in Detroit have incredible ideas and I know it’s possible for two people to have the same idea…so why not partner up and share the successes?

The entrepreneurial culture in Detroit is unlike any I have ever seen (which may not be that spectacular considering I’m only 28): the idea of creating one’s own business and trying something on his/her own seems to be met with overwhelming support now, instead of skepticism. It really is one of the coolest things about living here. However, will these individual, yet somewhat similar business endeavors be sustainable in the long run (how did I become the skeptic)? Sometimes, it seems like the idea of becoming your own boss (which I, too, would love to do at some point in my professional career), might be more important than finding the best way to ensure long-term success.

Bottom line…I love supporting small businesses development here in Detroit. I really don’t have much money to my name and still I will blow a bunch at these holiday markets because there is a unique, personal connection to be made when you buy something from a small business owner compared to a chain or superstore. I hope the current state of entrepreneurship here never goes away.

Cut back to the bike ride past Michigan Central Station…

At this point I probably biked about 10 wheel rotations in the time it took all those thoughts to rush through my brain. After that, I started thinking about the cost of urbanization in a place like Detroit…

Detroit’s Western Market, a bustling consumer mecca on Detroit’s west side, was taken down in the 1960s to make room for the I-75 & I-96 interchange. The decision was made due to an influx in population/traffic and the need to compensate with appropriate infrastructure. Logistically, it makes perfect sense. Economically and socially, it left dozens of farmers and independent business owners without a place to market and sell their products (obviously, Eastern Market is now that place). Additionally, it forced dozens of businesses, like Hygrade Deli, to relocate while others closed down permanently.

Every day, Detroit is getting more and more positive press (it’s about time) and fewer publications are referring to it as the worst city in America, or the worst city in America, or the worst city in America (thank you for your consistently original thoughts, national media), though clearly there is still a fair share.

It took Google 0.32 seconds to give me multiple reasons why Detroit was/is the worst city in America.

However, with the increase in the city’s positive publicity and more organizations like Challenge Detroit trying to attract both fellows and the general public to the city, will there be another point in Detroit’s future like the closing down of a Western Market? With the price of real estate in Detroit so low, will larger corporations finally realize the potential of this great city and will we, and the small business owners we all love to support, regret our relentless advertisement of Detroit to others?

I hope this didn’t sound too apocalyptic or dark. I guess I’m finally starting to understand the old Detroit vs. new Detroit discussion. Needless to say, this was one hell of a bike ride. My head was spinning by the time I arrived at my destination only a few minutes later.