Come Visit!

This month, I am going to walk you through some of my Detroit firsts. There have been some expected and insignificant, like my first Detroit parking ticket. But below is the good stuff; the stuff that makes me proud to live here.

Visit to Belle Isle:

Three weeks ago, our cohort of fellows united with DTE and planted over 6,000 daffodil bulbs on the Isle. Our contribution was just one small part of a greater initiative to plant a daffodil for every resident of Detroit (~700,000 daffodils and counting!). I can’t wait to see the Isle when the flowers are all in bloom.

In action!

Bulbs! Photo cred: Ann Philips

Hiking (Kensington State Park):

I grew up in southern Indiana, in a small lake community called Painted Hills. The name was coined for the beauty of the hills during fall, where the multi-colored leaves painted the hills and valleys with surreal beauty. I’ve found such beauty in Detroit’s fall, particularly in Kensington State Park, where the trees blazed with color. As a lover of the outdoors, I am incredibly thankful to be able to experience nature in the greater Detroit area!

What a great area to ponder life.

I loved this contrast. No filter, just nature.

Biking:

I finally brought my bikes to Detroit—just in time to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. Biking along the Dequindre Cut, Eastern Market, the RiverWalk, and downtown made for an active, scenic, and tasty afternoon. I have decided to make a concerted effort to #BikeDetroit before the snow begins [I have at least a week, I hope].

Taken while biking to the Dequindre Cut

John King Bookstore:

I have long loved used bookstores. Something about the smell of an old book, along with the awareness that the story has likely been taken in by past generations of people just like me, make a used book much more appealing than a crisp, newly printed edition. John King Bookstore did not disappoint! Four stories of used books fill the shelves and many more boxes wait to be sorted. I have to admit that I was too overwhelmed to buy on the first visit. Likely, I will need solitude and about 4 hours to kill before I can really dive into the experience J

John K. King register line + Josh

So.Many.Books.

Hosting guests

I also had the distinct pleasure of hosting my dear friends from Milwaukee this past weekend. Becky and Adam are two of the most wonderful people I am privileged to know and having them here made Detroit feel even more like home. It was a wonderful experience to be able to show off my ‘new’ city to guests. This is always my favorite part of moving!

While they were here, we biked the city, had lunch at Eastern Market, and enjoyed a swanky cocktail hour at Coach Insignia (the restaurant on the top floor of the middle Ren Cen tower—beautiful view!). We also explored the Arboretum in Ann Arbor. I feel like I am truly becoming a Michigan resident and I love it!

Becky and Adam Enjoying the View from Coach Ensignia

Shark Attack in Eastern Market!

Challenge presentation

This month, we also had our first Challenge Presentation for our nonprofit partner, Recovery Park. Recovery Park is a nonprofit, with a mission to launch sustainable, for-profit businesses in Detroit. Their goal is to employ local residents to grow produce year round (through hydroponic farming), thus tackling both issues of vacant land use and high Detroit unemployment rates.

We were broken up into teams and tasked with different objectives—i.e. developing graphics, reaching out to the community, designing a volunteer event, etc. My group was Community Engagement: Food-Related Businesses. We reached out to local restaurants and grocery stores to learn about their processes for purchasing produce and their feelings about supporting local growers and hydroponic farming in general. Our findings were varied but it was clear that Recovery Park’s mission fit quite well with the mission of establishments committed to food transparency, local produce, and supporting the local economy first.

Our interviews took us to the top!

Brittany absolutely nailed the presentation! Love her!

All in all, this past month has been my best yet in Michigan (though I have only have five). I even got cotton candy at work today.

I LOVE cotton candy!!!

I cannot wait to see what the future brings! Thank you for reading. Please leave me a note if you made it through this! 😛

Liz