There have been a lot of really great things about my time in Detroit so far, and one of them has without a doubt been the weather. Well, maybe not the weather exactly- coming off of four years in Southern California, Michigan’s record breaking winter has certainly been an adjustment. But despite countless cold and dark mornings spent scraping the ice from my windshield and the ever-worsening potholes on Woodward, distinct seasonal change has been a welcome part of my life in Detroit.
In honor of our most recent seasonal jump into Spring**, here is a list of some of the things I’m looking forward to as the days get longer, the evenings get warmer, and the snow finally melts:
Wednesday night movies at New Center Park– Nothing says summer to me like outdoor movie screenings. New Center Park is right across the street from my office, and I’m excited to spend some evenings lounging in the grass and enjoying an outdoor movie.
Parker Street Market– I’ve been a huge fan of my West Village neighborhood since day one, but it just keeps getting easier and easier to love as more Detroiters and businesses move in. Parker Street Market will be opening right down the block from me in early April, and I can’t want to stop by and check it out. While I try to do most of my grocery shopping at Eastern Market on Saturdays, it will be SO convenient to have a new market close by for those mid-week grocery needs.
The New and Improved Belle Isle– It was a controversial decsision to hand control of Belle Isle over to the State, but Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources has promised a number of improvements to Detroit’s somewhat neglected island park. I loved the tail end of ‘beach season’ at Belle Isle last summer, so I’m really looking forward to taking advantage of the upgrades (and sunshine!) this summer.
Slow Roll– Slow Roll has become a Detroit institution, with the weekly Monday night bike rides drawing thousands of Detroiters on two wheels. I’ve never been an avid biker, but it’s hard not to find something to like, between the event’s bar-anchored start and end points, and the community excitement the rides generate.
**I am choosing to ignore Michigan’s perpetually cold and snowy weather and go by the calendar demarcation of Spring. Despite the fact that was snowing as I wrote this post.