In the July heat, I traipsed my mattress and book shelves and knick knacks across the city from Midtown to Mexicantown in Southwest Detroit. And although it was convenient living blocks away from the Detroit Institute of Arts, Whole Foods and other Midtown perks, I was excited about this move for lots of reasons. As I’ve settled into the neighborhood in the last weeks, I’ve grown to appreciate its charms more and more.
First among its charms: tacos. Lots and lots of them! Even when I was living in Midtown, I found myself hopping onto 75 South to go to Taqueria Lupita’s on a regular basis. Now that I can walk a few blocks to this and many other yummy Mexican restaurants, I’ve found my diet to include about 15 tacos a week. (Just kidding!) Not to be omitted is the famed Honeybee Market, which is where my roommate and I love to indulge in homemade tortilla chips (we highly recommend the spicy ones!) and the best guacamole in the city. Overall, this neighborhood’s abundance of Mexican cuisine, not to mention its proximity to a Detroit coffeehouse gem, Cafe con Leche, is one of its many benefits.
Complimentary salsas at Lupita’s!
One of the other reasons I enjoy eating out in my neighborhood is its affordability. Although Detroit boasts many cheap, delicious eats, I find the value of Mexicantown food unbeatable. Four dollar car washes, dollar loads of laundry and 8 inch pizzas for $3.50 don’t hurt either. All of these affordable options are within walking distance, which, of course, saves on gas and money. When I do decide to leave the neighborhood, it’s extremely easy for me to slip onto interstate 75 or Fort Street, linking me to the center of the spokes to what feels like every road in the area. I’m finding that this convenience not only spares me from traffic frustrations, but also allows me to spend less on gas. Above all, I am most thankful for my budget-friendly apartment rent — an enormous advantage of the neighborhood.
The courtyard of my apartment building.
On my apartment’s porch, I often like to peek over the tree tops to the landmarks on my left and right. On my left, I can see the top four or five floors of Michigan Central Station. For me, peeking at this train station, I am regularly reminded of Detroit’s historical relevance; how important this city was and is. On my right, I can see the blue and red glow of the Ambassador Bridge, its name as the top of a cascade of white lights. I love witnessing the buzz of this massive international border crossing (the busiest on the continent!). A few blocks from the bridge sits St. Anne’s, the second oldest, continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the US. The parish also houses Freedom House, a non-profit where I volunteer. Living among these important places, I feel closer to the excitement of change in the city.
Below the Ambassador Bridge on Fort Street, only a few blocks from my house.
When my roommate and I moved into our apartment on West Grand Boulevard back in July, we knew one person in the building. Thankfully, we met some friendly neighbors within minutes of our first moving day arrival that have guided us through the ins and outs of the building. With our property manager down the hallway, and some new friends on other floors, we’ve settled cozily into our circa-1929 home and its historical quirks (read: milk delivery cubby and a 1929 intercom phone). But its not just the friendliness of the neighbors that’s been meaningful to me, but also their diversity in backgrounds, jobs, ages, races, and lifestyles. I love living a few doors down the street from a fellow Kalamazoo College alumna, across the street from a live Mariachi band-loving family, an apartment below an older, retired man and down the street from a Challenge Detroit buddy. And often, as I walk down our shaded boulevard, I like to imagine what this neighborhood was in the past, and what it will be in the future.
That sense of history is palpable in lots of Detroit’s unique neighborhoods, but for me, I can’t get enough of Mexicantown’s charms. Come visit!