We Are Surviving in the D!

Campus Martius (inside at the water fountain)

It's been a while since my last post in Living in the D... okay it's been since 2009. A lot has happened in the past 7 years...wow! From my experiences, I was going through a slight despair with everything that was going on. We had elected officials charged and arrested for fraud and a failing school system which is still in a fight of its existence. We have a new mayor and lights in the neighborhoods and houses being razed, but he's going through some issues with the Feds investigation of the blight removal program. On the flip side to positive news, we have the M-1 Railing that's being built along Woodward Corridor as well as the new Detroit Events and Entertainment Center (home of the Red Wings). Also, we have all the construction that's going on in Midtown...oh, Whole Foods Detroit, Renovation of the Eastern Market, the new State ran Belle Isle and the re-opening on the Aquarium. "The Belle Isle Aquarium was designed by famed Detroit architect, Albert Kahn, and opened on August 18, 1904. It is the oldest aquarium in the country" via Belle Isle Conservancy.org and 2 new Meijers in the city. Okay we have progress!!!!

At the time I started this blog, I was unemployed for 3 years, but it was a learning experience and a much needed break for me to reflect. Heck who am I kidding...I'm still reflecting. My mind is always wondering, thinking, optimistic and being creative. 

The photo I have posted on the left was a photo I took inside Compuware 
when I was bike riding around the city back in 2009 during my time of reflection. I was able to experience the city like a child in a candy store. I saw places from a bike that I didn't realize we had especially when driving (I keep my eyes on the road with these sporadic drivers), well that's another story. Okay getting back to my story, this photo is a reminder of the beginning of a resurgence of my city...in my opinion. It was the first new office building construction we had in the city in a while. At the time Borders Bookstore was an anchor store, and Olga's Kitchen was opened (which is now closed...bummer). Now there's Texas de Brazil and Hardrock Cafe is still going strong in business.

Campus Martius during the International Jazz Festival

Oh...as I'm typing there's so many places that's popping in my head that has happened. We now have 2 majors news stations downtown. WDIV Channel 4 has always been in the city, but WXYZ Channel 7 now have a studio downtown that debuted in February 2016 "inside the Qube building (formerly the Chase Bank building) on Woodward Avenue along Campus Martius Park" via http://www.wxyz.com/news/new-wxyz-downtown-detroit-studio-to-debut-thursday-during-7-action-news-at-noon. Also, just a host of restaurants and places to socialize. I will focus more on that later on.

With the Super Bowl XL in 2006 was like a breath of fresh air the city needed to start moving forth. Reflecting back, I'm glad I didn't leave the city. I won't lie, there were times whereas I was researching other places outside of Michigan to relocate, but my husband didn't want to hear any of it. I wanted to experience other places to possibly have the feeling that I miss being in Detroit. I get to experience that feeling by listening to others who have left and come back to visit about missing the people and the city itself. I won't lie though, the auto insurance is killing my pockets for a vehicle that is 13 years old. I get pissed off hearing how much lower the insurance is for others outside of Detroit zip code. That itself is a crime. 

Well with the resurgence of our downtown and midtown area, I'm looking forward to the growth to come back into the neighborhoods. As I hear that housing is being bought up in record numbers, I can't help but ask when families were going through foreclosures, why wasn't there any provisions of how to protect the properties from vandalism. I've seen homes that were immaculate fall into decay almost overnight. In the end the banks/mortgage companies have won because since they insured the homes in case of foreclosures and now they are making money by funding the renovations (smart move on their part). I'm all about prevention, but that's another story.

Okay I'm done with the rambling, but I have a new sense of hope and enthusiasm of seeing the once abandoned beautiful architecture once again breath new life. In closing of how we are surviving in the D, I can only hope that everyone and every culture can co-mingle without greed, but being able to afford and enjoy all that the city offers.