The Villages of Detroit eNewsletter

Quisque: Porttitor

eNewsletter Number 1 September 2011

http://thevillagesofdetroit.com/ 313-486-2900

Praesent: Sagittis

From newcomers to new community initiatives these are exciting times in The Villages

There is a renewed sense of purpose happening in Detroit. It is fueled by the continued commitment of long-term residents to restore, preserve and protect their homes and unique neighborhoods as well key core businesses like Blue Cross Blue Shield, Compuware, Quicken, and GM to reinvest and move their employees downtown, along with a great variety of new tech and creative start-ups.

Add to that new neighbors who have come from other urban centers like San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and New York wanting to be part of the reinvention and sustainability of Detroit and you have the perfect recipe for a 21st Century American success story.

The Villages of Detroit represent a key part of that dynamic. Unique among a variety of great Detroit neighborhoods is our proximity to the Detroit River and the walkable access to Belle Isle Park and Detroit’s RiverWalk providing public access to the riverfront for the first time in our City’s history.

“Inside the pages of this, The Villages first eNewsletter, we detail some Villager’s stories, as well as some key community initiatives that the Villages Community Development Corporation has

helped bring to our riverside neighborhood. In fact, some of this content will also be shared in the “Living in the V!” tour booklet to reach a broader audience. Future eNewsletters, as well as our

website, will continually be updated to reflect these stories and exciting community building initiatives to come”. Kirsten Ussery, President, The Villages Community Development

Corporation

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Issue 1 September 2011 The Villages of Detroit http://thevillagesofdetroit.com/

Join us in a celebration of City Living – our 5th Annual ‘Living in the V!’ on Sunday September 25th from 12 noon until 5 p.m. at The Parkstone, Parker at Agnes, West Village, Detroit. The Villages Community Development Corporation sponsors the annual ‘Living in the V!’ Real Estate Open House & Community Festival to spotlight the great values in housing inherent in our near-eastside Community. And, we’ll make it a fun afternoon for our residents and visitors with a Community Festival! Join us on Agnes between Parker and Van Dyke in West Village. Browse arts and crafts offered for sale by local artisans

Enjoy the Sounds Listen to the sounds of local performers on the hour - This year featuring Murrow’s Boys, Billy Davis, and special guest jazz song-stylist Shahida Nurullah

Purchase a snack or beverage to enjoy at our outdoor café.

Explore the Villages Hop on a bus for a free guided bus tour of the Villages Neighborhood: six communities with loads of history and charm, parks, historic homes and churches, local businesses and lovely riverfront features, and end the trip with a tour of the Henry Ford Medical Center at Harbortown.

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Promoting Livability grant from the Kresge Foundation

The Villages Community Development Corporation received a small grant from the Kresge Foundation to implement neighborhood streetscape elements. The grant covers a host of items including historic gas lamp repair, West Village banner installation, a Rain Garden demonstration project, bike rack installation and a sculpture depicting six glass pieces symbolizing the six neighborhoods of the Villages. These elements provide community identity and a sense of place. They will add to our growing interest in small scale commercial businesses to provide the Villages residents a safe and walk able neighborhood.

Better Buildings for Michigan The Villages Communities, including the Church of Messiah Housing Corporation and Genesis HOPE, have been awarded a Better Buildings for Michigan program grant. This program offers homeowners incentives and services to help them make energy efficiency improvements to their homes. The improvements have multiple benefits including making the homes more comfortable and safer, lowering utility costs, building a job market around energy efficiency, and helping to develop a community-wide role as a green leader for our region. This program will typically bring between $250,000 and $500,000 of investment into the neighborhood. Community Legal Resources SAFE grant

Community Legal Resources (CLR) has approved the Villages Community Development Corporation two Security Alternative Funding and Empowerment (SAFE) grants. The purposes of the grants are to provide direct financial assistance to groups carrying out vacant property maintenance and neighborhood security initiatives in Detroit. We received one grant for a Clean, Green & Safe program being implemented in IslandView Village, and one grant for security and vacant lot maintenance throughout the Villages neighborhoods. We are excited to be able to offer our resident neighborhood organizations some help with safety and blight within our community.

Plus new Tashmoo Biergarten and The Villages Rain Garden detailed on the following pages

2011 Villages Community Happenings

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Following a trend of successful beer gardens in other cities, a group of neighborhood residents banded together to produce this event. Located on Van Dyke Avenue just north of Agnes Street, the “Biergarten” will offer six or more locally brewed beers in a natural outdoor setting. The TASHMOO ORGANIZATION hopes this will develop an attraction for commercial businesses to locate in the Villages.

DETAILS

The Tashmoo Biergarten is a “pop-up” beer garden in West Village.

Location: 1416 Van Dyke, Detroit, MI 48226

Hours: Every Sunday 12:00 pm-9:00 pm Starting September 9/25 through October 23

About: Meet Up. Drink Bier.

Description: What to do with all that Detroit space? Well, drink beer. Or should we say, bier? This fall, over five Sundays they are transforming a vacant lot in Detroit's West Village into a European-style biergarten with a little Detroit moxie.

Tashmoo. An early 20th century Great Lakes steam ship. A former amusement park on Harsen’s Island. An American Indian word meaning "meeting place." Plenty to talk about over a good bier. So pop in and soak up a nice sessions brew, or three, in the great outdoors. Thumb wrestle a stranger. And see some real live, roll-up-your-sleeves Detroit- happening right in front of you.

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Rain Garden grows in The Villages Spring time planting grows into an summertime delight at Agnes and Van Dyke Avenue

West Village resident Marie Gunter tending The Villages of Detroit Rain Garden Demonstration

Project just started this spring

The Villages of Detroit Rain Garden Demonstration Project

A rain garden is designed to collect runoff from surrounding properties. The water then infiltrates the ground and replenishes groundwater and helps protect water quality by trapping sediments, fertilizers, and other pollutants. Native plants and grasses provide food and shelter for butterflies, pollinators and songbirds. Professional oversight, topology studies, designs and project managements were donated by Lawrence Technological University. The actual construction was done by volunteers from the community. Funding for the project was made possible by The Kresge Foundation with a Promoting Livability Grant.

An environmental plus for our Villagers and the world we all live in We can work together to prevent combined sewage overflows and storm water pollution by encouraging the use of “green” water infrastructure solutions at the individual, neighborhood and city levels. Green water infrastructure refers to anything that prevents contaminated rainwater and snowmelt from entering the storm drain. Interested residents can receive a complete listing of native plants, locations where they can be purchased and directions on how to build a rain garden at home by contacting: Kim Rusinow, Project Coordinator 313-486-2900.

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Villager Profiles Already attracting professionals in technology, architecture, law and creative fields from around the country is The Villages wide variety of homes and rentals. A quick drive through our Villages will reveal a great array of dwellings offering affordable housing, many with incredible historic architectural details. From restoration project houses to move in ready homes you will find it within The Villages of Detroit.

Reflected in the national press coverage Detroit and its neighborhoods have been receiving is a focus on the wonderful people who live and work here. This is especially true of The Villages residents. In fact many newcomers have reflected that the friendliness and energy of residents they met during their searches was a key factor in them deciding to move to The Villages. Here are three stories, two new comers and someone who has chosen to return to the neighborhood to live and start a new business.

Cheryl and Jeremy Henner- West Village After serving 20 years in the Air Force Jeremy Henner, who grew up in California, and his wife Cheryl, who grew up in Wisconsin, (meeting her husband while in the Air Force), were on a quest to find a new home. Having collectively lived in California, Texas, Florida, Utah, and Delaware as well as overseas in Germany and Guam, they experienced a variety of living environments- from country to suburbia.

“We tried our hand at small town and suburban living and realized that our hearts really belong to being in an urban environment. We wanted the culture, access to great sporting events, good restaurants,” said Cheryl Henner.

The Henners research took in various articles on Detroit including Time Magazine’s coverage and frequent visits to The Villages website, (www.the villagesofdetroit.com).

“We looked around because we knew we could go anywhere and visited Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Chicago, Las Vegas and San Francisco. In September 2010 I brought Cheryl out here for her birthday because we wanted to check out Detroit. Generally we were drawn to the Midwest in part because of the mentality here. There is a politeness and civility here that we value,” added Jeremy Henner.

Being close to the things that matter for Cheryl and Jeremy also entered into the equation like The Villages of Detroit proximity to getting out to the country for recreation like fishing, skiing, and hiking. “We can also effectively get all our food and vegetables within a hundred mile from where we live,” said Jeremy.

Currently Cheryl is serving in Afghanistan returning home next spring while Jeremy is working at the Wayne County prosecutor’s office while completing his law degree shortly.

“We didn’t expect that we would find everything we were looking for in one place but Detroit and The Villages wound up providing us with exactly that,” added Cheryl.

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The Villages sense of community was critical to the Henners “We were looking for a sense of Community which we really didn’t find in other areas where we have lived. Often you really didn’t know your neighbors. For us it was going somewhere where people would accept us as part of the community allowing us to bring to the table what we could. During the house buying process, we met a number of neighbors who seemed excited and interested in their community,” mentioned Jeremy. Those attitudes cemented the Henners feeling that they have made the right decision to become Villagers, and since their arrival they have already undertaken major exterior work on their West Village home on Seyburn.

Currently Cheryl is serving in Afghanistan returning home next spring while Jeremy is working at the Wayne County prosecutor’s office and completing his law degree.

“We didn’t expect that we would find everything we were looking for in one place but Detroit and The Villages wound up providing us with exactly that,” added Cheryl.

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Francina Canada Buchanan- Islandview Village Resident and West Village Business Owner Francina represents someone who combines her residency in The Villages with her business activities which include providing sought after services in our neighborhood. Hopefully this will encourage into others to do the same thing, further enhancing the walkable, shop local movement in The Villages.

At Home on East Grand Boulevard “I’ve lived in the neighborhood for five years now. I actually grew up in the neighborhood as a child and moved when I grew up. When I had my fourth child we decided to look for a bigger house. We went to Grosse Pointe, West Bloomfield you name it… looking at all sort of houses, but we really wanted to stay in the city. We saw this house on the Boulevard which was falling apart but it had this beautiful stairway in it, which was the nicest part of the house,” said Francina smiling, “and I knew I just had to have that house”.

Despite full time work at Detroit’s VA Hospital tackling the mechanics of the house was the first of several projects she and her husband tackled. They wound up doing much of the work themselves, forgoing decoration and even furniture, making sure that the structure and operating systems of the house were brought back to life and updated. Now they have restored much of the house, and are adding interior features.

Taking care of business Like many Villagers, Francina experienced having to go a distance to get the goods and services she and her family need. This reality inspired her to start a new business.

“We have two dogs and a variety of other pets including a turtle and fish. We have always had pets, and I’ve always had to go way out of the neighborhood to get pet supplies. I was driving past this location on Kercheval and saw a for lease sign on the door. My husband and I decided to go ahead a lease it with the idea of starting a business there. We kicked around a few ideas and realized that a neighborhood pet supply store would work. From downtown all the way to Grosse Pointe there was no real place to get pet food and such,” related Francina.

One thing she realized is that Villagers love their pets, and would appreciate a place to buy pet supplies locally. The result is “DogCatastic Pet Supply” at 8106 Kercheval St. just east of Parker, (www.dogcatastic.com). The store offers a variety of dog and cat foods and other products including high quality brands like Blue, Canidae, Eukanumba, Halo, IAMS, Royal Canin and more.

“We will also order any available brands our customers might prefer and we can deliver to our Villages customers as well and offer in-store credit for people who live in the area,” added Francina.

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One feature of her business offers a service that anyone who has ever had to wash their own dog can appreciate is a do-it-your self dog wash.

“ Washing your dog is a messy process, so that’s why we decided to add Detroit’s only do it yourself pet wash. We have a waist high tub set up with temperature controlled water set between 68 and 70 degrees. I supply the shampoo and conditioner, ear and face cleaners, blow dryer and towels along with a pet treat. You can do it all right here and we clean up any mess,” Francina said with a smile.

“Anyone who has come here once to our pet wash usually winds up coming back several times. It’s a need that we can fill for Villages residents,” added Francina.

Francina, who along with her fellow merchants in the area have created a small merchants circle, The Shoppes at Kercheval Square, which includes Sweet Retreats, (a candy, ice cream and cupcake store), plus Suite 7 Salon, The Beauty Loft and Teari’s Message Spa. Collectively they are committed to bringing back services and goods on a local walkable level to The Villages of Detroit using their dues to help spruce up and care for the blocks of retail storefronts along Kercheval. They welcome any small business entrepreneurs who might want to invest and create their own businesses on the Kercheval retail row of store fronts.

“I’ve been inspired by the women who have operated the other businesses, now part of The Shoppes at Kercheval Square, for some years now. They have survived and continue to offer the kind of customer service that brings people back. Our challenge is to get the word out, “ concluded Francina.

Francina Buchanan in her shop

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Scott Koue and Aislinn Scofield- Indian Village Residents While making the move from “Baghdad-by-the-Bay” to the “Motor City” to work in the burgeoning movie making business in Michigan Scott and Aislinn might have come for the work opportunities, but wound up staying and investing in The Villages (and Indian Village) for a number of quality of life reasons, (including craft brewing, good produce and good coffee).

Aislinn makes photographs using software to manipulate the images. She also edits and create short films with a particular interest in animation. In San Francisco she was the Executive Director for a new classical music chamber group - Earplay and before that I worked in a museum curating programs with living artists that covered a gamut of cultures and disciplines (fine art, music, dance, films and authors), says Aislinn.

Scott, who grew up in the Bay area, works in postproduction for film, sound design for film and theatre, and recording. He has in the past been a technical director, production manager, set designer and a lot of various fabrication and design related jobs.

“Detroit came on the radar because I do a lot of film work and Michigan was getting a lot of film work. By the time we bought the house the governor had killed the film incentives and the state film office so that particular aspect is dropping like a stone on water. We looked at Detroit because a friend (originally from around here) talked very positively about it. I grew up with the mindset of the "Rust Belt" and the riots, and that, generally Detroit was a horrible place. So we came out last Labor Day to check it out. I expected to hate it. But we walked into the Jazz festival and everyone we met was very “up”. The Eastern Market was staggering. I was worried about Detroit being a midwest bastion of gravy , but I wasn't asked if I wanted gravy once! The food was very good and most positively it was better in the smaller little places than in the expensive "high end" places, that meant that your average person was demanding good food. And I had some amazingly good coffee. The museums were great too. We had a very good time and came away thinking “we could live here”. Also the idea of weather that stays fairly constant in a day was very attractive,” said Scott.

A lucky turn of events for Aislinn and Scott landed them in Indian Village where Scott reports: “We didn't even look here because it was, (we thought) out of our price range. Aislinn, put in a bid on this house sight unseen, (there were pictures and she asked someone we knew locally but still it was touch and go). We were turned down and she explained that, since it was a take it “as is” and there was no way to verify what work needed doing, we were not going to increase the bid. But then one day she told me we had a house in Detroit!”

They have been appreciative of their fellow Indian Village neighbors since moving in providing them with leads on resources always needed when working on “This Old House”, (if you meet Scott ask him about the “saga of the radiators”).

“Even after all the work the house will be a bargain. And structurally it's in great shape. I suspect it will be a year before we are into the just doing the things we want as opposed to the things that we NEED to do. But when we are done we won't have to do much more for decades except regular maintenance. IV is great because it's close to down town but it's also a fairly quiet community. It's a bit of a haven in a big urban landscape. It's nicely centered around a lot of places, so it's not a long drive to just about anywhere in the city”, said Scott.

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Scott finds the upbeat attitude of Detroiters can be infectious. “There is a very positive energy here. A lot of folks who "stuck it out" are determined to make it, (Detroit) back into a renowned city, and new folks, most a lot younger than I, are coming in with the idea of building a prototype for the sustainable city of the future. Detroit hit the skids early on and seems to be on it's way back up. A lot of major cities are heading to where Detroit was and I think there is a kind of excitement in Detroit that as it has done in the past it may be a leader in a new way of thinking. This time about the essence of what a city in the twenty first century can and needs to be. The people are here, the energy is here and the land is here. So I'm pretty optimistic that down the road people will point to Detroit as a model of what a modern city can be,” concluded Scott.

Scott and Aislinn with their festive dogs, Monty and their old springer Bently.

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