Bucket List D-Style

Well, I was already a few posts in until I realized that, in order to better mark my progress as well as highlight many of the local Detroit gems to all you novices out there (I jest, I jest), I should create a list of everything that I either have or plan to visit & then, of course, record on Detroit ReBorn! But before I begin, I'm going to lecture all you readers out there....PRESS THE FOLLOW BUTTON! I know you want to! If we really want to get this project going, I'm going to need more followers than the few stragglers here and there (just kidding, I love you guys!) Now that you've conveniently hit the follow button, here goes:

-People Mover     
-Eastern Market        
-Youthville Detroit    
-DTE Energy Gardens     
-Earthworks Gardens           
-Garden Resource Program      
-Hart Plaza         
-Dossin Great Lakes Museum        
-World's Largest Stove         
-Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall             
-Detroit Science Center       
-Detroit Institute of Art       
-Fisher Theatre           
-Fox Theatre            
-Detroit Historical Museum        
-Charles H. Wright African-American Museum         
-Detroit Opera House        
-Detroit Riverwalk          
-Detroit Conservancy              
-Mexicantown           
 -Pewabic Pottery         
-The Henry Ford Museum                         
-Milliken State Park & Harbor                     
-The Heidelberg Project                  
-Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit            
-Fisher Mansion                 
-Detroit Artists Market              
-Re:view Contemporary Art Gallery           
-Salad 101             
 -Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes           
-Dell Pryor Gallery          
-Anna Scrips Whitcomb Conservatory         
-Campus Martius Park            
-Art Rage's Art Gallery       
-Scarab Club    
-Detroit Public Library           
-Wayne State University Community Arts Gallery         
-Motown Historical Museum           
-Hitsville U.S.A.           
-Guardian Building            
-Detroit Gallery of Contemporary Crafts         
-Belle Isle Park          
-International Gospel Music Hall of Fame & Museum        
-MBAD's African Bead Museum         
-David Whitney House           
-Detroit Heritage Tours              
-Tuskegee Airmen National Museum              
-Arab American National Museum                    
-Baker's Keyboard Lounge          
-Automotive Hall of Fame           
-Masonic Temple     
-International Institute of Metro Detroit         
-Cranbrook Museum & Botanical Gardens                      
-Edsel & Eleanor Ford Estate       
-GM World                
-Cathedral Church of St. Paul            
-Motorsports Hall of Fame Museum         
-Benson Ford Research Center          
-Chene Park              
-Ronald McDonald House of Detroit (great for volunteering!)          
-Meadow Brett Hall  
-Union Street
-Indian Village            
-Rosedale Baptist Recreation Center/Church          
-Historic Fort Wayne       
-Model T Automotive Heritage Complex           
-BET Cultural Center Historic District

Let's do WORK!

Greenfield Village: Holiday Night Lights

http://www.thehenryford.org/village/index.aspx

My mother & I attended the internationally-attended Holiday Night Lights Festival at the historical Greenfield Village. The entire village was lit up with beautiful lights & featured sleigh rides, stories with good ol' Santa Clause, Model T rides, fireworks, reindeer, live carolers in 1800's apparel, & much more. I was amazed by the historical accurateness & lively atmosphere. It truly felt like taking a step backwards in time. I strongly recommend taking a visit here any time, but coming in the holiday season is truly spectacular(:

Detroit Science Center & Detroit Institute of Arts Museum

The Detroit Science Center is one of the coolest places you can visit. It's completely hands on and provides fun, science-y stuff fit for all ages. I attached a picture of me and mom visiting it, from about 4 years ago. But once you go, you'll never want to leave! (: I also attached a picture from the ultra-cool DIA museum. It has plenty of cool exhibits, live music every Sunday, and a hip, renovated food court. http://www.detroitsciencecenter.org/ http://www.dia.org/

Boy Scouts of America HQ & Traffic Jam & Snug Restaurant

Yesterday, me & my friend Jason headed down to the heart of Detroit to visit the Boy Scouts of America center to pick up some stuff. In the midst of rundown buildings & weeds everywhere was the beautiful BSA building. We went inside, & were pleasantly surprised by the marble floors & freshly painted walls. The people were so kind & helpful, & the store was stocked with every Scout material imaginable! We spent a good hour & a half picking through merit badges & camping equipment. Afterwards, we headed over to the Traffic Jam & Snug Restaurant. I couldn't believe how cool this place was! On the outside, it looked kind of run down & hidden, but when we went inside, we saw a HUGE restaurant with its own brewery, bakery, & dairy attatched. It had many levels with cool nooks & crannies to explore. There were spiral staircases & artifacts stringed along throughout the place. There were chess boards & an old fashioned photo booth. It was a really cool "hipster" crowd, very young but also unintimidating. It was next door to Wayne State & college kids were enjoying their lunches with the Traffic Jam's super yummy homemade-style food. If you ever wind up in Detroit, the Traffic Jam is the place to go. http://www.trafficjamdetroit.com/

Detroit-U of M Center

On Feb. 20th, I went to a meeting at the Detroit-U of M Center in downtown Detroit. Let me tell you this, it is a very modern and extremely nice, well kept building. It looks like it came straight from an Ikea catalog, except its located right in the center of Detroit! It features beautiful African-American artwork in a contemporary art setting. If you ever have an opportunity to host a business meeting or any other event, this venue is the way to go! http://detroitcenter.umich.edu/index.shtml

Metro Detroit Bus Tour

As a part of the Summer Youth Dialogues program, I was lucky enough to participate in an inspiring and enlightening Bus Tour. We visited the 8 mile wall (which is a physical barrier that separated blacks and whites in neighborhoods in the early 1900's) and that was both sad and beautiful. We visited the community of Hamtramck and the Youth Center there. The diversity there was really neat. Walking down the street, I could easily hear 5 or 6 different languages being spoke fluently. We also visited the Arab-American Museum and went on a tour there. There was amazing artifacts and it was a gorgeous, well-kept museum in general. Hope you like the pictures! I'm the girl in the pink shirt in the front. http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/ http://www.pecose.org/hamtramck

Capuchin Soup Kitchen

In 2008, my youth group headed down to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in downtown Detroit the day before Christmas Eve. The supervisors of the kitchen were so grateful to have us, even though we were the ones grateful. It was such a joy to help hundreds of homeless and poverty-stricken families getting relief during the holiday season. We even sang Christmas and other holiday songs to them, and their faces lit up with joy. Talk about the true meaning of Christmas! http://www.cskdetroit.org/index.cfm

Welcome to Detroit Reborn

Hello everybody! I am a new blogger on a mission. Me & a few of my friends are starting a project called, you guessed it, Detroit Reborn. We are a group of best friends living in the suburbs that want Detroit to improve economically & resume its stance as a mecca for the music & automotive industry. We are hoping to accomplish this by visiting downtown Detroit at least once every two weeks either to volunteer or to support the gems of downtown Detroit businesses. Luckily for you, we are also going to post pictures, volunteer opportunities, & other suggestions to help YOU help Detroit. After all, I was born and raised near this city & I am determined to help its comeback, one step at a time. Take a look around! I'm sure you'll realize how awesome Detroit really is (: