Ahh September 2014 – a Detroit night well spent at the very end of the month. I traveled to downtown Detroit for an event at the M@dison Building off Woodward Ave. ROCO Real Estate – a company that was created by a friend of mine David Coleman and his Brother Michael & a third guy Tyler Ross. The event teamed up with State Bags & the Detroit Achievement Academy for a fundraiser.
State Backpacks – Any bag purchased and another bag is donated & for this event all of the bags purchased donated a bag to the Detroit Achievement Academy. The event ticket bought a backpack but you could also purchase an additional backpack at the event – which in turn donated another bag to a student at the Detroit Achievement Academy.
Detroit Achievement Academy exists to holistically support the education and development of students who have the determination, drive, and skills to shape their own path of high achievement with the ultimate goal of creating civically engaged, joyful citizens who are ready to change the world.
The event was even covered by DBusiness Magazine and Photos of Me can be seen here.
The event was also covered by Hour Detroit Magazine and Photos of me can be seen here.
8 months deep in the goal to #doitfordetroit once a month. I sit here and reflect back on the journeys and adventures that I have endured and experienced.
Each adventure to the D thus far has to discover and uncover art, culture and passion!
While visiting my local Juice Shop in Ann Arbor,the glass box coffee shop, on a lovely Monday morning in the first week of August … I was enlightened with the knowledge of Anthology Coffee. Jon informed me of the venue that serves up authentic and raw passion. He warned me to not let the exterior of the building deter me from entering the coffee house. Dayum was he correct in my hesitation to enter the mysteriously placed Anthology. Located off Michigan Avenue on 1410 Vermont Street , tucked away in a mural coveted building. Construction site to your left and small rubble parking lot on your right. I hide my valuables in my chest pocket and made a quick walk for the door… it really wasn’t that sketchy just a little alone in the corner. Anthology was a cool coffee lab…! Where the bags of beans lined the entrance, the center table hosted the cold and hot brew pour overs and a small box of the founders wife’s famous peach coffee cake. Delightfully greater upon entering, I was asked what I’d like to have.
The two guys happened to be cold brewing an enormous fresh batch of the El Salvador beans. I waited a bit and drank my first glass while conversing with two local female art curators. Our conservation began at the sight of my Flash Tats ! ♡ obsessed with them ♡
The guys at Anthology offered me a deal of 4 bottles of cold brew in a little to go manner. I was ecstatic to watch the coffee be cold brewed, bottled and labeled before my eyes.A True Detroit made product that was filled with passion! The local art of brewing and bottling coffee, the mural culture surrounding the place and my passion for discovering the D !! What a day!
Cheers!
Lshawtay
Wahoo Happy Happy Birthday Detroit !!! Today July 24th 2014 Detroit turns 313 !! Whoa! I313 happens to be the area code that is assigned to Detroit! Making this birthday extra special ! Spotted above is a collection of my Detroit pictures …
Movement Festival 2014 – Detroit Electronic Music Festival that takes place over Memorial Day Weekend in Detroit in Hart Plaza.
Me in a Pistons flat rim hat that is from 1990 the year I was born & when the Detroit Pistons won the National Basketball Association Championship!
A photo of a Maybach from the Detroit Auto Show – one of the largest in the nation
Me sitting in a cool chair outside of 1001 Woodward Ave in Detroit – where there is a fun sitting area, over sized chest and checkers boards and other fun games.
Detroit Players logo from Bon Aparel a clothing line my Detroit Friend Adrianna innovated.
Detroit Institute of Bagels – a yummy customized bagel spot downtown on Michigan Avenue , that I visited after a night out in Detroit.
Detroit is the New Black – featured a few blog posts behind this one, a new T-shirt line that I stumbled across at the art fair.
Detroit VS Everbody hat – this is a photo of me at the airport in the winter of 2014 , fabulous local line of shirts, hoodies, hats, etc.
Ford Field – Detroit Lions home – I interned at Quicken Loans in summer 2011 and we got to tour Ford Field and take pictures on the field … still waiting to go to a game !!
A classic order of Chilli Fries & Hot dog from Lafayette Coney Island, the OG
Detroit & Go Hard murals – I drove past these one night in downtown Detroit after attending an event at the M@dison Bldg – it was for The Empowerment Plan.
Fun Facts about Detroit
> At 987 acres Belle Isle Park is the largest island park in the United States. First opened to the public in 1884, it is Detroit’s first major city park.
> Detroit is the birth place of Techno! Originating in the 1980s, largely as an underground movement, the increasingly popular new music proved electronics can be used to express both funk and soul. Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, a Detroit trio who were high school friends, are considered the Godfathers of Techno.
> it’s estimated that more than 75% of illegal liquor supplied to the U.S. during prohibition entered the country by way of the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.In January 1920, the era of Prohibition began in the U.S. The Detroit River, barely one mile across in some places, was a smuggler’s dream. Enterprising smugglers carried cargo beneath boats, rigged mechanical cables across the river and utilized old underground tunnels to transport their illegal bounty. During cold winter months, the river became a highway, as daring smugglers in automobiles made their way across the ice from Canada to the United States.
> First city to have paved concrete road – In 1909, Wayne County built the first mile of concrete highway in the world on Woodward Avenue between Six and Seven Mile roads. The success of this experiment led to other transportation-firsts. In 1919 the nation’s first 4-way three colortraffic light was installed on the corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit . In 1930 the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel was completed making it the first traffic tunnel between two nations. By 1942, the world’s first urban freeway opened to the public, the Davison Freeway.
Big Sean hails from Detroit & this is one of my favorite music videos of his “Guap” that showcases downtown Detroit – I only wish I had been there for the filming of the video !!
I don’t really understand and did not realize that “Detroit Rock City” was sung by Kiss until today!
Do It For Detroit – one of my most favorite “Isms” per say.
Today I’d like to share an Article from the New York Times that was published on July 11th 2014 ” The Post-Post Apocalyptic Detroit “.
In 2011, I worked at Quicken Loans in Downtown Detroit. The HQ had recently been relocated downtown Detroit in Campus Martius right off Woodward Ave. Did you know Woodward Avenue was platted a road in 1805? or that the location of the first mile (1.6 km) of concrete roadway in the country was WOODWARD AVE ? Later on in the summer i’ll post about the Woodward Dream Cruise.
Okay Okay — back to the article about Detroit – because what else do you have to really be doing right now !!?
A quote I took from the article to get you intrigued enough to click the link above that discusses the WORK PLACE ENVIRONMENT. I’d truly prefer to never have to work in a closed off grey cubicle … as for the QUBE thats a whole different story… !
“Above the workers hover decorative, spacecraft-like orbs, in peach and pink and aquamarine, matching the colors of the cabinetry and carpeting. The overall atmosphere resembles “The Wolf of Wall Street” as art-directed by Dr. Seuss. “
This line made me laugh because I worked with the design team to invent this awesome area ! The group now goes by D POP check out the gallery photos from the Qube !
You spend about a third or more of your day in your office, studio, classroom, lab or what not … odds are you sit for most of it too. dPOP is what you’ve been dreaming of ! The team beats down old boring blahhhh offices & bumps them up! If you didn’t click the link from above … Do It Now.
One of my 2014 Things To Do is DO IT FOR DETROIT ! Meaning I will go to downtown Detroitat least once a month ! Today I chose to share a bit about the D via the New York Times ...
Brrrrringggg !! Brrrringgg !! Brrring !No longer the sound of your land line phone but perhaps a biker swiftly trying to pass by. It is absolutely essential to use your BIKE BELL when riding in town. Not only is it a fun way to spice up the streets but a SAFE way to let people know IM COMING. I’ve been partaking in “Bike Share” programs every chance I get ! For Future Share : Divvy Bikes, Chicago & Deco Bikes, Miami (photos and stories to come).
I don’t believe every rider recognizes that the bell’s on the bikes are what they are … ! If you look over to the right hand handle bar – you will see a small circle – swipe your thumb hard on this & youll hear the brrrrrinngggggggg !!!
Republic Bike x Urban Outfitters is bringing you a simple and affordable personalized build-a-bike opportunity. – offering over 100,000 component and color combinations for the Aristotle singlespeed and Plato Dutch bikes. Simple as click click click – Republic Bike will build it, box it and ship it directly to you. Take a sneak peak at my creation ….http://3dbik.es/1iEpahx
Customizing your bike in fun ways may make it more motiviating to ride, start searching for local bike paths in your area ! Don’t forget to LOOK behind you while crossing the street or just in general to see if any one may be catching up to your speed ! Photographed here is the most ideal Bike Mirror – to check yourself out and to see whats going on around you!
So apparently the word is out that drinking Tequilais in fact beneficial to your self & body !! We’ve got to first of all thank the good ol’ mice for being put to the test – their drunken debauchery has now officially solidified people’s reasoning for the motto”having a drink is healthy”. According to this article on Forbes.Com that gives a S/O to the obese for they should use Agavins as a new sweetener to save the day. The study done by the ACS ( American Chemical Society) states that Agavins, derived from the agave plant that’s used to make tequila, were found in mouse studies to trigger insulin production and lower blood sugar, as well as help obese mice lose weight.
Dope !! Now you can have a glass of red wine for your heart each night alongside your shot of Tequila !!
I’d personally like to give a word out about my new favorite kind of Tequila that was introduced to me after a friend took a trip to Mexico …. presenting : Herradura !! There are two types that have graced my lips …. Reposado & Anejo.
Herradura’s own Gabriela Romo de la Peña introduced the world to reposado tequila in 1974. Our reposado is “Rested” or aged for 11 months (9 more than category standards) which gives this tequila its deep copper color and exceptionally smooth taste.
Anejo has been around since 1962, Herradura has been proud to offer this delicious aged tequila. Barrelling for two years in oak (twice as long as suggested by the category standards) gives it both a deep amber color and complex taste of cooked agave and dried fruit.
Now that Tequila is getting a new image – why not try out a new type !? I thought it would be hard to find, not many places in Michigan have it. But last night when I was on Main Street in Downtown Ann Arbor – I found Herradura Tequila on the top shelf, unopened at Vellum. So if you happen to be in the area let’s raise our glasses to health !! CHEERS to the weekend !
Its truly hard to believe that these photos are in fact of Detroit, during the holiday season about 50 years ago … I only hope for the streets to be merry and cherry like this again ! I’ll post my own holiday photos later on from Downtown Detroit
Media like this sure does piss me off …. this is further promoting a poor and dangerous image for Detroit. The best thing for Detroit is positive media images that will be spread far and wide.
Yes – there is violence in Detroit, just like any other city, but to the point where someone would need to make this video to pretend a popping bottle noise equates with a gun shot?? COME ON.
VOTE = NOT FUNNY
LiViN LiKE LiNdSEY 