I can’t believe it’s already almost the end of week three – the days are starting to fly by! While at my placement – Friends of Parkside – I’ve been observing how close-knit the Parkside residents are with one another. Everyone seems to know everyone. This was extremely refreshing for me to see because I personally haven’t experienced this in my own neighborhood at home. I know a few neighbors here and there, but not nearly as many as the Parkside residents. Whenever residents come into the office, they all share stories and laughs with one another. Their strong sense of community definitely radiates from them. This is something I’ve noticed among the youth, as well. This week we’ve been at horse camp with several Parkside kids, and I quickly picked up on their sense of closeness with one another (although that closeness sometimes resulted in arguments and thrown water bottles).
While observing Detroit as a whole, I have definitely found myself paying close attention to the many aspects of gentrification that are present within the city. It’s kind of mind-boggling to think that the newly renovated downtown is even the same city. Once you start walking past all of the new clothing stores and expensive restaurants and trendy coffee shops, it’s easy to get swept up in the glamor of it all and forget that just a few miles away, there are streets lined with dilapidated homes and people who can’t enjoy this new downtown as others can. I’m finding more joy focusing my observation on the areas of Detroit that are yet untouched by this renovation and paying close attention to what the residents who have been here for decades have to teach me.
I’m so jealous that you got to do horse camp, that sounds really fun! I would love to see pictures sometime if you have them. I agree that it is easy to get swept up in all the new buildings and cool shops, and that its important to remember the damage they have done to the city.