Posts tagged 48209
Last Days at Home with The Family
Last Days at Home with The Family

Local artist Freddy Diaz is spending his last few days at the home where he grew up before moving.

Here Freddy is shown sifting through belongings where he grew up during his last days at home with the family before moving into his own place.

“I never really paid attention to it as a kid but as I got older I think my grandmother and aunts being creative gave me some sort of confirmation... someone having a similar energy to mine. Sewing was their way of channeling theirs and graffiti was mine.”
— Freddy Diaz

His grandmother is visiting his family from Mexico. It’s always a special time together when she is able to make the trip, often staying with them for an extended period of time at the house.

He sees himself in her craft and creativity. "I never really paid attention to it as a kid but as I got older I think my grandmother and aunts being creative gave me some sort of confirmation... someone having a similar energy to mine. Sewing was their way of channeling theirs and graffiti was mine."

With his grandmother visiting from Mexico, he and his mother enjoy all the time together visiting. "Man I love my mom's cooking. I'm going to miss that. Actually I'm not because I'm not far." 

CommunityInside Southwest Detroitfamily, swdetroit, southwest detroit, vernor-springwells, 48209, artist, mexico
First Latin American Baptist in Southwest Detroit
First Latin American Baptist in Southwest Detroit

First Latin American Baptist church in Southwest Detroit hosted its final service on the corner of Fort St and Dragoon this week as demolition crews razed nearby structures across the street.

The church building was constructed in the early 1900’s and has been home to the congregation for the past 50 years. It was purchased by MDOT—along with hundreds of other parcels along W Fort St and throughout the Delray neighborhood in Southwest Detroit—to be demolished to clear land for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge to Canada.

The parish has a long, celebrated history in the neighborhood as it has served the Latino community in Detroit since its inception almost 90 years ago.

Elizabeth Valdez, a member of the congregation since 1987, says she will miss the old building but that it will not dampen the spirit of the church.

Pastor Kevin Casillas and the First Latin American Baptist church of Southwest Detroit will be moving into their new home on Scotten between Vernor Hwy and Toledo after one final celebration at their current site next week for their annual children’s Christmas Party.

PlaceInside Southwest DetroitFirst Latin Baptistfirst latin american baptist, southwest detroit, swdetroit, kevin casillas, elizabeth valdez, faith, church, fort st, 48209, gordie howe international bridge, dragoon, delray
The Apartments On Elsmere Have Burned For The Last Time

The corners on Elsmere from Avis to Mandale have been at varying stages of disrepair for some time. For the last 3 years open, empty, and burning structures have contributed to the blight and seem to have helped fuel illegal and even violent activity in the area. Multiple requests have been made to the City of Detroit over the course of this time. During the last 5 weeks in particular the area within 2 square blocks of Lane and Elsmere has suffered 2 shootings and 8 fires. But this week changes are coming.

This Thursday the City of Detroit will be hosting a press conference at 1808 Elsmere to spearhead demolition efforts in the neighborhoods around Springwells in Southwest Detroit. The press conference will be at 9:00 am and Mayor Bing will be in attendance. There will be four properties demolished at that site on this day. We are asking everyone to come out and show their support around these much needed demolition efforts in our neighborhood! Translation will be provided at this event. Please share this information with others. If you have any questions or need additional information, please call me at 313.451.8380

If you had the microphone for 30 seconds during this press conference, what would you say or ask your audience?

PlaceInside Southwest Detroitinteractive, elsmere, blight, Avis, 48209, fire, violence, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, Mayor BingComment