You know, because alliteration is cool.
Due to extreme laziness (or extreme coolness!), I’m going to attempt to start a new little feature around here. Each Friday, I’ll (hopefully) post a photo (or foto!) from my week. There will also be a little explanation of the photo.
The good:
- I plan to highlight life in Michigan/Detroit and prove to the vast Interwebs that Detroit is the place to be!
- Photos are fun!
The not-so-good:
- I rarely have a camera on me, so remembering to do this may prove to be a challenge!
- My life is pretty boring, so finding new photo opps. will be interesting!
Ready? OK!!
This week’s photo was taken from my office. I work smack in the middle of downtown Detroit, and this is one of the many gorgeous views we have out of our floor-to-ceiling windows.
Pictured here is Campus Martius Park. According to their Web site:
In 1788, Campus Martius served as a drill ground for militia training. Campus Martius means “military ground” and was named after the Campus Martius at Marietta, Ohio, a 180-foot stockade.
[It also contains] the “Point of Origin” which is located in center of Campus Martius… It is from this point that the City of Detroit’s Coordinate system was created.
So, in other words, 8 Mile is exactly 8 miles from the Point of Origin. And you thought it was just a clever movie title. There are also mile roads for every mile after that, going up at least to 26 or 30 Mile.
After lots of years of politicking, this park was renovated and re-opened to the public in 2004. It has an ice rink in the winter and lovely grassy knolls in the summer where there are free concerts and movies shown on the sides of the buildings.
Each November, the annual Holiday Tree Lighting takes place here. Tree lighting is my favorite holiday in the city. The first tree lighting in 2004 was also the first time DD and I met; though we didn’t know it at the time. We wouldn’t re-meet and start dating for another 2.5 years.
Pictured on the right side of the photo is Compuware’s world headquarters. Their move into the city center from the suburb’s was the catalyst for much of the development of Campus Martius.
The gray box in the center of the frame is our fountain, which doesn’t run in the winter, but in the summertime it’s a gathering spot for lunch-goers and residents.
Many look at Campus Martius Park as the beginning of the revitalization of downtown Detroit that has occurred in the past five years, so I felt it was a good place to begin our photo series.