photos by Sharon VanderKaay

Where to Feed Your Psyche in

Eleven Energizing Places

1. The Belt

2. Heidelberg Project

3. Kresge Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts

4. Lafayette Greens

5. Beach at Campus Martius

6. Dequindre Cut

7. Avalon Bakery

8. Artist’s Village, Old Redford

9. Eastern Market

10. John King Books

11. Belle Isle Park

Keeps your soul alive Keeps your soul alive

Russell Industrial Center

mural artist: Kobie Solomon

What I See in

Yeah, we got an epic story,

Now’s the time for new glory,

Makin’ things happen,

Makin’ it in Detroit.

We got the funk, we got the spunk,

We got the art, we got the heart,

Talkin’ ‘bout Detroit.

Home to heroes, mavericks, contrarians,

Nobody’s boring, even librarians.

Say you dine on raccoon carrion?

Not gonna point, call you barbarian.

Fertile ground fuels wild imagination,

Can’t beat our determination,

To be the number one destination,

Humanest City in the nation.

Urban fields, a quirky pace,

Soon be needin’ extra space,

Buildin’ for a humane race,

There’s no place like this place.

Sugar pie honey bunch,

We make it out of every crunch,

Soon eat other city’s lunch,

Got a secret in our punch.

They try to destroy it,

But soul saves Detroit,

Abuse, starve, deny it,

Can’t stop this giant.

Street smarts, car parts,

False starts, tough darts,

The D?…Listen to Smokey:

You really got a hold on me.

-Sharon VanderKaay

Twitter: @ThumbsUpDetroit

Rising up from the driving machines,

Now see every human being,

Makin’ dreams happen,

Makin’ it in Detroit.

Hands on, heads on, get ‘er done,

Makin’ it in Maker Town.

We got character that can’t be broken,

When destructive words are spoken.

Welcome to the capital of persistence,

Say goodbye to your beige existence.

We got the funk, we got the spunk,

We got the heart, we got the art.

Not tryin’ to be all pretty,

Like an airbrushed city,

Grit keepin’ it real,

Ignites a spirit you feel.