Your participation in a survey is requested to assist in the planning of a network of greenways in the Greater Riverfront East District of Detroit. This area is also known as the Lower Eastside. Its boundaries are the Detroit River to the south, Mack Avenue to the north, the Dequindre Cut to the west, and Alter Road to the east.

The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. The survey will run until September 1,2010. Please feel free to share this survey with others whom you think would be interested.

Please click on following link to complete the survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/765DW9R

Thank you for your time and participation.

- The Greater Riverfront East Environmental Network (GREEN) Task Force

The Villages have been named a best place to buy an old house by “This Old House” Magazine!

The issue will be on newstands on Friday, February 19, 2010, but the article is on their website today.

From the article:

“Best Old House Neighborhoods 2010: Editors’ Picks

For our third annual Best Places to Buy an Old House contest, what we looked for was simple: oft-overlooked neighborhoods populated by people who share an appreciation of finely crafted homes that have plenty of past and lots of future. And what we found—with the aid of our friends at PreservationDirectory.com, who helped us contact thousands of neighborhood groups, real estate agents, residents, and preservationists for nominations—was mighty impressive…”

Read the whole article here: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20343206,00.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kirsten Ussery 313-348-5777 kaussery@gmail.com

LONELY HOMES TOUR FINDS BUYERS FOR BANK-OWNED PROPERTIES AS PART OF THE 2nd ANNUAL REAL ESTATE TOUR IN NEAR EASTSIDE DETROIT NEIGHBORHOODS

DETROIT, Mich., September 18, 2008 – The Villages Community Development Corporation (CDC), a non-profit comprised of nine of Detroit’s leading near eastside neighborhoods, announced today a plan to help find buyers for its vacant, bank-owned homes. A licensed Realtor will lead a Lonely Homes Tour of 8-10 bank owned properties in Indian Village and West Village communities on Saturday, September 27 from 1 to 5 pm.

The tours are part of a larger event to attract potential home buyers to the communities. The CDC’s second annual “Living in the V” Real Estate Open House event drew 400 potential buyers to the neighborhoods in 2007. This year’s event will not only feature the Lonely Homes Tour, but will also showcase dozens of homes for sale in the Villages area for potential buyers to tour. Home prices range from $10,000 for a bank-owned property to $1.1 Million for a privately-owned property.

“There are tremendous deals out there for the best of Detroit’s Housing Jewels, said Joy Santiago, realtor, and Living in the V committee member. “It’s time to buy now.”

“The Villages is a thriving community featuring the best classic urban elements: walkability, recreation, history, culture and diversity, all cast alongside a major international waterway,” said Steve Wasko, president, Villages CDC. “Neighbors here are true neighbors, who look out for each other’s needs and also come together to make our community solid and dynamic. This real estate tour is another example of residents not idly waiting for external assistance, but rather rolling up our sleeves, working together and forming alliances to get the job done.”

On the day of the event, potential homebuyers are invited to the Welcome Center at Parkstone Apartments, 1415 Parker. At the Welcome Center, attendees will have an opportunity to pick a master list of open houses and properties for sale and a variety of information regarding neighborhood schools and area businesses from event sponsors. There will also be a few street vendors near the welcome center selling hot dogs, coffee and crepes. A bike tour sponsored by Wheelhouse Detroit will be held during the Open House as well and will allow bikers to experience the neighborhood on bike and on foot.

The Welcome Center is also where participants can join the Lonely Homes Tour. Two tours are scheduled at 1:30pm and 3:30pm. Corporate Cars, sponsors of the Lonely Homes Tour, will have a limo available at the Welcome Center to transport participants of the tour around the neighborhoods, or participants can tour in their own vehicle. Information on FHA 203k Rehab loan programs and other means of financing for homeowners who plan to live in the bank owned properties while fixing them up will be available from two additional event sponsors, National City and Comerica. Rehab contractors will also be on hand to provide additional information about renovations.

About the Villages CDC:

The Villages are a unique collection of historic neighborhoods, high-rise condos, edgy lofts, and new construction homes on Detroit’s east riverfront. Housing prices range from less than $100,000 to more than a million, making living here an ideal option for nearly everyone. A 501(c)(3) organization that was formed in 2006, the Villages CDC includes representation from Indian Village, West Village, Islandview Village, East Village, Berry Subdivision, and the Gold Coast (riverfront) communities. For more information, visit www.thevillagesofdetroit.com.

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The Villages of Detroit’s Lonely Homes Tour (a realtor-guided free tour of bank-owned residential properties) went off like a rocket in the sun on Sunday, June 14. Tour goers started arriving at Detroit Waldorf School even before the registration time of 12:30 p.m.; 52 people registered for two tours (at 1 p.m. and at 3 p.m.); and the bus provided by Royal Transportation delivered all in comfort to each of five stops per tour. And, while tour-goers were registering, WDET-FM Public Radio reporter Rob St. Mary interviewed them for his web blog.

Participants, led by local realtor Joy Santiago and contractor Dennis Schade, toured three single-family homes in Indian Village and West Village, one West Village duplex and a Gold Coast apartment in different stages of repair. The Tour was designed as a “snapshot” of the available properties at all price levels in our Community.

The tours ended at Mike Tyson’s English Village Brownstones on Field Street for a view of wonderful new construction for those who might prefer a standard purchase in move-in condition.

The Tour has already received compliments like this one from Mike Bobbitt of Hazel Park who wrote “Thank you for doing the tour. It was really impressive. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to…become part of the beautiful community you all have.”

It couldn’t have happened without the help of all the local Neighbors who volunteered their time, energy and talents before, during and after the Tour: Kirsten Ussery, Doug Way, Robert Troutman, Aaron Wagner, Wanda Brock, Janet Wasko, Kathy Beltaire, Kristi Katsma, John Collins, Elke Burger, Judy Delusky, Eric Tabron, Bryce Billings, Keegan Mahoney, Katie TenBrink, Kay Hanson and Paul Trombley. More “thank yous” go to Melanie Reiser and Detroit Waldorf School, Dusing Security, Don Fitzsimmons of Royal Transportation, Royal bus driver Cynthia, realtor Emily Progar, the staff of Indian Village Manor, and Victor Semelsberger of English Village Brownstones. And “thanks” to all those residents, businesses and organizations that have already donated money to the ‘Living in the V’ efforts - you are integral to its success.

The next Lonely Homes Tour (we already have four people signed up!) will occur on Sunday, September 27th as part of the 3rd Annual ‘Living in the V’ Real Estate Open House sponsored by the Villages of Detroit CDC. Stay tuned for more info as plans finalize, and please visit the Villages’ website at www.thevillagesofdetroit.com. You too can become a part of the effort by volunteering your time and energy or by donating dollars. Call Janet at 313-300-7414 or Kathy at 823-3918 - we need your help!  

Samantha, 8, Springer Spaniel

Hi there, this is Todd Ridley. I’m part of the team responsible for putting up this new site, and I wanted to say hello!

I’m also a resident of The Villages for just over 5 years now. I live on Seminole in Indian Village and love it. I had a thought to write this post as a greeting to you, the visitor, and as a description of my day here in this wonderful place.

So I work out of my home office several days a month when not travelling, and love to walk our dogs in sunny day’s like today. Look how pretty our neighborhood is! Who wouldn’t want to walk dogs here? Plus, today it’s particularly cool since the Red Bull Air Races are this weekend and they are practicing just out on the water, probably 1/2 mile from my office window. If you haven’t heard of these races check them out.

Anyway the noise of the prop-planes dive bombing reminded me of how close we are to GREAT stuff. Where else could you walk dogs in such a scenic and serene setting, and be so close to a major international waterway that’s hosting a major, international event. So close you can hear every bit of it!?

And that’s not the only event we’re so close for. Take Movement, the Hoedown, the Jazz Festival, the Fireworks, the Gold Cup Boat Races…and all right here while we enjoy living in such a beautiful, serene neighborhood.

Anyway, that’s one reason I love living here.

Thanks for visiting the site, and I hope you visit us in person soon!

-Todd

Welcome to our new website!

Hello, my name is Kim Clayson and I am president of the board of the Villages Community Development Corporation. Let me be the first to welcome you to our new website!

This new home for the Villages of Detroit includes several great new opportunities for the residents of the Villages communities to share their experiences in the Villages with the greater community.

Of most importance, our new website allows the Villages to share the results of a design charrette that occurred in February 2009 which included a full weekend’s work from architecture and urban planning students from Lawrence Tech, University of Michigan and Wayne State University. This excercise allowed the Villages to identify concepts and ideas that would help improve the quality of life within this collection of neighborhoods. From walkability, to retail, access to fresh food to greenways, students identified ways that the Villages can make itself an even better community to live in and to visit. The Villages is looking for feedback to the students concepts and ideas, particularly from those who live right here in the Villages.

We here at the Villages Community Development Corporation are excited to share why this is a great place to live, recreate and do business. The Villages has been my home for three years now and I have truly enjoyed the shared experience of life here in the Villages. Come and take a look at what the Villages has to offer and please consider the great reasons to live here and/or open a business here.

Kim Clayson

President, Villages Community Development Corporation Board,

Resident, Indian Village, The Villages of Detroit.

The Historic Indian Village Home and Garden Tour is celebrating the 114th anniversary of our elegant, historic neighborhood. This is the tour’s 36th year. It is the second oldest tour of its kind in Michigan, preceded only by the Marshall Michigan Historic Home Tour.

In the mid 1950s, the Women’s Garden Club held many events in Indian Village. Their Garden Fair was a precursor to the current tour, which began its run in the 1960s and became an annual event in 1973. It is now sponsored by the Historic Indian Village Association (HIVA), the Indian Village Women’s Garden Club and the Indian Village Men’s Garden Club.

Today, the Indian Village community consists of 352 households, plus six churches, four elementary schools and 1 nursery school. This historic district includes Burns, Iroquois and Seminole Avenues from East Jefferson running one mile north to Mack Avenue.

Although there are features on many homes that fall into a distinct architectural style, Indian Village can best be described as eclectic. As is so typical of American independence, owners chose elements from different architectural styles when building their homes. Detroit’s most distinguished architects designed Indian Village homes. Among them are Marcus Burrowes, Chittenden & Kotting, Albert Kahn, Louis Kamper, Rogers & MacFarlane, Smith Hinchman & Grylls, William B. Stratton, Leonard B. Willeke, George D. Mason, Robert O. Derrick and C. Howard Crane.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets online!