(my) HAMTRAMCK
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I only "discovered" Hamtramck six or seven years ago (2019), despite having spent most of my life living in or near Detroit. It happened while I was working at the local public television station, producing a series on regional artists and musicians. I was fortunate to have creative freedom in choosing my subjects—and the city delivered.
One of the first places I found was a vinyl record shop, its narrow walkways cluttered with musical instruments and antique recording gear. The whole place had a kind of magical patina, like something you’d expect to find in the basement of Hogwarts. The owner casually mentioned that "a group of folk musician girls from Toledo would be playing in the empty lot next door in a few hours". It was free, though he warned the grass might still be a bit wet.
Another time, I noticed a flyer taped to a utility pole advertising a “Good Time Writers’ Buffet (Bring a Dish).” Curious, I wandered into a small storefront packed with young people. Writers and poets took turns reading their work while everyone shared home-cooked food. For a while, the event even had a beer sponsor. Someone there mentioned an art opening just a couple blocks away
I followed a hand-drawn map scribbled on a napkin and found myself at a solid brick building from the 1920s, institutional in style. Inside, it was alive—crowded with people laughing, talking, and genuinely engaging with the art. The nonprofit gallery was brightly lit and carefully curated, the group exhibition compelling. The work felt sincere, the kind made by people with something to say, not by those posing as artists without doing the work
I visited Hamtramck many more times before finally deciding to move to the little two-square-mile city. It wasn’t just the art, music, and literature that drew me in—it was the community behind it. The young creatives welcomed me, invited me into their homes, tipped me off to upcoming shows and readings. Despite the age gap, I was included. It was a vibrant, tightly woven scene built around the same timeless desire that’s always fueled the arts: the pursuit of the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Today, much of that energy has dispersed. The isolation of COVID unraveled what had depended so heavily on in-person connection. But I hold out hope that a few from the many creatives I met will rekindle the spark—and that the spirit of that time can be rediscovered.