Just over a year ago, I bought a house. It's an old house. In fact, it will be 100 years old in 2016. Not only is my house old, but it's in Flint, Michigan. Recently, I went to a conference and was asked, "where are you from?" When my response was Flint, I was met with, "I'm sorry" and a mournful expression as if I'd just told him my puppy died. My response to this was, "I'm not. I love Flint." and I do.
Our lives here are not defined by the auto industry anymore. Yes, it left us in a devastated, shocked, and unprepared state of confusion. There was a time when graduating from high school and getting a job at General Motors or Buick meant a person was "set for life." Life was good, and the money flowed. There was no need for a college degree, or any life skills beyond what it took to work on the line or run a machine. Career goals meant following in the footsteps of fathers and grandfathers who were shop rats. It was a false sense of security that ended, and took with it the livelihood of the city - but not anymore.
Flint is becoming a college town.
You may scoff at the idea, but look around. New businesses are popping up all along Saginaw St. There are new housing opportunities from studio apartments to luxury lofts. Business is spreading outward from downtown as well, and students are still flowing into the still reasonably new student housing options at the University of Michigan-Flint. UM-Flint was once a commuter university, but has turned into a multifaceted residence oriented university with more and more international students, bringing business into Downtown Flint.
Flint is home to the University of Michigan-Flint, Mott Community College, Kettering University, Baker College, and now Michigan State University, as well as satellite locations for other colleges and universities. At any given time, faculty, staff, and students can be seen downtown at restaurants, coffee shops, eateries, bars, and the famous Flint Farmer's Market. The streets that were once a ghost town when devastation and disbelief hit, are now becoming, have become, lively, colorful, and a destination once again.
Yes, I live in Flint. We still have our problems; water is the latest issue, but we will overcome it. Yes, we have crime, but so does every city. I live in Flint, and I love my old house with it's original hardwood floors, French doors, and grand woodwork. I have wonderful neighbors too. In fact, I am now the Vice President of my neighborhood council.When I sit in my favorite spot, my screened front porch, and look down my street at all the other old houses, the mature trees, and all the activity in my neighborhood, I know I'm truly home. This home in Flint is the first home in my adult life that has truly been right.
