East English Village Home Tour's photostream

East English Village (EEV), the Detroit neighborhood defined by Cadieux, Outer Drive, Mack and Harper on the city’s far-east side, will host its first neighborhood home tour on Sunday, October 11th, 2009 from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. In light of current economic stressors, the tour will focus on several homes that have “lost their owners”. In spite of vacancy, these REO properties retain the unique architectural details that have made EEV a neighborhood of choice for many years.

The tour will focus in the south area of East English Village, and the homes will be within comfortable walking distance of each other. The walk-ability of this community is one of the aspects of the area that the tour points out for prospective residents. Other amenities - good schools, quality restaurants and stores, access to fresh food, and places of interest- plus close proximity to the natural beauty of Lake St. Clair and our metropolitan center are all assets of living in EEV.

Occupied residences, well-loved and beautifully maintained, will serve as check-in and rest stops so that tour participants can meet current neighbors and enjoy light refreshments. In addition, EEV resident gardens that exhibit creative landscapes and planting varieties will welcome visitors. There will be live music and refreshments in the gardens.

In order to demonstrate the design possibilities of the tour homes, one house will be treated as a “showroom” with new furnishings provided by home décor vendors McLaughlin Furniture, Elegance by Design and Hagopian World of Rugs. As a highlight, the famous “Camelot Rug” will be on display at the tour check-in. This historic antique needlepoint piece resided in the Oval Office during the John F. Kennedy administration.

A printed guide will direct visitors from house to house and provide visitors with other neighborhood information. During the tour, participants may visit the Historic Alger Theater on East Warren Avenue at East Outer Drive. This neighborhood theater has been closed for many years. For the afternoon of the tour the doors will be opened for a glimpse inside. An afterglow at the Cadiuex Café, featuring Belgian featherbowling, will follow the 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. tour. All activities are free to the public.

The EEV homeowners association presents the tour along with sponsor, Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative. The nonprofit organization works in six neighborhood areas in Detroit. Attracting new residents to this Detroit neighborhood of choice is a key goal for the event. By showcasing homes, EEV will reveal that vacancy and foreclosures have not diminished the high quality and beauty of the neighborhood’s architecture and spirit.