New city, new excitement and a lot of hope. I moved to Flint in the summer of 2018  and lived there until the middle of September. Of course, it was a big change from Dallas, Texas to Flint, Michigan but it was an amazing experience.

For those who may not know, Flint has been under water crisis for some time now. Before that General Motors, which provided employment to the majority of the household, pulled out of Flint. These two factors have been precarious to the socio-economic condition of Flint and many people have left the city. However, people who are living there are making changes. They are supporting each other, building the community and bringing people together to uplift the community. That I realized while volunteering at Applewood Estate (under Ruth Mott foundation) during my time in Flint.

Today, I am sharing my three best experiences in Flint.

Applewood 

Applewood Estate used to be the home of Charles Mott and his wife Ruth Mott. Mott family is well-known for its philanthropic contribution to the Flint community. Now the estate is a recreation and educational center with beautiful gardens. I accidentally found this place while I was driving and I am so glad I did. I call it a gem of Flint! And to top it off, admission is free and all the activities/programs are free too. They run programs like house tour, story reading for kids (occasionally, they give books to kids for free), wet paint day, fall harvest festival, and holiday walk for Christmas. I totally love this place for its nature-rich environment made me feel calm and connected. Also, the kind and friendly employees and volunteers made me feel absolutely welcome.

http://www.ruthmottfoundation.org/locations/applewood/

Farmer’s Market

I thought I had some pictures of Farmer’s Market, Flint but turns out I don’t (Should have saved that Insta story.). Anyways, the farmer’s market is a happening place in Flint. Every time I went there it was full of people, sometimes making it challenging to find parking. Outside of the farmer’s market building, you can find performers entertaining the crowd with their music. This farmer’s market is more than just fresh fruits and vegetables. They have all kinds of eateries ranging from mouth-watering ribs to authentic samosa, a liquor store with local wines as well as imported wines and an art /gift store with handmade decor, jewelry, and incredible paintings.

Crossraod Village and Huckleberry Railroad

If you want some country experience with some history combined with the train ride and boat ride, this is the place. I felt like I was in a movie set of an old country movie. It’s basically an outdoor museum with historic buildings which portray 1800s-era as you can see bank, barber shop, cider mill, leather shop and much more. It’s a fun place for kids too as they have rides like a carousel and a superior wheel. My favorite was the Huckleberry train ride. I have always wanted to ride on one of those old vintage trains and finally, it happened at the Crossroad Village. While I was blissfully enjoying the 30 minutes ride in the train through woods my fiance quietly fell asleep.

There are some more places to socialize like Flint Institute of Art, Flint Cultural Center Flint Institute of Music and Sloan Museum. These places were in my list to visit but I couldn’t make it so maybe next time.