Daniel DeMoss

“It started out as a feeling
Which then grew into a hope
Which then turned into a quiet thought
Which then turned into a quiet word
And then that word grew louder and louder
‘Til it was a battle cry”

- The Call by Regina Specktor

It was a hot August day in 2008 when Matt Kerchaert and I started lugging things up the narrow staircase at our new apartment at 160 N. Washington Street in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

But this wasn’t just any apartment. It was an idea… no, a vision. Several months prior to this hot Summer day, I began apartment searching. My roommates and I were faced with either renewing our lease at our typical off-campus 80’s style apartment building or find a better one. I found 160 N. Washington during my search and it was intriguing to me. I wanted to live closer to downtown Ypsilanti and the apartment was just about as close as you could get without living in an expensive loft above a storefront. I wanted to live in a place where people walked. I wanted to live in a place where I could wander down to the cafe or to the park. A place where neighbors actually talked to each other and where there was always something going on. I wanted to live in a place where I would see the same people day in and day out. Where I could make an impact and be a positive force in the community. Somehow this mansion from the 1800’s fit the bill and I began dreaming that someday it would be a center for positive change in the Arts and Entertainment district of Ypsi.

After some pictures, a tour, and some more information, the guys bought into the vision. It helped that the building featured free heat as well and we signed the lease. That was the beginning of what would be an amazing year with Matt, Ian and I living in the third floor of that old mansion. We would have movie nights, rooftop discussions, neighbor hangouts and a Halloween party that totally rocked the place.

Eventually more people at our church caught the vision for this place. It wasn’t just about the location, or the rent, or the amenities. I think it was about the dream that this place could be a center for community to take place.

Fast forward to today. There are now eight people living in two floors of the building that all believe in having a positive impact on the people around them… and they’re looking for more people to join them.

I could not be more proud of the men that live at 160 N. Washington Street. When I left them to seek out my own calling in Oklahoma they were excited about being more than just housemates but being Christ to the neighborhood. I love those guys and I’m so thankful that God has allowed me to be their friend.

I think it all comes down to the vision, the dream, the idea. We wanted to do something good in the midst of a rough neighborhood and be a force for change. I think back on those times and something wells up inside of me. Each day I have to ask myself what my vision is. I must constantly allow Christ to rekindle the fire that burns within me. When I do he unleashes me as a force for change and he uses me in a way that I can never duplicate on my own.

What is it that burns inside of you? What is the vision that God has given you to live out?

2005, that’s when I moved to Ypsilanti. It was closer to school, it was where many of my friends lived and it was different. All of those things attracted me to this weird little midwest city.

Ypsi is the first place that I ever lived on my own. It’s where I got my degree in Public Relations at Eastern Michigan University. It’s where I learned to read an apartment lease. Ypsi is the place where I learned to sit on the porch or go to the dollar theater when it was 95 degrees in the apartment. It’s the place where I learned how to shop at a farmer’s market. Ypsi is where I learned to carry on a conversation with an intoxicated man on the street. It’s the place where I learned that there actually are people in America that hang out with their neighbors. It’s the place where I’ve had many a conversation with people who have vastly different opinions and views from me. It’s where I learned to participate in city planning commission meetings. It’s where I learned the value of true community. Ypsi has taught me a lot about people and about life. It has been many things to me, but most of all it’s become home.

I distinctly remember one late night in 2006 as I was drove home from hanging out with friends. I exited I-94 at the Downtown Ypsilanti Huron Street ramp and as I approached Michigan Avenue I had this weird feeling. It was a peaceful feeling. The orange glow of the streetlights and subtle hum of downtown put me at ease. After some thought I realized that I had felt this before. This was the feeling that I would get after a late night as my dad would pull the family car into the driveway at my childhood home in Canton. This was the feeling of coming home. Ypsi had become my home.

So now as I prepare to leave this quirky little midwest city I think back on all of the things that make Ypsi the most unique place I’ve ever lived. From College Inn’s amazing pizza to the friendly baristas at Bombadill’s Ypsi has, what I would consider, some of the finest food. From hanging out in Riverside park to debating with neighbors about uses for the abandoned factories in Water Street, it has community. Ypsi is the most diverse city that I’ve ever been to and it is heavily steeped in both history and tradition. It has fantastic festivals in the summertime and beautiful snowy landscapes in the Winter. Did I mention it has awesome music? The city is always alive with activity. From people eating at the Double Eagle at 2 a.m. in the morning to kids getting ice cream at Cafe Luwak in the afternoon. From the quiet bungalows on Oakwood Street to the raucous frat parties on Normal Street, this place is about as varied as they come. There’s something for everyone in Ypsi and I’m confident that if you give it a chance and spend some time in the city, you’ll find something you like.

I’m convinced that there are people who have lived in Ypsilanti for 80 years that still haven’t discovered everything about this city. There are weird little legends and stories here that get passed around by word of mouth. I remember when I heard that one of the reasons that Ypsilanti has so many homeless people and panhandlers is because of the closing of the Ypsilanti State Hospital in 1991. People say that the patients who were deemed not to be a danger to themselves or others were released into the public. Some had families to go to and others had nothing but the streets to call their home. I can’t tell you how true or untrue this is, but that’s the story. There are so many things like that in Ypsi. So many stories about why things are the way they are. Just about everything in Ypsi can be traced back to a long and storied history and I love learning about that stuff.

A lot of people come to Ypsi for a visit and they walk away saying things like, “wow that was scary” or “that is one weird city” or even “Ypsi is just crazy.” But while Ypsi may seem rough on the surface, I assure you, there is more to the story. When you get beneath the surface you find community, resilience, collaboration, art, passion, diversity and compassion.

Ypsi is one of those places that you move away from that keeps a part of you. They say once you leave it calls to you. I can already hear it.

I will miss Ypsilanti and all of the amazing people that I have met here. And so it is with deep sadness that I say goodbye, but it is with great happiness that I think about visiting. I look back on the good times I’ve had in Ypsi and I smile… and I look forward to what Ypsi will be like five years from now and I smile bigger.

Pictures of Ypsilanti
Stories of Ypsilanti