Hi! I’m Kelsie. I grew up in Westphalia, a small farm town near Lansing, surrounded by lots of extended family. I have over fifty first cousins, all of whom grew up nearby and many of whom are still my closest friends. I went to Ann Arbor for college (Go Blue!) and after graduating, I worked there for a few years doing Psychology research. I then moved to Boston, where I earned my Master’s degree in Social Work.
About two years ago my husband and I bought our house in Ferndale and moved back to the Mitten. As a social worker, I worked in foster care and as a child and family therapist, but now I am a stay-at-home mom to a 7-month-old, blue-eyed, half-Puerto Rican son, Theodore.
I love to read, play piano and ukulele, and practice yoga. As a family, we enjoy trying new restaurants, watching Michigan sports, and traveling. Theo has already flown on three occasions, with his fourth trip coming up in May when we will travel to the United Kingdom!
My husband and I house-hunted during a 48-hour trip to Michigan while we were still living in Boston.
Choosing Ferndale was a leap of faith, and we are so happy with our decision!
As we transitioned from the busy-ness of a big city into our next chapter, we wanted the convenience of a metro area in a quieter neighborhood where we could raise our family one day. We didn’t realize how quickly “one day” would arrive, but here we are, and we’re thrilled!
Here are just a few of my favorite things about Ferndale:
Diverse and inclusive – I didn’t realize this would be so important to me until recent years, but after living in Boston, working as a social worker, and now as I raise a half-Hispanic son, I want Theodore to grow up knowing that difference is wonderful and should be celebrated. We see people of all colors and ages and incomes and sexualities. This is real life, and it’s beautiful!
Small-town, neighborhood feel – I love that there are no skyscrapers or office parks and few chain restaurants. In that way (if no other), Ferndale reminds me of my quiet little hometown. Our streets are shaded, and our neighbors are kind. Of course it helps that we live near the mayor and our mailman strikes up a friendly conversation whenever he sees us outside.
Close to Detroit – What’s more Detroit (without technically being Detroit) than living off 8 Mile and Woodward? We love to explore new restaurants on our Detroit Bucket List, which is especially convenient on nights when my husband comes home from work to find a stir-crazy wife and a bare refrigerator. We are fifteen minutes from downtown or Corktown or Midtown – and conveniently, or not-so-conveniently for our diets, our route home always happens to bring us up Woodward past Dutch Girl Donuts. On a more serious note, I am passionate about being connected to Detroit. Though we chose to live outside the city proper, I want my child(ren) to have deep pride in Detroit and fond family memories of times spent downtown.
So much to do – This is great when visitors come to town and we want to grab a meal and/or a drink here. Or here. Or here. Or when the baby just won’t nap and the house feels too small, I can always find an errand to run: choosing a gift for a friend at Modern Natural Baby, walking to the library to check out more books, remembering that there’s something I need at CVS, or grabbing coffee at Java Hutt or Pinwheel Bakery. And I didn’t even mention Nature’s Playhouse or the Rust Belt Market!
Every house is different – The variety of homes in Ferndale make long walks around the neighborhood anything but boring. I can listen to a podcast while Theo looks out at the world and I work toward that lofty goal of 10,000 steps. I love taking in the different architectural styles and landscaping. I can always find something to imitate for our own place, to my husband’s chagrin. “Those window boxes are perfect!” “I love their hydrangeas!” “Look at that amazing covered front porch!” Like its residents, Ferndale’s homes are one-of-a-kind.
Overall, Ferndale is a perfect fit for us. Maybe one day we will want a house with more room to grow, a bigger yard, or the coveted attached garage. But for now, in this moment, for the reasons listed above and more, we are happy here, and it is so special that this is Theodore’s first home.
