Lafayette Greens is a hidden oasis in downtown Detroit.
You might miss it if your destination on Lafayette is one of two of Detroit’s best-known landmarks, American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island.
But if you walk another 30 steps down Lafayette away from the two coney islands, you’ll discover an urban garden, sanctuary, and interactive green space among the concrete high rise buildings.
Created by Compuware, Lafayette Greens is a 3/4 acre garden that opened to the public in 2011.
Fruit trees, 35 raised beds for flowers and vegetables, a children’s garden, and plenty of benches make it a space to escape the busyness, and business life, downtown.
Explore the organically grown vegetables, six-foot tall sunflowers where birds perch haphazardly on wavering stems as they attempt to pull seeds from spent flowers.
Or sit down, relax, and enjoy the beautiful sculptures and birdhouses.
The produce raised in the garden is donated to nonprofit agencies, including Gleaners Community Food Bank.
In 2014, Compuware donated the ownership of Lafayette Greens to Greening of Detroit.
