This photo was taken 7 years ago today, on November 3rd, 2015. This is the view my coworkers and I enjoy from atop our 9 story parking deck in Detroit, Michigan, our very own employee walking track. I haven’t been here since 2019. It’s closed sometimes based on weather conditions, and then with COVID hitting in 2020, we all stayed home until this year.
How I loved taking a quick elevator ride up, getting out in the sunshine and getting some exercise in, taking much needed mental breaks in between meetings. I always felt like this was a hidden gem, and would love sharing it new new employees. “We have a walking track?? On the ROOF?” I remember being so excited when I heard, and was then a little disappointed when I learned it was on our parking deck roof and not the top of our 22 floor building. Now THAT would have been a view!!!
In the middle and surrounding the track is ground covering succulents and I remember seeing all the grasshoppers that would hop out from the greenery onto the track, making me sidestep to avoid squishing them. The corners of the rubber tiles were starting to stick up and it was easy to stumble if you weren’t watching. I would always bring my binoculars if I saw a freighter on the Detroit River. Whenever I went, I was often the only one up there. It was a nice, quiet, peaceful place even with the sounds of the traffic below.
Today, the walking track surface has been newly resurfaced recently and I can’t wait to go see it and go for a good, long walk. Though I’m not onsite every day, it will definitely be something I’ll look forward to.