The Mid City Youth want a local Cafe & Community space!

Growing up in Mid City we never really had a local coffee shop or community space to hang out, chat, listen to music or make art. The only thing in my neighborhood is liquor stores, pot shops, and a Methadone Clinic. We didn’t have any open space to express ourselves through creativity, this lead to young kids (neighborhood youth and I) playing in the street and getting into trouble.  I always wondered what it would be like to have an open, fun creative space in Mid City and I feel if we had a place like re/creation as a youth The trouble many of us got into could have been prevented and let me tell you why. Re/Creation is an open space where the community can come together and make art listen to music and meet each other, a community that can enhance creativity can also enhance passion for youth by having this outlet of Art. Below is a description of what Re/Creation is!

” Re/creation is the idea that we recreate ourselves through play. Re/creation is art,
music, yoga, dance, meditation, community, and any practice that inspires positive
change. When we are at play we are in a positive creative space that allows us to
discover new ideas, and new ways of being, that help us to better connect with
ourselves and with others.
Re/creation connects communities through creative experiences that move and
inspire people, and bring change where it is needed most. This is why we practice
an “Open Door” policy at all Re/creation events. To build a conscious community
we must remain an open community. All are welcomed. None are excluded.

Re/creation events fund and promote arts for youth and adults in disenfranchised
and impoverished areas, through awareness, donations, and community
engagement. Re/creation’s mission is to provide creative experiences for all while
providing opportunities for others to get involved to create change.”

I have spoken to the youth of Mid City about the idea of an open space like this and they think it would be a vital resource to connect and become closer as a community, 16-year-old Tyler states “I think that Recreation Cafe would be awesome because there are no places like it here, we don’t even have a local coffee shop in Mid City so a place like this would be so cool!”

“Recreation cafe would be really important for the community but especially us teens because it would be really cool to have a space to create and make art while also having a smoothie,”  states 17-year-old Heav Richards. A cafe like this would be awesome for the community!