Brikyaat
The Brikyaat neighborhood of Midtown spans from Batavia Place NE to Fuller NE between Fountain and Fulton streets. The Brikyaat is home to the Fulton Street Farmers Market, Fulton Street Cemetery, the East Fulton Business District and the Brikyaat Community Garden. The west-section of the Brikyaat, from Caroline Place to Batavia Place, is currently considering becoming an historic district and has received approval from the City Commission to persue survey work through the State of Michigan to see if the area is eligible.
The Brikyaat is a very diverse neighborhood in Midtown. This diversity is illustrated, in one way, by the numerous food choices along the Brikyaat’s southern most boarder, Fulton Street. The 900 block alone is home to the bustling Fulton Street Farmers Market (May-December), a pizza parlor, an Ethiopian restaurant, an Indian restaurant and a Dutch bakery. There are also many excellent retail shops and art galleries as well as two wonderful neighborhood grocery stores and much, much more.
The Brikyaat’s short, predominately no-outlet and/or one way streets makes this section of the neighborhood an intimate place to live. Front porches are where you will find many neighbors….enjoying the scenery and keeping a watchful eye over things.
This neighborhood takes it’s name from the Dutch word for brickyard. The Brikyaat was home to primarily Dutch, Zeeland Colony, immigrants who were employed in great numbers at the Brickyards which were located just North of Fountain street near Houseman Field. While times have changed and the brickyards are gone, this section of Midtown is still an immigrant neighborhood.