About Taylor
Location
Taylor is in the Downriver area of Metropolitan Detroit, a section that is south of Dearborn, north of Monroe, west of the Detroit River and just east of Detroit Metropolitan Airport. We like to say “all roads lead to Taylor” since we are intersected by the I-94 and I-75 freeways, we are home to six miles of Telegraph Road (US-24) and we are just blocks away from the Southfield Freeway.
Taylor Residents
Our residents are good, hard-working people from many walks of life. They live here because our city is “Taylor-made” for families.
Our community boasts:
Comfortable Neighborhoods
Outstanding Recreation Supplemented by four Different Little Leagues
A Variety of Shopping Opportunities and three Industrial Parks.
This combination allows Taylor’s residents to live, work, shop and play, all within a convenient 24 square miles.
Recreation
Taylor also is made for recreation. The city is home to Lakes of Taylor and Taylor Meadows Golf Clubs – municipally-owned golf courses with country club-like challenges designed by the renowned Arthur Hills. Lakes are known as the best public course in the Downriver region, and Meadows is likely the friendliest.
The Taylor Sportsplex features four arenas for ice hockey, figure skating, indoor soccer, and special events. It is home to the prestigious Belle Tire Hockey Program and often serves as a practice facility for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
The Taylor Recreation Center is the perfect place to work out, play court games or take lessons from the renowned Taylor Dance Program and Ballet Americana, celebrating its 50th year in 2016.
Heritage Park
Heritage Park, the “jewel of the city,” is a regional park that features:
The 41,000-square-foot Sheridan Center Open Air Pavilion
Taylor Community Library
A Mini Historical Village Surrounding a Small Lake
Petting Farm
Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Soccer and Baseball Fields
An inline hockey rink is located behind the Sheridan Center, and the Jeffrey Lamarand Splash Pad will open in spring 2016. The unique baseball-themed facility is located directly adjacent to the Sheridan pavilion.
Heritage Park is home to various festive annual events, the largest of which is the Taylor Summer Festival, Relay for Life American Cancer Society fund-raiser, Fall Fest and Winter Festival.
The park also hosts the Junior League World Series, featuring the best teams of 13- and 14-year-old baseball players from around the world. The annual World Series takes place in August, including opening ceremonies and fireworks. The championship game is broadcast on ESPN.
Taylor Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
One of the hidden gems of the Downriver region, the Taylor Conservatory, and Botanical Gardens is located on the southwestern edge of Heritage Park, right next to the Petting Farm.
The Taylor Conservatory Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization whose mission is creating beautiful public spaces, promoting the arts and sciences and preserving our natural environment. It promotes positive community outcomes with its programs designed for a multitude of social, educational, and environmental needs. It hosts a tremendously successful art and music in the park series each summer, featuring some of the best jazz bands in the country.
The Conservatory is a sculptural interpretation of the historic Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, built-in 1904 for the city of Detroit by renowned architect Albert Kahn. A lover of classical architecture, Kahn modeled the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory after Monticello, the home of our 3rd U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson.
DTE Energy commissioned and built this replica for Michigan’s largest flower show, the DTE Energy International Bloomfest, in 1999. In 2004, DTE Energy generously donated the structure to the City of Taylor for this project. This beautiful open-air replica is a correct-to-scale model of the famous conservatory and serves as the unique gateway to the gardens. The handcrafted aluminum structure is more than 90 feet long, 24 feet wide and 28 feet tall. It weighs 3 tons. The conservatory does not have glass panes, but serves as the grand and elegant entrance to the botanical gardens, and to display the 4-season educational displays of annuals and perennials for public enjoyment.
After a late season groundbreaking ceremony for the conservatory in 2006, construction began in 2007.
Telegraph Tomorrow Cruise
The Telegraph Tomorrow Cruise takes place on Telegraph Road (U.S. 24) the fourth Friday of July.
Popular Locations
Taylor has a variety of modern municipal buildings. Taylor City Hall, the Taylor Police Department, the 23rd District Court and the Midtown Fire Station are all located on Goddard Road, east of Telegraph Road. The William Ford Senior Activity Center is a favorite place for older residents to visit.
Department of Public Works
The Department of Public Works, located at Beech Daly and Northline roads, featured a visit by former President Bill Clinton for the grand opening in 1996.
President Bill Clinton visited the Department of Public Works in 1996. President George W Bush visited Taylor in 2004, and President Barack Obama visited the city during his first presidential campaign in 2008.
Education
Taylor is also home to the Taylor School District; the Downriver Campus of Wayne County Community College District and the new Heinz C. Prechter Educational and Performing Arts Center; the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce; the Downriver Association of Realtors; and the Metro South Post of the Michigan State Police.
Businesses Coming to Taylor
Southland Center, Downriver’s regional shopping mall, recently upgraded its facility across the board and plans a spring 2016 opening for a new and ultra-modern Cinemark theater on its western side. Menards, new to the region, plans a 2017 opening on what was the old Gibraltar Trade Center site, which will eventually be more than 80 acres of new retail businesses. Since 2013, the City has seen great business expansion on Eureka, between Telegraph and Allen; along Telegraph Road; and in the Midtown area near Goddard Road and Pardee.
If you live in Taylor, you know why the community was a finalist for the All-America City Award in 2004. If you are thinking about moving to Taylor, know that the community has a variety of homes and condominiums. And if you are visiting, we hope you enjoy your stay in Taylor!
