Eastpointe, Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eastpointe, Michigan
City
Motto(s):  "Gateway to Macomb County" "A Family Town"
Location within Macomb County
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Macomb
Founded	1837
Incorporated (village)	December 8, 1924 as Halfway
Incorporated (city)	January 7, 1929 as East Detroit
Renamed	July 1, 1992 as Eastpointe
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• Total	5.160 sq mi (13.364 km2)
• Land	5.158 sq mi (13.358 km2)
• Water	0.002 sq mi (0.005 km2)
Elevation	614 ft (187 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	34,318
• Estimate  (2023)	33,676
• Density	6,528.89/sq mi (2,521.04/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	48021
Area code(s)	586
FIPS code	26-24290
GNIS feature ID	1623024
Sales tax	6.0%

Eastpointe is a city in Macomb County, Michigan. It used to be called East Detroit. This city is a suburb of Detroit, located about 11 miles northeast of Downtown Detroit. In 2020, about 34,318 people lived in Eastpointe.

History of Eastpointe

Eastpointe was first settled in the 1830s by people from Ireland and Germany. In 1897, a post office opened there. It was named "Half-way" because it was about halfway between downtown Detroit and Mount Clemens.

In 1924, Halfway became a village. Then, in 1929, it became the city of East Detroit. For a long time, the area was part of Erin Township.

In 1992, residents voted to change the city's name to "Eastpointe". This change was made to create a new identity for the city. The name "pointe" connects it to the nearby Grosse Pointe communities. This helped Eastpointe feel like its own unique city.

The local school district, Eastpointe Community Schools, also changed its name in 2017. It used to be called East Detroit Public Schools. This change helped the schools match the city's new name.

Geography of Eastpointe

Eastpointe is located in southern Macomb County. It is about 10 miles northeast of Downtown Detroit. The city is surrounded by other cities. To the west is Warren, to the north is Roseville, and to the east is St. Clair Shores. To the south, it borders Detroit and Harper Woods.

The city covers about 5.16 square miles of land. Only a tiny part of it is water. Eastpointe is often called a "bedroom community." This means many people who live there travel to other cities for work.

Major roads like I-94 and I-696 serve Eastpointe. Other important roads include M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) and M-102 (8 Mile Road).

Population and People

In 2020, Eastpointe had a population of 34,318 people. There were 13,126 households in the city. The city is a diverse place with people from many different backgrounds.

Economy

Eastpointe is home to the American Power Boat Association (APBA). This group was started in 1903. It organizes races for powerboats.

At one time, Spirit Airlines had its main office in Eastpointe. The airline moved its headquarters to Florida in 1999.

In 1959, a businessman named Art Van Elslander opened a furniture store in Eastpointe. This store, called Art Van, grew to be a very large furniture company.

Culture and Arts

Eastpointe has many fun events and places.

• Cruisin' Gratiot happens every June. It's a weekend event that celebrates cars. You can see car shows, contests, and live music.
• The Michigan Military Technical & Historical Society Museum is in Eastpointe. It shows military history.
• The city also has summer festivals. These include the Erin-Halfway Days Living History Festival and Summer Fest. There is also "Music in the Park" on Wednesday nights.

Education

Most public schools in Eastpointe are part of Eastpointe Community Schools. This district has one high school, one middle school, and four elementary schools. A small part of the city is in the South Lake Public Schools district.

Eastpointe also has a charter school called Eaton Academy. It is located where the former St. Veronica School used to be.

For higher education, Macomb Community College's South Campus is nearby in Warren. Wayne County Community College District also has a center close to Eastpointe.

Notable People and Connections

Many interesting people have connections to Eastpointe:

• Douglas A. Brook (born 1944) grew up in Eastpointe. He worked for the U.S. government in financial roles for the Army and Navy.
• Eric Bischoff (born 1955) was the president of World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He also appeared on WWE television.
• Joe Girard set world records for selling cars at Merollis Chevrolet in Eastpointe. He was known as the "World's Greatest Salesman."
• Jerry M. Linenger is a former NASA astronaut. He flew on the Space Shuttle and the Space Station Mir. He was born and raised in Eastpointe.
• Gus and Anna Guerra invented Detroit-style pizza. They opened Cloverleaf Bar in Eastpointe in 1953.
• Alice Cooper (born 1948), a famous rock singer, lived in East Detroit as a child. He went to Kantner Elementary School.
• Actor Jayson Blair from MTV's The Hard Times of RJ Berger is from Eastpointe.
• Rapper Kid Rock mentions Eastpointe in his song "It's Still East Detroit To Me."
• Musician Christian Berishaj (stage name JMSN) was raised in Eastpointe.
• Mike Lubinski from the reality show Big Brother is from Eastpointe.
• The band Adrenalin is from East Detroit. Their song "Road of the Gypsy" was in the movie Iron Eagle.
• The album Back in the USA by the band MC5 was recorded in Eastpointe in 1969.

Athletics

East Detroit High School has produced several professional football players. These include Gary Ballman, Ron Kramer, Matt Hernandez, and Mickey Walker.

Dennis Brown was a football player and coach. He coached football at East Detroit High School in 1995.

The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team. They played in East Detroit from 1977 to 1979. They won two championships.

Religion

Eastpointe has several churches. Roman Catholic churches include St. Basil the Great Church and St. Veronica Parish. The St. John Deaf Center is also in Eastpointe.

Our Lady of Grace Vietnamese Parish used to be in Eastpointe. It moved to Warren in 2012.

See also

In Spanish: Eastpointe para niños