FARMINGTON HILLS — From the parking lot, it’s obvious The Hawk is a place to find community.
Folks chatter on Herrington Field’s track. Friends walk to their cars together. In the distance, there’s a persistent thwack from pickleball being played.
Patty Langan, a Novi resident, visits The Hawk to play pickleball. She’s found friends on the court.
“I’m a new empty-nester. All of my kids are gone,” she said. “So I started playing and I play like five or six days a week. I have about 120 friends on my phone list from this.”
When Farmington Hills opened The Hawk in 2021, officials billed the 12 Mile Road campus as a community center and the description seems right on. It has athletic facilities, a theater, a makerspace, e-sports, classrooms for gathering and a large aquatic center. Patrons of the facility say community and friendliness are among the things they enjoy most.
“There’s good…
