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Mike Epps, the American stand-up comedian and actor, has bought his Indianapolis childhood neighborhood with his wife, Kyra Epps. They are in the process of revitalizing the area.
The renovation is a part of the new show on HGTV called Buying Back the Block, which premiered on November 8, 2023. Epps told WRTV last month,
"I’ve seen the neighborhood go through a couple of different changes from the time I was born until 53. Everything I’m trying to do is inspire – the next generation – give them information and letting them know."
The Epps are working to clean up the Kennedy King neighborhood near 21st Street and Carrollton Avenue, as per the Indianapolis Recorder. Many netizens have praised Mike for his contribution to the betterment of the place he grew up in.
Mike Epps and wife Kyra are buying & renovating homes on his childhood block
Mike Epps began the HGTV show Buying Back the Block in November, where he bought several homes in the Kennedy-King neighborhood in Indianapolis. Kyra and her husband's goal is to revitalize the struggling neighborhood and bring back the charm, community, and character of the place he valued growing up.
It has been more than a month since the show's first episode aired on November 8. Mike Epps grew up on 21st and Carrollton Avenue at his grandmother Anna Walker’s house in the 1970s. When the time came to sell the house, the couple and an HGTV team decided to instead remodel the home to embody the late Walker’s characteristics.
The Epps did not only renovate his grandmother’s home; they also bought five other homes and remodeled two last month. Since then, Epps has revitalized most of the neighborhood, as his friend Michael Blackson shared on his Instagram account. Blackson showed off various houses, and the actor completely transformed, panning a 360-degree view of the block and praising Mike. He responded,
"Yeah! Once was the hood, now it all good!"
Many netizens voiced their opinions on the newly renovated neighborhood, praising Mike Epps for his contribution.
The couple revamped each house and repainted it, adding modern amenities to create affordable and beautiful places for families to buy or rent, as per The Shade Room. Mike Epps mentioned his idea behind the renovation to the HGTV team, saying,
"Indianapolis is a beautiful town. It’s a beautiful city with beautiful people in it. It has its drawbacks like every other city, but I have always thought a lot about this city and the people in it. I love representing it."
He continued,
"Even though it’s a small town, I still think about Indianapolis because it’s home base for me. While we were working, things were turning out great. So, we decided to reach out to HGTV so they can follow our story. Turns out, they ended up loving it, and here we are."
Kyra Epps expressed her gratitude towards the HGTV team, saying,
"I can honestly say that we could not have done this alone" because what people don’t understand about construction "is that it really does take a team effort," as per Indianapolis Recorder.
Buying Back The Block, Season 1, is available to watch on Prime Video and the HGTV channel. The show can also be streamed on Max and Discovery+.
The couple has not disclosed their future plans in real estate.
