Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I agree, it is pretty great for Detroit to get something like that in the core.
It just seems like in downtown discussion threads that people want to stick to pretty defined downtown areas.
There's downtown as a specific neighborhood name, and downtown as a synonym for "city center" / usually focused on the CBD. I think the latter is what we're comparing. Take the shops in Back Bay. Should they not count because they're not in Boston's "downtown" neighborhood?
Also my idea of downtown/midtown is a bit influenced by Manhattan, where the difference between is just geographic, one isn't more central than either (in many ways, midtown is more central). It's not obvious to me that downtown is more central than midtown. Midtown sounds more central with the mid to its name.
I don't think my response was inane. I called you out because Newark does not have a Whole Foods downtown, it is getting one in like 2 or 3 years. I guess I can start saying Los Angeles has a Whole Foods then, yeah?
Yes, obviously if downtown LA is getting a WF, then you can include LA. Why wouldn't you?
And I'm pretty sure you have no idea what you're talking about.
These types of responses, BTW are what makes C-D really stupid sometimes. "Aha! Detroit doesn't have a WF, because the neighborhood is called "Midtown" nowadays." The Midtown term was not used in Detroit until about 10 years ago, so, by your logic, if the WF opened 10 years ago, it would be downtown, but not now...
There are also no WF in NYC or Philly or London according to you. There is no "downtown" in these places in the U.S. parlance. In NYC, "downtown" means something totally different, in Philly, there is no "downtown" it's "center city"; and of course "downtown" is not used in English-speaking Europe.
In fact, in NYC, "downtown" is less "downtown" than "midtown". So if a WF were located, say, on Wall Street, it would be less "city center" than if it were located in, say Times Square, even though Times Square isn't "downtown".
That is great for Newark, sounds like construction starts in 2015.
Detroit does not have a downtown Whole Foods, it is in Midtown. I'm not super familiar with Detroit, but I believe that is within the city's core, but not its downtown core. Still pretty great for Detroit to get a Whole Foods deep within city limits.
My point is that you are saying things that are half-truths.
Midtown Detroit isn't downtown. Downtown Detroit is on the Southern end of the city, facing Windsor, Canada. I've been out to Detroit several times and actually don't even recall the city having a major grocery store. Just little drug stores, etc.
Yes, obviously if downtown LA is getting a WF, then you can include LA. Why wouldn't you?
And I'm pretty sure you have no idea what you're talking about.
These types of responses, BTW are what makes C-D really stupid sometimes. "Aha! Detroit doesn't have a WF, because the neighborhood is called "Midtown" nowadays." The Midtown term was not used in Detroit until about 10 years ago, so, by your logic, if the WF opened 10 years ago, it would be downtown, but not now...
There are also no WF in NYC or Philly or London according to you. There is no "downtown" in these places in the U.S. parlance. In NYC, "downtown" means something totally different, in Philly, there is no "downtown" it's "center city"; and of course "downtown" is not used in English-speaking Europe.
Just seems like they are separate neighborhoods, that's all. I seem to recall posters earlier in this thread (or another DT thread) saying that Midtown Atlanta did not count because it was not technically downtown. It's not that there is another colloquialism being used (Center City, Lower Manhattan), it is because there is a Downtown Detroit and a Midtown Detroit, which seem to be distinct entities. But whatever, if Midtown Detroit and Downtown Detroit are all the same thing then good for Detroit, they have a Whole Foods downtown. I think if you told a visitor (say someone going to a convention) that there is a Whole Foods in Downtown Detroit they would be a bit disappointed to find out it is 1.5 miles to the north and about a mile from the nearest People Mover station.
BTW the smiley face in the link was an auto-format, funny that it still opens though.
Midtown Detroit isn't downtown. Downtown Detroit is on the Southern end of the city, facing Windsor, Canada. I've been out to Detroit several times and actually don't even recall the city having a major grocery store. Just little drug stores, etc.
Ok, and then, just to be consistently pedantic, SF doesn't have a downtown WF. Now we conclude SF sucks and cannot support grocery stores, correct?
The WF in SF are as follows-
2001 Market- Lower Haight neighborhood- at least a mile from downtown SF
1765 California- Nob Hill-ish- at least a mile from downtown SF
399 4th Street- SoMa neighborhood and right off I-80
450 Rhode Island- Portero Hill and nowhere near downtown
3950 24th Street- Noe Valley and nowhere near downtown
690 Stanyan Street- Golden Gate Park area, and nowhere near downtown
In fact, almost no cities have downtown WF, because you typically wouldn't put a grocery store in the middle of your financial, governmental, or retail core. Only a really crappy city would take its most valuable and monumental land for selling eggs and milk.
The topic at hand was suppose to be the top 10 downtowns in America. Why are we arguing about cities whose downtown's claim to fame are Whole Foods or Target? Does Minneapolis truly crack the top 10? We're being told its nice, but a pictures can't be found to back this claim up. Downtown Detroit has restaurants too- some are actually very upscale(though often located in hotels). There is actually a fairly nice water front. If I remember correctly- the Motor City Casino is downtown Detroit.
NYC
Chicago
SF
DC
Seattle
Philadelphia
Portland
San Diego
LA
Oakland
Can downtown Minneapolis replace any of these cities downtown's? If so, I'm basically leaning towards LA or Oakland. I'd actually argue that Oakland has a better downtown than LA. Oakland has a large array of restaurants and bars downtown- and not dive places either. You also have a Chinatown as well as Jack London Square(I believe its still a part of downtown), and you have Lake Merritt right there too.
Ok, and then, just to be consistently pedantic, SF doesn't have a downtown WF. Now we conclude SF sucks and cannot support grocery stores, correct?
The WF in SF are as follows-
2001 Market- Lower Haight neighborhood- at least a mile from downtown SF
1765 California- Nob Hill-ish- at least a mile from downtown SF
399 4th Street- SoMa neighborhood and right off I-80
450 Rhode Island- Portero Hill and nowhere near downtown
3950 24th Street- Noe Valley and nowhere near downtown
690 Stanyan Street- Golden Gate Park area, and nowhere near downtown
In fact, almost no cities have downtown WF, because you typically wouldn't put a grocery store in the middle of your financial, governmental, or retail core. Only a really crappy city would take its most valuable and monumental land for selling eggs and milk.
Huh? Nob Hill IS a neighborhood of downtown SF.
SoMa IS a neighborhood downtown SF
Portero Hill is NOT downtown, but about a mile away
But even there isn't one downtown SF, which you listed two that are, you still have many specialty and gourmet stores downtown SF. Plus you have a Bristol Farms right on Market Street, which is nicer than WF in my opinion. The point is that if a Whole Foods or something similar to that is your claim to fame, I don't think your city's downtown should be in the top 10. That is my only point.
The topic at hand was suppose to be the top 10 downtowns in America. Why are we arguing about cities whose downtown's claim to fame are Whole Foods or Target? Does Minneapolis truly crack the top 10? We're being told its nice, but a pictures can't be found to back this claim up. Downtown Detroit has restaurants too- some are actually very upscale(though often located in hotels). There is actually a fairly nice water front. If I remember correctly- the Motor City Casino is downtown Detroit.
NYC
Chicago
SF
DC
Seattle
Philadelphia
Portland
San Diego
LA
Oakland
Can downtown Minneapolis replace any of these cities downtown's? If so, I'm basically leaning towards LA or Oakland. I'd actually argue that Oakland has a better downtown than LA. Oakland has a large array of restaurants and bars downtown- and not dive places either. You also have a Chinatown as well as Jack London Square(I believe its still a part of downtown), and you have Lake Merritt right there too.
Downtown Oakland is nice, but I don't think it is better than DTLA or a few other major cities around the country. I do like Downtown Oakland more than Downtown San Diego though. Lake Merritt is a pretty great feature though.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
etroitareamap2.gif - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
