Midtown, Marvelous! (Detroit, Lincoln Park, Wayne: apartment complexes, condos, townhomes)

[TheProf]

We visited Detroit this weekend, and I was blown away by Midtown. The Woodward Ave corridor is nice enough -- we even saw Q-Line streetcars rolling by, but didn't ride one (the ones we saw, though, looked pretty full). Lots of shops, restaurants and apts -- but Woodward has been moving in this direction for about a decade or so... Also nice to see Little Caesars Arena ready for action...

What impressed me the most, however, is Cass Corridor -- esp the areas around Cass, 2nd Ave, and streets like Canfield and Forest. I have oft criticized Detroit for not having a bona-fide walking district aside from Greektown downtown (and, to a lesser degree, Mexican Town and, to a lesser degree, Corktown). No more.

Cass corridor is full of shops, bars and cool retail amidst beautifully restored old brick apts -- and a few new ones, mixed in with some mansions, flats and a row house or 2... And people were out and about on foot, bike, scooter or whatever until well into the evening. Lots of Wayne students, of course, but there were visitors and residents of all stripes; different races, ethnicities, gender preference -- in short, what a real city is supposed to be. ... I thought I woke up and was transported to Lincoln Park Chicago... Surely this couldn't be Detroit... But it was!

Good stuff! At least in this fine section of the City, Motown became Pedtown.

[Coldjensens]

Now come back and hang out around Campus Martius. You will be equally amazed, exspecially on a Friday at noon. Then get a bike and ride Riverwalk. The amazement never stops. You will not believe you are in downtown Detroit on parts of Riverwalk. If you are around on Friday, hang out for the evening and go to one fo the free concerts in front of the Ren Cen. They have lots of once super popular geriatric rock stars. Some of them still perform like you would not believe. It is free.

2017 Chevrolet Rockin

[TheProf]

Yes, we passed through Campus Martius, and it too was impressive. I knew downtown Detroit was strong, and getting stronger. Ever since CM was revamped over a decade ago, downtown has been on an upward climb.

But to me, as great as downtowns are as the "living room" of cities, it's the neighborhoods where people live. Detroit can have a great downtown, but as long as it has crappy neighborhoods (which of course, all Detroit's neighborhoods aren't/weren't crappy) then a pretty face can't hide the imperfections... Midtown/Cass is showing me a neighborhood strength I hadn't seen. That dense/old apartment, walkable streets, outdoor seating restaurants, shops where locals mingle ... other cities have that; I hadn't really seen that in Detroit ... until now. And of course, Midtown/Cass is not a finished product; it has room to grow; but much has been accomplished to date. It can only portend much greater things for the City, and it's exciting to see.

[MS313]

Glad to see you made it back to check it out. Call me crazy, but I actually think Midtown has the potential to become more vibrant (outside of work hours) than downtown. It has more space and most of which will not be used for office buildings unlike downtown. That means all types of residential infill and amenities needed to serve those residence.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by MS313

Glad to see you made it back to check it out. Call me crazy, but I actually think Midtown has the potential to become more vibrant (outside of work hours) than downtown. It has more space and most of which will not be used for office buildings unlike downtown. That means all types of residential infill and amenities needed to serve those residence.

That depends on whether they continue to put retail and food/taverns on the first floors of the towers downtown. There is a lot available right now. The boom has not been keeping up with the availability of commercial space downtown. Residential is the opposite though.

[TheProf]

Originally Posted by MS313

Glad to see you made it back to check it out. Call me crazy, but I actually think Midtown has the potential to become more vibrant (outside of work hours) than downtown. It has more space and most of which will not be used for office buildings unlike downtown. That means all types of residential infill and amenities needed to serve those residence.

Yes, Midtown is doing very, very well, but there are definitely some holes to fill, like the abundance of surface parking at the edges and a few empty lots here and there. But it definitely has a sense of place it didn't in the early 2000s when I regularly visited my girlfriend who lived downtown... 2nd Ave/Cass/Woodward had some nice buildings and homes and some bars restaurants, like Union Street, were already opened... But it was largely a ghost town and not the vibrant walking district it is today.

Hopefully we plan to return for Labor Day and the Detroit Jazz Festival. I love jazz and there are a number of great acts. I'd also love to make it back to the legendary Baker's Keyboard Lounge which I haven't visited since 2004. I understand it recently changed hands but that the new owners are committed to perpetuating Baker's jazz format, a tradition dating to the 1930s.

[usroute10]

I am elated that a urban-snob such as yourself is impressed with vibrancy of an area of Detroit! That is good that we have at least one neighborhood that passes the smell test.

But there are even many other exciting new developments in construction, or in planning, in midtown, such as the District Detroit anchored by the new area. Already, a new brewery, 2 mid-rise apartment renovations, a hostel, as well as numerous restaurants and bars are in the works in the district. Apart from the District Detroit, check out these other developments, some of which are already under construction: (This list is not exhaustive either!)

P.S. Wait for images to load

EAST SIDE OF MIDTOWN

Mixed-used Apartment Building - Sugar Hill Arts District

Will include 84 apartments, 7,000 square feet of commercial space, a nearly 300-space parking garage for residents, and public and green alleyways.

$32M apartment development coming to Midtown




Velodrome

The complex, an air dome structure, will have three main components or “fields of play:” a world-class velodrome cycling track, running, walking and in-line skating lanes, and a multi-purpose infield and coffee shop/cafe.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2017/4/25...omplex-detroit




City Modern

City Modern is a $100 million development that will have a mix of apartment complexes, carriage homes, townhomes and duplexes, all of which should be finished by 2020. Once complete, there will be 410 new units of housing and 22,000 square feet of retail space. All will have a modern design scheme that contrasts with the historical Victorian mansions in the neighborhood.

City Modern showcase center opens for Brush Park condos




WEST SIDE OF MIDTOWN

Detroit Shipping Co.

This Food Hall will contain 5 restaurants, 2 bars, pop-up art space, retail, and loads of communal seats

Detroit Shipping Co.




Selden Innovation Corridor

A plan to transform a block of Selden in Midtown Detroit into a corridor that offers low-cost space for entrepreneurs as well as residential and retail space got a boost Tuesday. The project, called “Selden Innovation Corridor,” would feature new restaurants and a manufacturing space by luxury-goods maker Shinola. Also, a 2-story addition to the top of the building will house apartments

‘Selden Innovation Corridor’ planned for Midtown street




The Selden (an infill project)

4-story, 12-unit condo building with 1st retail/restaurant space. Marketed as a high-end, luxury development, it will also offer its residents a dog run, a dog wash, a heated garage, bike storage on each floor, marble counter tops in the kitchens, custom cabinetry, and a sky deck.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2016/7/25...-condos-selden

[TheProf]

^Guess if you're an honest critic, that makes you a "snob." D_mnit, nobody criticizes Detroit and gets away with it!

[NOLA101]

Cass Corridor is still pretty sparse and empty to me. It's actually much less active than 20 years ago, though undoubtedly much more upscale.

[MS313]

Originally Posted by NOLA101

Cass Corridor is still pretty sparse and empty to me. It's actually much less active than 20 years ago, though undoubtedly much more upscale.

Huh? Cass is not sparse or empty until you get past MLK which is basically where the stadium and "district" area is being built. The area between MLK and the freeway is the emptiest part of Midtown but also has the most potential for brand new development (like "The District" or "City Modern").