Goofing around town

We took a touristy tour of our town (doesn't everyone tour their home town?)last week, downtown, anyhow, led by a very gung-ho, lifetime downtowner.  She sold me on moving  back to the city, though probably not downtown, itself -- a bit too cool for me.  

 There’s been a lot going on down here in the past few years with GM, Compuware, Blue Cross, Ernst & Young, etc. consolidating, centrally, and a lot of new construction and renovation, starting, of course with Campus Marius.  



Campus Martius Skating Rink



Civil War Memorial



Urban bike rider

 One of the first stops on the tour was the Guardian Building, a marvelous art deco financial landmark filled with pewabic tile:


Financial ideals have changed a bit..

The entry has an amazing tiled, arched ceiling:

and on into the bank lobby, the spectacular detail continues, but instead of tile, painted canvas over horsehair (!) to baffle the echoes:

A mural at the end of the lobby acknowledges Michigan industries in the '20's:  Primarily, manufacturing, farming and timber.  Not much has changed...

Spirit of Detroit



It’s nice to see the stalwart holdouts reaping some reward for their stubbornly, steadfast optimism, finally making a few dollars, those once referred to, in an article about the flight of the middle class, as hopelessly deluded liberals that refused to admit the city has failed– I'm not positive but I think it was in the Metro Times.

The Grand Trunk Pub is owned by a couple of those old hanger's on that slowly built the business, adding pieces as they could, and now so popular they are expanding into the building next door (that used to be another restaurant I can't think of...).  It's great to see these (authentic) Detroit places do well.

The addition of money and population, of course, also brings Buffalo Wild Wings, Pink Taco, Hard Rock and the like.  To each their own...

This was our first time in the compuware building.  The Artium is really neat -- that's a waterfall; water pours down the back and also down, through and over the hanging tetrahedrons.

And they imported live bamboo: Pandas soon!

It’s mostly great to see, with long abandoned buildings like the Book Cadillac and Shelby getting refurbed, the old shops across from where Hudson’s once stood being re-purposed into lofts and the Broderick tower finally fully alit – the old church is squat in the middle of the trendy redevelopments!

The last stop we made was to view one off the lofts at Merchant's Place.  The view over Woodward was fantastic, looking over the old Hudson sight, and despite the parasitic casino where Greektown once stood, looming in the background.

It's a pretty neat development even if it caters to the somewhat hard to take Hollister shirted kids in dreadlocks.  

Before heading north for dinner we stopped over at the Leland school lofts - everthing's turning into lofts.  From what we could see, the building was about half occupied and looked pretty snazzy. 

This is a great location, with lots of long-timers and young families, just off lafayette park, downtown and the stadiums. 

I used to think this was a school for the criminally deranged because of the bars on the windows and the awful noises that would sometimes escaped. 

Lots of Mercedes, Scions and Lexi in the Pavilion parking across the street, but apparently no tennis players as the adjacent court isn't looking so good, though hitting around saplings and tall weeds would add an interesting element...  Urban tennis?

Lafayette courts

Old P.A.L. leaguers should be cheered to know, however, the Dues field is still in great shape and use and Miller is being re-made into a charter school - at least it's not lofts.

We escaped the strikingly pale downtown to the Wayne State area, commonly referred to as "mid-town," or (cringe), Detroit's "Brooklyn." 

The Goodwell block of Willis (more recognized for the Avalon these days) looks really sharp -- the area reminds me a bit of the Wealthy St area re-surgence in Grand Rapids rather than that New York nonsense.

Downtown's great but I really love this area.  There are of course, a lot of young people, great restaurants moving in and lofts, lofts, lofts.  But the changes here are more in addition to places like Goodwells and there's a lot of community involvement and diversity. 

After loading up on bread and pastries we had dim sum around the corner at Shangri-La, right next to the Thompson Home for Old Ladies.

As a friend of ours says, it is the only Chinese restaurant in the city that isn't greasy -- and, dim sum in Detroit!

20 years ago you could enjoy some high living in a 2 bedroom for about $250 a month around here --$75 including heat if you didn't mind living adjacent Pelican Fine Dining and their curious clientelle.

Now there is a need in the area for affordable housing, partially being addressed by this latest development of mixed use commercial and 600sqft. studios, starting at $700.  Also, more lofts are in the planning..