A Mixed-Use Destination in, Detroit?

A mixed-use destination in Detroit. Yep, you heard me right, Detroit. The Motor City does actually have destinations.

A bright spot in the ongoing revitalization of urban Detroit is the neighborhood of Midtown, located just west of central downtown. Midtown is a mixed-use community area that has benefited from more than $1.8 billion in reinvestment since 2000 alone. The area is home to everything you could want in an urban mixed-use neighborhood. Newly refurbished and brand new construction live, work, and entertainment buildings line the cobblestone streets on both sides of Woodward Avenue.

Both new and historic condos, rowhouses, and mid-rise apartment buildings create diverse living options. A moment’s walk to one of 10 theatres, 9 museums, over 40 restaurants, 12 galleries and a hardware store make it one of the most walkable communities in all of Metro Detroit. The North Cass Neighborhood Garden, the adaptive reuse of a vacant corner lot, is one of Detroit’s most bountiful urban gardens. Employment anchors Henry Ford Health Systems, Detroit Medical Center, and Wayne State University are also located in Midtown, where employees are eligible for a variety of economic incentives to also live in the neighborhood.

And the area is still growing. The 3.4 mile M1 Light Rail line will run right through the center of Midtown. Major retailer Whole Foods’ broke ground on their Woodward and Mack Avenue site in the heart of Midtown on May 14. The 21,000 square-foot store will nurture local healthy food suppliers and take a lead role in educating the community on healthy eating.

Some pretty cool stuff happening in a really cool city.