Downtown Detroit
Encyclopedia
Downtown Detroit is the central business district
and a residential
area of Detroit, Michigan
, United States. Downtown is bordered by the Lodge Freeway to the west, the Fisher Freeway to the north, Interstate 375
(The Chrysler Spur) to the east, and the Detroit River
to the south.
Downtown contains much historic architecture
and most of the prominent skyscrapers in Detroit, including the Renaissance Center
, the Penobscot Building
, One Detroit Center, and the Guardian Building
. Historic churches, theatres
, and commercial buildings anchor the various downtown districts. Downtown has a number parks including those linked by a promenade along the Detroit International Riverfront
.
at Campus Martius Park
and two new stadiums: Comerica Park
and Ford Field
. General Motors
moved their headquarters into the Renaissance Center
, and the Detroit Lions
have relocated from Pontiac, Michigan
to downtown Detroit. High-profile events like the 2005 MLB All-Star Game, Super Bowl XL
, and the 2006 World Series
have taken place in downtown, generating income for local businesses and spurring more growth. As a result, new residents are moving into Detroit in the assortment of new lofts that are opening up, while condemned buildings and homes are being razed to make land available for yet more development. An example of these trends is the Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel
. In 2006, the Cleveland-based Ferchill Group began the $180 million redevelopment of the long vacant Book Cadlliac Hotel at the corner of Washington Blvd. and Michigan Avenue. The project, which has been hailed by historic preservationists houses a 455 room Westin Hotel, 67 high-end condominiums, and two to three restaurants, and some miscellaneous retail serving hotel and conference center guests. DTE headquarters features an urban oasis of parks, walkways, and a reflecting pool. In 2007, downtown Detroit was named among the best big city neighborhoods in which to retire by CNN Money Magazine editors.
was 3,671.5 people per square mile (1,417.6/km²). There were 4,572 housing units. The racial makeup of the district was 63.6% Black, 28.2% White, 4.0% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% other races, 3.0% two or more races, and 3.3% Hispanic
.
Bricktown separates the Renaissance Center from Greektown. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The area contains an eclectic mix of late 19th century architecture and early 20th century industrial buildings and warehouses. Bricktown is home to St. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church, the oldest standing church in Detroit, and the Italian Renaissance style Wayne County Building (which was saved from demolition in the early 1980s). The Wayne County Courthouse, which used to be located in the Wayne County Building, was the place where Mae West
was once a defendant on a charge of public indecency
. The Bricktown area is now seeing resurgence with the creation of lofts and the addition of the Greektown casino. While it is small in area, Bricktown is notable for its live music venues. Jacoby's German Biergarten (1904), the city's oldest surviving pub, provides a small performance space for up & coming acts. Around the corner, St. Andrew's Hall is a venue for nationally touring acts, as is the Shelter in the basement of St. Andrew's.
Campus Martius is a historic district and central gathering place which contains parks, the Woodward Fountain, Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
, and a large traffic circle surrounded by commercial and residential high-rises including 1001 Woodward Avenue. Since the traffic circle's restoration and expansion, it has emerged as a central gathering spot downtown with a main stage. Just down Woodward Avenue is another large circle and main gathering spot known as Grand Circus.
are a part of the west necklace of downtown.
area contains many historic structures including the Fort Street Presbyterian Church
(1876). The Fort Shelby Hotel
(1916) was restored in 2008. Many of the cities skyscrapers are found in this area including the Guardian Building
, a National Historic Landmark. The area has its own People Mover
station.
Foxtown is a name used in Detroit for the Grand Circus Park Historic District, with Kales Building
, Grand Park Centre
, The Fillmore Detroit
, Comerica Park
, and Ford Field
located in it. It is named after the Fox Theatre
, a National Historic Landmark. Interstate 75
, Grand River Avenue
, Woodward Avenue, Interstate 375
, Michigan Avenue
/US 12, and Gratiot Avenue all pass through or close to Foxtown. The Detroit People Mover
has a station in Foxtown on the south end of Grand Circus Park.
The Detroit Opera House
is located at Broadway and Grand Circus. The east necklace of downtown links Grand Circus and the stadium area to Greektown along Broadway. The east neckace contains a sub-district sometimes called the Harmonie Park District, which has taken on the renowned legacy of Detroit's music
from 1930s through the 1950s to the present. Near the Opera House
, and emanating from Grand Circus along the east necklace are other venues including the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts
and the Gem Theatre and Century Club. The historic Harmonie Club
and Harmonie Centre are located along Broadway. The Harmonie Park area ends near Gratiot and Randolph. The Detroit Athletic Club
stands in view of center field at Comerica Park
. Part of the east necklace, the area contains architecturally notable buildings planned for renovation as high-rise residential condominiums such as the Gothic Revival Metropolitan Building
at 33 John R St. The Hilton Garden Inn is also in the Harmonie Park area.
Greektown is located less than half a mile (800 m) from the Renaissance Center
in the downtown area. It combines with Bricktown to create a, with Monroe Street at the center. The neighborhood is a popular restaurant and entertainment district, having many restaurants that serve authentic Greek
cuisine, as well as one of the city's three casinos, Greektown Casino
. Certain buildings on Monroe Street are themed to resemble the Parthenon
, Pegasus
, and other forms of Greek architecture
. Greek music is also played on Monroe Street throughout the day. Well known restaurants include The Laikon Cafe, Cyprus Taverna, Pegasus Taverna, and Pizza Papalis. St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
, founded by German immigrants, is located in the heart of the district. The Second Baptist Church once served as "station" for the Underground Railroad
. The Detroit People Mover
has a station at the Greektown Casino on Beaubien Street between Monroe Street and Lafayette Boulevard. The Greektown Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
runs parallel to the International Riverfront
which contains the Renaissance Center
, Cobo Center, a cruise ship terminal and dock, residential high rises, and a prominade of parks and marinas extending to Belle Isle
. The towering Riverfront Condominiums
are among the high-rise residential areas along the riverfront. The University of Detroit Mercy
College of Law is across from the Renaissance Center
along Jefferson Avenue
. The People Mover serves the Renaissance Center and the Cobo Center along the riverfront.
, the Book Tower
, the Industrial-Stevens Apartments
, and Washington Square (Trolley Plaza)
among other architecturally significant buildings. Washington Boulevard and Capitol Park Historic District
are part of the west necklace of downtown.
serves as headquarters for Wayne County
. Detroit Fire Department
has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Detroit Police Department
has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Central District patrol division of the police department serves Downtown Detroit.
According to a collaborative report released by the Brookings Institution, Social Compact and the University of Michigan on October 26, 2006, downtown Detroit is home to 6,500 residents, and hosts 80,500 downtown workers, which makes up 21% of Detroit city's total employment. Downtown offers a number of residential high rises, including Riverfront Towers.
General Motors
has its headquarters in the Renaissance Center
. Compuware
has its headquarters in the Compuware World Headquarters
building by Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit. Compuware moved its headquarters and 4,000 employees to Downtown Detroit in 2003. DTE Energy
has its headquarters in the DTE Energy Headquarters
. Little Caesars
and Olympia Entertainment
have their headquarters in the Fox Theatre. Ernst & Young
has offices in One Kennedy Square
on Campus Martius Park
. Quicken Loans
is headquartered in the Compuware World Headquarters
building and is moving into other nearby sites. Pricewaterhouse Coopers has offices in a building across from Ford Field.
Comerica Bank has offices in the Comerica Tower
in Downtown; at one time Comerica's headquarters were in the tower. In 2007 Comerica announced that it would move its headquarters to the Comerica Bank Tower in downtown
Dallas, Texas
in 2007, but maintain its presence in Michigan. The bank's lease on Comerica Tower at Detroit Center runs through 2012. KPMG
has its Detroit offices in 150 West Jefferson
.
; the Consulate-General of Japan is located on the 16th Floor of the 400 Tower, and the Consulate-General of Canada in Detroit
is located in Suite 1100 of the 600 Tower. The Consulate of Italy in Detroit
is located in Suite 1840 in the Buhl Building
. The Consulate of Mexico in Detroit
is located in Suite 830 in the Penobscot Building
.
The Detroit Greyhound Lines
station is directly west of Downtown along the John C. Lodge Freeway. The Detroit Department of Transportation
system provides mass-transit by bus. The Detroit People Mover
, a 2.9-mile (4.7 km) automated people mover system, operates on a single-track, one-way loop through the downtown area.
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation
has its headquarters in the Buhl Building
in Downtown Detroit.
.
Some residents are zoned to Burton K-8 for elementary school, while others are zoned to Chrysler Elementary School. Some residents are zoned to Burton K-8 for middle school, while others are zoned to Duffield Middle School. All residents are zoned to Martin Luther King High School
.
Prior to its closure, Murray-Wright High School served Downtown Detroit. At one point in the 2000s a portion of Downtown was served by Dewey PK-8 for elementary school, while a portion was served by Chrysler Elementary. At one point in the 2000s a portion of Downtown was served by Dewey PK-8 for middle school, while another section was served by Miller 6-9 for middle school.
Wayne State University
is north of downtown.
operates the Rose and Robert Skillman Branch Library at 121 Gratiot. The branch first opened as the Downtown Library on January 4, 1932. Skillman received its current name after the Skillman Foundation donated to the library system.
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
and a residential
Neighborhoods in Detroit
This article provides brief highlights of some of the city's many notable neighborhoods along with areas designated as historic districts in Detroit, Michigan by geographic area...
area of Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, United States. Downtown is bordered by the Lodge Freeway to the west, the Fisher Freeway to the north, Interstate 375
Interstate 375 (Michigan)
The unsigned Business Spur Interstate 375 , which is long, continues west on Jefferson Avenue from the southern end of I-375, ending at the entrance to the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel at Randolph Street . Jefferson Avenue past that intersection is M-10, quickly becoming the Lodge Freeway. BS I-375 runs...
(The Chrysler Spur) to the east, and the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
to the south.
Downtown contains much historic architecture
Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
The architecture of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers blend with...
and most of the prominent skyscrapers in Detroit, including the Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
, the Penobscot Building
Penobscot Building
The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a skyscraper and class-A office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Rising 566 feet , the 47-story Penobscot was the tallest building in Michigan from its completion in 1928 until the construction of the Renaissance...
, One Detroit Center, and the Guardian Building
Guardian Building
The Guardian Building is a skyscraper at 500 Griswold Street in the downtown of the city of Detroit, in the state of Michigan, in the United States of America. The Guardian is a class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves as its headquarters...
. Historic churches, theatres
Theatre in Detroit
Theatre in Detroit discusses performing arts in the city, its history, and its venues. With more than a dozen performing arts venues, the city's theatre district ranks as the second largest in the United States after Manhattan's Broadway, the stages and old time film palaces are generally located...
, and commercial buildings anchor the various downtown districts. Downtown has a number parks including those linked by a promenade along the Detroit International Riverfront
Detroit International Riverfront
The Detroit International Riverfront is an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River. The International Riverfront area extends from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, extending a total of 5½-miles and encompassing a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail...
.
Overview
In recent years the downtown area has seen tremendous growth and development. Since 2000 a number of major construction projects have been completed including the new Compuware HeadquartersCompuware World Headquarters
Compuware World Headquarters is located at One Campus Martius, in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It began construction in 2000, and finished in 2003. It has at 18 floors in total, 16 above-ground, and 2 below-ground, and has of office space...
at Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park is a re-established park in downtown Detroit, Michigan. After the fire of 1805, Campus Martius was the focal point of judge Augustus Woodward's plans to rebuild the city. It is where the "point of origin" of Detroit's coordinate system is located...
and two new stadiums: Comerica Park
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
and Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
. General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
moved their headquarters into the Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
, and the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
have relocated from Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
to downtown Detroit. High-profile events like the 2005 MLB All-Star Game, Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
, and the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
have taken place in downtown, generating income for local businesses and spurring more growth. As a result, new residents are moving into Detroit in the assortment of new lofts that are opening up, while condemned buildings and homes are being razed to make land available for yet more development. An example of these trends is the Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel
Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel
The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit is a restored historic skyscraper hotel In the Washington Boulevard Historic District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style, and constructed as the Book-Cadillac, it is part of Westin Hotels and embodies Neo-Classical elements and...
. In 2006, the Cleveland-based Ferchill Group began the $180 million redevelopment of the long vacant Book Cadlliac Hotel at the corner of Washington Blvd. and Michigan Avenue. The project, which has been hailed by historic preservationists houses a 455 room Westin Hotel, 67 high-end condominiums, and two to three restaurants, and some miscellaneous retail serving hotel and conference center guests. DTE headquarters features an urban oasis of parks, walkways, and a reflecting pool. In 2007, downtown Detroit was named among the best big city neighborhoods in which to retire by CNN Money Magazine editors.
Demographics
As of the 2010 Census, there were 5,287 people in the district. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,671.5 people per square mile (1,417.6/km²). There were 4,572 housing units. The racial makeup of the district was 63.6% Black, 28.2% White, 4.0% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% other races, 3.0% two or more races, and 3.3% Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
.
Bricktown Historic District
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
was once a defendant on a charge of public indecency
Public indecency
Public indecency refers to conduct undertaken in a non-private or publicly-viewable location, which are deemed indecent in nature, such as indecent exposure and sexual intercourse or masturbation in public view. Such activity is often illegal...
. The Bricktown area is now seeing resurgence with the creation of lofts and the addition of the Greektown casino. While it is small in area, Bricktown is notable for its live music venues. Jacoby's German Biergarten (1904), the city's oldest surviving pub, provides a small performance space for up & coming acts. Around the corner, St. Andrew's Hall is a venue for nationally touring acts, as is the Shelter in the basement of St. Andrew's.
Broadway Avenue Historic District
Campus Martius
Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
The Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a Civil War monument located in Detroit, Michigan. This example of civic sculpture stands in a prominent downtown location on the southeast tip of Campus Martius Park where five principal thoroughfares -- Michigan Avenue, Monroe Street, Cadillac...
, and a large traffic circle surrounded by commercial and residential high-rises including 1001 Woodward Avenue. Since the traffic circle's restoration and expansion, it has emerged as a central gathering spot downtown with a main stage. Just down Woodward Avenue is another large circle and main gathering spot known as Grand Circus.
Capital Park Historic District
Capital Park along with the Washington Boulevard Historic DistrictWashington Boulevard Historic District
Washington Boulevard Historic District is a multi-block area of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is bounded by Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places...
are a part of the west necklace of downtown.
Fort / Financial District
The Fort St. and Financial DistrictDetroit Financial District
The Detroit Financial District is a historic district in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The district was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 2009, and was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service's weekly list of December 24, 2009.It includes...
area contains many historic structures including the Fort Street Presbyterian Church
Fort Street Presbyterian Church
The Fort Street Presbyterian Church is a religious structure located at 631 W. Fort Street in Detroit, Michigan. It was originally constructed in 1855, and completely rebuilt in 1876. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Michigan State Historic Site...
(1876). The Fort Shelby Hotel
Fort Shelby Hotel
The DoubleTree Guest Suites Fort Shelby/Detroit Downtown is a restored historic high-rise hotel, located at 525 West Lafayette Boulevard in downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. It was originally named the "Fort Shelby Hotel" when it opened its doors in 1916. In 1951 it was renamed the "Pick...
(1916) was restored in 2008. Many of the cities skyscrapers are found in this area including the Guardian Building
Guardian Building
The Guardian Building is a skyscraper at 500 Griswold Street in the downtown of the city of Detroit, in the state of Michigan, in the United States of America. The Guardian is a class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves as its headquarters...
, a National Historic Landmark. The area has its own People Mover
Detroit People Mover
The Detroit People Mover is a automated people mover system which operates on a single set of tracks, and encircles downtown Detroit, Michigan....
station.
Grand Circus Park Historic District
Kales Building
The Kales Building is a high-rise apartment building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located 76 West Adams at the northeast corner of Adams Avenue West and Park Avenue, across from Grand Circus Park, in the Foxtown neighborhood, just north of Downtown...
, Grand Park Centre
Grand Park Centre
Grand Park Centre, also known as the Michigan Mutual Building, is a high-rise office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan, located at 28 West Adams Avenue, at the corner of Adams Avenue West and Woodward Avenue, standing across from Grand Circus Park in the Foxtown neighbourhood...
, The Fillmore Detroit
The Fillmore Detroit
The Fillmore Detroit is a mixed-use entertainment venue operated by Live Nation. The Detroit Music Awards are held annually at The Fillmore Detroit in April. Built in 1925, the Fillmore Detroit was known for most of its history as the State Theatre, and prior to that as the Palms Theatre...
, Comerica Park
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
, and Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
located in it. It is named after the Fox Theatre
Fox Theatre (Detroit)
The Fox Theatre is an ornate performing arts center located at 2211 Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, Michigan, near Grand Circus Park. It was originally completed in 1928 as the first movie palace in the world to have sound systems for films. It was listed on the National Register of Historic...
, a National Historic Landmark. Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
, Grand River Avenue
Grand River Avenue
US Highway 16 , also called Grand River Avenue for much of its length, is one of the principal pre-Interstate roads in the state of Michigan. Before the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the highway had been designated M-16...
, Woodward Avenue, Interstate 375
Interstate 375 (Michigan)
The unsigned Business Spur Interstate 375 , which is long, continues west on Jefferson Avenue from the southern end of I-375, ending at the entrance to the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel at Randolph Street . Jefferson Avenue past that intersection is M-10, quickly becoming the Lodge Freeway. BS I-375 runs...
, Michigan Avenue
Michigan Avenue
Michigan Avenue may refer to:* Michigan Avenue * Michigan Avenue , a designation for much of both current and former U.S. Route 12 in Michigan...
/US 12, and Gratiot Avenue all pass through or close to Foxtown. The Detroit People Mover
Detroit People Mover
The Detroit People Mover is a automated people mover system which operates on a single set of tracks, and encircles downtown Detroit, Michigan....
has a station in Foxtown on the south end of Grand Circus Park.
The Detroit Opera House
Detroit Opera House
The Detroit Opera House is an opera house located in Detroit, Michigan. It is the venue for all Michigan Opera Theatre productions and it hosts a variety of other events. It opened on January 22, 1922....
is located at Broadway and Grand Circus. The east necklace of downtown links Grand Circus and the stadium area to Greektown along Broadway. The east neckace contains a sub-district sometimes called the Harmonie Park District, which has taken on the renowned legacy of Detroit's music
Music of Detroit
This article discusses the Music of Detroit, Michigan. World renowned for its Detroit Symphony Orchestra and music celebrities, the area has a long and rich heritage, including several Platinum artists in different genres whose recordings had surpassed forty million copies by the year...
from 1930s through the 1950s to the present. Near the Opera House
Detroit Opera House
The Detroit Opera House is an opera house located in Detroit, Michigan. It is the venue for all Michigan Opera Theatre productions and it hosts a variety of other events. It opened on January 22, 1922....
, and emanating from Grand Circus along the east necklace are other venues including the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts
The Music Hall Center for Performing Arts is a 1,700-seat theatre located in the city's theatre district at 350 Madison Avenue in Detroit, Michigan...
and the Gem Theatre and Century Club. The historic Harmonie Club
Harmonie Club (Detroit, Michigan)
The Harmonie Club is a club located at 267 East Grand River Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1975 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.- History :...
and Harmonie Centre are located along Broadway. The Harmonie Park area ends near Gratiot and Randolph. The Detroit Athletic Club
Detroit Athletic Club
The Detroit Athletic Club , is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn and inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. It maintains reciprocal agreements for their members at other...
stands in view of center field at Comerica Park
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
. Part of the east necklace, the area contains architecturally notable buildings planned for renovation as high-rise residential condominiums such as the Gothic Revival Metropolitan Building
Metropolitan Building (Detroit)
The Metropolitan Building is a high-rise office building located on a triangular lot at 33 John R Street in downtown Detroit, Michigan, near Grand Circus Park.The building was built in 1924 and finished in 1925...
at 33 John R St. The Hilton Garden Inn is also in the Harmonie Park area.
Greektown Historic District
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
in the downtown area. It combines with Bricktown to create a, with Monroe Street at the center. The neighborhood is a popular restaurant and entertainment district, having many restaurants that serve authentic Greek
Cuisine of Greece
Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit and pork. Also...
cuisine, as well as one of the city's three casinos, Greektown Casino
Greektown Casino
Greektown Casino Hotel in Detroit, Michigan is one of three casino resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit-Windsor area. Greektown Casino, LLC is majority owned by Greektown Superholdings, Inc. and Greektown Newco Sub Inc...
. Certain buildings on Monroe Street are themed to resemble the Parthenon
Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
, Pegasus
Pegasus
Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...
, and other forms of Greek architecture
Architecture of Ancient Greece
The architecture of Ancient Greece is the architecture produced by the Greek-speaking people whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland and Peloponnesus, the Aegean Islands, and in colonies in Asia Minor and Italy for a period from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the earliest...
. Greek music is also played on Monroe Street throughout the day. Well known restaurants include The Laikon Cafe, Cyprus Taverna, Pegasus Taverna, and Pizza Papalis. St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church (Detroit, Michigan)
St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, formally the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the third oldest parish in Detroit, Michigan. It is located at 646 Monroe Street in heart of Greektown Historic District within Detroit's downtown area. It is often called Old St. Mary's...
, founded by German immigrants, is located in the heart of the district. The Second Baptist Church once served as "station" for the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. The Detroit People Mover
Detroit People Mover
The Detroit People Mover is a automated people mover system which operates on a single set of tracks, and encircles downtown Detroit, Michigan....
has a station at the Greektown Casino on Beaubien Street between Monroe Street and Lafayette Boulevard. The Greektown Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Jefferson Avenue
Jefferson AvenueJefferson Avenue (Detroit)
Jefferson Avenue is a scenic road along the eastern part of the Detroit metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan. It travels alongside Lake Erie, the Detroit River, and Lake Saint Clair. This road also provides access to many recreational facilities in the area...
runs parallel to the International Riverfront
Detroit International Riverfront
The Detroit International Riverfront is an area of Detroit, Michigan that borders the Detroit River. The International Riverfront area extends from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Belle Isle in the east, extending a total of 5½-miles and encompassing a multitude of parks, restaurants, retail...
which contains the Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
, Cobo Center, a cruise ship terminal and dock, residential high rises, and a prominade of parks and marinas extending to Belle Isle
Belle Isle Park
Belle Isle is a island park in the Detroit River, between the United States mainland and Canada, managed by the Detroit Recreation Department. It is connected to the rest of Detroit, Michigan by the MacArthur Bridge...
. The towering Riverfront Condominiums
Riverfront Condominiums Detroit
Riverfront Condominiums Detroit is a complex of three luxury high rise residential skyscrapers along the International Riverfront in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Each Riverfront Tower creates an ascending tier of three.-Buildings:...
are among the high-rise residential areas along the riverfront. The University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university...
College of Law is across from the Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
along Jefferson Avenue
Jefferson Avenue (Detroit)
Jefferson Avenue is a scenic road along the eastern part of the Detroit metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan. It travels alongside Lake Erie, the Detroit River, and Lake Saint Clair. This road also provides access to many recreational facilities in the area...
. The People Mover serves the Renaissance Center and the Cobo Center along the riverfront.
Washington Boulevard Historic District
The Washington Boulevard Historic District is located in downtown Detroit, along Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. It includes the Book-Cadillac HotelWestin Book-Cadillac Hotel
The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit is a restored historic skyscraper hotel In the Washington Boulevard Historic District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style, and constructed as the Book-Cadillac, it is part of Westin Hotels and embodies Neo-Classical elements and...
, the Book Tower
Book Tower
Book Tower is a , 38-story skyscraper in the Washington Boulevard Historic District of Detroit, Michigan. Construction began on the Italian Renaissance-style building in 1916 as an addition to the original Book Building and finished a decade later...
, the Industrial-Stevens Apartments
Industrial-Stevens Apartments
The Industrial-Stevens Apartments is a high-rise built in 1928 in the Washington Boulevard Historic District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located at 1410 Washington Boulevard, and occupies the building block bordered by West Grand River Avenue and Washington Boulevard. The residential...
, and Washington Square (Trolley Plaza)
Washington Square (Detroit)
Washington Square is a high-rise in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1981, the residential building stands 28 stories tall. The building is located at 1431 Washington Boulevard and occupies the block bordered by Clifford Street, Grand River Avenue and Washington Boulevard...
among other architecturally significant buildings. Washington Boulevard and Capitol Park Historic District
Capitol Park Historic District
Capitol Park Historic District is a historic district located in Detroit, Michigan. It is roughly bounded by Grand River, Woodward and Michigan Avenues, and Washington Boulevard...
are part of the west necklace of downtown.
Government and infrastructure
The city of Detroit offices are located in the Coleman Young Municipal Building. The Guardian BuildingGuardian Building
The Guardian Building is a skyscraper at 500 Griswold Street in the downtown of the city of Detroit, in the state of Michigan, in the United States of America. The Guardian is a class-A office building owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves as its headquarters...
serves as headquarters for Wayne County
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
. Detroit Fire Department
Detroit Fire Department
The Detroit Fire Department is the professional fire department that provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The DFD currently operates 120 fire companies out of 47 Fire Stations, located throughout the city, with a total sworn...
has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Detroit Police Department
Detroit Police Department
The Detroit Police Department , established in 1865, is responsible for the city of Detroit, Michigan.-History:The Detroit Police Department was established in 1865 to serve the city's growing population and covers the city with 5 districts and two precincts. The Detroit Police Department was also...
has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Central District patrol division of the police department serves Downtown Detroit.
Economy
General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
has its headquarters in the Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
. Compuware
Compuware
Compuware Corporation is a software company with products aimed at the information technology departments of large businesses. The company's services also include testing, development, professional services automation, project and portfolio management, cloud-based collaboration and performance...
has its headquarters in the Compuware World Headquarters
Compuware World Headquarters
Compuware World Headquarters is located at One Campus Martius, in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It began construction in 2000, and finished in 2003. It has at 18 floors in total, 16 above-ground, and 2 below-ground, and has of office space...
building by Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit. Compuware moved its headquarters and 4,000 employees to Downtown Detroit in 2003. DTE Energy
DTE Energy
DTE Energy Co. is a Detroit, Michigan-based utility incorporated in 1995 involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide....
has its headquarters in the DTE Energy Headquarters
DTE Energy Headquarters
DTE Energy Headquarters is a class-A skyscraper located just west of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It consists of three buildings: Detroit Edison Plaza, DTE Energy Building, and the Detroit Edison Company Service Building.-Detroit Edison Plaza:...
. Little Caesars
Little Caesars
Little Caesars is a pizza chain, estimated to be the 4th largest in the United States. The Little Caesars headquarters is located in the Fox Theatre building in Downtown Detroit, Michigan.-History:...
and Olympia Entertainment
Olympia Entertainment
Olympia Entertainment is a sports and entertainment company headquartered in the Fox Theatre in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Olympia is a division of Ilitch Holdings, Inc., and owned by Mike and Marian Ilitch...
have their headquarters in the Fox Theatre. Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
has offices in One Kennedy Square
One Kennedy Square
One Kennedy Square is a 10-story building at 777 Woodward Avenue, near Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The building stands on the site of the old Detroit City Hall. It is occupied by the Ernst & Young accounting firm. Construction on this mid-rise started in 2005 and was...
on Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park
Campus Martius Park is a re-established park in downtown Detroit, Michigan. After the fire of 1805, Campus Martius was the focal point of judge Augustus Woodward's plans to rebuild the city. It is where the "point of origin" of Detroit's coordinate system is located...
. Quicken Loans
Quicken Loans
Quicken Loans Inc., headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is the largest online mortgage lender and the 5th largest retail mortgage lender overall in the USA. The company consists of the QuickenLoans.com online lending site, the Rock Financial brand in southeast Michigan, One Reverse Mortgage, based...
is headquartered in the Compuware World Headquarters
Compuware World Headquarters
Compuware World Headquarters is located at One Campus Martius, in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It began construction in 2000, and finished in 2003. It has at 18 floors in total, 16 above-ground, and 2 below-ground, and has of office space...
building and is moving into other nearby sites. Pricewaterhouse Coopers has offices in a building across from Ford Field.
Comerica Bank has offices in the Comerica Tower
Comerica Tower
One Detroit Center, also known as Comerica Tower at Detroit Center after its tenant, is a skyscraper and class-A office building located downtown which overlooks the Detroit Financial District...
in Downtown; at one time Comerica's headquarters were in the tower. In 2007 Comerica announced that it would move its headquarters to the Comerica Bank Tower in downtown
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
in 2007, but maintain its presence in Michigan. The bank's lease on Comerica Tower at Detroit Center runs through 2012. KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
has its Detroit offices in 150 West Jefferson
150 West Jefferson
150 West Jefferson is a skyscraper and class-A office center in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. The building was constructed in 1987, and finished in 1989. It stands at 26 stories tall, with two basement floors, for a total of 28...
.
Diplomatic missions
Two consulates are located in the Renaissance CenterRenaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
; the Consulate-General of Japan is located on the 16th Floor of the 400 Tower, and the Consulate-General of Canada in Detroit
Diplomatic missions of Canada
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Canada. Canada has an extensive diplomatic network, maintained by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. As a Commonwealth nation, Canada's diplomatic missions in the capitals of other commonwealth nations are referred to as High Commissions...
is located in Suite 1100 of the 600 Tower. The Consulate of Italy in Detroit
Diplomatic missions of Italy
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Italy, excluding honorary consulates. Italy has a large global network of diplomatic missions. It is the only country in the world to have an embassy on its own territory - the Italian embassy to the Holy See is in Rome....
is located in Suite 1840 in the Buhl Building
Buhl Building
The Buhl Building is a skyscraper and class-A office center in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Architect Wirt C. Rowland designed the Buhl in a Neo-Gothic style with Romanesque accents...
. The Consulate of Mexico in Detroit
Diplomatic missions of Mexico
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Mexico, excluding honorary consulates. Mexico's foreign service started in 1822, the year after the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba which marked the beginning of Mexico's independence...
is located in Suite 830 in the Penobscot Building
Penobscot Building
The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a skyscraper and class-A office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Rising 566 feet , the 47-story Penobscot was the tallest building in Michigan from its completion in 1928 until the construction of the Renaissance...
.
Transportation
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
station is directly west of Downtown along the John C. Lodge Freeway. The Detroit Department of Transportation
Detroit Department of Transportation
The Detroit Department of Transportation, commonly referred to as DDOT is the public transportation operator of city bus service in Detroit, Michigan...
system provides mass-transit by bus. The Detroit People Mover
Detroit People Mover
The Detroit People Mover is a automated people mover system which operates on a single set of tracks, and encircles downtown Detroit, Michigan....
, a 2.9-mile (4.7 km) automated people mover system, operates on a single-track, one-way loop through the downtown area.
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation ' is the public transit operator serving suburban Greater Detroit. Beginning operations in 1967 as the "SouthEastern Michigan Transportation Authority" or "SEMTA", it operates 44 "linehaul" and three "park-and-ride" bus routes in Wayne,...
has its headquarters in the Buhl Building
Buhl Building
The Buhl Building is a skyscraper and class-A office center in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Architect Wirt C. Rowland designed the Buhl in a Neo-Gothic style with Romanesque accents...
in Downtown Detroit.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
The area is zoned to Detroit Public SchoolsDetroit Public Schools
Detroit Public Schools is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The student population of the Detroit Public Schools is about 65,971 , which is down about 9.7% from the previous school year. Detroit Public Charter Schools educate an additional 56,000...
.
Some residents are zoned to Burton K-8 for elementary school, while others are zoned to Chrysler Elementary School. Some residents are zoned to Burton K-8 for middle school, while others are zoned to Duffield Middle School. All residents are zoned to Martin Luther King High School
Martin Luther King High School (Michigan)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. High School is located at 3200 East Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan; the building is operated by the Detroit Board of Education. King's district encompasses Downtown and Midtown Detroit; it also includes the Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects, the Martin Luther...
.
Prior to its closure, Murray-Wright High School served Downtown Detroit. At one point in the 2000s a portion of Downtown was served by Dewey PK-8 for elementary school, while a portion was served by Chrysler Elementary. At one point in the 2000s a portion of Downtown was served by Dewey PK-8 for middle school, while another section was served by Miller 6-9 for middle school.
Colleges and universities
Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) has its headquarters in Downtown Detroit. The Downtown Campus of the district is located adjacent to Downtown Detroit and adjacent to the WCCCD headquarters.Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
is north of downtown.
Public libraries
Detroit Public LibraryDetroit Public Library
The Detroit Public Library is the second largest library system in Michigan by volumes held , and is the 20th largest library system in the United States. It is composed of a Main Library on Woodward Avenue, which houses DPL administration offices, and twenty-three branch locations across the city...
operates the Rose and Robert Skillman Branch Library at 121 Gratiot. The branch first opened as the Downtown Library on January 4, 1932. Skillman received its current name after the Skillman Foundation donated to the library system.