New Center "The Next Retail District"?

[TTime]

There is the Northern Lights Lounge at 660 West Baltimore Street, Detroit, MI 48202
A very unique nightlife spot, live music a couple of nights a week, cool patio

Yelp.com reviews 4 out 5 stars

There is also the Zenith restaurant - very unique Southern/Mexican fusion restaurant/bar that is open to 11 pm on Wednesdays, and midnights from Thursday through Saturday

Yelp.com review 4 out of 5 stars

There is also the Fire Water Bar and Grill on John R between Grand Blvd and Milwaukee Street [[still technically in New Center), open till 2 am everyday

Google Reviews 4.5 out of 5 stars

There is also a gay bar on Woodward on that dead retail strip, but there is no signage in front. Its entrance is in the back of the building, on the same street as that post office.

All of these are a 1-2 minute walk from Hotel St. Regis. I am disappointed you didn't know about these places and experience them. Maybe next time.

I'm surprised you didn't mention Z's Villa and yeah Northern Lights is a great spot too but I still feel like a significant retail presence is many years away.

[mikeg19]

I was unaware there was an "initial" retail district. Lets get retail situated and thriving in one area before we start thinking about others.

[emu steve]

development will come to this area once downtown and midtown are built out a bit more along woodward. you cant spread this kind of development too thin at this time, you need to build up the areas that are strong and then it will naturally spread to new center. i do think new center 10-20 years from now will be a very different place. it is a great spot that could easily become more of a residential hub.

That would also be my view.

Redevelopment in Detroit is seeming to mostly following Woodward out from Downtown to Mid-town and then to New Center in a contiguous manner.

Once M-1 rail gets up and running and popular then we might see some redevelopment occur pushing out from Wayne State north.

[erikd]

Just a little tidbit in the morning fish wrapper. The did a poll of millennials [[1980-2000 birthdates).. 16 per cent said they wanted to live in an urban core. 55 per cent wanted an inner suburb. 38 per cent wanted an outer suburb. 5 per cent wanted to live in a bedroom community "way out". Yeah, I know it adds up to more than 100 per cent, but I am just quoting the article. Oh, these millennials also expect their house to have 2,000 to 3,000 square feet up from 1,500-2,000 sq ft for the boomers.

This could be an interesting survey, but the choices seem exceptionally vague. What does "urban core" mean? Is that anything within the city limits, or the actual core of the city? Are we talking about the greater downtown city center areas, or just anything that is inside city limits? The same goes with "inner suburb." Are we talking about inner suburbs featuring traditional style neighborhoods and walkable main streets, like Ferndale, Royal Oak, and Grosse Pointe, or are we talking about more auto-centric inner suburbs, like Warren, Southfield, and Livonia?

[stasu1213]

I am glad about one thing; Greg Jackson and the DEGC won't be in the mix of things especially new retail that will be coming into the downtown Midtown area. I had noticed how things are picking up since demolition Jackson, Bing, Pugh and Council, and former Young and Kilpatrick cronies are no longer behind the scenes controlling things

[stasu1213]

Woodward/Grand Blvd area will make a better retail district for there is still a lot of foot traffic and also the area is anchored by a police station. Clean up the area, get rid of the junk shops that lined Woodward between Milwaukee and Grand Blvd, and have the police to walk or bicycle the beat in the whole area. That would build up the confidence of new potential retail who are considering the area. Those who live in Midtown would not have to travel far to get to those shops on Woodward and Grand Blvd.

[royce]

At the moment, there are only two to three residential buildings in the area north of the Amtrak train station to Grand Boulevard and east and west between John R and Third Avenue, respectively. Increasing residential where many parking lots or vacant lots exist is needed to increase retail. If two parking lots, the one owned by CCS and the one just east of the St. Regis Hotel, were converted into residential with ground floor retail, then that would do a lot to improve the retail situation in that area, since these spots would put residential directly on Woodward. Some townhouses on Baltimore, east of the White Castle's, would be a good spot for residential. Instead of a block long parking deck, townhouses or apartments with ground floor retail would be cool along Baltimore between Second and Third. Apartments or townhouses west of Third, along Baltimore would improve the area for more retail. Basically, any in-fill of parking lots or vacant lots with residential in New Center would increase retail in the area.

[Ststannies]

There is a lot of great housing stock between Grand Blvd and Virginia Park.

I've always thought that New Center would be a fantastic gayborhood.

You must have enjoyed drinking at The Woodward back when Andy owned it.

[Ststannies]

The foundation for the streetcar along Woodward is already being realized and, once it's up and running, property values along the entire route will start climbing; the discount stores at Grand Blvd won't be able to afford the rents and better retailers [[and many more apts/condos) will move in.