Downtown Detroit employment numbers

[EastsideAl]

Can I ask the DYes people this question: how would YOU define "Downtown Detroit"? I'd probably say the area bounded by 75, 375 and the Lodge. What say you?

I think it's pretty clear those are the borders today. But the building of the freeways did, over time, both broaden and constrict the definition of "downtown".

There were remaining residential neighborhoods in the northeast and northwest corners of that freeway-limned box that were not considered "downtown" at the time the freeways were built, and that remained into the '70s. On the other hand, the portion of Woodward north of where 75 is today [[where the new arena will be) once had several tall office buildings and hotels on it and would have been considered as "downtown".

Few things grate on my eyes and ears more though than seeing or hearing just any part of the central city referred to as "downtown." For instance I was recently reading an article that repeatedly referred to Wayne State as being in "downtown Detroit". I've seen areas as far afield as Indian Village or even Highland Park described as "downtown".

[Khorasaurus]

Can I ask the DYes people this question: how would YOU define "Downtown Detroit"? I'd probably say the area bounded by 75, 375 and the Lodge. What say you?

I think most people would agree with this definition. The surrounding neighborhoods, while part of the "core" or "center" or "7.2" or even "Greater Downtown" are not "Downtown."

Now, I have heard people in the suburbs say "going downtown" to refer to going to Slow's or the DIA or Eastern Market, but I think that's just a shorthand reference, not a claim that those places are part of "downtown." And it's better than when people say "going to Detroit" as if it's a totally separate place. [[personally, my preferred nomenclature is "going into the city").

[313WX]

Can I ask the DYes people this question: how would YOU define "Downtown Detroit"? I'd probably say the area bounded by 75, 375 and the Lodge. What say you?

Officially, you're correct.

But some folks consider the entire area bounded by the freeways as far north as Grand Blvd. "downtown."

[gnome]

Some people are idiots, too.

[Jason]

That's definitely how downtown detroit is defined, but how is downtown ann arbor defined? Kerrytown isn't part of downtown, south u isn't part of downtown, the campus isn't part of downtown, and none of the single family houses are part of downtown. What someone in ann arbor considers "downtown" is probably less than a dozen blocks.

They chose their methodology for deciding these things, and the result is that some downtowns are getting rated very obviously incorrectly [[tuscon does not belong in the same category as manhattan), which throws into doubt the validity of all the other rankings.

I think the metrics they measured are important for the health of cities, and I don't expect Detroit to rank very high on most of those metrics, but this particular analysis is flawed.

[313WX]

Some people are idiots, too.

Your point?

[erikd]

And it's better than when people say "going to Detroit" as if it's a totally separate place. [[personally, my preferred nomenclature is "going into the city").

I have heard a number of suburbanites say "going down to Detroit" as if the city was in Florida or something. It sounds so odd...

[313WX]

And it's better than when people say "going to Detroit" as if it's a totally separate place. [[personally, my preferred nomenclature is "going into the city").

Oh yes, that grinds my gear just as much as "SE Michigan."

The news media does it too. Whenever someone's reporting a story from the city, instead of stating what side of town or intersection they're near [[which they SHOULD, as "Detroit" is the town they're licensed to and it' a huge place), they say just they're "in Detroit" or "from Detroit."

WJBK is probably the BIGGEST offender of this [[just yet another reason I hate their newscasts), but every station and newspaper does it to an extent.

I seriously want to punch anyone I run into [[in person) who does that...

Now, I have heard people in the suburbs say "going downtown" to refer to going to Slow's or the DIA or Eastern Market, but I think that's just a shorthand reference, not a claim that those places are part of "downtown."

Now this I'm fine with.

Fact of the matter is outside the hipster circles [[and who those are really knowledgeable about Detroit), no one has even heard of the name "Midtown" [[but instead, maybe Cass Corridor or New Center Area). However, when you say "downtown," people instantly know you're talking about the center of the city.

And again, I don't have an issue with calling the area that's the center and home base of the region's cultural attractions, flagship university and health care industry/research "downtown" as a short hand reference.

Now, those who say Indian Village, Highland Park and the Redford Theatre are "downtown" are just ignorant, lol.