Originally Posted by
Jason
Lafayette Park was built over what was the absolute worst neighborhood in Detroit. If it hadn't been demolished it would be far worse than Brush park today. Brush Park was made up of sturdy brick structures that people would care to renovate today, while Black Bottom was filled with wood structures that were falling apart before demolition even started.
What you have now is a very diverse [[income, race, education, background, age) neighborhood, that has a good neighborhood elementary school a good high school just over a mile away, and strong community, and it's affordable [[not Palmer Park). In addition to that, all of it is well maintained, there are no empty lots or crack houses or other houses weighing the neighborhood down. It's density is about the same as the city's average and it's higher than Palmer Park's, while at the same time providing large, safe, well-used park space.
The buildings are by Mies van der Rohe, the planning by Ludwig Hilberseimer, and landscape by Alfred Caldwell, all of them among the greatest of their era in their respective fields, so people who are into that kind of stuff should appreciate it.
I think Lafeyette Park is one of the best neighborhoods in Detroit.
The main criticism of Lafayette Park would be about what happened to the people who used to live in Black Bottom. Housing projects were built for them, and for a few years they were successful, but it wasn't long before they became just as horrible places to live in as Black Bottom was.
I have less defense for Elmwood Park, although even still, it's a nicer place to live than the overwhelming majority of Detroit, and architecturally I think there's something there to discover.