Rooftops in the City

Cool town, evening in the city
Dressed so fine and looking so pretty
Cool cat, looking for a kitty
Gonna look in every corner of the city
'Til I'm wheezing like a bus stop
Runnin' upstairs, gonna meet you on the roof top...

- Lovin Spoonful, [[Summer in the City)

What is the history of rooftop use in Detroit? I noticed that only a few buildings have usable, people-friendly spaces on rooftops in Detroit. Many urban places like NYC and Chicago have many rooftop gardens with seating, places where girls lay out in the summer, and where people relax with a cocktail in the evening. I've always enjoyed being up on the roofs of buildings; you feel like you're on top of the world and the views almost always impress.

Aside from Millender Center, which has a running track, tennis courts, and a lawn area on the roof of its parking structure, I haven't been able to find any more examples of this [[except for a few bars). Why is this so? The roof seems like an easy space to make and maintain and is highly enjoyable for tenants and office workers alike...

We had a friend who lived in an old apartment on WSU campus. We would climb this strange wooden ladder internal to the building to get to the roof and watch the fireworks every year. Great view.

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We would climb this strange wooden ladder internal to the building to get to the roof and watch the fireworks every year. Great view.

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We did that on Fire Headquarters for many years until too many people caught on to the idea.

I always wondered about rooftop gardens too though. I used to have lunch sometimes on the roof of the Federal Courthouse. It had a lot of room to put in a terrace of some sort, but GSA wouldn't allow it.

Don't forget the Park Shelton as well.

I think that in NYC and Chicago, rooftop living spaces are so popular because of the density. Space is at a premium, so residents use every available space. Detroit wasn't built up, but out. As a result, even very poor people in this metro historically have had a patch of grass at ground level. No need to go to the roof.

I've also known plenty of Detroiters who are afraid of heights, including many family members.

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Originally Posted by English

Don't forget the Park Shelton as well.

I think that in NYC and Chicago, rooftop living spaces are so popular because of the density. Space is at a premium, so residents use every available space. Detroit wasn't built up, but out. As a result, even very poor people in this metro historically have had a patch of grass at ground level. No need to go to the roof.

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The 'footprint' of my friend's house and property in Chicago is that of a 2 car garage- no lawn. 1st floor garage. 2nd floor kitchen/living 3rd & 4th floor bedrooms. 5th floor rooftop. And no elevator. He pointed to his neighbor's rooftop, 5 feet away- they hire a gardener for their rooftop garden of a few potted flowers and vegetables.
Housing is so dense in that old neighborhood that even street parking requires a pass, expensive. And nearby parking lots charge $20. per day[[+). No surprise that there are a few 'zip cars' stored in one lot, there's gotta be a need for them rent a cars around there.
Mowing a lawn seems preferable to a parking nightmare, and climbing stairs all day due to a house being 'built up'

I have approx. 325 sq. ft of space on the roof that is all mine! Doesn't sound like much but, it's perfect. I have a privacy fence around it. I also have a container garden every year. To me it was the second best part of my unit...the first being having my front window looking right out at Woodward! [[i live on the second floor)!!

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Originally Posted by econ expat

No surprise that there are a few 'zip cars' stored in one lot, there's gotta be a need for them rent a cars around there.

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In Detroit, you access an emergency car with a Glock. Much, much cheaper.

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Originally Posted by English

Don't forget the Park Shelton as well.

I think that in NYC and Chicago, rooftop living spaces are so popular because of the density. Space is at a premium, so residents use every available space. Detroit wasn't built up, but out. As a result, even very poor people in this metro historically have had a patch of grass at ground level. No need to go to the roof.

I've also known plenty of Detroiters who are afraid of heights, including many family members.

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Yeah, it's the density. I think it's not as common in Detroit anymore because the more densely built areas of the city have mainly been demolished and/or depopulated.

When I was a kid I was regularly babysat by relatives who used to own a 2 family flat in the Dexter/Blvd area. Yard space in that area was about as limited as a Brooklyn brownstone, so we spent a lot of time on the balconies and porches of the building.

Probably the ultimate [[albeit very small) rooftop terraces in Detroit are the 4 corners of the 33rd floor of the 34 story Broderick Tower. That's where the tower goes from square to octagonal. Granted these areas are very small [[maybe enough for a small table and a few chairs)... but oh what a stunning view...

DYES member [[and professional photographer) Ryan Southen has some stunning images taken from these small spaces, but I was no longer able to locate the images on his Flickr site.

I have always wondered about that atttic area on the top of the Kean on Jefferson. Wonder what is up there...

A quick list of apartment buildings with rooftop access and/or gardens off the top of my head. There are several office, hotel, and vacant buildings that have terraces and rooftop gardens as well. The Penobscot Building, Guardian Building, and Renaissance Center are notable, as is the Downtown Holiday Inn express, which has a glass covered swimming pool on it's roof/top floor. The swimming pool at Casino Windsor, is also impressive, under a giant skylight in the "base" that looks directly up on the tower.

• Kales; small rooftop deck garden.
• Park Apartments; has a historic rooftop garden that has gone into disrepair, and is almost never used, but open to residents. Faded lettering can be seen on the rooftop steps that reads "to sun deck".
• Town Apartments; has a rooftop garden area that is opened for special "building parties".
• Millender Center; has a rooftop garden above it's parking garage, adjacent to the tower.
• Washington Square; has a rooftop garden and swimming pool above it's parking garage, adjacent to the tower.
• Lofts of Merchant's Row; several private terraces.
• Industrial-Stevens Apartments; one of my favorite buildings Downtown, is a senior building with large terraces.
• Cathedral Tower [[Round Building in Midtown); Utilizes it's upper floor and balcony as it's community center.
• Leland House Apartments; I was told that rooftop access had to be banned because people kept getting into shenanigans on the rooftop. Clearly there must be a garden up there though, judging by the trees you can see growing out of the roof, while coming down Bagley Avenue from Grand Circus Park. ;)

I think the flat roof proliferated more in NYC and Chicago because of building style. Rowhomes, walkups, and brownstones would be wall to wall requiring water to drain to the back. Great Lakes Style housing with pitched roofs still is one of the dominant housing forms in Chicago, but that came a little later when housing plots had more space. Obviously people have made that point about density, but I also think it has to do with the age of the city when there was explosive growth and what kind of buildings were going up

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2188/...2ea28a1d_z.jpg
Chicago rowhouses

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Originally Posted by Patrick

I have always wondered about that atttic area on the top of the Kean on Jefferson. Wonder what is up there...

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It's a large garret-like room with doors opening to each of the four terraces. This picture is one of my favorite Detroit photos. It's from the Free Press on Feb. 3, 1980.

My guess is that the grandest roof terrace in Detroit belonged to Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Reaume at their apartment atop River Terrace Apartments which he designed and built before WWII. The article and picture are from the Free Press [[8-18-79). I have no idea of the terrace's current state.

The Garden Court Apartments on Jefferson have a *fabulous* view across the balustrade. The penthouse used to house J. Harrington Walker, who kept an eye on his operations during prohibition. I saw his built-in safe, still hidden in a closet.

I work in an office at the corner of Fort and Washington and we have a patio here on the 11th floor. I got sick and tired of looking at all the grey concrete outside and decided I wanted to grow flowers. The flowers failed but after hauling all that dirt and all the containers up to the 11th floor I was not willing to let it go to waste so I planted vegetables and herbs instead. Now for the past three years I have had a great garden that provides our office with lots of fresh produce and it creates a nice urban oasis to get away from the hustle and bustle of downtown.

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Originally Posted by REL

The Garden Court Apartments on Jefferson have a *fabulous* view across the balustrade. The penthouse used to house J. Harrington Walker, who kept an eye on his operations during prohibition. I saw his built-in safe, still hidden in a closet.

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Here are several views of the penthouse terrace at the Garden Court in 1978.

Neilr- Great pics! Thank you for sharing. The arbors are gone, but they did make most of the roof look very nice for the tenants. It was on my shortlist to host an event up there.

In 1978 Karen And Dennis Clark enjoyed the terrace off their penthouse at the Glynnwood Apartments at the corner of Glynn Court and Second adjacent to the Boston Edison Area.