Indian Village

[boater4life]

Was cruising around town the other day and decided to go down the streets of Indian Village. It looks like it is still being kept up these days. Had some questions though, how is the crime around/in the neighborhood? A lot of the houses don't look like they have bars over windows and doors etc. I noticed some of the residents were out taking care of the yard and fixing up some things, it seems like it's a decent area where neighbor's look out for eachother, would that statement be true?

[EastsideAl]

Was cruising around town the other day and decided to go down the streets of Indian Village. It looks like it is still being kept up these days. Had some questions though, how is the crime around/in the neighborhood? A lot of the houses don't look like they have bars over windows and doors etc. I noticed some of the residents were out taking care of the yard and fixing up some things, it seems like it's a decent area where neighbor's look out for eachother, would that statement be true?

That statement is absolutely true. It's a very proud, cohesive, historic neighborhood with a very strong and active neighborhood association. There were definitely some rough years during and after the foreclosure crisis, but things have been looking up for the past couple of years and the future looks brighter than it has in a while.

[Zacha341]

Where exactly is Indian Village compared to East English Village. Is it on the east side?

[BillyBBrew]

Where exactly is Indian Village compared to East English Village. Is it on the east side?

East English Village -

South - Mack Ave.
West - East Outer Drive
North - Harper Avenue
East - Cadieux St.

Indian Village -

South - E. Jefferson Ave.
West - Seminole St.
North - Mack Ave.
East - Burns St.

West Village -

South - E. Jefferson Ave.
West - Seyburn St.
North - Kercheval Ave.
East - Parker St.

www.thevillagesofdetroit.com/the-villages/

[Pam]

June 7th is the annual IV home tour. They have pics of this year's homes up:

http://www.historicindianvillage.org/home-garden-tour/#homes

[sumas]

Indian Village is awesome. The homes stunning. As to location think Belle Isle. Going east you have Islandview Village, then West Village, then Indian Village. The garden and home tours are worth doing.

For what it is worth Indian Village was originally a horse race track owned by Daniel Campau.Two of its 3 streets are named for prize winning race horses.

As previously mentioned, it has a stellar home owner association and a great crime watch system. It is a slice of history that has been maintained

[Zacha341]

Thanks everyone. I have driven thru there not always for sure and it was nice. I just was not sure of the boundaries. I need to go to one of those home tours!

[esighed]

Indian Village is awesome. The homes stunning. As to location think Belle Isle. Going east you have Islandview Village, then West Village, then Indian Village. The garden and home tours are worth doing.

For what it is worth Indian Village was originally a horse race track owned by Daniel Campau.Two of its 3 streets are named for prize winning race horses.

As previously mentioned, it has a stellar home owner association and a great crime watch system. It is a slice of history that has been maintained

Which streets are the prize winning race horse names?
Parker? Agnes? Seminole? Iroquois?

[poobert]

Was cruising around town the other day and decided to go down the streets of Indian Village. It looks like it is still being kept up these days. Had some questions though, how is the crime around/in the neighborhood? A lot of the houses don't look like they have bars over windows and doors etc. I noticed some of the residents were out taking care of the yard and fixing up some things, it seems like it's a decent area where neighbor's look out for eachother, would that statement be true?

It's very nice and it's improving. I think its the second nicest neighborhood in the city, after Palmer Woods.

I guess the drawbacks are that there is nowhere to walk to really, besides Indian Village Market [[kinda so-so city grocery store) though you can easily bike to Belle Isle, downtown, or area establishments. Also, you're surrounded by extremely marginal neighborhoods or virtually nothing at all [[West Village is fine, and the area to the north is okay)

Erma Henderson park was fixed up recently, too.

Crime I would imagine is like the half-dozen or so decent neighborhoods left in the city - higher than the suburbs, but not crazy town like, say, Dexter-Davison.

[sumas]

Which streets are the prize winning race horse names?
Parker? Agnes? Seminole? Iroquois?

Seminole and Iroquois. The track moved east when Campau realized that the city was expanding, he made a tidy sum subdividing what is now Indian Village. Lots of streets on the eastside are named after horses too.

[dtowncitylover]

The details in those homes are absolutely amazing. I've been to many a hangout in some of those homes and they are breathtaking. [[Original hat racks in the closets!!)

[EastsideAl]

That there's "nowhere to walk to" reflects the fact that Indian Village was really built as a sort of early commuter suburb. It wasn't ever really intended for walking, beyond pleasant semi-bucolic strolls.

The south part of the Village was built in the first two decades of the 20th century and many of the early residents were the movers and financial backers of the auto industry. The north part was mostly built in the late 'teens and '20s and many of the early residents were executives in the auto companies and related industries.

Part of the point of IV was to live away from the crowded business center of the city and be able to use a car to get around, but still live close enough to easily commute to downtown or the industrial areas. Several of the houses were built with driveways, which was not yet common then. Commuting to downtown was helped by the fact that the Village was accessed by no fewer than 4 streetcar lines [[in fact, my father decided he wanted to live in Indian Village someday after passing through the neighborhood regularly on the Charlevoix streetcar).

You have to keep in mind that for people in that class in those pre-depression days, the grind of food and household shopping was mostly handled by servants, and most victuals were delivered directly. Even for clothes shopping, etc., the ladies would go downtown to Hudson's, or someplace classier, and make their selections, which would be delivered to their homes later that day or by the following morning at the latest.

Indian Village is to this very day zoned entirely residential, with no businesses allowed [[save for doctor's offices attached to homes on Kercheval). This stricture is even in most of the deeds. The zoning also calls for owner-occupied single-family residential, with rentals only permitted in a limited number of carriage houses.

[p69rrh51]

That there's "nowhere to walk to" reflects the fact that Indian Village was really built as a sort of early commuter suburb. It wasn't ever really intended for walking, beyond pleasant semi-bucolic strolls.

The south part of the Village was built in the first two decades of the 20th century and many of the early residents were the movers and financial backers of the auto industry. The north part was mostly built in the late 'teens and '20s and many of the early residents were executives in the auto companies and related industries.

Part of the point of IV was to live away from the crowded business center of the city and be able to use a car to get around, but still live close enough to easily commute to downtown or the industrial areas. Several of the houses were built with driveways, which was not yet common then. Commuting to downtown was helped by the fact that the Village was accessed by no fewer than 4 streetcar lines [[in fact, my father decided he wanted to live in Indian Village someday after passing through the neighborhood regularly on the Charlevoix streetcar).

You have to keep in mind that for people in that class in those pre-depression days, the grind of food and household shopping was mostly handled by servants, and most victuals were delivered directly. Even for clothes shopping, etc., the ladies would go downtown to Hudson's, or someplace classier, and make their selections, which would be delivered to their homes later that day or by the following morning at the latest.

Indian Village is to this very day zoned entirely residential, with no businesses allowed [[save for doctor's offices attached to homes on Kercheval). This stricture is even in most of the deeds. The zoning also calls for owner-occupied single-family residential, with rentals only permitted in a limited number of carriage houses.

Eastside the single family owner occupied restriction is true for every home in IV except for one. This J. H. Gustav Stephens design at 3417 Seminole. This is the only 2 family home in Indian Village. The house was built in 1914. I am also including an image of the house from the Burton Historical Collection circa 1920.

[canuck]

Pretty sad looking job of cladding on this one. I wouldnt mind an attempt at acrylic stucco to bring it back full circle, but imagine the prohibitive cost of undertaking it. Great neighborhood.

[Pam]

Indian Village is to this very day zoned entirely residential, with no businesses allowed [[save for doctor's offices attached to homes on Kercheval).

Plus schools and churches.

[SaintMe]

Eastside the single family owner occupied restriction is true for every home in IV except for one. This J. H. Gustav Stephens design at 3417 Seminole. This is the only 2 family home in Indian Village. The house was built in 1914. I am also including an image of the house from the Burton Historical Collection circa 1920.

It looks so much bigger in the first picture. It's a shame that siding is covering up so many beautiful details from the first picture.

[SaintMe]

And they butchered that lovely porch!

[unclefrank]

I knew a couple that had a nice old home there, but they were being taxed to death, and the heating bills were crazy.

[G-DDT]

After the punk house burned down in the Cass Corridor, they relocated to a large home on Seyburn off Lafayette with nice porches and upper loft area. They even converted the basement into a jam and recording area. That area is quite nice.