Detroit Riverwalk , One of Six Best in the world

**DetBill** · August-13-16, 08:10 PM

Real nice recognition for our Detroit

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2...-walks-readers

**One Shot** · August-14-16, 05:39 PM

Nobody cares about good news.
I love it down there and am glad that it's been recognized. They've come so far in the last 10 years.

**Former_Detroiter** · August-14-16, 09:21 PM

The picture of the Riverwalk is beautiful. But where are the walkers...

**detroitpride313** · August-15-16, 08:33 AM

I think it's great, but once I saw that Portland was on the list I kinda questioned it... Maybe I just went to the wrong part of their river walk but I was there in June and was less than impressed...

**Hermod** · August-15-16, 09:14 AM

When their site speculates about Gaza becoming a great tourism site, I seriously question their ability to judge anything.

**Lowell** · August-15-16, 09:40 AM

The Riverwalk is a fabulous idea and beautifier of Detroit. I invite anyone who snarks about it to actually spend some time along it. It is immensely popular with the young generation as I see from visiting it as well as the anecdotal evidence of it being listed as 'favorite Detroit place' by the young who sign up to DetroitYES by 2 to 1 over all other sites combined.

**Former_Detroiter** · August-15-16, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

The Riverwalk is a fabulous idea and beautifier of Detroit. I invite anyone who snarks about it to actually spend some time along it. It is immensely popular with the young generation as I see from visiting it as well as the anecdotal evidence of it being listed as 'favorite Detroit place' by the young who sign up to DetroitYES by 2 to 1 over all other sites combined.

Lowell, I wish what you described was depicted in the picture.

**dtowncitylover** · August-15-16, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Former_Detroiter

The picture of the Riverwalk is beautiful. But where are the walkers...

I think that's important. I've been down there on the busy, "high" days, of summer. But I'm sure right now it's dead. I think this has to do in large part of having little access to transit [[though hopefully that might changed with the tram line), it's not a major commuter crossing so there's no throngs of people like at Campus Martius, housing is not built up around it like it has the potential to be and driving and parking [[linking back to transit) is the only way to get down there.

Those Riverfront Towers need better access, not that those residents are going to be using it at max capacity but I'm sure they want easier access to it. Those giant parking lots along Atwater need to get developed too.

**drjeff** · August-15-16, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by Former_Detroiter

The picture of the Riverwalk is beautiful. But where are the walkers...

The ground is wet. Clearly it had been recently raining when that photo was shot. The times I've gone to the riverwalk on nice days there are many people around.

**1953** · August-15-16, 02:58 PM

The Detroit Riverwalk is pretty great, but I hope to heavens its not in the top six across the world, because that would demean the state of the world.

**401don** · August-15-16, 03:13 PM

The walk is pretty long and at any given time on a nice day there are a lot of people between Hart Plaza and the Carousel. Many people are sitting along the way and I think the café is doing better than I expected. It would be nice if they had a beer garden somewhere close to the river. Maybe not a permanent structure, just a tike hut and some tables and chairs, similar to the "beach" at Cmart. They could set it up Fri-Sun in the summer months and maybe have a guy with a guitar doing bad versions '70's stuff.

**Gistok** · August-15-16, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by 1953

The Detroit Riverwalk is pretty great, but I hope to heavens its not in the top six across the world, because that would demean the state of the world.

Just remember this 1953.... the number of Cathedrals in Europe that claim to be among the 6 largest in the world.... numbers at least 20!

**mikeg19** · August-16-16, 07:50 AM

Took my wife down for walk yesterday afternoon. First time she's ever been down there and was floored how nice it was. She had no idea anything like that existed down there. Needless to say she wants to go back and explore more. I was also surprised to see how many people were out there at 1pm on a Monday. Pretty good amount of people walking around.

**Scottathew** · August-16-16, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

I think that's important. I've been down there on the busy, "high" days, of summer. But I'm sure right now it's dead.

I rode my bike on the RiverWalk yesterday around noon and it was packed.

I love the RiverWalk and Dequindre Cut.

I just wish the RiverWalk was more contiguous. There's a gap between West Riverfront Park and the Joe Louis Arena. As well as gaps between Milliken Park and just east of Chene Park.

Granted you can just go to Atwater Street, but it would be mind-blowing if was mostly contiguous right on the water from Riverside Park to Belle Isle.

**dtowncitylover** · August-16-16, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by 48307

I rode my bike on the RiverWalk yesterday around noon and it was packed.

Good, glad I was proven wrong.

I have no way of knowing as I don't work downtown. I still think it's max potential has yet to be fully realized especially with expansion and renovation of Hart Plaza.

**Scottathew** · August-16-16, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

Good, glad I was proven wrong.

I have no way of knowing as I don't work downtown. I still think it's max potential has yet to be fully realized especially with expansion and renovation of Hart Plaza.

There were far fewer people today, but it was raining. Also of note, the picture in the article, the ground was wet from rain.

**TTime** · August-16-16, 03:09 PM

The River Walk is definitely in my top 6 in the state but these lists are getting way out of hand...top 6 river walk in the world? That's quite a claim. As for the river walk being packed, when is the best time to see it packed? I'm on the river walk maybe once a week and it's usually very quiet unless there's a special event. it's certainly nicer than it used to be but I'm not sure it's more impressive than St. Clair's or Port Huron's if one were to provide a comparison.

**Gistok** · August-16-16, 03:57 PM

The title of the article from The Guardian....

Six of the best city walks – from readers around the world

And the OP's title of this thread.....

Detroit Riverwalk , One Of Six Best In The World

A does not equal B......

**TTime** · August-16-16, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

The Guardian asked for anecdotes on everyone's favorite walking location related to urban wandering.... and they chose 6 different people's replies... and slapped the "Six Best List" onto the title.

DYES could have an entire subsection that I would lable "Silly Lists".... where DYES members argue over the content of "what got onto which list"... and some folks here will argue over the merits of each of the subjective group of lists... getting into the same arguments each time.....

Me personally... as I've repeated here before... as a child going on vacation to Higgins Lake... I do hope that "6th Most Beautiful Lake In The World" sign is still there along the roadside.... or I shall be very miffed that Roscommon County let the lake slip out of the top 10!!

No argument in regard to Higgins Lake, I was there for the first time last week and it was beautiful and the water was incredibly bright blue and very clear. The best of lists must get a bunch of clicks, especially if the writer leaves out something that should be included or includes something that obviously should not.

**Stinger4me** · August-16-16, 04:31 PM

Two questions; Who comes up with these polls? and Where do they have the pageant? I missed both parts.

**Mackinaw** · August-16-16, 05:18 PM

Riverwalk is well executed but I look forward to when it is lined with mixed use development and particularly residences. At the moment it is not particularly nice in the 5-10 blocks immediately east of ren cen where, over your shoulder, you'll observe a lovely mix of pavement and gravel lots. It's not really an "urban" space for me, yet. But I appreciate the hard work that has gone into creating something impressive, and I hope the development is executed quickly and with the sort of quality that will make the RW a true urban space.

**iheartthed** · August-16-16, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by TTime

The River Walk is definitely in my top 6 in the state but these lists are getting way out of hand...top 6 river walk in the world? That's quite a claim. As for the river walk being packed, when is the best time to see it packed? I'm on the river walk maybe once a week and it's usually very quiet unless there's a special event. it's certainly nicer than it used to be but I'm not sure it's more impressive than St. Clair's or Port Huron's if one were to provide a comparison.

If specifically talking about promenades along rivers then I can see Detroit's Riverwalk as a top 5 or 10 in the U.S. If you generalize it to waterfronts then that's different. It's obviously not on par with Chicago's lakefront or L.A.'s beaches.

It's funny that they mention London because I think Detroit's waterfront looks far better than the Thames. If Detroit had more density and commercial activity closer to the RiverWalk it would not even be a contest.

**masterblaster** · August-18-16, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by Mackinaw

Riverwalk is well executed but I look forward to when it is lined with mixed use development and particularly residences. At the moment it is not particularly nice in the 5-10 blocks immediately east of ren cen where, over your shoulder, you'll observe a lovely mix of pavement and gravel lots. It's not really an "urban" space for me, yet. But I appreciate the hard work that has gone into creating something impressive, and I hope the development is executed quickly and with the sort of quality that will make the RW a true urban space.

There is a large residential development being built adjacent to the Milliken State Park and Harbor, the Michigan Outdoor Discovery Center, and the "trail head" of the Dequindre Cut. It is called Orleans Landing. The development also has a couple of retail spaces integrated into it that look out onto the state park and river.

Fairly recent photo
http://www.macdermottroofing.com/pro...leans-landing/