Is Cass Corridor part of Midtown?

[night-timer]

I notice that long-term Detroiters say Cass Corridor is not a part of Midtown. I say Cass is now described as part of Midtown to escape the Corridor's [[former) reputation. Am I right? It's fair to say the Corridor has changed a fair bit, or a lot.

[emu steve]

FWIW, here is Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Corridor

They define Cass Corridor as essentially: Fisher/Lodge/Woodward/94.

Then this raises the question: What is the definition of Midtown?

According to Wikipedia: It is Cass Corridor + the parts of Midtown east of Woodward, in other words, according to Wikipedia, Cass Corridor is a subset or part of Midtown, Woodward the boundary.

Wikipedia has a nice map:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown_Detroit

When I went to Wayne, I doubt I considered WSU as being in the 'Cass Corridor." I presumably thought Cass Corridor ended south of the campus, but I doubt where. I assume it was defined not so much by hard physical boundaries but more by characteristics of the neighborhood.

[Honky Tonk]

I notice that long-term Detroiters say Cass Corridor is not a part of Midtown. I say Cass is now described as part of Midtown to escape the Corridor's [[former) reputation. Am I right? It's fair to say the Corridor has changed a fair bit, or a lot.

That depends. The parts that have been redeveloped and are full of hipsters are. The parts that are full of low income or poverty people that haven't been driven out yet, are not. Once those people are driven out and those parts are redeveloped though, then those parts will become a part of midtown as well. I hope that clarifies things.

[emu steve]

I think it is best to view what would now [[or formerly) be considered "Cass Corridor" to be a subset of Midtown.

The Midtown map in Wikipedia gives us the chance to answer these questions:

1). Did the Cass Corridor ever refer to the area EAST of Woodward? E.g., what is now known as Brush Park, was it ever considered part of Cass Corridor?

2). Did the definition of the Cass Corridor ever refer to specific streets, historical districts, etc. or did everyone have their own definition based on whatever criteria they chose?

3). Did the Cass Corridor meaning change over time as the area changed over time, many, many decades? E.g., as the area south of Wayne State changed did that area become known as the Wayne State area and not Cass Corridor?

[Zacha341]

I dig your definition!

That depends. The parts that have been redeveloped and are full of hipsters are. The parts that are full of low income or poverty people that haven't been driven out yet, are not. Once those people are driven out and those parts are redeveloped though, then those parts will become a part of midtown as well. I hope that clarifies things.

[dtowncitylover]

The phrase "midtown Detroit" has been used since at least the 1950s and the New Center area was also included with it. Cass Corridor was that district around the Cass Ave area but not meaning the entirety of New Center, Medical Center, Sugar Hill, Milwaukee, etc..

I've had many an argument with "old" Detroiters trying to explain this to them. If you want to call it the Corridor, call it that, but Midtown is the official name of entirety of Lodge/Ford/Chrysler/Fisher area.

"Nothing is more horridor, than leaving the Cass Corridor" a wise woman once wrote.

[Lowell]

A sensitive topic for those old timers among us who pronounce "midtown" as if we're spitting out something foul tasting. We fought this out a couple of years back in the thread Midtown Vs. Cass Corridor where the consensus was that the "Cass Corridor" is technically a subset of what is now Midtown.

I still prefer Cass Corridor for the history, poetry and alliteration.

[Honky Tonk]

A sensitive topic for those old timers among us who pronounce "midtown" as if we're spitting out something foul tasting. We fought this out a couple of years back in the thread Midtown Vs. Cass Corridor where the consensus was that the "Cass Corridor" is technically a subset of what is now Midtown.

I still prefer Cass Corridor for the history, poetry and alliteration.

You misspelled altercation.

[EastsideAl]

I always thought that the historical use of the name "midtown" was for the New Center area. So I have long assumed that the current use of Midtown included not only the Corridor, Brush Park [[aka Paradise Valley), and the Med Center, WSU, and Cultural Center areas, but also the New Center as well. At the very least it seems to me that name must include everything inside the north-of-downtown freeway rectangle.

Although, per Honky Tonk's response, certain areas along Third still seem a whole lot more Corridor than Midtown.

[night-timer]

A sensitive topic for those old timers among us who pronounce "midtown" as if we're spitting out something foul tasting. We fought this out a couple of years back in the thread Midtown Vs. Cass Corridor where the consensus was that the "Cass Corridor" is technically a subset of what is now Midtown.

I still prefer Cass Corridor for the history, poetry and alliteration.

Thanks. I checked out that older thread on the topic.

As the OP, I also think Cass Corridor was perhaps just a nickname amongst locals, never an official name on any government records or maps.

And I wouldn't describe New Center or anywhere past WSU/DIA [[Woodward at Warren Avenue) as part of Midtown, which some people have suggested or asked about over the years.

[Lowell]

Thanks. I checked out that older thread on the topic.

As the OP, I also think Cass Corridor was perhaps just a nickname amongst locals, never an official name on any government records or maps.

And I wouldn't describe New Center or anywhere past WSU/DIA [[Woodward at Warren Avenue) as part of Midtown, which some people have suggested or asked about over the years.

Midtown in a corporation, so I believe it can define itself as it wishes, allowing it to expand, as I believe it has, as far north to embrace the Boston Edison historical district. Overall it has been a very positive force in spite of its uninspiring name.

[1953]

Downtown = south of 75

Midtown = between 75 and 94

New Center = north of 94

[[though I suppose some might prefer the rail line as the line of demarcation)

[emu steve]

Downtown = south of 75

Midtown = between 75 and 94

New Center = north of 94

[[though I suppose some might prefer the rail line as the line of demarcation)

This is the definition that I hold in my mind.

Regardless of any technical definition or even consensus, I have a hard time thinking of anything east of Woodward as being Cass Corridor.

BTW, I looked this up once: Cass originates in downtown, by Cobo, and ends at W. Grand Blvd.

[EastsideAl]

As the OP, I also think Cass Corridor was perhaps just a nickname amongst locals, never an official name on any government records or maps.

Funny thing is that the name actually arose from city planning ideas of the late '40s to the early '60s, when Detroit was in the throes of a massive 'urban renewal' program. Particularly the plan to find a suitable place to move 'undesirable populations' [[ie: vagrant drunks, prostitutes, and Chinese people) from old skid row and old Chinatown around Michigan Ave. and the Lodge Fwy. west of downtown.

Here's an old thread about it:
https://www.detroityes.com/mb/showth...-Cass-Corridor

[O3H]

I remember a time a time that WSU students had to go to buildings on Cass for various items back in the mid 1980's. Back then, Cass had a bad reputation. No doubt that sticks with many of my generation, even today in 2017.

[erikd]

A sensitive topic for those old timers among us who pronounce "midtown" as if we're spitting out something foul tasting. We fought this out a couple of years back in the thread Midtown Vs. Cass Corridor where the consensus was that the "Cass Corridor" is technically a subset of what is now Midtown.

I still prefer Cass Corridor for the history, poetry and alliteration.

I love you Lowell, but I stand by my assertion that "midtown" is not the same thing as the Cass Corridor, and the two terms are not synonymous. Many large cities have a section of the city that is generically referred to as "midtown", just like cities have a section of the city that is referred to as "downtown."

The Cass Corridor [[and the medical center, and Brush Park, and the cultural center, etc.) are subsets of midtown, similar to how Greektown, the financial district, the theatre district, etc. are subsets of downtown.

This isn't an either-or situation IMO.

[douglasm]

I tend to feel like Lowell and EMU Steve on this. The Cass Corridor is on the west side of Woodward north to about Alvin's [[and maybe as far as the Dalglish Cadillac building). I will admit to not venturing much south of Mixed Media, but that's my bad.

New Center started at the railroad underpass and went north from there. I never heard or used the term "Midtown" either as a generic term or an area definition, so I'm going to assume it's a reletively new invention.

But then again, I'm old and thus fairly set in my ways, so I may not be ripe for this discussion.

[Gistok]

The Midtown name came into being about a dozen years or more ago. The UCCA [[University Cultural Center Association) came up with it. It consists of 6 areas.... 1) WSU, 2) Cultural Center [[or Museum District), 3) Detroit Medical Center, 4) Brush Park, 5) Orchestra Place and 6) Cass Park. That last one will probably get a new name... maybe "Arena District".

So what used to be labeled as Cass Corridor by old timers... that name is being buried [[due to some of the more negative connotatios of it)... and today is divided between Orchestra Place and Cass Park [[Arena) districts, and its' northern end is being swallowed up by an expanding WSU.

[Zacha341]

^^^ I remember the name "Midtown" used in '78. A company on Cass in the heart of WSU had Midtown as part of their name. A few others called that area Midtown as well. Then it really took off the last 15 years ago.

[Zacha341]

Anyone remember that Burger King further down on Cass by Selden? It was a rough area and considered Cass Corridor, that far south of WSU.

[Gistok]

Even when I went to WSU in 1975 the general area was called Midtown... it was just since the new century that the term gained further traction, and was broken into 6 sub-districts, which are further broken up into several separate historic areas [[West Canfield and East Ferry among them).

The 6 main district names have changed a little bit in the last 15 years.

[Gistok]

It seems like someone brings up this same question every 5 years or so... and we have the same argument over what the area is or should be called, with the same folks on either side of the fence.

The folks from 5 or even 10 years ago still have their mindset on what it should be called... and that hasn't changed much since the 2013 thread that Lowell posted a link for, or this older 2008 DYES thread....

http://www.atdetroit.net/forum/messa...tml?1202853922

[douglasm]

The old thread brings up a good point. Where does The Cultural Center fit into the mix. I never considered it a part of the Cass Corredor. Am I mistaken?

[Zacha341]

^^^ Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the Cultural Center was generally defined as the related area along Woodward, John R., Kirby etc. which includes the DIA, Science Center, part of CCS campus, the Detroit Main Library, Charles H. Wright Museum, Detroit Historic Museum, Scarab Club etc... Ending at Warren Avenue. Other thoughts?

[Gistok]

Well actually the Cultural Center goes over to Cass Ave., since both the Main Public Library and Detroit Historical Museum are between Woodward and Cass... with Cass Ave. being the main business entrance for the library.