A tour of downtown Detroit, on Woodward Avenue.

 

 

 

“We love a city not for its seven or seventy-seven wonders, but for the answers it provides to our questions.”

Italo Calvino.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, young Padawan

 

 

Woodward Avenue, also known as M-1, is central, what am I saying, unavoidable, since it is the long avenue that extends almost from the waterfront of the Detroit River, north-northwest, to Pontiac, Michigan, further south, a total of 34.6 km, or 21.5 miles.

 

Also called “Detroit’s Main Street,” it is one of the five main avenues of Detroit, along with Michigan, Grand River, Gratiot, and Jefferson avenues. These streets were laid out in 1805 by Judge Augustus B. Woodward, who gave his name to Woodward Avenue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, we’re going to focus on the part of Woodward Avenue that is located in downtown Detroit, one of my favorite neighborhoods, which takes us almost from the riverfront to the city center, crossing a small park where there are always activities throughout the year, according to the seasons.

 

As you can see on the map below, corresponding to our little trip today, there are places that we have already visited here together, like the Greektown neighborhood, or the Guardian Building. And what you don’t see, to the right of the map (west), 20 minutes away on foot, is the Dequindre cut, where I have dedicated two articles here and there, and to the south (at the top), there is the stadium district that we visited here last April.

 

There you go, like that, you’re a little better aligned with the map, and now, let’s go for today’s visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downtown Detroit, on Woodward Avenue

Woodward Avenue is separated from the Detroit River by a plaza — that we will soon visit — called Hart Plaza. When we turn our backs to the Detroit River and this plaza and face the beginning of Woodward Avenue in Detroit, this is what we see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Monument To Joe Louis “The Fist.”

 

 

 

 

 

2. Spirit of Detroit plaza.

 

 

 

 

3. Campus Martius Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Now we leave Campus Martius Park to land in the city center properly, still on Woodward. Small business district, subway, restaurants, and a few shops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that’s it for today’s visit, where we discovered the magnificent city of Detroit. I hope you enjoyed the greenery and the architecture, and I’ll see you next Friday for new adventures.

 

XO☀️