Detroit's Woodbridge Neighborhood

[Allan]

Up until the construction of the Boston-Edison neighborhood, Woodbridge was one of the neighborhoods wealthy Detroiters lived in. Even Ty Cobb, the famous baseball player for the Detroit Tigers rented a home on Avery Street during baseball season for three years. Developer David Stott, who later constructed the David Stott Building downtown, lived on Avery at Willis.

With the rapid growth of the city, however, the neighborhood became less desirable, and the wealthy residents moved out. By the 1920s, many of the mansions had been carved up into multiple units and the only new houses being constructed were typical working class houses.

In the 1950s the Lodge Freeway and the Ford Freeway were constructed nearby. By the 1960s, the neighborhood was really begining to decay, and the city announced the construction of two urban renewal projects, University I and University II. Opposition rose, and the neighborhood was spared.

Begining in the 1970s, people working in the nearby New Center and Cultural Center areas began to rediscover the neighborhood. Things gradually improved, and continue to improve to this day.

A brick duplex. These things are all over neighborhoods like this!

Houses on Commonwealth Street

Another duplex

A great old Victorian. I like the little window in the gable. I don't think I've ever seen one like that before.

A small apartment building on Commonwealth Street

The adjacent LaSalle Apartments

A house receiving a much needed renovation

More houses on Commonwealth Street

A typical house in the neighborhood

Another great Victorian house

The houses across the street

Unfortunately, some buildings did not escape "improvements."

Some solidly built brick homes

The shell of an apartment building on Trumbull. Something tells me that this building will not be around much longer.

Trinity Episcopal Church

If only this house could've escaped the paintbrush....

A beautiful old house. It is currently for sale. Hopefully someone will buy it and restore it. I've heard that one of the walls will cave in if something is not done soon.

A Victorian house turned into a duplex

Continue on to Part Two