Detroit’s oldest neighborhood has been ranked a top up-and-coming one in the nation.
Corktown, which received prime-time attention with the re-opening of Michigan Central Station in June, was named among 16 “most up-and-coming neighborhoods” by the publication TravelMag this summer.
The neighborhood’s character was cited among the reasons for the selection.
“Couple the charm and Federal-style architecture with a thriving culinary scene, cocktail bars, vintage shops, and revitalization, and it’s easy to see why Corktown is a booming Detroit neighborhood that is creating tons of buzz,” TravelMag stated.
More: Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood and ‘front porch to downtown,’ enters new era
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TravelMag selected one neighborhood in each destination city considered, the publication reported. It weighed the number of “cool cocktail bars, fancy coffee houses, and trendy eateries” that have sprouted in a neighborhood and “noted LGBTQ-friendly and vegan spots, as well as eclectic boutiques” that make a place hip but not the trendiest.
Specifically for Corktown, the publication credited the neighborhood for the reopened train station. The train station had long stood dilapidated before Ford Motor Co. purchased it and renovated to make a technology mecca and cultural hub.
The Mercury Burger and Bar, Bobcat Bonnie’s and Brooklyn Street Local, were also cited by the publication as favorite spots in the city, along with the since-abruptly closed Detroit Institute of Bagels.
Detroiters will know those are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to beloved eateries and businesses in Corktown, however.
Another restaurant, Alpino, was named the 2024 Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Restaurant of the Year, and spots like Slows Bar BQ and Nemo’s have been around for decades. The latter goes back to the days of the old Tigers Stadium that defined the neighborhood.
TravelMag stated that some of its selected neighborhoods have seen a flurry of new development, rising rent and a shift in demographics towards young professionals.
Corktown, named for the county in Ireland, has been home to immigrants of various backgrounds over the last century. It’s also seen policy and infrastructure changes that cut into and altered the area.
New development, rental rates and property values did, indeed, go up in Corktown following the Ford commitment to the train station. The city, thereafter, secured a grant to build 500 affordable housing units there.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit neighborhood named top ‘up-and-coming’ in US
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