Curbed Cup 1st round: (1) Corktown vs. (16) Jefferson-Chalmers

The Curbed Cup is our annual award for the neighborhood of the year. We’re starting with 16 neighborhoods (with some close ones combined), and we’ll vote over the next few weeks until we’re down to one. Polls are open for 24 hours. Let the voting commence!

Corktown

Detroit’s oldest neighborhood continues to add to its business and residential boom. The Elton Park development broke ground (and neighboring businesses) earlier this year, which will add density and apartments to the neighborhood. Work continues at the old Tiger Stadium with PAL Headquarters and soon, more residential. Houses and lofts continued to sell at a high premium, and new restaurants made themselves at home in the neighborhood. In the coming year, we can expect plans to take shape at the West Riverfront. We saw actual activity at the train station this summer; might we see more happening with Roosevelt Park in the next few years?

Jefferson-Chalmers

Photo by Michelle & Chris Gerard

The far east neighborhood of Jefferson Chalmers seems primed for a renovation take-off. Storefronts are starting to fill in on East Jefferson, including new restaurants that are in the works. Design firm Mutual Adoration recently opened their flagship store POST on Kercheval on the northern border of Jefferson-Chalmers. The neighborhood has rich housing stock filled with old homes, canals for kayaks and boats, and there’s hope (and signs) that the Vanity Ballroom could come back to life.

The neighborhood has a high-traffic commercial strip adjacent to a waterfront neighborhood and bordering Grosse Pointe; we wouldn’t be surprised to hear more development news here soon.