Curbed Cup Elite Eight: (4) Downtown vs. (12) Hamtramck

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. Week one had a few upsets; how will week two turn out? Polls are open for 24 hours. Let the voting commence!

Downtown

If you’re looking at development in Detroit, downtown is where you’ll find most of it. While it’s still more of a place to rent instead of own (hopefully more condos will become available in the coming years), residents watch their streets change daily. Three new hotels will open in the next year. Ground just broke on the biggest construction project on an iconic block in the heart of it all. And more buildings are being renovated, bringing more offices, retail, and apartments online every day. Should it be considered as the neighborhood of the year?

Hamtramck

Photo by Michelle & Chris Gerard

We know. Hamtramck isn’t technically a Detroit neighborhood. But as a city within the city, it’s an integral part of Detroit. It’s a diverse community with a strong Polish and Bangladeshi history. Does any other neighborhood have its own Disneyland? While Gilbert and Gores wait to hear about their soccer team, Detroit City FC attracts thousands to their games in Hamtramck. This year, restaurants continued to open along its busy commercial corridors, and some Detroit-based businesses moved into bigger locations in Hamtramck. Many trying to buy more affordable homes in Detroit are able to find good houses here. Should it make it to the next round?