 
Mike
Member
Username: Mike
Post Number: 931
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:11 pm: |    |
A couple of years ago I would go downtown and Woodward would be crowded, cars bumper to bumper, folks walking outside, lines to get into the clubs long, and an aura of excitement.
During my last few visits, its not, no more crowds, no more walking and no long lines.
Question is, with all that has been poured in to Woodward, the infrastructure is there, etc, we still see small crowds, and many for rent/ lease signs. Has the Woodward bubble popped? |
Charlottepaul
Member
Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 1190
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:16 pm: | |
Suggesting it is worse now than a couple of years ago?
(Message edited by charlottepaul on June 24, 2007) |
Lilpup
Member
Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 2360
Registered: 06-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:19 pm: | |
If there was a bubble I think it was a clubbing bubble. Between Campus Martius, the Riverwalk, and the stadia and bar scene I think nicer gathering places exist. As for the non-club storefronts it feels like now there's a chance for some more 'normal' retail to move in and serve people downtown, though I suspect store rents are too high for things to take off quickly except for large chain stores. |
Apbest
Member
Username: Apbest
Post Number: 568
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:19 pm: | |
maybe the last time you were there was the night of a ball game...its like night and day |
Dialh4hipster
Member
Username: Dialh4hipster
Post Number: 2091
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:27 pm: | |
Try swinging by Broadway and Grand River late night. I think you'll find things have just shifted a bit to the east. |
Charlottepaul
Member
Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 1193
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:30 pm: | |
Yeah definitely the east side of downtown seems to be where more of the night life is. Seems that there aren't really any clubs on Woodward except for BLEU and a few bars down past Campus Martius |
Mike
Member
Username: Mike
Post Number: 933
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 12:37 pm: | |
apbest, good point, but i have been too downtown during almost any kind of night, overall, i would say that patrons down woodward at night has decreased.'
i do agree with the notion that nightlife as shifted towards places like broadway
i just remember a few summer nights along woodward a year ago and it was packed, almost reminded me of southbeach. it was literally past 2 am (330 i believe) and people were still out having a good time.
i just wish that some part of downtown would get like that again.
maybe its my young age, but most cities have a street of two thats sort of an adult entertainment (not stripclubs) district. something like rush street in chicago or south beach. looked like woodward could be something like that. but you look south and mavericks, goodlife, etc, all empty. |
Gistok
Member
Username: Gistok
Post Number: 4658
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 1:46 pm: | |
What are people doing on Woodward at 3:30 AM??
No bars or clubs are open at that hour! |
Downtown_remix
Member
Username: Downtown_remix
Post Number: 384
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 4:34 pm: | |
Woodward is struggling still, while broadway has taken off with popular restaurants (Detroit beer Co, small plates) A sparkling YMCA, a really cool street scape. i would like to see Lower Woodward concentrate on restaurants that draw crowds to the main drag. Restaurants can have have I wish urban Outfitters would just drop a store down there and start the momentum for retail. |
Mike
Member
Username: Mike
Post Number: 934
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 5:12 pm: | |
gistok, trust me. people were out, many of us. it was fun.
food was being served and everyone was having a good time. even the street hot dog vender was busy.
all i am saying is that its not as busy as it used to me. |
Mackinaw
Member
Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 3083
Registered: 02-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 6:06 pm: | |
It was awfully busy on a friday night in late May that I spent down there after midnight.
I'd rather see it busier 9-5, quite frankly, so I'm hoping for more retail to open up. It is Merchant's Row. A new corporate HQ downtown would do the trick, quite possibly. |
Rbdetsport
Member
Username: Rbdetsport
Post Number: 295
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 6:15 pm: | |
Yes Mike, this may be true, but a Sign of the Times does not automatically say that the new and IMPROVED Woodward is a failure. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 5698
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 6:17 pm: | |
I was thinking the same thing. Woodward, IMO, should be more retail/restaurant oriented, anyway. There are much better parts of downtown fit for nightlife, and those places are popping up. (i.e. Broadway) |
Mike
Member
Username: Mike
Post Number: 935
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 10:17 pm: | |
i would actually like to see washington as the retail destination like it was in the old pics of detroit that i have seen.
i am not calling woodward a failure, just saying that it seemed a bit more exciting a little while ago and is now somewhat struggling for people. |
Danny
Member
Username: Danny
Post Number: 6100
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 10:28 pm: | |
Woodward Ave. is NOT a failure. The corridor is in its "PREMIER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY" phase. The retail corridor will get some stores soon. |
Granmontrules
Member
Username: Granmontrules
Post Number: 106
Registered: 01-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 10:54 pm: | |
When we go downtown it is usually packed. A lot on the east side of town and behind the Fox all the bars there are very crowded to nicely crowded. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 5704
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 10:57 pm: | |
And, that's really how it should be. The areas such as Park Avenue and Broadway are perfect areas to handle nightlife. |
Ndavies
Member
Username: Ndavies
Post Number: 2662
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 11:10 pm: | |
Sorry, I've lived Downtown on Woodward for the last 7 years. I 've never seen it as busy as it's been the last 6 months.
Woodward is very busy in spurts. If you hit it during one of these busy times it looks overflowing. Hit a lull and it does look dead. There just seems to be far more busy spurts lately. |
Mike
Member
Username: Mike
Post Number: 936
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Monday, June 25, 2007 - 2:31 am: | |
either way, i have been really impressed of late. i think its safe to say that riverdays has been a smashing sucess. i left at 12am on sat night and jefferson was packed. lots of people having a great time, however, by the time we moved north on woodward. traffic dwindled. |
Downtown_remix
Member
Username: Downtown_remix
Post Number: 385
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Monday, June 25, 2007 - 8:11 am: | |
Woodward needs a main anchor. Salad creations had added a much needed lunch stop. Im curious what type of business will come next, I cant imagine MC donalds not scouting out a location on the main drag |
Mind_field
Member
Username: Mind_field
Post Number: 728
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, June 25, 2007 - 11:29 am: | |
The Quicken Loans workers can't come soon enough. I'm not sure what Woodward is like late at night on a weekend during the summer. But last Saturday night, Woodward was bustling even at 11 p.m.
I know this isn't an accurate time to gage typical pedestrian activity and vibrancy, as the River days festival was going on and I haven't seen downtown so bustling since the Super Bowl.
Things like Oslo closing doesn't help the Woodward corridor at all. And the novelty of Campus Martius Park is now wearing off a little maybe? The park was a big contributor to Woodward foot traffic when it was newer. How are the lunchtime crowds this summer compared to years past? |
Johnlodge
Member
Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 724
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, June 25, 2007 - 11:32 am: | |
"i just remember a few summer nights along woodward a year ago and it was packed, almost reminded me of southbeach. it was literally past 2 am (330 i believe) and people were still out having a good time. "
Wow, I must have missed that. Don't remember seeing any "southbeach" like foot traffic on Woodward at 3:30 am. Either something was going on, or this was a very pleasant dream. (j/k) |
Broken_main
Member
Username: Broken_main
Post Number: 1239
Registered: 06-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 3:11 pm: | |
Last night there was a great amount of traffic, walkers. the time was 1200MN and I was surprised to see all of the people out having a good time. PROOF was packed as was The Woodward. It was not like a usual Monday. I was pretty please with all of the action going on last night.
This could actually be the start of a trend that we all have been hoping for. |
Mike
Member
Username: Mike
Post Number: 949
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 10:42 pm: | |
john, it was great... think about it, apt club was packed, bleu and oslo was as well, the good life and mavericks were both really busy, and it was wierd because this was AFTER 2am. I remember that they stopped serving alcohol, but that did not stop people from walking up and down woodward, and there were many cars, many many cars all hooked up from muscle cars to high end caddies and mercs. it was great. i must admit though, this was one of the nights of the electronic music fest. but still, i have not seen it that way sense. |
Royce
Member
Username: Royce
Post Number: 2288
Registered: 07-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 3:29 pm: | |
Mike, I think it all depends on when you go downtown and what events are occurring. Last Friday July 6th, downtown was full of life. Bleu and Apt Music Cafe had people waiting to get in, but more traffic and activity could be found around Broadway, Harmonie Park, and Greektown. Couldn't even get down streets like Monroe, Brush, and East Grand River.
Remember, the Tigers had just played and defeated the Boston Red Sox and the NAACP convention was going on. Many more people were walking the streets and going to the restaurants, bars, and clubs because of these events. Now, how often do you get the dreaded Red Sox and a major convention in Detroit at the same time?
Now, I have noticed that the Good Life Lounge has been quiet on Fridays, but that's the faddishness of clubs. Esko's(sp?)on Shelby and Michigan and Evolution on Broadway seem to be the new hot spots that folks are going to now. Three months from now, the hot clubs will be somewhere else.
Lower Woodward Avenue is a tough sell(see other thread on retail on lower Woodward). The westside has little going on and maybe that's because there's not a lot of activity happening on the streets west of Woodward as there are on streets like Broadway and Randolph to the east. Another thing mentioned in the other thread is that the owners of many of the buildings on the lower Woodward corridor want extremely high rents. Higher rents, fewer folks interested in opening shop. Simple law of economics.
Clearly, if more of the lower Woodward buildings could be occupied with residents, the ground floors will bring more shops, restaurants, and bars, creating more street traffic. When this will happen is anybody's guess.
(Message edited by royce on July 11, 2007) |