Someone is reading my thoughts! After a recent trip to downtown Cleveland, enjoying the East Fourth Street neighborhood, I wondered why we couldn’t do the same thing here in Detroit. The powers that be in Cleveland closed East 4^th to traffic, paved it with bricks, landscaped it, and fun followed. Now a vibrant enclave teeming with restaurants, nightclubs, and historic renovated apartments, it attracts a festive crowd and should be on anyone’s list when they visit Cleveland, right after a visit to the rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Weekend Night Closure of Monroe Street

And now, we have the recent closure of Greektown’s Monroe Street! Long a popular attraction, even during the bad years of Detroit’s history, Greektown is a perfect spot for such an experiment. Settled in the early 1900’s by Greek immigrants after the German residents started leaving, Greektown is filled with restaurants, nightclubs, bakeries, a casino and a hotel. Monroe Street is the heart of historic Greektown and always hopping.

Greektown at Sundown

The Greektown Preservation Society has started the “Greektown at Sundown” movement, closing Monroe Street to car traffic from Beaubien to St. Antoine on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day. It’s a temporary closure, at night only, from 5 PM to 2 AM; but it’s a start. The street has been re-landscaped, sidewalks widened, eight restaurant patios added, and a new outdoor sound system installed.

Restaurant Patios, Live Music, Public Art

Prior to this, there were no restaurant patios in Greektown, and no real incentive for them, with traffic whizzing by so close to the storefronts.

Tables and umbrellas were donated by IKEA, and Shinola contributed bike racks. Rock Ventures, Opportunity Detroit, and the Greektown Casino cooperated and assisted in the venture, and cooperation from the City of Detroit was required. Live music from 6-9 PM, artwork that the public can help create, and strolling street performers are some of the entertainment planned for the season. A pop-up display of photographer Eric Perry’s work is planned on weekends, and the artist will be taking photos of visitors.

Magical Transformation

Closing a downtown street to cars can be a magical thing. People are now walking and are more present in the neighborhoods, instead of speeding through looking for parking. The street is quieter, with talk and music replacing the sound of engines. Smells of food and flowers replace exhaust. Pedestrian traffic flows across the street, which now becomes a walkable plaza. This is the type of development that really helps bring people downtown and could be a major boon to Detroit’s fledgling renewal efforts. If all goes well, the Society plans on an annual closure and possible expansion to Brush Street. Kudos to the Greektown Preservation Society for adding a little magic to Detroit, if only on the weekends.

Sources

Greektown turns festive on summer weekend nights / Freep.com (7/28/15)

Imagine strolling on carless Monroe Street in Greektown / DeadlineDetroit.com