Dearborn has a population of about 100,000.  If you haven't been to Greenfield Village or Henry Ford Museum then you are missing out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice any similarities in the next 3 pictures?  :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This building was one of 11 built in 1833 for the United States Detroit Arsenal at Dearbornville.

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like a cross between Cleveland Heights and Cuyahoga Falls (Akron burb). Thanks for sharing!

The apartment buildings and churches seem much too large/ornate with such a small scale downtown.

 

Thanks for the pics!

Great pics, the first place I ever lived. I remember going to the Montgomery Wards with my Mom.

Dearborn is probably Detroit's most "interesting" suburb, culturally (okay, so Hamtramck has a case too).

The pictures are somewhat misleading because they are of two separate and very distinct business districts, although they are both along Michigan Avenue (U.S. 12).  Both have separate development authorities managing the districts.

 

Dearborn is geographically and culturally divided by a 4-lane road known as the Southfield Freeway (or M-39), which separates it into East Dearborn and West Dearborn.  Although they are now a single politically entity, most residents when describing where they live are very quick to point out which section—especially those living West Dearborn.    East Dearborn borders Detroit and has a large concentration of Arabic/Lebanese people.

 

The first several pictures (Montgomery Wards, City Hall, and that beautiful art deco building) are part of the East Dearborn business district.  It has suffered greatly the last 10 years, despite new townhomes/condos built in proximity.  Interestingly enough, Montgomery Wards stayed open until the very end.  The city owns the building and a variety of redevelopment proposals have been suggested, but most call for removing the building.  More recently, the site has been suggested for a minor league baseball stadium.  Personally, I don’t think that would be a good idea.  The newest structure in the area shown in the photos is the Arab-American museum.  You would think that the Middle Eastern population would support this business district, but they have their own along Warren Avenue. 

 

West Dearborn has seen an infusion of new development over the last decade, with the redevelopment of the “Superblock”, Jacobson’s department store and F&M Drug Store (currently under construction).  The pictures really didn’t highlight any of these developments, with the exception of the Superblock redevelopment. There has been some condo/townhome/rowhouse development in the back of the commercial sections.  Most of the commercial development has been restaurants and bars, which is good, but bad at the same time.  Michigan Avenue in Dearborn has been dubbed the world’s largest food court.  Many restaurants have come and gone.  The latest arrivals include Panera Bread, BW3s, Au Pon Pain, Coldstone.     

 

Parking lots/garages are located behind the buildings, and many/most of the buildings have back entrances.  There are a few that don’t have front entrances, so you don’t see a lot of foot traffic along Michigan Ave and there isn’t any on street parking

 

The neighborhoods that border West Dearborn (within walking distance) are middle to upper class neighborhoods, so that helps with drawing tenants.

 

Ink – most of the churches don’t look out of place (with the exception of the big Catholic one along Michigan Avenue). They are located in back of the retail bordering the residential neighborhoods.   

 

I work in Dearborn, so I spend a lot of time here.  It is perhaps one of the most peculiar areas I’ve ever visited. 

 

I’ll take some shots when the weather is warmer and there isn’t any snow.

 

Ink – most of the churches don’t look out of place (with the exception of the big Catholic one along Michigan Avenue). They are located in back of the retail bordering the residential neighborhoods. 

 

I didn't really mean out of place, more, out of scale, and I guess I should have just said apartment buildings. They are four stories while all the commerical/other downtown buildings are 3 stories or less.

I understand what you mean.  In comparison to the downtown, the apartment buildings would seem to belong in a city of over 500,000 people. 

 

Dearborn is part of the continuous corridor that runs a long Michigan Ave.  In a sense, Detroit is spilling into Dearborn so the construction of these larger buildings was justified.  But when you consider a city like Ann Arbor just down the road with a large downtown, and hardly any types of these older 4 story buildings, it seems very strange.

There are times when Michigan Avenue from Dearborn to Ypsi feels like one Michigan bad shopping strip straight out of the 1950s and 1960s.

 

While it may have 100,000 citizens, it doesn't feel that way when you are in Dearborn.