Welcome to Lower Eastside
Lower East - Belle Isle State Park
Known simply as Belle Isle (/bɛlˈaɪəl/), is a 982-acre (1.534 sq mi; 397 ha) island park in Detroit, Michigan, developed in the late 19th century. It consists of Belle Isle, an island in the Detroit River, as well as several surrounding islets. The U.S.-Canada border is in the channel south of Belle Isle.
Owned by the city of Detroit, Belle Isle is managed as a state park by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources through a 30-year lease initiated in 2013; it was previously a city park.[1] Belle Isle Park is the largest city-owned island park in the United States, and Belle Isle is the third largest island in the Detroit River, after Grosse Ile and Fighting Island. It is connected to mainland Detroit by the MacArthur Bridge.
Belle Isle Park is home to the Belle Isle Aquarium, the Belle Isle Conservatory, the Belle Isle Nature Center, the James Scott Memorial Fountain, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, a municipal golf course, a half-mile (800 m) swimming beach, and numerous other monuments and attractions. It is also the site of a Coast Guard station. The Detroit Yacht Club is located on an adjacent island, connected to Belle Isle by a bridge.
Lower East -Rivertown
This trendy waterside area, the Rivertown- Warehouse District’s name is very literal. Bordering the Detroit River, former warehouses have been converted into chic lofts. Residents can enjoy fine dining, such as elegant restaurants, crafty cocktail bars and unique food trucks. Rivertown is a mix of residential and commercial, with mostly condominiums and apartments along Detroit's riverfront. It includes newer developments such as Harbortown, as well as a wide variety of former manufacturing facilities converted into lofts.
Lower East -East English Village
East English Village is north of Grosse Pointe. Housing styles include bungalows, Cape Cod houses, colonial houses, and Tudor houses. In 1999 The Detroit News said that East English Village had "emerged as one of Detroit's most desirable neighborhoods" in Detroit because the houses were relatively inexpensive. CNN and Money stated in 2012 that "Detroit's East English Village is a well-kept neighborhood of tree-lined streets". In Curbed Detroit's 2016 Curbed Cup, East English Village was voted "Best Neighborhood in Detroit.
Lower East -Gold Coast
Bordering the Detroit River and directly across from Belle Isle Beach, living in Gold Coast offers residents a dense urban feel, with great freeway access and a fast commute to downtown. In Gold Coast there are a lot of parks. Recently many architecturally unique buildings have been renovated to include residential loft living. Many neighborhoods border the Gold coast offering a variety of single family housing options, as well.
Lower East -St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Parish Complex
In the late 1850s, Belgian Catholics immigrated to Detroit and settled in the eastside neighborhoods near Gratiot and Baldwin. In 1886, a parish dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo was established to minister to this congregation. A wood-frame church was constructed for the parish, and quickly expanded. As Detroit grew, the parish grew along with it, with French, German, Irish, Scotch, and English immigrant congregants in addition to the original Belgians. By 1920, the congregation numbered over 3000. By the 1930s, the school's population also included many Catholic children of Syrian and Italian immigrants.
In 1912, the two-story rectory and school was designed and built by Van Leyen & Schilling. In 1918, Peter Dederichs was awarded a contract to build an "edifice of Romanesque style for religious use". Just four years after the church was completed, it was expanded to meet the needs of the growing congregation.
The church is still used today, although the congregation has altered. The rectory serves its original function, and the school has been redeveloped as condos.
The St. Charles Borromeo parish complex consisted of four buildings, three of which are historically significant: the church itself, the rectory, and the school.
The church is built with red-brown tapestry brick on a white Bedford stone foundation, with trim of the same stone. The church is built in a Latin Cross plan, 92 feet across and 180 feet in depth. The design is Romanesque with Arts and Crafts elements. The front facade is flanked by asymmetric towers with red tiled hip-roofs. The entranceway is within a two-story arched structure with columns on each side, above which is a large rose window. Rosettes are in the spandrels above the entrance arches, and green tile fills the spandrels and pediments of the front and side facades. The decorative brick pilasters around the central arch are derived from Prairie School or Arts and Crafts models.
The main altar is Baroque in style. The organ was built in two sections to clear the rose window above the main entrance.
The school and rectory were designed in the Prairie style with some Byzantine elements.
Lower East -Eastside Historic Cemetery District
The Eastside Historic Cemetery District is a historic district bounded by Elmwood Avenue, Mt. Elliott Avenue, Lafayette Street, and Waterloo Street in Detroit, Michigan. The district consists of three separate cemeteries: Mount Elliott Cemetery (Catholic, established 1841), Elmwood Cemetery (Protestant, established 1846), and the Lafayette Street Cemetery (Jewish, established 1850). The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Lower East -East Grand Boulevard Historic District
During the late 19th century, wide, graceful streets were seen as a way to create and maintain a beautiful city. After much debate and financial struggles Detroit adopted this idea and created a “Grand Boulevard” that encircled the city in the 1890s and by 1913, the boulevard was created. Although major European cities such as Berlin and Paris had instituted such avenues through their cities, none were thought to be as gracious as Detroit’s Grand Boulevard. All sections were well supplied with trees, shrubbery, and flowerbeds in great variety and the Grand Boulevard was soon regarded as a major adornment of the city and a prestigious region to live. After the Great Depression, however, the neighborhood’s massive, elegant homes were cut up into small apartments.
Currently the East Grand Boulevard Historic District has become a mixed-use neighborhood. Only a small number of single-family residences remain and most have turned into moderate-sized apartment buildings. With flowering lawns and historic buildings, residents can live amongst the echoes of the past.
Lower East -East Jefferson Avenue Residential District
The road that runs through the East Jefferson Avenue Residential District has existed since the earliest days of Detroit. Formerly known as the “River Road”, it paralleled the Detroit River and connected the ribbon farms to the heart of Detroit. As Detroit grew, the road was renamed Jefferson Avenue in honor of Thomas Jefferson. East Jefferson Avenue was one of the first streets to obtain new installations, getting iron water pipes, a horse-drawn bus line and rail, asphalt pavement and more.
East Jefferson Avenue became an epicenter for new luxury buildings built between the 1920s and 1930s. They range in size from a two-story house to a fourteen-story apartment building, including some of Detroit’s earliest apartment buildings. With high-reaching high rises and with the beautiful Detroit River next to it, residents can start and end their days with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets over the waters.
Lower East -Indian Village
The second historic village of Detroit, this neighborhood is located between Jefferson and Mac Avenue. Most of the homes were built in the beginning of the 20th century and most have been restored or refurbished to keep that classic feel.
With their proximity to West Village, residents of the Indian VIllage neighborhood can enjoy fine dining and shopping. Along with the neighborhood amenities, like the Centennial Garden, residents also have a full calendar of events. From the annual Home and Garden Tour and the monthly Historic Area Cocktail Club parties, this close-knit community is a very active community.
Lower East -Island View
Named for its proximity to Belle Isle, this historic neighborhood is a hub of activity. Historic single and multi-family homes dot the eastern end of the neighborhood, with new apartments and rowhouses populating the rest of the space. The western area of the neighborhood is home to nonprofits, like the Gleaners Community Food Bank and Capuchin Soup Kitchen and its Earthworks Urban Farm.
The surrounding farms and churches add to the area’s charm. With great character and a charming atmosphere, residents have easy access to the Eastern Market, Belle Isle, Midtown and Downtown. Islandview neighbors have a strong sense of community, with a neighborhood association that meets regularly, holiday neighborhood events and more.
Lower East -Jefferson-Chalmers Historic Business District
The Jefferson-Chalmers Historic Business District is the only continuously intact commercial district remaining along East Jefferson Avenue. During the 1920s, this district was the center of the east side’s commercial, social and cultural life. Outside of dozens of stores and restaurants, the district’s cultural fulcrums of the early 20th century social scene were two big-band era ballrooms. These ballrooms still exist today: the Monticello and the Vanity Ballroom. The district has seen a resurgence in recent years with streetscape improvements and rehabilitations of a number of historic buildings.
The neighborhood is peaceful and ideal for families, according to residents. The Jefferson East Business Association is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to improving the quality of life by addressing the needs of the Jefferson-Chalmers Historic Business District. From helping small business owners with counseling and planning to hosting the Jazzin’ At The Vanity festival every summer, JEBA is another pillar to the district’s strong, diverse community.
Lower East -Lafayette Park/ Mies van der Rohe Residential District
The Mies van der Rohe Residential District is one of America’s most successful post-World War II urban redevelopment projects. With multiple-unit townhomes and a high-rise apartment building, this residential area is a prime example of Modernist architecture with its exposed steel, tinted glass and aluminum.
Inside of the residential district is Lafayette Park. Within 13 acres of greenery, this naturalistic park provides a reprieve from the concrete highrises. Within the district also lies a school, recreation facilities and a shopping center to the east. The super-luxury positioning resulted in the area being known as a badge of “the good life” and residents surely can live the good life in the Mies van der Rohe Residential District.
Lower East -West Village
A retail and residential safe haven tucked away from Jefferson and Van Dyke Avenue, West Village was named for its location just west of Indian Village. This historical neighborhood contains over 200 two-family homes, with 30 apartment buildings and 20 commercial structures. All of these buildings were built between 1890 and 1920. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the architectural styles are varied and add to the charm of the neighborhood.
West Village has no shortage of restaurants, businesses or other unique establishments. From Belle Isle Pizza to Sister Pie, quirky, eclectic restaurants attract diners from far and wide and the variety of the cuisine is sure to satisfy every pallet. This neighborhood is a heaven for fitness lovers, with historic buildings transforming into gyms and high-rises becoming cycle studios and with lovely sidewalks that take you through the historic neighborhood.