8 cool stats about greater downtown Detroit [Detroit Free Press]
KNIGHT RIDDER/TRIBUNE 1:45 PM ET 3/27/2015
March 27--Number of residents, income distribution, housing units.
That's what you'd expect to find in the Hudson-Webber Foundation's 7.2-square-mile report about what they call Greater Downtown Detroit, but the Free Press took a moment to extract some of the slightly more whimsical and fun statistics about who we are and what greater downtown Detroit is becoming.
Greater downtown refers to the area that 35,037 people call home. It includes the city's one-square-mile downtown; Midtown, known for its medical and educational stalwarts; Woodbridge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places; Corktown; Eastern Market, the Mies van der Rohe-designed buildings of Lafayette Park and splashy Rivertown.
Now to the fun stats:
1. Where are the kiddos? The majority of people who live in greater downtown are older than 35 -- 27% are 35-54 and 27% are 55 or older.
2. Greater downtown welcomes all: About 7% of residents -- or 2,454 -- are foreign-born. Most are from Asia: India and China represent 23% and 15%, respectively.
3. What are you wearing to prom? Greater downtown is home to 4,767 people who are younger than 18, with the most (679) in Woodbridge.
4. Go team! Downtown has 126,058 stadium seats with approximately 65,000 at Ford Field, 41,000 at Comerica Park and 20,000 at Joe Louis Arena. Not a sports person? No problem. The area also boasts 12,550 theater seats -- 5,000 at the Fox Theatre, 3,200 at the Detroit Opera House, 2,200 at the Fillmore and 1,700 at the Music Hall.
5. Bring some sunblock to lunch: Winter might be dragging on and on, but when spring finally starts, check out some of the 81 restaurants in greater downtown that have outdoor patios. You'll find the most downtown with 34; Lafayette Park has none.
6. Spend that green: Greater downtown is home to 352 retail establishments, though only seven are grocery stores -- one downtown, three in Midtown, one in Rivertown, one in Woodbridge and one in Lafayette Park.
7. Speaking of green: You'll find 200 acres of parkland in greater downtown. The most is in Rivertown (72 acres) and the least is in Woodbridge (2.2 acres).
8. For some, two wheels are better than four: On a typical weekday afternoon, 253 bicycles pass through greater downtown per hour.
Contact Zlati Meyer: 313-223-4439 or zmeyer@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @ZlatiMeyer
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