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| | Grand Circus Park is the heart of the district. The half-moon shaped park is divided down its center by Woodward Avenue, with Park Avenue and Witherell Street forming the west and east necklaces around the park. The Alger Fountain anchors the eastern half and is capped on its northwestern edge with a statue of mayor William Cotter Maybury. Its western half is anchored by the Edison Fountain and capped on its northeastern edge with a statue of mayor Hazen Pingree. | | Grand Circus Park is the heart of the district. The half-moon shaped park is divided down its center by Woodward Avenue, with Park Avenue and Witherell Street forming the west and east necklaces around the park. The Alger Fountain anchors the eastern half and is capped on its northwestern edge with a statue of mayor William Cotter Maybury. Its western half is anchored by the Edison Fountain and capped on its northeastern edge with a statue of mayor Hazen Pingree. |
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| | [[File:Detroit_Spirit_at_night.png|thumb|The "Spirit of Detroit," a 25 feet tall bronze statue, now green with verdigris, is located at the Courts Tower's marble wall element. In its left hand, the large seated figure holds a gilt bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God. The people in the figure's right hand are a family group.]] | | [[File:Detroit_Spirit_at_night.png|thumb|The "Spirit of Detroit," a 25 feet tall bronze statue, now green with verdigris, is located at the Courts Tower's marble wall element. In its left hand, the large seated figure holds a gilt bronze sphere emanating rays to symbolize God. The people in the figure's right hand are a family group.]] |
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| | * back to [[Downtown]] Detroit | | * back to [[Downtown]] Detroit |
| − | * [[Club Venus]]: Located at 1422 Griswold, Club Venus is a 3 story structure built in the Neoclassical style. It's steel frame is faced with white glazed brick and terra cotta trim, while it's stark, unornamented facade is almost flat, with an emphasis on the effects of light and shade. The front windows are arched, but the glass panes have been blacked out. There are no windows on the sides of the building. 1422 is surrounded by empty lots where two other buildings once stood, its plain sides testament to their existence. A vertical neon sign bears the club's name in glowing purple above a pair of black, double doors. | + | * [[Club Venus]] |
| | * Alley: Located off of Washington Boulevard, the entrance to this dim alley is located between Himeloch's and the much taller, boarded up Whitney Building. | | * Alley: Located off of Washington Boulevard, the entrance to this dim alley is located between Himeloch's and the much taller, boarded up Whitney Building. |
| − | * [[Bleu Detroit]]: Located at 1529 Woodward Avenue, Bleu Detroit is a popular nightlife attraction sandwiched between the David Broderick Tower and an empty building. The exterior of the nightclub is kept clean, with white concrete walls, stainless steel, vertical marquis and three story rows of blue tinted windows facing the street. At night a line forms down the sidewalk beyond the red velvet ropes, and bouncers can be seen at the front doors checking ID's. The marquis flashes the club's name in brilliant blue above doors with half-moon windows. | + | * [[Bleu Detroit]] |
| − | * [[Cafe D'Mongo's Speakeasy]]: Located at 1439 Griswold Street, Cafe D'Mongo's is nestled on a street between Detroit's only synagogue and an empty parking structure. It's on the last block of Griswold, before Clifford Street cuts it off and turns it into an alley. The two story building has been painted a pale yellow. The windowed storefront of the speakeasy is unremarkable, and above, green the shutters and concrete molding are a lime green. Chairs and tables are scattered haphazardly on the sidewalk outside and the door is flanked by planters bearing small shrubs. A white sign held by wood molding at two corners bears the name CAFE D'MONGO'S speakeasy. | + | * [[Cafe D'Mongo's Speakeasy]] |
| − | * [[G.A.R. Building]]: Located at 1942 West Grand River Avenue, the Grand Army of the Republic Building lies on a small, triangular lot on the northwest side of downtown Detroit. Towering over the corner of Grand River and Cass it is often called Detroit's castle. While its turrets and battlements make it look like some sort of ancient fort built to defend the city from invaders, it's origins are far more humble: It opened in 1900 to serve as a hangout for the city's Civil War veterans. The architecture emphasizes clear, strong picturesque massing, round-headed "Romanesque" arches, richly varied rusticated masonry, blank stretches of walling contrasting with bands of windows, and cylindrical towers with conical caps embedded in the walling. Currently, the building stands empty and derelict and the edge of empty, barren parking lots. Its windows and doors are blocked by cracked boards, where they are not broken altogether. | + | * [[G.A.R. Building]] |
| − | * [[Industrial Building]]: Located at 1410 Washington Boulevard, the Industrial Building occupies the northeast corner on Grand River Avenue and Washington Boulevard. The currently residential building stands 22 stories tall, with 21 above-ground floors, and one basement level. Designed with a mixture of art deco and art moderne architectural influences, the roof has a very intricate design of limestone cornices and has arched windows, reminiscent of the art deco style of architecture. The upper floors offer tremendous views of the Detroit skyline. Just minutes away from Comerica Park, Campus Martius, the riverfront and other Detroit venues, the Industrial Stevens Apartments offer low income housing at the heart of Downtown. The front entry is through a glass door sheltered by a red awning. White lettering provides the name of the building and the street number | + | * [[Industrial Building]] |
| − | * [[Public Safety HQ]]: Located at 1301 Third Street, the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters is the law enforcement and fire department complex. Once the site of the MGM Grand Casino Detroit, it now houses the headquarters for the Detroit Police Department, Detroit Fire Department, Detroit Emergency Medical Service as well as a forensics laboratory for the Michigan State Police. The 400,000 square foot gray and green building is connected to an eight-level parking garage. Glass fronts the lower level entry, giving the building a modern, state of the art appearance with its bold green stripes, steel and concrete facade. | + | * [[Public Safety HQ]] |
| − | * [[City Hall]]: Located at 2 Woodward Avenue, the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center is the government office building and courthouse for the city of Detroit. The modernist International-style building is 20 floors tall, and including the basement, has 21 total floors. Three sides of the building's exterior are faced with white Vermont marble with black marble spandrel panels beneath the windows of the Courts Tower to emphasize the building's vertical lines. The verticality of the tower section, with its white marble-clad piers and dark spandrels, offers a distinct contrast with the 14-story Administration Tower office section, in which horizontal lines are emphasized. The brick of the Randolph Street facade was not covered with marble to allow for a more economical future expansion. | + | * [[City Hall]] |
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| | [[Category:Location]] | | [[Category:Location]] |
The Grand Circus Park Historic District, along with Broadway, Park and Washington Avenues Historic Districts, is at the heart of Downtown Detroit. It is bordered by the Lodge Freeway to the west, the Fisher Freeway to the north, Interstate 375 (The Chrysler Spur) to the east, and the Campus Martius Park to the south. The city's main thoroughfare, Woodward Avenue, links Downtown to Midtown. Gratiot Avenue separates Greektown from Ford Field and Comerica Park. The downtown area contains historic architecture and a number of prominent skyscrapers.
Grand Circus Park is the heart of the district. The half-moon shaped park is divided down its center by Woodward Avenue, with Park Avenue and Witherell Street forming the west and east necklaces around the park. The Alger Fountain anchors the eastern half and is capped on its northwestern edge with a statue of mayor William Cotter Maybury. Its western half is anchored by the Edison Fountain and capped on its northeastern edge with a statue of mayor Hazen Pingree.
