Russell Woods

I'm Errol Jennings the President of the Historic Russell Woods - Sullivan Area Association.

Most of Russell Woods was built in the roaring 20's. Sullivan built the back half in the 30's -40's and the famed Black Architect Nathan Johnson built Moderne and Bauhaus influenced homes in the 50's. Russell Woods was granted Historic designation in 1999. We are currently the largest historic district in Detroit.

Russell Woods has a large park between Fullerton and Leslie at Livernois that has a long history of hosting community sponsored events. On July 20, 2014 - 700 people filled the park for "Jazz in the Park" who's legacy goes back to the mid 1960's. While many programs like Art in the Park (1950's - 1980's), Halloween and Christmas actives are dormant at this time the association is working diligently to return these activities

Russell Woods is one amazing neighborhood facing the many challenges of Detroit. This neighborhood is where the Black Middle Class landed starting in the late 1940's making it one of the first upwardly and professional Black Neighborhoods in the city. Many residents that are still active moved in between 1955 and 1965. (My family came in 1960) The only reason Russell Woods does not have the blight of adjoining neighborhoods is because the the active Area Association which was incorporated in 1958. There is a rich history that includes prominent and famous residents. This includes Nicholas Hood, Charlie Beckham, The Supremes, Dina Washington, Night Train Lane and my grandparents. Russell Woods also has a long line of prominent Jewish and Anglo residents including the Winklemans, The founder of Arbor Drugs, the Founder of Lays Potato Chips, the inventor of Jiffy Pop, and Warren Pierce (WJR). Russell Woods was a very inclusive, as well as, exclusive community. Mixed in with the doctors, engineers, educators and lawyers were blue collar and vocational workers. The area also had several entrepreneurs that owned business on Dexter, Davidson and "Hastings Street".

Russell Woods is currently attracting the Black Creative Class that wishes to preserve and promote the rich history of this area. We are organizing not only a blight task force but a real estate investment club, economic empowerment clubs, political action committee. We are also creating a bad business team to address commercial issues and bad investor committee to get landlords / property owners to take care of their property and deal with residents that are not in line with the core values of this amazing neighborhood.

We have gateway issues but we have successfully lobbied this year for emergency demolition of super blight to help these issues. During Motor-City makeover the residents, with the help of large equipment, moved 110 yards of debris out this spring.

Our crime rates are on average 18-20% lower than the rest of Detroit. Russell Woods was also a pioneering CB Patrol neighborhood (1990).

Russell Woods is currently 96% Black and has median incomes 40% higher than adjoining neighborhoods.

Russell Woods has 7% vacant homes out of 1200. Currently the zoning chair and volunteers keep a current inventory of vacant homes.

Russell Woods is a family oriented neighborhood. With the failing school systems most young families are home schooling and participating in Co-Op's in and outside of the neighborhood. Young kids still ride bikes and are able to walk the streets.

Overall Russell Woods needs some work and has suffered from
generation gaps. At least two generations that grew up here, (myself included), went on to suburban life with degrees and great jobs. This left the old guard to fend for themselves and they never gave up. We have a great start because of these folks that have invested 60 plus years in the area.

If you are interested in the area we extend a open invitation to our RWSA meetings. These meetings happen every first Tuesday @ 6:30pm in the basement of the 10th precinct (Livernois and Elmhurst). We do not have a meeting in August due to the election.

Check us out.

Just east of Livernois avenue, and not far from I-96, the Russell Woods neighborhood of Detroit is one of many that brings many things – both good and bad – to the table. It Is in a busy area of the city, between Elmhurst and Oakman Boulevard, and is among the many neighborhoods of the city that features jam-packed streets and communities.

The area, though, features an older segment of the population that many of the other parts of the city – offering a high percentage of middle-aged residents, as opposed to the most teenage and adolescent areas nearby. Accordingly, the median income is a bit higher, and many of the crime-ridden areas are replaced with suburbs and residential communities.

Russell Woods does, because of its location, have a number of places to eat, to shop or to go for an afterparty. It is an area that is catered to by many of the Detroit Public Schools in the area, and has options for parking, public transportation and culture. With its proximity to the freeways, it can be used to access most parts of the city, and you can reach the downtown area with just a 5-10 minute drive.

The Shrine of the Black Madonna Bookstore technically lies directly outside this neighborhood area. As I am a frequent visitor to the bookstore, I have seen this area up close recently. My friend Tony also lives on Glendale over here.

Tony's street, Glendale is pretty nice for this area. Lots of two-story houses with green grass and clean streets. But there are other areas in the neighborhood where the residents have let their streets and homes go.

I especially don't like the areas around the major streets of Livernois and Davidson. You have these young degenerates riding their cars too fast, playing their music too loud, and smoking marijuana right out in the open. If you stare at them for too long, they seem liable to stop their car jars, jump out and confront you. I am plenty savvy and street wise, and when I am not at the bookstore or visiting Tony, I avoid this area completely. I stay on I-96 to get where I need to go. Like I said I am not judging everyone who lives here, but the riff-raff element is pretty high.


The locals have access to public transportation on Livernois, Davidson and Dexter, along with retail stores along those streets. It seems like a feature of poor neighborhoods are liquor stores and fast food joints, and this area has plenty of both. There are a couple of schools in the neighborhood, and I-96 isn't that far away for traveling to different areas of town.