Woodbridge

There are few neighborhoods in Detroit that are more architecturally intriguing than Woodbridge. You really can’t appreciate why the area is listed as a historic place on the National Register, until you walk the streets and marvel at Romanesque-inspired buildings, such as the Hunter House, Trumbull Avenue Presbyterian Church and the Trinity Episcopal Church.

Although a quiet and safe neighbourhood, you won’t find many houses on double lots. These homes decorate the streets in polite rows, many only with street parking available. Woodbridge is the type of neighborhood you can walk your dog and most of your neighbors will likely smile and wave, unlike most other Detroit areas.

Whether you work in the city or commute to the northern cities, you don’t have to drive through any rough areas; Woodbridge is centrally located to I-94, I-96 and John C. Lodge Fwy. There is 16th Forest Park and Ewald Playground to enjoy if you have children or simply like the outdoors and Woodbridge Pub on Trumbull St is the restaurant of choice for most residents. If you cross the Lodge Freeway, you will have your pick of countless restaurants, cafes and bars, including Motor City Brewing Works Inc., Mario’s Italian Restaurant and Cass Café.

Centered around the intersection of Trumbull and Merrick, the Detroit neighborhood of Woodbridge is one of the most historic in the city’s metropolitan area. The neighborhood is, in fact, a part of the National Register of Historic Places – and is dotted with mostly Victorian architecture that is absent throughout much of the rest of the city.

Bounded by Grand River and Warren Avenue, two of the most important buildings in the neighborhood are the center of the area’s entertainment at the Woodbridge Pub, and the Saint Dominic Roman Catholic Church – one of the many old churches in the area.

Woodbridge – as the home of the Eighth Precinct Police Station – maintains a crime level slightly lower than surrounding neighborhoods, and is also home to the famous Hunter House and the Trinity Episcopal Church. Median incomes and house prices are on the high side of Detroit averages, and – along with a nearly 82% high school graduation rate and only a 4% unemployment rate – the neighborhood is among the most successful in the area.

Known as one of the “hip” neighborhoods in the city, there is no shortage of aspiring 20 and 30 somethings, and is an area that has thrived even during the city’s downturns and difficult days.