In a surprising trend, empty nesters are flocking to a gritty neighborhood in a rust belt city, eager to embark on a new chapter of life without their children.
Corktown, one of Detroit’s most historic areas, was originally founded by Irish immigrants in the 1830s. Nearly two centuries later, the neighborhood is experiencing a remarkable transformation as middle-class empty nesters make it their new home.
Aaron Taylor, a realtor specializing in luxury properties with ExP, notes that many of his clients are parents who are eager to rejuvenate their lives in a vibrant, walkable city teeming with entertainment options and proximity to downtown.
Located adjacent to the downtown area and close to the riverfront, Corktown retains its traditional charm with numerous historic buildings, while also offering a burgeoning array of entertainment venues.
“It’s a completely different city than even three to four years ago,” Taylor shared with the Daily Mail.
Significant investments, totaling millions, have been poured into Corktown, along with areas like Indian Village and Midtown, with the goal of revitalizing not only these neighborhoods but Detroit as a whole.
‘The city dumped a lot of money into it,’ Taylor said.
Corktown is one of Detroit’s oldest neighborhoods that was established by Irish immigrants in the 1830s
In the last few years, the once desolate neighborhood has become popular, especially amongst empty nesters
Since the city began changing its hardened reputation to draw people in, home vacancies have dropped from 50,000 to just around 900, Taylor said.
Even in the last few years, Corktown has developed into a neighborhood with an active scene, especially after the Michigan Central Station was renovated, drawing in tons of tourists, Taylor and fellow realtor Stuart Harvin told the Daily Mail.
Harvin, 62, grew up in Detroit and remembers making trips to the downtown area on weekends and finding it was like a ghost town as a child.
‘There was nothing,’ he said. ‘There wasn’t anything to keep people in Detroit.’
The only reason people would be spotted in Corktown was to visit the old Tigers Stadium or the old Mercury Bar and Grill, both of which have since shut down.
But the longtime Detroiter, who learned to drive in the neighborhood, said he saw Corktown begin to change around 2005 when Slows Bar BQ opened in the neighborhood and became a staple, even today.
Since then, interest in Corktown has grown as new developments moved in, a strip of restaurants and bars began popping up along Michigan Avenue, and the Michigan station was renovated.
‘In the last year or two, people started to move in,’ Harvin told Daily Mail. ‘As people see more things, they want to see what else is here.’
One of the draws of the neighborhood is the revitalization of the Michigan Central Station (pictured: before renovations)
After renovations, it drew in many tourists and residents who wanted to see the new look
‘It’s a completely different city than even three to four years ago,’ realtor Aaron Taylor (left) told Daily Mail. Fellow realtor Stuart Harvin, 62, (right) grew up in Detroit when Corktown felt like a ghost town
And as the streets began to fill with people, the safer it felt, and people began to make Corktown their forever home, the realtor said.
‘People see it as a viable place,’ Harvin said. ‘It’s taken time.
‘If you build certain things, people come.’
It has art museums, the station, Roosevelt Park, Eastern Market, and access to the riverfront, causing hundreds to come to the neighborhood.
Corktown is also within walking distance of downtown and has plenty of biking paths and a large park to enjoy.
‘It’s a good middle ground,’ Taylor said. ‘It’s the middle of entertainment and the riverfront.’
But despite the new developments, it still keeps its ‘old traditional feel,’ Taylor Daily Mail.
‘They’re trying to keep the old feel.’
Harvin said as more bars and restaurants opened in the neighborhood, more people moved into the area
The average price of a home in the area is now $470,000. This is almost double of what it was before the area was regenerated
The only negative of living in the neighborhood is the taxes, Taylor said.
‘They’re relatively high in Corktown and Midtown,’ Taylor said. ‘That’s a really big hit.’
Home prices doubled after investors revitalized the area, Taylor added.
The average home price in the area is $470,000, according to Zillow estimates.
Nearly $70 per $1,000 of a home’s taxable value goes toward the Detroit City School District, which equates to around $7,700 for a home valued at around $228,500.
