Woodbridge: Exploring a Little Piece of Detroit's Rich History

In the midst of skyscrapers, smoke-guzzling factories, and three major auto plants there lies a neighborhood called 'Woodbridge.' Most neighborhoods are classified with names such as 'crime-filled', or 'the burbs', but not many sections of Detroit city can be called quaint, Woodbridge however, can be.

Originally, Woodbridge (founded by a former governor of Michigan William Woodbridge) was farmland with a few modest homes scattered here and there, but in the 1870s, major construction began. Throughout the next thirty years, duplexes sprouted up near apartment buildings, triplexes crept up near single-family homes, and soon, you had a growing place where people could find a relatively cheap place to live. Another advantage even then about this up-and-coming housing development was the location at which it was set. Many car lines ran to the nearest freeways, allowing it's home-owners to get to many places within the city officiant and without much hassle.

Soon however, the popularity of the car increased, pulling people away from the city, and into the suburbs. This, coupled with a plan to put up quite a large housing development left the future of this once popular place to live in a state of complete disarray. All was not lost, for in the 1960s Wayne State University, and the city of Detroit began to work together to attempt to revitalize over 300 acres of land. The next few decades were a whirl-wind for residence. The plan was to initiate a five-step project to add, modify and heighten Woodbridges popularity once again, only three steps were completed, however.

A new public high school was added, land was cleared for an athletic building for Wayne State university, and subsidized apartments were built. Throughout the many years of confusion surrounding Woodbridges status as an elemental place to reside, it seemed now that finally there was going to be a bit of what used to be again. With the creation of more apartments, people began to move back. Students attending the local university saw it as an ideal place to call home, given the closeness of it to classes, and other major hot spots.