Dequindre Cut
Although when most think of Detroit industry, they think after the turn of the century, but industry called Detroit home long before Henry Ford’s assembly line revolutionized the world. The Dequindre Cut first began operating in the 1830s. As more and more industries arrived in Detroit in the area, business owners and city officials alike realized that something needed to be done to streamline rail traffic. The Dequindre Cut lines were regraded sometime in the 1920s and operated fairly heavily until the 1980s when it ceased altogether. The cut began to fall into neglect. Just as the line was no longer in use, many different industrial operations that fed the line at one time had folded as well. Abandoned buildings lined the overgrown tracks, and the cut started to become a bit of an urban legend. Homeless people, graffiti artists, urban explorers, hopeful Casino speculators, and ambitious non-profit groups all used the Dequindre Cut in one way or another throughout this era. In the early 2000s, plans to turn the cut into a greenway gained traction, and grants were awarded to the City of Detroit for the project totaling in the millions, making the project a reality. The first portion of the Dequindre Cut Greenway opened in 2009, which spans from the Riverfront to Gratiot, and the second portion opened in 2016, which spans from Gratiot to Mack. The cut runs alongside Eastern Market and the Lafayette Park neighborhood. Riding south from Mack Avenue, the cut is somewhat downhill, which is very noticeable on a bicycle but not so much on foot. There are a number of areas to stop along the cut, including pop-up restaurants, sitting areas, workout equipment, and tons of murals. Some of the murals pre-date the greenway, but the older murals are becoming few and far between. Whether you need to workout, love local art, or just want to try something new, the Dequindre Cut is the place for you!
