Palmer Park, Detroit

Palmer Park is a neighborhood located in the city of Detroit, Michigan. Palmer Park is bordered by Woodward Avenue to the east, 7 mile road to the north, Fairway Drive to the west, and West McNichols Road to the south.

History

Palmer Park along with the nearby neighborhood Palmer Woods were at one time property of Thomas Witherell Palmer. The Palmer Park neighborhood was largely constructed before world war II. The neighborhood consists of many large apartment buildings as well as some single-family detached homes. The neighborhood has played host to many different ethnic and social groups throughout history. Before the 1960's Palmer Park was a largely Jewish neighborhood. During this period Temple Israel was the center of Jewish life in the neighborhood. The 1960's brought a large influx of gay male residents to the Palmer Park neighborhood. By the 1970's Palmer Park was the epicenter of gay life in Detroit. The area along West McNichols road consisted of many gay bars and nightclubs. The neighborhoods gay population declined in the 1980's, with many gay residents migrating north to the nearby cities of Ferndale and Royal Oak. The neighborhood still contains several gay oriented businesses, however much fewer in comparison to the 1970's. The 1990's saw a large increase in African-American residents. The neighborhood today is predominantly African-American and blends both cultures at the annual black gay pride festival hosted in Palmer Park. The 2000's have brought increased investment to the neighborhood. Many of the older homes and apartment buildings are being rehabilitated.

ee also

*Gay Village

Geographic Location
Center = Palmer Park, Detroit
North = Palmer Woods, Detroit
West = University District, Detroit
South = Highland Park, Michigan
Northeast = Chaldean Town, Detroit
Northwest = Sherwood Forest, Detroit
Southwest = Martin Park, Detroit