Black Bottom

Black Bottom was a predominantly black neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan, that was demolished for redevelopment in the early 1960s. It was replaced with Lafayette Park. It was located on Detroit's near East side bounded by Gratiot Avenue, Brush Street, Vernor Highway, and the Grand Trunk railroad tracks. The area's main commercial avenues were Hastings and St. Antoine streets. An adjacent north-bordering neighborhood was known as Paradise Valley. The two were not considered to be the same neighborhood. Historically, this area was the source of the River Savoyard, which was buried as a sewer in 1836. Its "bottomland" and rich marsh soils are the source of the name "Black Bottom". Hastings Street, which ran north-south through Black...