The Dequindre Cut is an urban recreational path that was formed out of the old Grand Trunk Railway line in Detroit. It opened in May 2009, spans 1.2 miles, and is a link between the Riverfront and Eastern Market. The greenway, as it’s called, is a great place to bike, rollerblade, or simply take a nice walk.
The Dequindre Cut GreenwayThe thing that sets the Dequindre Cut apart from any other bike paths in Detroit, or the suburbs for that matter, is it is also an urban gallery. Before the restoration, the cut was occupied mainly by the homeless. Graffiti artists also took residence here and you had to be a respected graffiti artist to tag in the cut.
Graffiti in the Dequindre CutThe juxtaposition of the brand new pavement and struggling-to-grow grass against the graffiti-laden crumbling concrete is quite beautiful. This is one of my new favorite places in Detroit.
Walking along the path is a delight. Everyone we passed said hello to us and checking out the graffiti added an extra element. I didn’t feel like I was in the middle of a big city, especially a city with such a bad reputation as Detroit. But I'm biased, I like love Detroit.
I look forward to the future extension of the Dequidre Cut, which will bring it further north to Mack Avenue to connect it directly with Eastern Market, and the southern expansion; which will connect it to the RiverWalk. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is doing amazing work.
The Dequinde Cut is an urban recreation path.Even though it hasn’t expanded to Eastern Market yet, it’s only a few blocks away. The next time you’re at the market go for a walk before or after you go shopping. If you’d like to ride down the cut on two wheels and don’t own a bike, you can rent one at The Wheelhouse, it's located on the RiverWalk.
The concrete bones of the old rail line are still present at the Dequindre Cut.The Riverfront Conservancy seems to be dedicated to preserving the artwork already present and expanding it. I hope they stand by this.
I asked you whether you thought the Heidelberg Project was art or an eyesore. So, what say you? The graffiti in The Dequindre Cut: art or eyesore? I'm firmly on the side of art for this one.