Greta Guest, The Detroit Free Press, June 23, 2007
(Homes for sale in Boston-Edison)

The Boston-Edison neighborhood, home to Detroit's most celebrated residents from Henry Ford to Berry Gordy Jr., has largely been insulated from the city's economic decline....

The neighborhood, bounded by Boston Boulevard, Edison Avenue, Woodward Avenue and Linwood, was built primarily from 1900 to 1925 in an eclectic mix of architectural styles, including Prairie, Neo-Georgian and Tudor. The homes sell from $90,000 to $900,000....

Steven Harris, 38, an architect, just moved to the neighborhood last year, buying a home that had sat vacant for more than a decade. He's been working on it ever since with his wife and three children. The family had been living in Troy, which was hard for his wife to give up, he said.

"I dragged her back to Detroit kicking and screaming, but now she loves it," he said. "There is still some work to do with the social issues up on Woodward. I don't let my kids walk up there alone. The shopping isn't much. But the neighborhood association and block clubs are just great."

(Woodward Avenue: A journey through 200 years)
Michael H. Hodges, The Detroit News, April 9, 2007

As in so many things, Henry Ford was ahead of his time.

Or perhaps we should credit Clara Ford, not her husband, since everyone agrees that Clara was always the one most interested in their homes.

It was 1908 when the Fords and their teenage son, Edsel, became one of the very first families to move into the new "subdivision" we know as the Boston-Edison Historic District, their surprisingly modest 7,500-square-foot "Italian Renaissance Eclectic" house rising up among the empty fields....

Suzette Hackney, The Detroit Free Press, December 16, 2005
Article on Boston Edison's Annual Holiday Home Tour)

It's one of the city's most striking neighborhoods: Historic Boston-Edison. Once home to Detroit's high society - from auto barons to politicians to Motown pioneers - the 900 homes tucked off Woodward Avenue are a sight to see. And for the 30th year, some of the homes will be open to the public for the 2005 BostonEdison Holiday Home Tour.

The walking and bus tour is a great way to admire the breathtaking architecture of the early 1900s. Bordered by Boston Boulevard, Edison Avenue, Woodward and Linwood, houses list for prices in the $100,000s to nearly $1 million....

The Historic Boston-Edison Association was founded in 1921 and is dedicated to the protection and preservation of the family neighborhood it serves. Aside from whatt the association does all year, members sponsor one of the best holiday tours in the region. (I've gone in previous years.)

Experiencing the craftsmanship, architecture and unique features of each home is well worth the cost to get inside the doors.

Elizabeth Suh, The Detroit Free Press, August 1, 2005
(Article on Boston-Edison's centennial celebration)

Through a century of change, the Boston-Edison Historic District in Detroit has remained a neighborhood with a classy reputation that holds an attraction for the curious.

On Sunday, the Historic Boston-Edison Association celebrated the 100th anniversary of the district's six oldest homes with walking tours and activities at Voigt Park. The centennial homes sit on Longfellow between Third and Woodward, and have occupancy records that date to 1905....

[Neighbors] are proud of the homes' history and look to maintain the beauty, integrity and security of the neighborhood, said James Hamilton, association president.

Emma Holmes-Farris, who moved into her home on Longfellow in 1951, said she sees more prosperity ahead for the neighborhood as Detroit's downtown prospers. The old home takes work to maintain, she said, but it is her "nest." "To me, it's just an oasis in the inner city," she said.

Sarah Klein, The Metro Times, June 5, 2002
(A profile of the neighborhood)

Tucked away near burned factory shells and the fluorescent glare of strip-mall convenience lies one of Detroit's richest sources of history.

The Boston-Edison district is one of the most appealing neighborhoods in Detroit, and remains a sort of residential oasis in a city that is far too often concrete and gray.

Although many Detroiters might have peeked into the neighborhood for a brief glimpse of the striking mansions, many underestimate its expanse. Boston-Edison is an elongated rectangle, a 30-block district containing more than 900 homes, and is bounded by Boston, Edison, Linwood and Woodward. Another well-kept secret? It's the largest residential historic district in the nation....