Downtown Duluth
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Duluth, Minnesota's downtown runs roughly between Mesaba Avenue (Highway 194) and 4th Avenue E. on the Michigan, Superior, and First through Third Streets.
As in most cities, the downtown area is home to a number of the city's cultural and social attractions, as well as government offices and business centers. Duluth's main library is located in downtown, as is the city's foremost museum, the courthouse, city hall, several local restaurants and bars with live music venues, and many of the larger business offices. Stores and places to eat and drink tend to be locally or regionally owned and operated, with most chain and franchise establishments having located (or re-located) themselves in the "Mall Area" around the Highway 53 corridor. Most of the downtown is within walking distance of the touristy Canal Park district.
A large portion of the eastern part is oriented around St. Mary's Medical Center and Miller-Dwan Medical Center.
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[edit] Buildings
The downtown area contains a number of old and historical buildings, many of them dating to the city's peak days in the late 19th century and early 20th. These include the Romanesque Revival (Old) Central High School (now the administrative offices of Duluth's school district), the Duluth Opera House, and the Union Depot (now a museum), among many others. Newly constructed ones seems to be less common than older edifices, although some large newer buildings such as the Tech Village are present.
[edit] Streets
Many visitors leave the downtown area impressed with the dramatic upward slope of the streets, a feature common to many of Duluth's neighborhoods, due to 800 ft (240 m) elevation difference between the shore and the hilltop.
As a part of a beautification project during Duluth's economic crisis of the 1980's, several blacktop streets were converted to brick. Along with this change came the introduction of "old-fashioned" streetlamps.
[edit] Skywalk
Due to the city's cold winter temperatures (at times falling well below -20° F / -29° C), a network of skywalks was constructed to provide indoor connectivity between most major buildings. The skywalk system is augmented by an over-the-freeway enclosed walkway leading to the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) in the Canal Park district.
[edit] See also
- Canal Park (south; also considered part of the CBD)
- Central Hillside (north and west)
- Duluth, Minnesota
- East Hillside (east)
- Lincoln Park (west through Central Hillside)
