UPDATE: The collections are out, so how did I end up? I managed to mint six properties today and buy one to complete five collections plus the Detroit city-wide collection. My predictions (see below) were better on the street collections (3 of 6) than the neighborhood collections (2 of 10).
Full list of Detroit collections:
Neighborhoods: Brightmoor Own 3 properties in Brightmoor in Detroit
Brush Park Own 3 properties in Brush Park in Detroit
Corktown Own 2 properties in Corktown in Detroit
Downtown Own 3 properties in Downtown in Detroit
East English Village Own 3 properties in East English Village in Detroit
Jefferson Chalmers Own 3 properties in Jefferson Chalmers in Detroit
Midtown Own 2 properties in Midtown in Detroit
Rosedale Park Own 3 properties in Rosedale Park in Detroit
Springwells Own 3 properties in Springwells in Detroit
Woodbridge Own 3 properties in Woodbridge in Detroit
Streets
Bagley St. Own 3 Properties on Bagley St. in Detroit
Chicago Blvd. Own 3 Properties on Chicago Blvd. in Detroit
Grand Blvd. Own 3 Properties on Grand Blvd. in Detroit
Grand River Ave. Own 3 Properties on Grand River Ave. in Detroit
Gratiot Ave. Own 3 Properties on Gratiot Ave. in Detroit
Harbor Island St. Own 3 Properties on Harbor Island St. in Detroit
Woodward Ave. Own 3 Properties on Woodward Ave. in Detroit
Custom
Historic Motor City Own 3 Historic Motor City in Detroit as curated by the Upland team (this list is final and is not subject to change)
Introduction to Upland Detroit:
Detroit is a low-priced city (rank 3) of medium size (rank 2) that ranks fairly high on iconic scale (rank 2). As a 3–2–2 city, Detroit would theoretically have up to 17 collections. Yet Detroit shows Upland’s ability to stretch its guidelines, as the city will have 19 collections. For my predictions, I break these down into 8 neighborhoods, 6 streets, and 2 themed collections. The last collection is city-wide (i.e. own three properties in Detroit).
Upland Detroit’s Neighborhood Collections:
Hamtramck (prediction: Standard Collection, Link)— An independent city, like Highland Park, surrounded by suburban Detroit. This city boomed with the creation of the Dodge Factory and is now the only Muslim-majority city in America. Upland players seem to be betting on Hamtramck as a collection as the lowest current markup is 200%.
Highland Park (prediction: Standard Collection, Link) — Highland Park is the birthplace of the moving assembly line used to produce Ford’s Model T [NB: The original Model T was produced in the Piquette plant, Milwaukee Junction]. It is also the place where Henry Ford pioneered the $5-a-day wage to attract and retain talented labor. In general, this choice is not much loved by players as the lowest markup is a reasonable 108%.
Delray (prediction: Standard Collection) — Home to Fort Wayne which gives its name to Wayne County (link), this is a riverside neighborhood with lots of FSA properties. Non-FSA properties are all minted out, but new players should keep an eye on Delray tomorrow, as FSA properties are still available for just over 2k.
Tech Town (prediction: Limited Collection) — Techtown claims the mantle of Detroit’s ground zero for entrepreneurs (link). Players arriving at Detroit train station found themselves in the middle of Detroit’s tech revival, as Microsoft and Google are teaming up to restore the main terminal (link). Players seem to be backing this neighborhood with a lone property for sale marked up 272%, whilst the rest are 500% or more.
Gold Coast (prediction: Exclusive Collection)— The Gold Coast ticks two important boxes. It is a riverside neighborhood with limited properties. Simultaneously, the vast majority of properties are FSA properties, making the Gold Coast the accessible Exclusive collection on the model of Manchester Blvd.
Downtown (prediction: Exclusive Collection — even though Downtown LA didn’t make it, I sense that players who snagged properties on Woodward Ave downtown have a good chance of a double collection (street + neighborhood). The lowest markup is a reasonable 159% but the base price is very high making these properties out of reach to many.
Palmer Woods (prediction: Rare) — It was extremely hard to mint in this exclusive neighborhood, as there is only a very limited supply of properties. Sherwood Forest has a similar vibe to Palmer Woods but with 50% more properties, scarcity likely wins out in this case.
Greektown (prediction: Rare or Ultrarare) — Greektown is a micro-neighborhood downtown with a storied history fighting prohibition (link) with dozens of illegal bars including the iconic Firebird Tavern. Players are betting big on Greektown making the collections with markups starting at over 600% (for a property costing roughly 4 million UPX).
Honorable Mention: Midtown, home to both Wayne State University and a U of Michigan campus. This neighborhood is the best fit for the college vibe that Upland likes.
Upland Detroit’s Street Collection Predictions:
Michigan Ave (Prediction: Standard Collection) — a street radiating from downtown that originally lead all the way to Chicago [cars no longer take Michigan Ave to Chicago]. It has been called Michigan’s most important road (Link).
Woodward Ave (Prediction: Limited Collection) — the first paved road in America, Woodward Ave is one of America’s most historic roads. Pre-COVID, Woodward hosted the Dream Cruise, the largest automotive event in the world (link). In places like Techtown and Downtown, I predict Woodward will be part of a double collection.
8-mile (Prediction: Limited Collection) — made famous by Eminem’s film (also called 8 mile), this road forms the outer boundary of Detroit. It is also a busy commercial district, with fewer properties available than one would expect. Players are expecting big things with properties starting at 267% markup.
Gratiot Ave (Predication: Limited Collection) — One of the oldest streets in Detroit, it passes by Ford Field and the Renaissance Center. A major commercial thoroughfare with lots of mid-range non-FSA properties that minted out fast. Unminted properties on Gratiot are rare, and new players should look to mint Gratiot Ave in places like Airport Sub, if it is a collection.
Jefferson Ave (Predication: Exclusive Collection)— a street crossing the city E-W close to the Detroit River. I like its mix of neighborhoods from up-and-coming Jefferson Chalmers, ethnic neighborhoods like Delray, industrial neighborhoods like Carbon Works and Westside Industrial, to upscale Downtown, Rivertown, and Gold Coast. Momentum is building behind Jefferson Ave, with players selling for a minimum markup of 133%.
Atwater Rd (Prediction: Ultrarare Collection) — Home to one of Detroit’s craft breweries (Atwater Brewery), Atwater Rd is also home to Detroit Riverwalk Park making it possibly the closest thing to owning Detroit’s iconic riverside walk.
Honorable Mention: Grand Blvd was the original boundary of Detroit over 100 years ago. GM’s first permanent headquarters were located here between 2nd and Cass Ave.
Themed Collections (Rare or Ultrarare) — Properties connected to Motown Music (link) and properties connected to Prohibition Detroit (link). I don’t believe that cars will form a special themed collection for Detroit, as many of the most iconic structures were un-mintable because they are future landmarks and because many of my predicted collections are already car-themed.
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