Living in Boston Edison
Boston Edison is Detroit's best-known historic district: four long, tree-lined streets of early 1900s houses just west of Woodward. This guide covers what homes there actually sell for, what one costs to own once the taxes reset, and what to check before you buy.
Where is Boston Edison?
Boston Edison is four parallel streets on Detroit's near west side: Boston Boulevard, Edison Avenue, Longfellow Avenue and Chicago Boulevard, running between Woodward Avenue and Linwood. It holds roughly 900 homes, most of them built between about 1905 and 1925 for Detroit's early automotive and business families.
The district was designated a local historic district by the City of Detroit and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Henry Ford lived on Edison Avenue before he built Fair Lane, and Motown founder Berry Gordy later owned a mansion on Boston Boulevard. The Boston-Edison Historical Association still runs the neighborhood's events and its home tour.
What do homes in Boston Edison sell for?
Boston Edison homes sold for a median of $329,500 across 27 arm's-length sales recorded between 2024-07 and 2025-07. Half of those sales landed between $245,000 and $405,000.
Those figures come from deeds recorded with the City of Detroit Assessor, not from the MLS, so they include cash and for-sale-by-owner purchases. The spread is wide because the houses are: a fully restored mansion and a smaller house that needs a new boiler and roof can sit on the same block. Price per square foot means little here; condition decides value.
Full detail, including the year-over-year change and how many buyers were companies, is on the Boston Edison data page.
What does a Boston Edison home cost to own after you buy?
Detroit taxes a primary residence at 64.1844 mills. Taxable value after a sale is roughly half the price, so a home bought at the $329,500 median would carry a bill of about $10,574 a year before any reduction. That is an estimate; the assessor sets the real figure.
Michigan caps a home's taxable value while one owner holds it, then resets it the year after a sale. So the seller's tax bill on a listing is almost always lower than yours will be. Run your exact number with the uncapping calculator before you make an offer, and check whether the house sits in a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone, which can cut the bill substantially.
Insurance on large, older homes also runs higher than on newer suburban houses, so get a quote during your inspection period, not after.
What should I know about historic district rules?
Because Boston Edison is a local historic district, most exterior changes need approval from Detroit's Historic District Commission before work starts. That covers windows, doors, roofing materials, porches, fences and additions. Interior work does not need commission approval, though it still needs normal City permits.
The rules protect what makes the street worth buying on, but they add time and sometimes cost. If you are planning to replace windows or a roof, budget for historically appropriate materials and get the approval process started early.
What is near Boston Edison: restaurants, shops and parks?
Boston Edison is residential all the way through. Daily life happens on the streets around it: Woodward Avenue on the east edge, and New Center, a short drive or bike ride south at Grand Boulevard.
New Center is the closest place to eat and shop. Joe Louis Southern Kitchen sits around the corner from Cadillac Place, the old General Motors headquarters. Nearby are YumVillage for Caribbean food, Baobab Fare for East African food and Stella Good Coffee in the Fisher Building. The Fisher Theatre in the same building hosts touring Broadway shows. The QLine streetcar starts at Grand Boulevard and runs down Woodward to Midtown and downtown.
Voigt Park is the neighborhood's own green space, between Edison and Longfellow from Second to Third. Gordon Park is at Clairmount and Rosa Parks. Palmer Park, with its trails, tennis courts and log cabin, is a few minutes north on Woodward. The Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Public Library's main branch are about two miles south.
Two landmarks sit on the district's edges: Sacred Heart Major Seminary to the west and the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Woodward to the east. For groceries, King Cole Foods is on Clairmount, and there is an Aldi on Woodward in Highland Park. Henry Ford Hospital is about a mile south on West Grand Boulevard.
Restaurants open and close often, so check hours before you go. The Boston-Edison Historical Association keeps a longer local list at historicbostonedison.org.
What should I inspect before buying an older home?
Most Boston Edison homes are over a hundred years old. Beyond a standard inspection, I recommend a sewer scope of the line to the street, a look at the boiler or furnace by an HVAC contractor, and a roofing contractor for slate or tile roofs. Ask for permit history on any recent renovation.
Homes built before 1978 come with a federal lead-based paint disclosure, and buyers have the right to a lead inspection. You can also check the water system's lead results on each Detroit city page.
Why buy in Boston Edison with Cyrus Wheeler?
I run Match Realty from Russell Street, a few minutes from Boston Edison, and I build the data on this site. When you buy here, I'll show you your real tax bill, your payment and the recorded sales on your street, including the cash sales that never reach the MLS. Call or text me at (248) 885-2646.
Common questions
What is the median home price in Boston Edison?
$329,500 across 27 arm's-length sales recorded between 2024-07 and 2025-07, with a typical range of $245,000 to $405,000, from City of Detroit Assessor deeds.
Is Boston Edison a historic district?
Yes. It is a City of Detroit local historic district and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so most exterior changes need Historic District Commission approval.
What are property taxes in Boston Edison?
Detroit's primary residence rate is 64.1844 mills. Your bill is set on the taxable value after the sale, roughly half of what you pay, so a $329,500 home works out to about $10,574 a year before any Neighborhood Enterprise Zone reduction.