The Avenue of Michigan may replace Michigan Avenue

MichMattersMichMatters
edited February 2007 in Off-Topic
What does everyone think of this idea? I'm one of the few, I find, but I actually think a new name would be an excellent marketing tool for East Michigan Avenue, and with the new rain gardens and improvements, I think should come a new name. This is nothing new, and people seem just as resistent to change as they ever were (i.e. proposed in the mid 90's), but I think the new name sounds more cosmopolitan and forward-thinking:

Old route may get new name in Lansing: The Avenue of Michigan may replace Mich. Ave.

http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070217/NEWS01/702170329/1002/CONTACTUS01

Comments

  • JaredJared
    I'm not sure it's worth the money of replacing signs and business cards and everything else that goes with it. People will continue to call it Michigan Ave, and the Avenue of Michigan seems too much like just rephrasing the current name.

    Why not give it a symbolic name like 125th Avenue in Harlem, where the road is called "125th Ave", but it has a symbolic name of "Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd".

    We should name it after Malcolm X, as he spent some of his younger years in Lansing, his father was killed on the train tracks of Michigan Ave, and it would be the least we could do to make up for the discriminations and terror brought to his family in the Lansing area. That would justify the money in my opinion.
  • MichMattersMichMatters
    edited February 2007
    The city had a hard enough time in changing Grand Avenue to honoray Caeser Chavez Avenue and back not too long ago. I have a hard time believing that Lansing would rename a street of Michigan Avenue's stature, even symbolically, after a very controversial figure, who's even controversial within the black community.

    BTW, I don't really ever buy the "it costs too much money" argument. Considering how much money we set aside for facade improvements , beautification, and the like, changing street signs would be a drop in the bucket. Nor do I put much in stock into the argument that "well, they'll just call it so-and-so, anyway" as an argument against the idea. Logan was renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, and I don't think it really matters much if people still call it Logan or MLK. All that matters is what's on the street signs at the end of the day.
  • hoodhood
    I don't like the name, it sounds corny and the change is really pointless.
This discussion has been closed.

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