Why Southfield
Southfield is an inner-ring suburb located approximately 15 miles northwest of downtown Detroit in Oakland County, Michigan. Covering roughly 26 square miles, the city is defined by major thoroughfares such as Eight Mile Road to the south, Greenfield Road to the east, and Inkster Road to the west. The main branch of the River Rouge winds through the municipality, while the independent city of Lathrup Village forms an enclave entirely surrounded by Southfield.
Surveyed in 1817 and first settled in 1823, the area was organized as Southfield Township in 1830, taking its name from its location in the south fields of neighboring Bloomfield Township. The municipality officially incorporated as a city in 1958. Today, Southfield is recognized as a regional historic center for Mid-century modern architecture. Local architectural features include Percival Goodman's brutalist Congregation Shaarey Zedek synagogue, alongside early structures designed by Minoru Yamasaki, such as the Reynolds Aluminum building.
As a prominent business center in metropolitan Detroit, Southfield contains 27 million square feet of office space and houses offices for over 100 Fortune 500 companies, as well as several foreign consulates. A major commercial hub is the Southfield City Centre, an edge city located near the intersection of Interstate 696 and the Lodge Freeway that contains the tallest building in Detroit's suburbs. The municipality is also home to Lawrence Technological University and the site of Northland Center, one of the first shopping malls in the United States.
Civic and community activities are largely concentrated around the city's Civic Center complex, which was established around the 1964 City Hall. The grounds feature a modern public library, municipal court facilities, a sports arena with a swimming pool, and the Southfield Pavilion. The city has also served as a regular host site for the Penguicon convention since 2014.
For outdoor recreation, Southfield maintains more than 770 acres of parkland, nature preserves, and historic sites across 33 locations. Notable public green spaces include the Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve, Valley Woods Nature Preserve, Bauervic Woods Park, and the Burgh Historical Park. Recreational amenities include the Evergreen Hills Golf Course, Beech Woods Recreation Center, and numerous public ball fields, tennis courts, soccer fields, and volleyball courts.
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