Rare 1980s Photos of 7 Mile and Gratiot

All credit goes to Anthony Ratkov for these pictures...

http://ratkov.com/the_detroit_encyclopedia/s

http://ratkov.com/the_detroit_encyclopedia/g

September 1987 [[looking SE towards Fordham and Gratiot). There looks to be some type of parade happening:

http://ratkov.com/yahoo_site_admin/a...0056_large.jpg

Taken in 1984 [[corner of Maddelein and Gratiot, looking SW towards 7 Mile and Gratiot)

http://ratkov.com/yahoo_site_admin/a...100235_std.jpg

August 1985 [[looking NW)

http://ratkov.com/yahoo_site_admin/a...102244_std.jpg

September 1987 [[looking east)

http://ratkov.com/yahoo_site_admin/a...102537_std.jpg

What year did the Montgomery Ward's closed

That Famous sign, was it a furniture store?

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Originally Posted by Maof

That Famous sign, was it a furniture store?

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Federal's

Below is an image of a Federal's store with the exact same sign [[I believe somewhere along Grand River)...

http://www.atdetroit.net/forum/messa...438/128417.jpg

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Originally Posted by stasu1213

What year did the Montgomery Ward's closed

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Sometime in the late 80s / early 90s?

It became a Shopper's World for a while, before being demolished for the Kroger [[now Mike's Fresh Market).

Famous was a furniture store. Federals was a department store.

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Originally Posted by RaumVogel

Famous was a furniture store. Federals was a department store.

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That's what I thought. If I remember correctly, there was one on Mack Ave. near Marlborough or Philip. As kids, we would drag the furniture boxes home thru the alley and make houses out of them.

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Originally Posted by Maof

That's what I thought. If I remember correctly, there was one on Mack Ave. near Marlborough or Philip. As kids, we would drag the furniture boxes home thru the alley and make houses out of them.

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The one in these pics was a Federal's before it was a Famous.

I forgot all about those crazy semi-circle streetlights.

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Originally Posted by waz

I forgot all about those crazy semi-circle streetlights.

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Funny...that was my first thought, too.

My newly wed wife and I just loved walking around the stores in that intersection when we lived on Reno between 7 and 8 mile in 1961. Two kids just starting out and with our lives in front of us. That year, the department stores were featuring women's clothes in a rich mulberry color and also an emerald green color. Women's clothes haven't looked tat good since that summer.

Unfortunately, Vietnam and cancer led to a far different future for both of us. She is many years in the grave and I am a far, far different person. Of course, Gratiot and 7 Mile will never again be what it was in those magic days of 1961. Sic Transit Gloria Mundae.

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Originally Posted by Hermod

My newly wed wife and I just loved walking around the stores in that intersection when we lived on Reno between 7 and 8 mile in 1961. Two kids just starting out and with our lives in front of us. That year, the department stores were featuring women's clothes in a rich mulberry color and also an emerald green color. Women's clothes haven't looked tat good since that summer.

Unfortunately, Vietnam and cancer led to a far different future for both of us. She is many years in the grave and I am a far, far different person. Of course, Gratiot and 7 Mile will never again be what it was in those magic days of 1961. Sic Transit Gloria Mundae.

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Did you ever attend the, was it, Ramona Theatre? Was it still open?

[[Note also, that the CoD streetscape improvements are visible in several pictures. The curvy sidewalk lights w/ round globes as well as the little canopy that tries to make it look like a mall in a desperate attempt to fool the public. They also did a great job of hiding the stores own signs -- which no doubt helped the businesses greatly. These also appeared at Grand River Greenfield, and I think Oakman and Grand River.

Remember this when you invest in new streetscape junk. It doesn't age well. It doesn't really do any good either. But it was fun.

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Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Did you ever attend the, was it, Ramona Theatre? Was it still open?

[[Note also, that the CoD streetscape improvements are visible in several pictures. The curvy sidewalk lights w/ round globes as well as the little canopy that tries to make it look like a mall in a desperate attempt to fool the public. They also did a great job of hiding the stores own signs -- which no doubt helped the businesses greatly. These also appeared at Grand River Greenfield, and I think Oakman and Grand River.

Remember this when you invest in new streetscape junk. It doesn't age well. It doesn't really do any good either. But it was fun.

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The Ramona Theater was open until 1975. In 1961, their was certainly no talk of closing that place. The only issue was the lack of on-site or nearby dedicated parking lot. Definitely one of the landmarks of Gratiot Ave. in those days, especially in the stretch from Conner to 8 Mile Rd.

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Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Did you ever attend the, was it, Ramona Theatre? Was it still open?

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We walked to the Ramona one night to see "The Alamo" with John Wayne. It really was an epic. In the re--runs they eliminated the camera pans over the thousands of dead Mexicans in the field. My theaters were the Ramona, the Civic, the Vogue, the Alger, the Harper, and the Woods. Of all of them, the Ramona was the classiest and the best.

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Originally Posted by IrishSpartan

The Ramona Theater was open until 1975. In 1961, their was certainly no talk of closing that place. The only issue was the lack of on-site or nearby dedicated parking lot. Definitely one of the landmarks of Gratiot Ave. in those days, especially in the stretch from Conner to 8 Mile Rd.

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Fortunately [[for us) Gratiot and 7 Mile was a half mile walk [[and very safe walk) in 1961. We lived in a flat on Reno that had been converted to four apartments and I was making big bucks working for the City of Detroit in the Bureau of Expressway Design. Two very happy young kids as I was 22 and she was 21. Then came the call to active duty as a newly minted 2nd Lt and my pay was cut in half. We went from the half-assed apartment in Detroit to a 47' X 8' house trailer in Aberdeen, MD in late Nov 61. My late and lamented first wife [[and mother of my children), I still have those memories of when we looked at the women's clothes in Monkey Wards and Federal and all of our future was in front of us. Our children and I still remember you though many years you have gone from us. Detroit, like you is still a wonderful memory regardless of the sad reality of today.

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Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

[[Note also, that the CoD streetscape improvements are visible in several pictures. The curvy sidewalk lights w/ round globes as well as the little canopy that tries to make it look like a mall in a desperate attempt to fool the public. They also did a great job of hiding the stores own signs -- which no doubt helped the businesses greatly. These also appeared at Grand River Greenfield, and I think Oakman and Grand River.

Remember this when you invest in new streetscape junk. It doesn't age well. It doesn't really do any good either. But it was fun.

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This was a 1970's initiative to revitalize Detroit neighborhood retail districts. They thought semi-weatherproofing and "mallifying" the corridors would help compete with the malls.

It was the same initiative that created the Woodward and Washington Blvd. "transit malls" downtown.

In addition to the ones you mentioned, they put these "mall canopy and weird streetlight" structures up in New Center [[Woodward and the Blvd.) and a few places in NW Detroit [[I believe one stretch of 6 west of Woodward, somewhere along Schafer around 6 or 7 and somewhere along Wyoming around 6 or 7).

I'm pretty sure that remnants of these structures are still standing in NW Detroit. Either Wyoming or Schafer have these canopies [[or had, until a year or two ago, when I last passed through).

Compared to this picture:

http://ratkov.com/yahoo_site_admin/a...100235_std.jpg

Nothing much still stands. Only two things I could find in Streetview.
https://s26.postimg.org/x7t2xr6hl/step0002.jpg

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Originally Posted by Hermod

We walked to the Ramona one night to see "The Alamo" with John Wayne. It really was an epic. In the re--runs they eliminated the camera pans over the thousands of dead Mexicans in the field. My theaters were the Ramona, the Civic, the Vogue, the Alger, the Harper, and the Woods. Of all of them, the Ramona was the classiest and the best.

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Wow, I remember going to all of those east side theaters, and more [[the Esquire, the Cinderella, the Admiral, the Punch & Judy, and, of course, the Eastown). We went to the Ramona a few times for Saturday matinees back when I had cousins who lived on Young near Chalmers. I remember the rotunda in the front and the rather luxurious appointments. My mother said it reminded her of a slightly less grand version of the Riviera on Grand River that she used to go to as a teenager.

Oddly, they were tearing down the theater at the same time we were redoing our porch. The color of the theater matched the color of our front steps, so we bought a load of their bricks cheap. Thus there are a few little pieces of the Ramona living on in a porch in Indian Village.

There was also in that area, somewhere just north of 7 Mile if I recall, one of the very rare [[certainly so in those days) Korean restaurants in Detroit. My dad, who had served in Korea in the Army, really liked to go there to eat and talk with the owner, who had served in the ROK army.

I don't remember the name of that Korean restaurant, but I do recall that Calvin Trillin gave it a good review. It's a Chinese restaurant now called Chan's.

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Originally Posted by Brock7

I don't remember the name remember the name of that Korean restaurant, but I do recall that Calvin Trillin gave it a good review. It's a Chinese restaurant now called Chan's.

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Chan's is very good. It has kind of devolved into a hole-in-the-wall, but you won't be disappointed with the food.

http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com...?type=5&id=736
Includes the sad pictures of the Ramona being torn down.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2623

Bump.

Came across this 1970s photo of 7 Mile and Gratiot:

Attachment 41526

I too was in all of those east side theatres mentioned above [Except the Eastown]... the closest one to my house was the VOGUE, a very attractive streamlined moderne theatre... that was the flagship of that stretch of Harper Avenue... a great place for a Saturday matinee.

I worked at the Vogue while I was in collage, up until Suburban Detroit Theaters closed it. Work at the Alger first, until it closed. After the Vogue I was at the Eastland [[the one not attached to the mall). That one closing was not my fault.

The Vogue was the nicest of the lot.

I attended the Ramona the most because it was 2 1/2 blocks from my house. I always thought the sound was inferior. My favorite was the Woods. There was a $2 theatre on Gratiot just North of Eight Mile in East Detroit - the Eastwood. A bit run down by the late 70's, but a good place to see older movies before VCR's, cable, etc. I remember attending the others mentioned here from time to time, including the Harper, before it was Harpo's.

Judging from the stores in the photo, Ward's in particular, these hardy folks are waiting for the Northbound Gratiot bus. The Gratiot Eight Mile turned around at Eight, and the Gratiot Eastland headed East on Eight, then South on Kelly, entering Eastland on Eastland Drive by the parochial high schools. I see a 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix heading North if that helps date the picture.

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Originally Posted by Gistok

I too was in all of those east side theatres mentioned above [Except the Eastown]... the closest one to my house was the VOGUE, a very attractive streamlined moderne theatre... that was the flagship of that stretch of Harper Avenue... a great place for a Saturday matinee.

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When I was a kid, we lived on Nottingham near Grayton. The Vogue was a brisk walk east. Generally, the Vogue got the feature films then next iteration after the Civic. If you missed it at the Civic, yoiu could catch it a week or so later at the Vogue.

The links now just direct to some spam website crap about soccer

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Originally Posted by KnnNike

The links now just direct to some spam website crap about soccer

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Yup... when a 7 year old link gets opened up... surprise surprise... :eek:

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Originally Posted by Whitehouse

http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com...?type=5&id=736
Includes the sad pictures of the Ramona being torn down.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2623

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The Ramona Theater now.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4269...7i16384!8i8192

Still a vacant lot in the Red Zone. In the once Detroit's Little Italy.

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Originally Posted by RaumVogel

Famous was a furniture store. Federals was a department store.

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Federals used to be at the E. 7 Mile lot area just behind the strip of stores before Kroger wanted to put their market and strip mall there.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4350...7i16384!8i8192

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Originally Posted by RaumVogel

Famous was a furniture store. Federals was a department store.

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My parents bought their first house in 1951, and they furnished it with Famous furniture.

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Originally Posted by Danny

...once Detroit's Little Italy.

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I always thought Little Italy was farther south, e.g., Van Dyke and Gratiot thru Mt. Elliott and Gratiot.

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Originally Posted by Henry Whalley

I always thought Little Italy was farther south, e.g., Van Dyke and Gratiot thru Mt. Elliott and Gratiot.

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Agreed, Henry.

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Originally Posted by Henry Whalley

I always thought Little Italy was farther south, e.g., Van Dyke and Gratiot thru Mt. Elliott and Gratiot.

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In very earlier years, you're correct. In later years it migrated to the 7 & Gratiot area, lets define that as 1950's up to the earlier 70's.

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Originally Posted by mikefmich

In very earlier years, you're correct. In later years it migrated to the 7 & Gratiot area, lets define that as 1950's up to the earlier 70's.

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I lived there from '54 - '81. Yes, there were many Italian families in the neighborhood, but also Germans, Polish, and others - a melting pot for sure. I never thought I was living in an Italian neighborhood. As an Irish kid, I never felt like I was not at home.

There were a lot of Italian families in that area, but I never thought of it as "Little Italy" in terms of like the old Italian neighborhoods in Boston or NY. It was just a really mixed bag of families. After the 70's, a lot of Italian fams moved up to East Detroit and St Clair Shores.

The Korean restaurant was Koreana, my Mom and I were regulars til it closed. Awesome food, first time I ever had kimchi - now there's always a jar in the fridge!

Growing up in the Balduck Park area... we were known as "Little Belgium"... lots of Belgians living there... with lots of pigeon coops in the back yard... mixed with a lot of German and Italians... and of course lots of police and firemen, until Engler ruined it by removing residency restrictions. Then the white flight took off in droves...

The commonality I remember among the former population was a high percentage of Catholics, which includes all the ethnic groups already mentioned on this thread.

Wish I knew about the Korean restaurant. Didn't know of any when I grew up not far from there. Not sure I could have handled it. Closest I had was dinner at my Korean friend's house. Usually pasta, his mom's attempt to serve food that was familiar to me, never what she had pickling in the garage, or drying on trays. But dang, her sauce was spicy enough!