RIP Greektown: Laikon Closing

**Gianni** · January-28-12, 10:30 AM

Laikon is closing tomorrow, Sunday January 29, 2012. I'm told it is to be torn down to put in a walkway to a parking lot behind. Last of the old school, real Greektown Greek resataurants. Hellas: perfectly good building torn down to make way for an empty gravel lot [[not even a parking lot!). Cyprus: now a liquor/lotto/cigarettes/head shop [[we really need more of those). Grecian Gardens: long gone, now a parking lot. The International [[long time ago). And others I can't even remember. Still have Pegasus and New Parthenon, but they just don't have the charm of the old places.

What was once a unique and wonderful ethnic enclave is now basically a cheap tourist trap filled with liquors stores, sports bars and burger joints. And IMO it's the Greektown merchants themselves, or some of them, who are to blame. No strategic vision of the historic values that made Greektown Greektown, just short sighted self interest, and spiteful infighting.

And what the hell are they doing with the Plaka building? A Cheesecake Factory?

**Kathleen** · January-28-12, 10:37 AM

You are right!!! Greektown is going down the tubes.

Thanks for posting this news. The Laikon Cafe has always been our #1 Greek restaurant!!!

**Roq** · January-28-12, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Kathleen

You are right!!! Greektown is going down the tubes.

Thanks for posting this news. The Laikon Cafe has always been our #1 Greek restaurant!!!

Same here Kathleen, this news sucks. We would always eat at Laikon then go to Astoria for a treat afterwards.

Damn.

**Detroit_uke** · January-28-12, 10:42 AM

I haven't gone down there in two years - the area was changing soooooooooo fast and I couldn't stand to see it...will not even go to or recommend the Greektown Casino....

**BRAZZMAN** · January-28-12, 10:43 AM

Sad, sad news. You are absolutely right on - cheap and greedy self-interest that ruined it. I loved the International Cafe'. Basic, unassuming little diner. Great, clear-brothed bean soup, a basket of Greek bread and a little glass of Retsina at the counter.

**canuck** · January-28-12, 10:44 AM

Cheeseburger, no Pepsi, Coke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjZ-v7T7dQQ

**stasu1213** · January-28-12, 10:56 AM

This is what happens when corporation rules. I am suprise that the owners would allow this to happen without protesting. Is not that building as well as others in Greektown registered with the historical society?

**iheartthed** · January-28-12, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Gianni

Laikon is closing tomorrow, Sunday January 29, 2012. I'm told it is to be torn down to put in a walkway to a parking lot behind. Last of the old school, real Greektown Greek resataurants. Hellas: perfectly good building torn down to make way for an empty gravel lot [[not even a parking lot!). Cyprus: now a liquor/lotto/cigarettes/head shop [[we really need more of those). Grecian Gardens: long gone, now a parking lot. The International [[long time ago). And others I can't even remember. Still have Pegasus and New Parthenon, but they just don't have the charm of the old places.

What was once a unique and wonderful ethnic enclave is now basically a cheap tourist trap filled with liquors stores, sports bars and burger joints. And IMO it's the Greektown merchants themselves, or some of them, who are to blame. No strategic vision of the historic values that made Greektown Greektown, just short sighted self interest, and spiteful infighting.

And what the hell are they doing with the Plaka building? A Cheesecake Factory?

Greektown might be Detroit's only example of the downside to gentrification.

**Eric_c** · January-28-12, 10:59 AM

I just don't understand tearing down these buildings! Isn't this a Historic District? How can it be this easy?

**canuck** · January-28-12, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Eric_c

I just don't understand tearing down these buildings! Isn't this a Historic District? How can it be this easy?

My thoughts exactly. How can this be possible at a time when Detroit needs to preserve its architecture, and especially significant small business clusters. The Detroit tourism industry depends largely on this neighborhood leading the way to redevelopment it would seem. Same old, same old...

**iheartthed** · January-28-12, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by canuck

My thoughts exactly. How can this be possible at a time when Detroit needs to preserve its architecture, and especially significant small business clusters. The Detroit tourism industry depends largely on this neighborhood leading the way to redevelopment it would seem. Same old, same old...

Well, we are talking about the same city that is gonna pony up money to add a lane to a freeway to ease congestion while all of the streets running parallel to the same freeway are almost always far under their traffic capacities.

**Modusvivendi** · January-28-12, 11:10 AM

Why tear down buildings to provide more parking? Aren't there enough parking lots already???

Also, I've noticed that the type of soulless changes described here is what often passes for progress in a lot of places. Charm and authenticity aren't valued much any more...

**stasu1213** · January-28-12, 11:18 AM

I think that this should be seriously looked into. First Laikon and next all or Greektown. The mayor, council, city planners and the zoning commision are incompetent. There are laws that are probably set in place to go againsrazing of historical buildings and communities.

**313WX** · January-28-12, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by Modusvivendi

Why tear down buildings to provide more parking? Aren't there enough parking lots already???

Not JUST enough parking lots, but a huge 10-story parking garage not even a block away that pretty much anyone can use.

Oops, I'm sorry. I forget about the OTHER 5-story parking garage not even a block away that pretty much anyone can use as well.

**Bobl** · January-28-12, 02:11 PM

When Cyprus left, so did we. Yes, this is sad.

**Detroitnerd** · January-28-12, 02:58 PM

In a historic district, one thing you generally don't want to do is break the streetwall. So, of course, they're going to break the streetwall. Sigh ...

**poobert** · February-29-12, 10:00 PM

Same unbelievably idiotic shortsightedness. Any normal, functioning city governed by people with half a brain in the latter quarter of the 20th century would have seen that that area was preserved and protected. However this is basically the same crew that tore down the Lafayette Building to build...who fucking can even name or cares what's there now...and Tiger Stadium so they could periodically harass the people who would clean up the empty lot they created.
Ah, at least we now have...er...Paradise Valley?? Now if we could just get that John Conyers Boulevard designation...

**Gianni** · January-28-12, 11:27 AM

What has happenned to Greektown is a good example of why historic designation is needed. I don't think Greektown ever had it. If it were ever proposed my guess is that it was shot down by the propery owners who didn't want any interference with their "property rights."

One instance of historic preservation of sorts there is the building directly across the street from St. Mary's, which used to be the Catholic School for the church [[Coleman Young went to school there.) The casino owns it and buit the overhead walkway from the parking structure to go into that building. But they did not tear it down. I don't think that was because of any historic building code requirements, just that they wanted to keep the old building.

**Eric_c** · January-28-12, 11:35 AM

The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

**MidTownMs** · January-28-12, 12:10 PM

When my grandparents [[ maternal & paternal) moved to Detroit in 1920 my maternal grandparents moved on the street where Greektown is located. At that time it twas called Catherine St. They lived on the other side of the street across from Second Baptist Church. As most of my mother's relatives moved to Detroit from South Carolina they all lived on that street. My mother said that at the time that area was populated with African Americans and Greek immigrants. Most of the African American population moved futher east to work at the Hudson Motor Car Co. The Greek immigrants remained there. My paternal grandparents moved on Clairpointe when they came here from Kentucky because my grandfather wanted to continue farming in addition to working at the plant. My mother's parents moved on Clairpointe as well when my grandfather got hired at the plant, which is how my parents met and ended up getting married.. I don't know when the street was changed to Monroe. But the information I obtained came from City of Detroit directories at the Burton Library. I was trying to find out when my family came to Detroit and where they lived when they first got here.

**Bham1982** · January-28-12, 12:17 PM

The casino ruined it, and the Greektown property owners are complicit.

This neighborhood was arguably the best urban block in Micihigan as recently as 7-8 years ago. It pretty much sucks now, though the property values and rents are probably still strong.

I had no idea at the time, but integrating a casino into the urban fabric is a terrible idea. Much better to have it isolated MGM/Motor City style. Casinos appear to be cancers on the urban form, and its best to isolate these cancers.

**401don** · January-28-12, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

The casino ruined it, and the Greektown property owners are complicit.

This neighborhood was arguably the best urban block in Micihigan as recently as 7-8 years ago. It pretty much sucks now, though the property values and rents are probably still strong.

I had no idea at the time, but integrating a casino into the urban fabric is a terrible idea. Much better to have it isolated MGM/Motor City style. Casinos appear to be cancers on the urban form, and its best to isolate these cancers.

I tend to agree. I thought the casino would help the neighborhood but some blame has to go to the customers who are too lazy to walk outside. They would rather belly up to the all-you-can-eat cafeteria inside.

**wolverine** · January-28-12, 01:30 PM

Yes lets tear down our only intact block. See this is why I moved to Chicago

Where I can walk down a street with buildings

Where people live and work in them.

I've excused Detroit's abandonment so long but now they want wreck a functioning street. Screw it. Just when I think of moving back, another article like this appears.

**ThisIsForTheHeart** · January-28-12, 01:40 PM

They should have let the Turks in. Turks preserve their stuff.

**MidTownMs** · January-28-12, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

I tend to agree. I thought the casino would help the neighborhood but some blame has to go to the customers who are too lazy to walk outside. They would rather belly up to the all-you-can-eat cafeteria inside.

Why do the customers have to be lazy just because they don't want to go outside....I enjoy Greek food but that doesn't mean everybody else does. If people want to stay inside and eat that's their business at least they're down there and not a home complaining about what the casino has done to Greektown.