Rare 1980s Photos of 7 Mile and Gratiot

[13606Cedargrove]

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.

[13606Cedargrove]

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.

[Hermod]

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.

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.

[KnnNike]

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

[Gistok]

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

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

[Danny]

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

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2623

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.

[Danny]

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

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

[Cincinnati_Kid]

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

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

[Henry Whalley]

...once Detroit's Little Italy.

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

[13606Cedargrove]

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

Agreed, Henry.

[mikefmich]

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

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.

[13606Cedargrove]

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.

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.

[jcole]

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.

[magnumstan]

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!

[Gistok]

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...

[bust]

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!