Downtown Ferndale Reminisce: What was there? 1970s-90s

[Honky Tonk]

Once upon a time, the Loving Touch wasn't a hipster bar.
Attachment 31603

Was this place "The Japanese Massage Parlor" before that?

[G-DDT]

Once upon a time, the Loving Touch wasn't a hipster bar.
Attachment 31603

Yeah, well according to older issues of Detroit Monthly and Metropolitan Detroit [[I'm fairly sure I can scour up a few images if asked) Doug's Body Shop was a completely different venue then [[proof for now:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Matchbook-Co...IAAOSw3YNXan3C), until this happened.http://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/fe...nt?oid=2199182

[G-DDT]

Reading that article I laugh when it says "Ferndale is really, really going to rock" and how those visiting Gotham City Cafe realize the "value of Ferndale."

I know I shouldn't make it a habit to poison a close-ended fan thread [[I hate when others post snarling hate comments for threads about comics, murals, favorite churches, and such). So, I will re-iterate by saying except for the two used bookstores there [[and they are very good bookstores, and I feel more people should support them now more than ever) and what was Sam's Jams, I will say I have very little to praise Ferndale for.

Sorry, just a POV based on a collection of poisoned experiences.

[douglasm]

Royal Pontiac was in Royal Oak. Higgins Pontiac was in The Higgins Building on the corner of Lewiston and Woodward.

[Neilr]

Jim Ashmore Truck & Trailer Rental was located on the west side of Woodward, just a few blocks north of 9 Mile. The most outstanding feature of the place was that the front office walls were covered [[You might say, "cheek to jowl.") with stuffed mounted wild game animal heads.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Royal Pontiac was in Royal Oak. Higgins Pontiac was in The Higgins Building on the corner of Lewiston and Woodward.

Thx for the correction. Don't know why I thought Royal Pontiac was on Woodward, I just remember the GTO race car, that had the Royal Pontiac advertisement on it, when I was a kid. Also, is that repair shop on Woodward that had the old Chrysler perched high, coming out near the top of the building, with the front wheels spinning still there?

[Hermod]

On the east side was a huge model train store there with a gigantic railroad crossbuck sign to advertise the location. Later, it became a second hand book store. Not sure what is there now.

[ferndalien]

On the east side was a huge model train store there with a gigantic railroad crossbuck sign to advertise the location. Later, it became a second hand book store. Not sure what is there now.

Assuming this is it, I've often wondered about that sign. Now I know:

[Baselinepunk]

"Was this place "The Japanese Massage Parlor" before that?"

The Japanese Sauna was located just north of 696 on Woodward in Royal Oak. The location was bought by Jim Fresard, street closed down to Woodward, it was torn down and a clock tower was put up in its place and donated to the city of Royal Oak. If I remember right, this was in the mid 1990s and cost JF 1.1 million dollars.

The shitty thing?

City of Royal Oak is now trying to sell that piece of land that was donated to them.

Stay classy, Royal Oak!

[Honky Tonk]

"Was this place "The Japanese Massage Parlor" before that?"

The Japanese Sauna was located just north of 696 on Woodward in Royal Oak. The location was bought by Jim Fresard, street closed down to Woodward, it was torn down and a clock tower was put up in its place and donated to the city of Royal Oak. If I remember right, this was in the mid 1990s and cost JF 1.1 million dollars.

The shitty thing?

City of Royal Oak is now trying to sell that piece of land that was donated to them.

Stay classy, Royal Oak!

That was it, The Japanese Sauna. That was a landmark for years. Thanx.

[jackie5275]

Also, is that repair shop on Woodward that had the old Chrysler perched high, coming out near the top of the building, with the front wheels spinning still there?

That was called Wetmore's, but I'm not sure if it's still there. I remember next to it was Witbeck Appliance, which has since moved to W. Bloomfield.

[Baselinepunk]

That was it, The Japanese Sauna. That was a landmark for years. Thanx.

No problem. I used to deliver to that place for a while and it was always a trip. Never tipped worth a shit. Suggestive pictures on the walls, women in attire that was basically two threads of clothing held together by a string and the creeps that used go in and out of there [[mind out of the gutter, please!) -- yeah, that place was totally legit. They just don't make'em like that anymore.

LOL!

[Baselinepunk]

No problem. I used to deliver to that place for a while and it was always a trip. Never tipped worth a shit. Suggestive pictures on the walls, women in attire that was basically two threads of clothing held together by a string and the creeps that used go in and out of there [[mind out of the gutter, please!) -- yeah, that place was totally legit. They just don't make'em like that anymore.

LOL!

Speaking of "places of ill repute" let's not forget the anchor of downtown Ferndale for a very long time: The Studio North. Even the sidewalk in front of that place was sticky. It turned into a Deja Vu for a bit - -was there for the last night it was opened and the cops came in there and cleaned all of us bums outta there after the very last dance. I wonder what ever happened to that nice, young lady I was, ahem, talking to when the fuzz came in with the brooms. She was attending Specs Howard School of Broadcasting at the time.

She definitely had some talent and definitely not one of the "three ugly ones".

LOL!!!

[Baselinepunk]

That was called Wetmore's, but I'm not sure if it's still there. I remember next to it was Witbeck Appliance, which has since moved to W. Bloomfield.

Wetmore's is still there and going strong.

Beep Beep!

[milt721]

Wetmore's is still there and going strong.

Beep Beep!

It's a Rambler.

https://goo.gl/maps/QBmzWp1wK2r

[Dumpling]

For a few years, maybe in the eighties, there was a little shop called Masako
Kondo on the east side of Woodward, towards Pleasant Ridge if not in Pleasant
Ridge. I think it carried Japanese household decor and possibly furniture.

There was an art supply store on the east side of Woodward near Nine Mile
owned and operated by a man who had severe CP. He held the fort pretty
well. It was hard to understand his speech, but you could get pretty much
any art supplies you wanted. Wasn't it called Herb's Art Supply?

[Bobl]

Doug's Body Shop, on Woodward, bar-restaurant with live music.

[the rock]

Higgins Pontiac west side of Woodward north of Nine Mile

Many of the Detroit Tigers bought their cars from Higgns Pontiac. And I can recall when Woodwad Ave. thru Ferndale was divided by a large median in the center which was used for parking.no parking meters at that time.

[Hermod]

Many of the Detroit Tigers bought their cars from Higgns Pontiac. And I can recall when Woodwad Ave. thru Ferndale was divided by a large median in the center which was used for parking.no parking meters at that time.

When they widened Woodward, the Detroit to Pontiac interurban tracks were moved from the side of the old two lane road to the med1an strip which is why there is a median strip all the way out Woodward to Pontiac. In Detroit, the interurban used the streetcar tracks. One of the reasons for the early demise of the interurban was the expense of relocating their tracks and overhead pole lines from the side of Woodward and Gratiot to the median strips in Oakland and Macomb County. The government just told them to move it on their own dime and the interurban was running out of dimes.

[Lowell]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Como's yet.

Regarding the Rialto, I recall it had a car crash into it as well, adding to its 'curse'. Can't find the story yet but while googling around found this old thread related to the discussion in progress:

Ferndale Pleasant Ridge L960s-70s?

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Rialtos

[douglasm]

Let's see if my memory is any good.....on the four corners of Woodward and 9 Mile were Federal's Department Store, Cunningham Drugs, Ferndale Pharmacy [[A Rexall outlet) and Sports Outlet. Correct?

[Cincinnati_Kid]

It's a Rambler.

https://goo.gl/maps/QBmzWp1wK2r

That's not a Rambler, it's a 63 or 64 Chrysler Newport or New Yorker.

[douglasm]

The original car up there was a Packard. Memory says Wetmore's was at one time a Packard dealer.

[jerrytimes]

Once upon a time, the Loving Touch wasn't a hipster bar.
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Haha.... When was it ever a hipster bar. I go to concerts there all the time and have not seen 'The Hipster' at any of them.

[archfan]

Wetmore's is still there and going strong.

Beep Beep!

Wetmore's has an interior that was supposed to be remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright. The owner and Wright fought, so the only thing completed was some minor remodeling near the service desk. Here's a link:

http://www.jnmcnally.com/FLW348.htm