Gratiot and Van Dyke.

[jcole]

7/Mack was on the NW corner, what it largely St. John's Hospital now and is also Pointe Plaza.
The picture I posted is looking north along Mack from 7 Mile. And the Sears store was on the SE corner of 7 and Mack. They were kitty-corner from each other

[KENSINGTONY]

Al,you're 180 degrees off.The Sears at Mack & Moross was on the southeast corner.The Rite-Aid[[now Kinkos) is on the southwest corner.The J.C.Penney was in the shopping center which was on the northwest of the intersection[[but not right on the corner).

[KENSINGTONY]

Never mind,I can't read today.DUH!.Al,you're correct.

[EastsideAl]

You're all confusing the issue. The Gratiot-Van Dyke Sears store was on the southeast corner of the intersection, as Mikeg's aerial photo clearly shows.

Van Dyke may not run due north-south in this part of the east side, but then neither do any of the other streets, which is a heritage of the river-oriented French ribbon farm system. Believe me when I tell you that Van Dyke is seen as and called a north-south street by everyone who lives and/or grew up in this part of the city. Gratiot runs northeastward, but since Van Dyke is north-south, it is the eastward aspect of Gratiot that's important at that particular intersection. So, Sears was on the southeast corner [[where the apartments are today), Top Hat/Rally's/Wendy's southwest, supermarket northwest, and there's currently a Sunoco station on the northeast corner.

Stasu above is correct. The major shopping center in this part of town in the old days was actually further up Van Dyke, at Van Dyke and Harper. That's where the Federal's was, along with a Winkleman's and a whole host of other local chains, the long-time center of sporting goods, uniforms, etc. in this part of town, East Side Sporting Goods, and, of course, the enormous Eastown Theater. The Sears store stood pretty much by itself down on Gratiot, which I always thought was a little strange.

[nativegirl]

Ahh...The Sears @ Gratiot and VanDyke. My Maternal grandmother worked there from 1967 and 1977 [[ when it closed) before being transferred to the Livonia Mall Sears where she retired from [[boys department). I remember the Gratiot and VD Sears because my mother would take us there for those lovely "Toughskin" jeans they sold! We would meet Granny down in the little cafeteria area where she would buy us hot pretzel [[ I always had mine with mustard).

When the store closed, it sat vacant until 1979 before it was demolised and made way for those apartments.

[313WX]

The Sears store on Moross and Mack is basically where the Kroger is currently [[same building and very few changes in the facade).

[313WX]

It's called Moross there. 7 technically ends at Kelly Rd. I don't know why it's referred to as 7 and Mack unless it was 7 at one time and then became Moross. I grew up at 7 and Kelly and we always said 7 and Mack for that intersection. It's like 8 Mile becomes Vernier just past Kelly but most people referred to it as 8 Mile

Well it's a bit different when it comes to 8 Miel and Vernier.

Since techcially they both branch out into two seperate streets for an additional 2 miles [[unlike 7 Mile which ends one block after branching off), the residents usually say "Vernier" and "8 Mile" to distinguish the two.

[Fury13]

Van Dyke may not run due north-south in this part of the east side, but then neither do any of the other streets, which is a heritage of the river-oriented French ribbon farm system. Believe me when I tell you that Van Dyke is seen as and called a north-south street by everyone who lives and/or grew up in this part of the city. Gratiot runs northeastward, but since Van Dyke is north-south, it is the eastward aspect of Gratiot that's important at that particular intersection. So, Sears was on the southeast corner [[where the apartments are today), Top Hat/Rally's/Wendy's southwest, supermarket northwest, and there's currently a Sunoco station on the northeast corner.

Great clarification, EastsideAl. I would add that most eastsiders also consider Cadieux a north-south street and that Mack is considered an east-west thoroughfare until it makes that big turn in the Pointes. Likewise with Harper. [[So, it's never "north of Cadieux" or "south of Cadieux" for directions. It's "east of Cadieux," or west of there. And it's north or south of Mack.)

As for the Sears in question, I remember it well also. I used to take the Van Dyke bus south and change at that intersection onto the Gratiot bus on my way to work. I was just out of high school and working for Metropolitan Uniform downtown.

I went inside the store a couple of times and was amazed at its size and variety of items offered.

[MikeM]

The Sears store on Moross and Mack is basically where the Kroger is currently [[same building and very few changes in the facade).

Kroger was always there. Sears was where the grassy knoll is now, at the corner. Between Sears and Kroger was a Hughes & Hatcher.

[EastsideAl]

Well it's a bit different when it comes to 8 Miel and Vernier.

Since techcially they both branch out into two seperate streets for an additional 2 miles [[unlike 7 Mile which ends one block after branching off), the residents usually say "Vernier" and "8 Mile" to distinguish the two.

The people in my family who lived in East Detroit [[aka "Eastpointe") at about the time Eastland was built always referred to Vernier as either "8 Mile" or "Vernier" interchangeably, and called the residual mostly residential part of 8 Mile Rd. east of where the main traffic curves off onto Vernier "Old 8 Mile."

I understand from real old-timers that Vernier was built out from Grosse Pointe to hook up with 8 Mile sometime in the late 1920s. I'm not sure when the Moross-7 Mile connection was made.

[MikeM]

The people in my family who lived in East Detroit [[aka "Eastpointe") at about the time Eastland was built always referred to Vernier as either "8 Mile" or "Vernier" interchangeably, and called the residual mostly residential part of 8 Mile Rd. east of where the main traffic curves off onto Vernier "Old 8 Mile."

I agree.

I understand from real old-timers that Vernier was built out from Grosse Pointe to hook up with 8 Mile sometime in the late 1920s. I'm not sure when the Moross-7 Mile connection was made.

I'm certain Vernier extended to Eight Mile well before WWI although there probably was little reason to do so. Morang was Seven Mile until Moross was extended to meet the extension of Seven Mile, probably around or shortly after WWI.

[EastsideAl]

Great clarification, EastsideAl. I would add that most eastsiders also consider Cadieux a north-south street and that Mack is considered an east-west thoroughfare until it makes that big turn in the Pointes. Likewise with Harper. [[So, it's never "north of Cadieux" or "south of Cadieux" for directions. It's "east of Cadieux," or west of there. And it's north or south of Mack.)

Exactly. It still throws me off when people from Macomb County refer to things as being "west of Harper" or "west of Mack" [[and let's not even get into that whole Greater Mack, Little Mack thing). Where I'm from those are east-west streets.

And, yes, Cadieux is definitely north-south, and Mack is still east-west at its intersection with Cadieux, although Mack makes its big turn northeastward right about there. The dividing line in direction naming though is somewhere just a little to the east of there out by Fisher Rd. Looking at a map, the street pattern seems to change orientation at McMillan in Grosse Pointe Farms, and its continuation Canyon in Detroit. Definitely by the time you get to Moross [[7 Mile), that street is conceptually east-west, while Mack and Harper are north-south.

[stasu1213]

I remember going to Sears on Gratiot and looking at the baseball gloves with friends whom I was visiting in their neighborhood. We use to ride our bikes from Sears and go to the Texaco gas station to get our bike patches. Then we would go to the Dairy Queen on Mack and Iroquois to get a sundae. Does anyone remember that Dairy Queen on Mack and Iriqous?

[EastsideAl]

I remember the Dairy Queen on Mack very well. We used to go up there for after dinner treats every Friday night. I remember my disappointment when it was firebombed out of business a couple of times in the early '70s. Always kind of wondered what precipitated that.

[stasu1213]

Oh My God!!! This has taken me back to my childhood. I grew up on Seneca between Gratiot and I94 and I remember. Sears and the Top Hat and Kentucky Fried Chicken on Van Dyke and Gratiot. I also remeber the stores on Harper and Van Dyke. The Federals Department store, The Vanity Fair. Farther up Van Dyke was the old Robert Halls.

Thanks for the memories - I LOVE this website!!!

I remember United Shirts on Harper and VanDyke. Fortunas, Cunninghams, NBD bank, DOC, a bowling alley.

[Honeyman]

Resurrecting this old thread.....

My dad owned the Florsheim shoes across from that Sears store. It was actually named Frank's Shoes, as his father first owned it.

Like statsu, I would LOVE to see any pictures of that area if anybody has any.

[Danny]

There might be a FEDERAL'S Dept. store building on Harper Rd. near Gratiot. That area used to be a commercial district. Now its Farmer John's Supermarket. There was another FEDERAL'S on the corner of E. Warren Ave. and Conner St.

[Danny]

There are other commerical districts that are still up and running:

1 Grand River and Greenfield

1. Livernois and W. 7 Mile Rd. [[Avenue of Fashion)

2. Woodward and the Grand Boulevard [[New Center Area)

3. E. 7 Mile and Gratiot Ave.

4 W. 7 Mile and Evergreen Rd.

5. W. Vernor HWY and Central Rd.

6. Six Mile and Schaefer Rd. [[Hubbard/King area)

Commercial districts in Detroit are long dead!

1. Michigan Ave. and Junction St.

2. Livernois and Fenkell Ave.

3. Joy Rd. and Grand River Ave.

4 .Grand River and McGraw St.

5. Harper Rd. and Van Dyke St.

6. Fort St .between Junction St. and Livernois

7. W. Jefferson Ave. and West End [[ formally Downtown Del-Rey)

8. Chene Rd. and E. Warren Ave. to the Hamtramck Border [[ Poletown)

Commercial districts on the verge of dying!

1. Grand River Ave. and Oakman St.

2. E. Jefferson Ave. and Chalmers St. [[ Hopefully it could be saved!)


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

Did everbody miss that old Montgomery Wards and Federals Dept. Store buildings on e 7 Mile Rd and Gratiot Ave?

[EastsideQT]

How could anyone forget the Sears Roebuck & Co. on Gratiot & Van Dyke. My father absolutely loved that store. He used to say "if it ain't at Sears then it ain't worth buying." Every time I pass that corner which is often I think about my father. We had a Saturday ritual which started at the Eastern Market at about 7:00 in the morning and ended at Sears on Gratiot & Van Dyke. The one memory I have every time I smell popcorn or peanuts is of the alcove you went through from the parking lot to get into the main store. In that alcove was all kinds of goodies. Popcorn, nuts, candy, chips, pop, hot dogs, polish sausages, you name it. There was also a Sears in Highland Park but we never went there because we were Eastsiders. I don't shop that much at Sears now because they're all in malls and I am not a mall shopper. So when I think of Sears the only one I think about is the Sears Roebuck & Co. on Van Dyke. Does anybody remember the Top Hat Hamburgers which was across the street?

[Danny]

That are of Gratiot and Van Dyke commercial distric was part of Italian community called CALCALUPA, just a step away from Detroit's Little Italy.

[Honeyman]

Yep, Eastside, I remember that Top Hat...or was it a knockoff...another red/white shack selling sliders? I also remember that smell of those roasted peanuts knocking you over the moment you hit that Sears store. There was a Cunninghams on one corner, and a Standard Auto Supply a couple doors down from my dad's shoe store. Also, I remember a Goodwill or something like that on the same block. Lauri Bros. supermarket just down the street.

[Hermod]

There are other commerical districts that are still up and running:

1 Grand River and Greenfield

1. Livernois and W. 7 Mile Rd. [[Avenue of Fashion)

2. Woodward and the Grand Boulevard [[New Center Area)

3. E. 7 Mile and Gratiot Ave.

4 W. 7 Mile and Evergreen Rd.

5. W. Vernor HWY and Central Rd.

6. Six Mile and Schaefer Rd. [[Hubbard/King area)

Commercial districts in Detroit are long dead!

1. Michigan Ave. and Junction St.

2. Livernois and Fenkell Ave.

3. Joy Rd. and Grand River Ave.

4 .Grand River and McGraw St.

5. Harper Rd. and Van Dyke St.

6. Fort St .between Junction St. and Livernois

7. W. Jefferson Ave. and West End [[ formally Downtown Del-Rey)

8. Chene Rd. and E. Warren Ave. to the Hamtramck Border [[ Poletown)

Commercial districts on the verge of dying!

1. Grand River Ave. and Oakman St.

2. E. Jefferson Ave. and Chalmers St. [[ Hopefully it could be saved!)


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

Did everbody miss that old Montgomery Wards and Federals Dept. Store buildings on e 7 Mile Rd and Gratiot Ave?

Houston between Kelly and Hayes.
Harper and Chalmers

[jiminnm]

We used to go to the Mack/7 Sears for tools and hardware items. I don't remember them carrying a line of clothing and stuff like the big one on Gratiot. Did they?

Sorry for the tardy response.

The Mack & 7 store sold mostly hard goods - paint, hardware and tools, limited selections of appliances, TVs and housewares, seasonal items [[toys and decorations at Christmas, outdoor and garden items in spring and summer, etc.), auto supplies, and so on. They did not sell clothes, although there was a Hughes and Hatcher next door, through a breezeway, that gave us Sears employees some deals.

[EastsideQT]

There are other commerical districts that are still up and running:

1 Grand River and Greenfield

1. Livernois and W. 7 Mile Rd. [[Avenue of Fashion)

2. Woodward and the Grand Boulevard [[New Center Area)

3. E. 7 Mile and Gratiot Ave.

4 W. 7 Mile and Evergreen Rd.

5. W. Vernor HWY and Central Rd.

6. Six Mile and Schaefer Rd. [[Hubbard/King area)

Commercial districts in Detroit are long dead!

1. Michigan Ave. and Junction St.

2. Livernois and Fenkell Ave.

3. Joy Rd. and Grand River Ave.

4 .Grand River and McGraw St.

5. Harper Rd. and Van Dyke St.

6. Fort St .between Junction St. and Livernois

7. W. Jefferson Ave. and West End [[ formally Downtown Del-Rey)

8. Chene Rd. and E. Warren Ave. to the Hamtramck Border [[ Poletown)

Commercial districts on the verge of dying!

1. Grand River Ave. and Oakman St.

2. E. Jefferson Ave. and Chalmers St. [[ Hopefully it could be saved!)


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

Did everbody miss that old Montgomery Wards and Federals Dept. Store buildings on e 7 Mile Rd and Gratiot Ave?

Don't forget the Federals' that was on Conner & E. Warren.

[EastsideQT]

Sorry for the tardy response.

The Mack & 7 store sold mostly hard goods - paint, hardware and tools, limited selections of appliances, TVs and housewares, seasonal items [[toys and decorations at Christmas, outdoor and garden items in spring and summer, etc.), auto supplies, and so on. They did not sell clothes, although there was a Hughes and Hatcher next door, through a breezeway, that gave us Sears employees some deals.

I remember that Sears store there was a small J.C. Penney across the street from there. It was where all those new stores adjacent to St. John's Hospital.