Old Detroit Bars

**RickBeall** · February-22-10, 06:18 PM

Yes that would be fun.

Although I have not totally earned the name "Corridor Rat" since I only visited the Corridor in its heyday, as a kind of midnight rambler, and as a college student.

Here's a funny memory. I remember walking to the Bonstella theatre on Woodward, I was just a nerdy kid, and right on Woodward there was a hooker hotel with hookers everywhere and a guy in a white superfly coat asking me if I wanted some. Of course, at that time Anderson's Garden was in full swing too. But it's funny that it was right on Woodward, and that he would be asking a student who probably had $2 of discretionary money a week.

**dookie joe** · February-23-10, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

Yes that would be fun.

Although I have not totally earned the name "Corridor Rat" since I only visited the Corridor in its heyday, as a kind of midnight rambler, and as a college student.

That's okay. You can be an honorary rat!

Here's a funny memory. I remember walking to the Bonstella theatre on Woodward, I was just a nerdy kid, and right on Woodward there was a hooker hotel with hookers everywhere and a guy in a white superfly coat asking me if I wanted some. Of course, at that time Anderson's Garden was in full swing too. But it's funny that it was right on Woodward, and that he would be asking a student who probably had $2 of discretionary money a week.

Hey since crack came in, $2 will get you plenty!

I had an old Corridor buddy tell me he was walking to work one day when this skank asked him if he wanted oral sex. He said no and kept walking. She said, "Come on, baby, I'll do it for just $5." Again, he declined and continued walking.

My friend said the woman kept cutting the price until she finally got down to $1.

"I had to stop and think about it," he said. "I mean, she was pretty nasty -- but a BJ for a buck was something at least worth considering."

**Bodybagging** · February-24-10, 10:44 AM

Cool new song Dookie, the BJ for a buck is Hilarious, makes me wonder what would she had done for a KLONDIKE BAR!

**Caseyc** · February-24-10, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by dookie joe

Wow, thanks, Rick. I appreciate your kindness.

All of us Corridor rats will have to get together for a few pops at Jumbo's or Honest John's someday. I don't drink a whole lot, but I'm sure we can find something we can all agree to get buzzed with!

Let's make it on a Thursday at Honest John's!!

**RickBeall** · February-24-10, 05:24 PM

I would show up.

**CorridorChild** · February-28-10, 02:14 AM

I can remember this old black guy we called Shoeshine who would shine shoes for a nickle. I lived in Ramsey's apt building From when I was 3 until i turned 7 and I can just see the old drunks sitting on a log next to the building singing and telling their storys. Once a man in our building was giving free Mowhawk haircuts to all the neighborhood wineos including a woman named Rosemary that had a Giant Tattoo of jesus on her back.

**Bodybagging** · February-28-10, 09:26 AM

Corridor Child, I remember ShoeShine! He would Hobble into The Bars Calling ShoeShine get yer shoeshine.... My mom and Dakota, would always make sure I got my shoeshine, Right after Dakota got his....... I love the Memories a thread like this can conjur up, otherwise completely lost in time.......

**detroitbob** · February-28-10, 09:50 AM

Buddy and Jimmy's was at Cass at Parsons, SE corner...a ramshackle house the had a been a blindpig during Prohibition...the story goes that Buddy and Jimmy, [[husband and wife) were stranded when the Loew's vaudeville circuit died circa 1932 while they were playing the Colonial Theatre at Woodward/Temple/Henry. They got a gig at the speakeasy, and ended up buying the place. Sadly the entire building was demo'd intact [[late 70's) after Jimmy died and a deal to sell the joint fell through. I only had the chance to go there three or four times...it was frozen in time. Hadn't changed much over the years and looked it. It was a favorite of a lot of the ad exec's and some of the old line GP crowd not to mention old time musicians who had played during the movie palace/vaudeville days. I had a great couple of hours talking with a fellow who turned out to be Eduard Werner who had been the conductor at [[in order) the Adams, Madison, Capital and finally the Michigan Theatre Symphony. After the music business died out he became a lawyer and finally president of the musicians union. We kept in contact and arranged a visit and interview with him at the demolition of the Michigan Theatre interior, some 50 years after he opened the house. a remarkable man--died at the age of about 100 in the late 80's. He married Marguerite Werner who was a theatre organist and together the became a team...back in the early 20's a movie could not be shown until the last church service ended, so to fill the Capital and Michigan Theatre orchestra's would open at 11am on Sunday with a full symphony and organ program and after noon show the first film. Marguerite was the featured organist for years at the theatres and on radio.

**Bodybagging** · February-28-10, 10:02 AM

See you never knew who you were sitting next to, in a cass corridor bar back then.........

**dookie joe** · February-28-10, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by Bodybagging

See you never knew who you were sitting next to, in a cass corridor bar back then.........

...or who you were sitting next to on a log in front of an apartment building!

I'm trying to visualize that place at Cass and Parsons. I don't remember a house being there, but I remember there were two apartment buildings on the southeast side of Cass, right next to each other. The buildings names were the Rowe and the Beverly. I remember that because Cass and Parsons was my post when I was a safety boy at Burton School. But I can't remember a house...maybe I'm just getting old!

Speaking of Burton, did any old Corridorites go there? Remember Mr. Dobry? Or Servetter?

**Bodybagging** · February-28-10, 12:47 PM

Dookie, I went to Burton, before it was international, seems I remember a BIG ceremony , when it went international, I also remember that tunnel that went underneath Cass. as for teachers, I remember Mrs Kerr, Mrs. kovac, Mr and ms Lee, who were not married but later married, I remember thinking how cool it was that she didnt have to change her name. Do you remember Boscoe?

**Bodybagging** · February-28-10, 12:49 PM

I JUST REMEMBERED Mr. Dobrey! He and I had a conflict of personality's........

Michigan · February-28-10, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

I would show up.

Honest Johns sounds like a great choice. They have a history in the corridor, don't they?
I would love to learn more about the corridor from people who have lived it through the highs and the lows.

Thursdays are a good night since it is the end of the week but it does not conflict with everyone's weekend plans.

So what I am saying is count me in!

**dookie joe** · February-28-10, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Bodybagging

Dookie, I went to Burton, before it was international, seems I remember a BIG ceremony , when it went international, I also remember that tunnel that went underneath Cass. as for teachers, I remember Mrs Kerr, Mrs. kovac, Mr and ms Lee, who were not married but later married, I remember thinking how cool it was that she didnt have to change her name. Do you remember Boscoe?

You may have went there before I did, which was in the early/mid 1970s. None of the teachers you mention rings a bell.

I do, however, remember the Bosco playground. That was where the old Bosco House used to stand. It was a huge Victorian mansion that was a youth recreation center, torn down sometime in the 1960s. My grandmother used to run that place and live there, too, for many years. That's where my mom grew up. My big brother was born there, but I think they moved out just before I was born. Then the place was razed.

The old Gladstone Hotel was right next to the Bosco playground, and in the 5th grade a hooker [[I assume she was a hooker) who lived on the first floor used to shake her boobs at us through the window. There were only four of us who knew about it -- Robert, Terry, Darryl and myself -- and every day at lunch we'd go up to the window and say "pssttt!!" and sometimes she'd come to the window and show us her boobs for a few seconds.

My friends and I agreed to keep it our little secret, but wasn't long before Darryl told his buddy -- who then told a friend, who told a friend, who told a friend, etc.

So the next time the woman flashed us, the entire playground was waiting for it. Everyone was laughing and pointing. Mr. Morgan, the assistant principal, made us all go back inside the school, and for a few days afterward we had to play on the "girls' playground" [[the parking lot off Peterboro at the south end of the school).

I don't know if Morgan talked to the hotel people or what, but the woman never showed us her boobs again. I'm still pissed at Darryl for that one.

**Bodybagging** · March-04-10, 09:25 AM

Dookie, the Boob Lady was my very first real live Boobie! I was going to mention her in my post about Boscoe.... Im pretty sure you were at Burton prior to me....Was Mr.Morgan a tall Black fellow? I remember the day when we were all ushered away from boscoe and forced to play by the school. Was Darrels last name Strickland? Now its time to play did you know? The Hunters? Dwyane, Steve,and possibly tommy? How the Mccabes, John and Cheryl? The Davis's Billy and MaryLou? Im thinking we may have known a few of the same kids.......

**mikeinmotown** · March-05-10, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by Bodybagging

The Gold Dollar Im thinking of was closed way before the 90s. It was located on Cass near Charlotte, My mother took me in there when I was about 12-13, told me these were special people [[ I suppose her term for cross dressers) as far as the Anderson Garden goes I may have the wrong name for the Bar in the Hotel, My Mom was apart of so many different bars and I was only there a few times. Its sad because she is suffering from dementia these days and all of the stories she could tell are fading fast.

It was the same Gold Dollar but in the 1950's till it closed in the 70's it was known for being a Female Impersonator bar. In the 40's and 50's Cass was known as the gay area. They even had a gay parade on Halloween. Can you imagine that happening in the 50's.

**dookie joe** · March-07-10, 01:49 AM

Bodybagging, I sent you a pm.

**Bodybagging** · March-08-10, 08:20 AM

Thanks mike for the info on the Gold Dollar.

**kibitzerkin** · March-10-10, 07:00 PM

My Grandfather owned the Kibitzer on Cass from about 1937-1964, and had to sell it due to health reasons. My Dad used to drive me by the place in the early 70's and tell me some great stories about the patrons that often sat for a drink. Anyone that could share some information or stories, it would be greatly appreciated.

**kibitzerkin** · March-11-10, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by Bodybagging

The Gold Dollar Im thinking of was closed way before the 90s. It was located on Cass near Charlotte, My mother took me in there when I was about 12-13, told me these were special people [[ I suppose her term for cross dressers) as far as the Anderson Garden goes I may have the wrong name for the Bar in the Hotel, My Mom was apart of so many different bars and I was only there a few times. Its sad because she is suffering from dementia these days and all of the stories she could tell are fading fast.

BB...The bar in the hotel that you mention, could it have been The Kibitzer?

**kibitzerkin** · March-11-10, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by terryh

Northern Lights Lounge on Milwaukee was at one time Leiters Lounge owned by Purple gangster Charles Leiter.

Hi Terry, That's interesting info, I will have to research that. Prior to Northern Lights, my friends opened the place as Tandem. I help them remodel it in the late 80's

**Bodybagging** · March-11-10, 05:40 PM

Ok guys this thread has been great! Im headed to the U.K. for some filmwork.... Keep the thread alive, post more of those Cass corridor Bar memories, and i'll see you all in a few months!

**RickBeall** · March-11-10, 08:27 PM

Film work!!! Rock on Bodybagging! Eventually you'll have to tell us the films name, so we can see your handiwork, and see your name in the film credits. !!!!!