What are your memories of Greektown

**jgavrile** · May-02-10, 10:50 PM

Fury 13, that place on the corner was called Serros. It had the best suvlaki

**reddog289** · May-03-10, 01:34 AM

The bicycle races

**mikefmich** · May-03-10, 01:46 AM

Before Trappers Alley existed as we knew it in later years......there was an active "backroom" thing going on at many places. Card games, gambling, & Ouzo flowed freely.

A guy I worked with in the early 70's was Greek, as was my neighbor next door to me on the eastside, who was from a well known local Greek family.
They were both my ticket in the door to those backrooms.

**G-DDT** · January-11-15, 10:09 PM

Good memories: Going to Trapper's Alley [[wish I had seen the used book store), and checking out the goofy space-age black-lit pool and indoor mini-golf place at the top floor. My high schoolmate who carpooled with me and used to share smokes with me during our free-hour was always proud of the bracelet her boyfriend bought her at a place in Greektown; it was a fork beaten into the shape of some aquatic sea-creature.
The Mediterranean Cafe was a big favorite for all of us night owls and club kids. I loved their falafel sandwiches and Baklava. Those brothers ran a good spot.
I remember buying bidi-cigs at the tobacconist shop there.
Buying pastries at Astoria for my girlfriend at the time, and actually feeling spikes of envy go through me, when dudes would walk by and make garish overtures to her.
Then, there was always Ka-ka's, I mean Plaka's for a rude late night bite.
I had great meals at Cyprus Taverna. Saginaki, moussaka-the works.

**G-DDT** · January-11-15, 10:25 PM

Bad memories: Having the keyboardist from out band try to leverage one of his weaselly "dinner meetings" on me at the Pegasus a week before our "big gig" at the Gold Dollar [[and a week after I got out of the hospital-messed up on a bad pharmaceutic and had an undiagnosed blood-sugar condition I was recovering from-had little sympathy from any of my friends.). He pulled an ultimatum where he insisted we only perform improvisation [[and me with over a dozen 3-themed notebooks full of sound and musical composition ideas) or he'd leave. If I had my druthers then, I would've said "Fine, I don't care what kind of gear you have-either you're gone, or I'm out". Than again, if I was more clear-headed about it all, I wouldn't have suffered his manipulative treat-folks-like-computers/button-pushing-Dale-Carnegie-get-your-way B.S. from the getgo.
Also, as much as I like Cyprus, I had an incident where I was trying to recover from a confusing Dally in the Alley, where I went to unwind the next day at the house of a drummer. They were shacking up three well-known musicians who'd just returned with the others, and they were heading off to get something to eat. I was well on my way out the door, when the drummer insisted I join them. I repeatedly explained I had no money, but he kept saying "C'mon-it's cool". I ordered nothing, and the biggest celebrity kept insisting on buying calimari and Retsina pine-resin wine for us all. I mostly had bread and water, and when someone didn't finish their plate, I asked if I could have some-which seemed no problem. When the bill came, all I could chip in on was tip. Seems moochey, but my presence was insisted upon and I explained the money matter right up front. The bassist used this as something to go and spill his disgust to everyone at Zoot's about. He still won't address the facts. Typical. All of those people had no problem bumming you smokes, but when you are buying them cartons to pay them back, they balk and refuse to take them. They just want a reason to smack-talk you to others. Remember: a credit card company doesn't deem you a good customer if you promptly pay them back. Some folks want to hang anything over your head. It's a time-honored tactic of control employed by many clandestine social groups [[why do you think there's bachelor parties?). So, you perpetually owe...
Yeah, so...bad times.

**Dan Wesson** · January-12-15, 08:46 AM

Did anyone ever get the picture taken with the organ grinders monkey there? My girlfriend [[future wife) did, still have it.

My best memory about Greektown was at one of the restaurants with my wife and her brother. He was admiring the atmosphere and commented about the wall covering. He asked if that was stucco and my wife says no it's nailed....

that was funny then and it's a fond memory now.

**Zacha341** · January-12-15, 08:50 AM

The old lady Stella... Perhaps someone already mentioned her in the thread.

**Honky Tonk** · January-12-15, 08:56 AM

WOW, The organ grinder monkey, and Stella. I forgot about both of those until now.

**piczka** · January-12-15, 09:37 PM

Anyone recall the Lafayette Bar on Monroe and Lafayette ca.1960's?

**piczka** · January-14-15, 12:45 AM

Sam was the owner-bartender at the Lafayette. A regular crew of police and detectives were known to TGIF there. Stroh's on tap and belly dancers on the weekends. Lots of fun and good times Quite a few medical people also came by from the now razed Detroit Receiving and Detroit Memorial Hospitals which at the time were on the next block. A much more relaxed and spontaneous bunch compared to today. People could relax and not be concerned with you tube recording being done on premises and no breathalyzers. It was located on the SW corner.of Lafayette and Monroe. I can also recall buying Roditis wine with Greek bread, olives and cheese afterward for the ride home.

**canuck** · January-14-15, 08:51 AM

Love this thread, this is why I find Detroityes far above any city forum out there.

**downtownguy** · January-14-15, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by piczka

Anyone recall the Lafayette Bar on Monroe and Lafayette ca.1960's?

Except that those streets don't intersect. Lafayette and some other street, perhaps?

**ABetterDetroit** · January-15-15, 12:41 AM

I remember when they would put up the orange cones up at Brush and St. Antoine blocking all the vehicle traffic from getting on Monroe. All the restaurants would be packed, the lines for night clubs would be long with all the young people dressed up waiting their turn to get in. People from all different nationalities would have the streets and sidewalks packed just visiting with their friends or eating pastries or ice cream with an occasional beverage being passed to share. Everyone just having a good time. Great memories of the Saturday nights of last summer.

**chosen won** · January-15-15, 12:45 AM

I remember Stella. Any idea what happened to her? I saw her often in the 80's and she had to be in her 70's then. I started going to the Golden Fleece around 1975. A couple of times we rode our bikes from Wyandotte. The Golden Fleece used to be packed at 2:00 a.m. The gold old days. I remember when Trappers Alley opened. There was a news anchor that invested heavily in that project which eventually failed. I still go to the Golen Fleece and it hasn't changed at all, just not as busy.

**Honky Tonk** · January-15-15, 02:04 AM

Originally Posted by canuck

Love this thread, this is why I find Detroityes far above any city forum out there.

Be proactive. Start a forum in your city. MontrealOUI!

**canuck** · January-15-15, 04:10 AM

Here is one of the better English ones in the city, it reads like a twitter feed and jumbles topics. But if you read through it, there is hardly any mention of race or violence or transit budget problems... Lol

http://w5.montreal.com/mtlweblog/

**mikeg19** · January-15-15, 07:47 AM

I remember my dad taking us to Greektown when I was a little boy in the early 90's. I was always struck by how many people and restaurants were in this close vacinity, and then we'd walk over 2 blocks and be in complete desolation. I always liked Trappers Alley for some reason, maybe it was the skywalks or something.

Oh, and I remember when Greektown actually had more than a couple actual GREEK restaurants. Last time I was in NYC's Little Italy, I didn't see too many 5 Guys, Burger Kings, or Taco Bells. What a concept, eh?

**mikeinmotown** · January-15-15, 01:52 PM

Emily's was owned by Emily Gail. Her father owned Gail office supply. Her brother is Max Gail of the Barney Miller TV Show. Emily does look a little like Lily Tomlin. A lot of people don't know but Emily is the one who started the first runs downtown. It was called Emily's Fun Run years before the Free Press Marathon. Emily lives in Hawaii now.

**mikeinmotown** · January-15-15, 02:01 PM

My favorite memories of Greektown started the first time I went there in 1970. I was in the 11th grade and my buddies and I would drive down there to drink. We could go to several bars in Greektown and they would never check our ID. I can't remember the name of the bars but they are long gone. Trappers Alley was a real alley then. They had a few real cool stores. I remember the book store and cactus/flower shop. Plus the theater. In the summer time they would shut down the street and the local bands would play there. This is the time I fell in love with Detroit. Floods used to be called Piper's Alley which was a great restaurant. Of course Stella was there too. There was also a photography studio that we would go to. In the front window a camera was placed and it took pictures of you. Anyone else remember that?

**piczka** · January-15-15, 05:06 PM

Mea Culpa, but it was a long time ago. The Lafayette bar was located on the SW corner of E. Lafayette and Beaubien!

**G-DDT** · January-15-15, 07:39 PM

Wow! I do love seeing the results from breathing new life into an old thread for a new generation of forum posters to contribute.

**FormerEastsider** · January-15-15, 10:35 PM

Hello DetroitYes folks. This is my first post. I recently moved to Albuquerque, NM from Detroit. A friend told me about DetroitYes and I decided to check it out. My first memory of Greektown was in 1966. My spouse and I went to Hellas on our first date. I remember standing outside in a long line. Fortunately there were heaters outside of the restaurant. I had never tasted Greek food before. When we got married in 1968 we moved to Lafayette Park and managed to eat our way up one side of Monroe and down the other. Fortunately I had one last chance to eat at Hella's before it was torn down. When I left Detroit there was a very large hole where Hella's once stood. Does anyone know what was built on the Hella's corner?

**A2Mike** · January-16-15, 03:32 PM

The New Hellas had a dessert called bougatsa which combined the nutty filling layers of baklava with a layer of custard softer than that in galaktoboureko. Sublime!

**Henry Whalley** · September-17-20, 08:05 AM

Each summer there was a Greektown Festival. Monroe and several side streets were closed to car traffic and there was Greek music and dancing in the streets. It was a three day party with thousands of revelers.

One Sunday night circa 1970, I was dancing, full of retsina, and singing "Off the Greeks! Off the Greeks" when some Greek decidedly lacking in humor knocked me out with a good left hook. Those were the days!