La Vogue Apartments renovation

**hybridy** · January-31-11, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by bartock

I did not know of anyone in Palmer Park when I was there. An aside, but when I graduated in 1998, there were actually still a few students living on Stoepel. I can't imagine there are any students on the west side of Livernois anymore.

haha no one west of livernois, and no one east of fairfield other than the fraternity houses...as of 08 campus housing was always full, but in need of major improvements

citylover · January-31-11, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Never ascribe to malice what can easily be explained by incompetence [[the administration, not the individual officers).

The police do little about crime anywhere in the city.

The Palmer pk area has been a topic in the past on the forum.I seem to recall that a regular poster back when it was a topic a few yrs ago made reference to a very real and palpable anti homosexual sentiment from the Police.

**majohnson** · January-31-11, 12:48 PM

The area does not need 20,000 to make a big difference. A few hundred could possibly introduce new social circles to the area as a viable place to live.

**rencense** · January-31-11, 08:57 PM

wow, that got torn apart quickly i swear noone can piss all over an idea faster than dyes posters.

I don't think i made any implications that the palmer park area alone is going to bring a half million professionals flooding into the city along with countless fortune 500 companies. Frankly I find that idea kinda problematic [[as in the old days of trying to lure in one giant corporation at any cost to solve the economic woes)

I know my way around the city pretty well and if i had any money to bet I would bet on this to be an up and coming area for a few reasons.

1) few areas in the city have a sizable population of apartments [[i think its an even denser apt population than midtown) This sets it apart from most of the city that is almost all single family houses. Lots of people aren't interested in owning a house. We're seeing downtown and midtown start to fill up slowly but steadily. If not palmer park apt area where would people expect to be the next growth area for this population? We seem stuck with the traditional notion in detroit that once an area sees a decline it can't ever be remade to be successful.

2) Naturally crime seems to be the main concern here. Now lets assume that the police are going to be just as unresponsive as most anywhere else in the city for the time being. However, the area in question is also near palmer woods, green acres, etc many of which have private security patrols. I think it would be plausible that private patrols start here. Since its a small, dense area the apartment owners may even be willing to chip in since if effective it would improve their business enough to offset the expense.

3) as for light rail i'll just say this.... none of us has lived long enough to remember when woodward had viable rail service so while I think it will have a big impact its also impossible to fully shoot that notion down until that time comes. This could in fact be an attractive option for someone who works/plays downtown but doesnt want the congestion and expense of living in the cbd. I know I'd consider it.

**Zacha341** · January-31-11, 09:06 PM

LOL! Does everything have to hinge on light rail? Ugh... and for sure it will not be 5 minute trip. But main point well taken. Downtown is getting ridiculously expensive. I'd love to see Palmer Park come back to life... the buildings are simply wonderful! This is an area I'd consider living in if it could be rehabbed. Great to see the investment coming forth!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Augustiner

Five minutes? It's light rail, not the freaking Concorde.

**Zacha341** · January-31-11, 09:12 PM

Yeah, the crime explosion was crazy when it happened. A close friend of mine moved due that factor alone. Yet having spent time in that area hear and there I was always sad that things went so bad so fast.

Originally Posted by kryptonite

I lived next to La Vogue about 1982-1983 in the building on 225 Covington. I had two friends that lived in La Vogue at different times. I can barely recall the interior. Palmer Park was getting terrible with crime, muggings were routine as were car thefts and break-ins. Someone broke into three units in my building in one day alone. Mine was one that they attempted to break into, the door was damaged but for some reason they were scared off. I would say at least 25 people I knew at the time all left PP before 1984 because of crime of fear of crime.

If Palmer Park were secure it could be a very nice residential area. The buildings are phenomenal, inside and out. Parking is an issue, but not nearly as bad as places like NYC or San Francisco. The view of the park from certain buildings is nice, there is enough grass and a few trees to give it an aesthetic appeal.

**Zacha341** · January-31-11, 09:14 PM

Six mile is a zoo right around there... I avoid six mile due to the lack of any adherance to traffic lights. They might as well turn them off. It gets a bit better nearer Livernois...

Originally Posted by davewindsor

Last time I was driving through Palmer Park, I had cars honking like I was insane for stopping at a red light and pass me and whip straight through red lights. That was month ago. Time was around 6-7pm. Maybe they were worried a pedestrian would pull out a gun and carjack them. I don't know. Almost everyone was doing it. It happened at two intersections. It wasn't a yellow light turning red. It was red when I got there and I stopped. They didn't even treat it as a four way stop and stop. They just slowed down a little and whipped right through. Happened twice and I got the hell out of there and back on Woodward because I didn't want to get hit.

**mwilbert** · February-01-11, 08:30 AM

But, that's all moot. There isn't even evidence that there will be a net increase of 1 resident to the city, let alone 20,000 or even the half a million you'll need. So where are the people going to come from? Light rail isn't going to make a difference unless there's a huge surge of decent paying new jobs that light rail would take residents to from stops along Woodward. Light rail is just throwing good money after bad.

I don't think anyone believes light rail is going to repopulate Detroit. I believe it could help repopulate the Woodward corridor, of which Palmer Park is a part. Nor do I believe that a lot of that population has to come from outside the city--we want to encourage people to move from the prairie to the denser areas, like Palmer Park. You could increase the density along Woodward as the population of the city continues to fall. That wouldn't surprise me at all.

**softailrider** · February-01-11, 08:18 PM

[QUOTE=davewindsor;219481]Last time I was driving through Palmer Park, I had cars honking like I was insane for stopping at a red light and pass me and whip straight through red lights. That was month ago. Time was around 6-7pm. Maybe they were worried a pedestrian would pull out a gun and carjack them. I don't know. Almost everyone was doing it. It happened at two intersections. It wasn't a yellow light turning red. It was red when I got there and I stopped. They didn't even treat it as a four way stop and stop. They just slowed down a little and whipped right through. Happened twice and I got the hell out of there and back on Woodward because I didn't want to get hit.[/QUOTE

Being in the city 5 to 6 days a week, in every area you can think of, I see people run yellow lights all the time. I see see people speeding way over the limits, on every street and expressway in town. Like I said before though, when a light is red I very rarely see anyone ignore it and drive right through, almost everyone waits for the light to change to green. That includes any part of 6 Mile Road. I'm not saying it never happens, I just don't see that very often at all.

**DetroitZack** · May-18-11, 07:01 PM

Photo update of this beauty!

**Mind field** · May-18-11, 07:09 PM

Wow, what a beautiful building.

**stromberg2** · May-19-11, 12:24 PM

It really is...there are alot of beautiful apartments in that area.

Stromberg2

**Zacha341** · May-19-11, 07:51 PM

ROTFL

! Yeah, I guess the doggone thing would have to stop at least once or twice to pick up riders! Hah... Lest is zip by empty...?

Sometimes I've found myself accelerating driving thru Highland Park on Woodward -- [[just joking!). I don't run lights -- it's a horribly dangerous practice I've observed urban and suburban!

Originally Posted by Augustiner

Five minutes? It's light rail, not the freaking Concorde.

**Zacha341** · May-19-11, 07:52 PM

Indeed a beautiful building. If the crime can be addressed there could be a turn around of that area. They just don't make buildings like this anymore. Splendid!

Originally Posted by Mind field

Wow, what a beautiful building.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · May-19-11, 11:21 PM

What a beautiful building and how great to see it saved and rehabbed. Especially when so many have been lost. It does seem that given the compact nature of this area, private security should be feasible. Bring the gays back to Palmer Park and it will thrive!

**English** · May-19-11, 11:54 PM

This is good news. The most beautiful apartment I've ever been in was in the Palmer Park area. I was visiting a friend who was living with her grandparents. It was like something you see in New York -- many bedrooms, dumbwaiter, servant's quarters, quiet and spacious.

One of the people in academia I admire the most is moving to Detroit this summer -- her husband is opening his office [[can't recall what he does), and she is opening her offices in TechTown. Once she moves in, I'll start a thread about her nonprofit. It shocked my socks off.

Of course, one person does not a trend make. But the creative class is starting to look at Detroit differently. It won't happen right now, but in 20-25 years, with a light rail scenario, I could see the PP area becoming very exclusive again.

**Roq** · May-20-11, 04:39 AM

Originally Posted by davewindsor

The area is so lawless that the last time I drove through there cars weren't even stopping and waiting at red lights--they just drove straight through the busy intersection.

I was there last night and people were stopping at all the lights on McNichols with tedious regularity.

**XDetroitr** · May-20-11, 11:50 AM

I used to live in PP in the early '80s. La Vogue was just 1 of many beautiful apt buildings. In fact, there are larger impressive architectural examples to be found.... The Trocedero, The Eldorado, Whitemore Plaza, Palmer Lodge... just to name a few. Moorish Revival, Art Deco, Tudor Revival can all be found. And these apt houses were built for the upper middle class, so they tend to have very large rooms and ornate details. Alas... I miss my old neighborhood.

**Historyguy** · May-20-11, 12:44 PM

The LaVogue was designed by noted theater architect Cyril Schley.

**Richard** · May-20-11, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by Historyguy

The LaVogue was designed by noted theater architect Cyril Schley.

Who was mostly into designing movie theaters,you can see the similarities with the balconies.

If Detroit started exploiting its gems and rebuilding instead of destroying it could easily stand out above the crowd.

**trotwood** · May-20-11, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by English

This is good news. The most beautiful apartment I've ever been in was in the Palmer Park area. I was visiting a friend who was living with her grandparents. It was like something you see in New York -- many bedrooms, dumbwaiter, servant's quarters, quiet and spacious.

One of the people in academia I admire the most is moving to Detroit this summer -- her husband is opening his office [[can't recall what he does), and she is opening her offices in TechTown. Once she moves in, I'll start a thread about her nonprofit. It shocked my socks off.

Of course, one person does not a trend make. But the creative class is starting to look at Detroit differently. It won't happen right now, but in 20-25 years, with a light rail scenario, I could see the PP area becoming very exclusive again.

Sounds like 1001 Covington. I lived in PP in the 80s and 1001 was the most beautiful apartment I'd ever seen.

**Neilr** · May-20-11, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by trotwood

Sounds like 1001 Covington. I lived in PP in the 80s and 1001 was the most beautiful apartment I'd ever seen.

Trotwood knows his apartments. 1001 Covington, aka The Walbri, is one of the most beautiful apartment buildings in Detroit. It was designed by Albert Kahn in the '20s and contains only 16 very large apartments. Several years ago it was converted to condos. If you go to their web site, make sure to take a look at the floor plans of the units. The individual apartments compare to those in Indian Village Manor.

http://www.1001covington.com/

**trotwood** · May-21-11, 10:45 AM

^^^^1001 Covington/The Walbri made a huge impression on me Neilr lol. The first time I stepped foot in one of the units my mouth dropped&I couldn't stop saying the word WOW!
Gorgeous is an understament. People throw the word jewel around a lot when talking about Detroit locations. For my money The Walbri should be added to the list of Detroit's jewels! It's a real gem.