San Juan Drive

I started a topic on here a month or two ago asking about various parts of the city, and everybody was very helpful and I got a lot of good information. I've been looking around the city on StreetView alot since then, and I have to say that at least visually, San Juan Drive between 6 Mile and 7 Mile [[particularly between Pickford and Margareta) is my favorite street that I've come across so far. I like the style of the houses, there doesn't seem to be any vacant lots, and for the most part the yards seem like they are very well taken care of.

I think what first drew my attention to the area was this house: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...270.2,,0,-1.33 [[the 4th house from Pickford on the west side of San Juan). It looks like there are 2 huge mirrors on the front of the house. Does anybody know what that's about? The house appears to be vacant, but I think it still looks good nonetheless.

I know that just because an area looks nice doesn't mean it actually is, and also that some of the StreetView images are up to 2-3 years old, so can anybody tell me how this area is holding up now? The retail area along Livernois seemed like it was doing pretty well when the StreetView pictures were taken too. I do remember hearing that last month, 2 people were shot and killed on Prairie, is that unusual for this area?

Thanks for any info anybody can provide.

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Originally Posted by PGC

... I think what first drew my attention to the area was this house: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...270.2,,0,-1.33 [[the 4th house from Pickford on the west side of San Juan). It looks like there are 2 huge mirrors on the front of the house. Does anybody know what that's about?

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One way mirrors? The lower mirror seems to be reflecting this house.

Nice looking neighborhood!

The houses to the west of Livernois in the Bagley neighborhood between 6 and 7 look a lot like the houses to the east in the University District. In my opinion, the houses in the University District are generally a bit more interesting, but there are certainly nice streets in Bagley. One thing you will notice is the large number of globular house lights on poles--there was a neighborhood effort to put those in maybe 35 years ago and although it is a little goofy because the lights sometimes don't go well with the houses it does give the streets a kind of unity that is interesting.

There are several nice houses still in that area, even down to McNichols. Cherrylawn, Greenlawn, Pennington, even around Curtis, are quite nice. Like the rest of Detroit, it's block by block. A client of mine sold her house on Pennington after living there for 45 years. It was north of 7 mile and south of OuterDrive.

She was quite pleased to get 42K for the house. It was immaculate, from the diamond windows to the plaster rosettes.

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Originally Posted by PGC

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I think what first drew my attention to the area was this house: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...270.2,,0,-1.33 [[the 4th house from Pickford on the west side of San Juan). It looks like there are 2 huge mirrors on the front of the house. Does anybody know what that's about? The house appears to be vacant, but I think it still looks good nonetheless.

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Kinda weird about that house... notice the iron gate on the front door and all of the stickers on the door?? Doesn't quite look a regular house to me... looks like an office or clubhouse. Just my two cents' worth.

In the 1950's and 60's the Bagley Neighborhood was heavily Jewish. The commercial streets were dotted with numerous synagogues, Beth Abraham was on the corner of 7 Mile and Greenlawn and Temple Israel was a few minutes to the SE in Palmer Park. Also, the Jewish Community Center was a bike ride away on Curtis and Meyers.

Bagley Elementary was one [[of many) very highly regarded DPS schools. It fed into Mumford. Many of the teachers at those schools lived right in the neighborhood and so interacted with the parents on the street, in stores, restaurants, and religious institutions.

Doctors, lawyers, and successful businessmen had their homes in the University District, Sherwood Forest, and Palmer Woods. Teachers, principals, pharmacists, and the like lived in the Bagley community.

In Bagley, in the days before lawn services, there was intense competition between many of the residents with the maintenance of their lawns. The men in the neighborhood would spend their evenings manicuring their lawns. Dandelions and other weeds did not stand a chance if a homeowner had any sense of pride or at least enough sense of shame to not want to be the object of ridicule after Friday services. The clear winners were those who had impeccable lawns of bent grass with nary a blade out of place.

There is a range of housing in the neighborhood from nice cookie-cutter houses to ones that were clearly more upscale. Also, there are well-done, large two family flats. The houses tend to be on fairly tight lots which gives the streets a nice density.

The commercial strips on McNicols, Wyoming, 7 Mile and Livernois were where residents shopped for clothes, saw their doctors/dentist, ate [[Darby's was a NW Detroit institution), and went to the grocery store.

I grew up on San Juan, great street.
At this point in the game you may be able to buy in the Woodward corridor for pretty cheap.
Worthwhile if you think light rail will be built anytime soon.

My mom grew up on San Juan just north of 7 mile :) her house is still there and looking good. Took her by there and her elementry school which was up a few blocks and she was overjoyed to see it all in such good condition.

she lived at 19398 San Juan. We could see in the back yard and the trees her father planted are still there but the ones in fron of the house are all gone

It is probably gonna cost a bit more, but I'd suggest you get east of Livernois. There is a more consistent stability to the area.