University District Trivia

New to the forum, I have had a great time poring through the posts, revisiting places and memories. I have been assembling a family history for some time, and the Internet is a huge resource. I am hoping that some of the posters here with long memories and a mind for minutae can jog my memory

I was raised [[from the early 60's) in the University District, although we did not call it that, then; I remember it as either Golf Club or Golf Park. As a young adult, I migrated to the east side, following the lure of the river and Lake St. Clair.

On the southeast corner of Curtis and Livernois was a small grocery store, which I remember chiefly for the barrel of excellent kosher dill pickles. Can anyone tell me the name of that store?

Across the street, north of Curtis on the west side of Livernois, across from the fire station, was a small soda fountain where we bought comics and candy. Again, I need help with the name.

I would be happy to discuss any other aspect of the history of the old neighborhood, as well.

I have no memory of the grocery store with the pickles at all, but I am pretty sure the place across from the fire station was called Maxie's.

Thanks so much! I believe you are right. Now that you say that, I am wondering if it might have been some variation, like Max's, but this is definitely the basic name. One down, one to go.

The grocery store was a real mom & pop operation, way smaller than the Super Sol's that was up on Seven Mile. I don't think it even had a parking lot, unless it was on the south side of the store. The building I remember ran right from the sidewalk back to the alley, sat right on the edge of the sidwalk on the Curtis side, and was narrow. And the front door was right on the corner.

I asked my mother if she remembered the market at the corner of Livernois and Curtis, and she said she did not, that the closest food market she could think of was at the corner of Livernois and Pickford on the west side of Livernois. Until they built the Wrigley's at Livernois and Santa Clara my parents went to the A&P in Highland Park because that was the closest except for the [[very small) Pickford Market and the upscale Market Basket on McNichols.

Right, we went to the supermarket on 9 Mile just east of Livernois, which was also an A & P. I had totally forgotten the Pickford Market, so thank your mother for reminding me of it!

I believe the lunch place with the pickle barrel you are referring to is Kayes. We used to go there to buy candy buttons and those little wax coke bottles. They also had a lunch counter.

Yeah, the Market Basket was quite upscale back in the day. Nowadays, the building is occupied by a run-of-the-mill neighborhood liquor store, but I remember when they used to carry stuff like pate', imported wines and seafood delivered fresh every day along with all kinds of hard to find specialty items. My mom never did much shopping there, but she occasionally sent me over there on my bike to pick up a box of baking soda or some cake mix or a box of detergent. We mostly bought our groceries at the afore mentioned Highland Park A&P.

OK, Kaye's is definitely the place across from the fire station. Maxie's/Max's sure rings a bell, though, and makes me wonder if that might be the little grocery store I'm chasing. The pickle barrel I remember was at the store on the corner of Curtis and Livernois; which is not to say that Kaye's didn't have one, as well.

Gary, I was sent on similar errands to Market Basket, we used it the same way. When they bugged out, another proprietor came in to carry on the tradition of an upscale market. I don't know how long that lasted and I can only say I'm sorry it did not.

Yep, Kaye's was the place across from the fire station. Memory is so unreliable.

I'll try to figure out what Maxie's was, if anything.

It's interesting how many businesses migrated north to the 'burbs, taking with them the name they used in Detroit. There's still a Market Basket in Birmingham, corner of Southfield and 14 Mile...I think the upscale food store in Franklin is still called the "Market Basket"...and of course there's the Dexter-Davison market in Oak Park, that used to really be in Dexter-Davison...

Dexpat...you wouldn't recognize the Market Basket these days. One of the guys I grew up with still lives on our old street and last summer a group of us from the old neighborhood got together at his house for a cookout. After we had killed a couple of 12 packs, we decided to head to the former Market Basket for fresh supplies and to have a look around just for the hell of it. All we could do was shake our heads when we saw the place on the inside...no resemblance whatsover to the place we used to know so well. I guess time moves on and nothing lasts forever. Too bad.

Yeah, Gary. I've gotten used to the idea that nothing lasts forever. What's harder sometimes is when what comes after is so much worse than what was.

It turns out the thread on the "Avenue of Fashion" mentioned Kaye's. I found mention of a deli called Maxie's by Tiger Stadium, but I'm still trying to nail down the little grocery on Livernois at Curtis.

The Market Basket was a great store...gourmet items before gourmet was the norm...I remember exploring the various condiments and sauces that no one else carried.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dexpat

It turns out the thread on the "Avenue of Fashion" mentioned Kaye's. I found mention of a deli called Maxie's by Tiger Stadium, but I'm still trying to nail down the little grocery on Livernois at Curtis.

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Here is a discussion of Maxie's Left Field Deli http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1185901400, not related to anything in University District as far as I know.

My mother talked to an old friend of ours who lived in the neighborhood for a long time as an adult, and also grew up there, and he thinks the store at the southeast corner of Livernois and Curtis was called Maxie's. I'm going to ask his oldest daughter--she's older than I am so she may remember it better.

[QUOTE=dexpat;218448]New to the forum, I have had a great time poring through the posts, revisiting places and memories. I have been assembling a family history for some time, and the Internet is a huge resource. I am hoping that some of the posters here with long memories and a mind for minutae can jog my memory

I was raised [[from the early 60's) in the University District, although we did not call it that, then; I remember it as either Golf Club or Golf Park. As a young adult, I migrated to the east side, following the lure of the river and Lake St. Clair.

On the southeast corner of Curtis and Livernois was a small grocery store, which I remember chiefly for the barrel of excellent kosher dill pickles. Can anyone tell me the name of that store?

Across the street, north of Curtis on the west side of Livernois, across from the fire station, was a small soda fountain where we bought comics and candy. Again, I need help with the name.

I would be happy to discuss any other aspect of the history of the old neighborhood, as well.[/ h

Now this takes me back to my days at Hampton School in the '50's and early '60's. I believe that the soda place was called Kayes. I may be wrong. Anyone want to verify?

I have agreement from multiple sources that the store at the corner of Livernois and Curtis was Maxies, and that there was a pickle barrel.