Was there a Cunningham Drugstore at Michigan & Griswold in the 70's?

Greetings All!

For some reason, I have it stuck in my head that there was a Cunningham Drugs on the N/W corner of Michigan & Griswold near Capital Park, but my friends say it was always a Kinsel's Drugstore? Does anyone have any insight on that area in the late 70's or early 80's? I can remember Quickie Donuts, Toyland, Griswold Sporting Goods & Detroit Business Institute [[DBI) all being in that area around that time?

Thanks,

Carl

It was a Kinsel's Drug Store

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Originally Posted by preserve

It was a Kinsel's Drug Store

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Weren't they partners @ one point?

There used to be a Rite Aid on Griswold just north of Michigan-could that be a former Cunningham's?

Definitely a Kinsel's on that northwest corner.

Pretty sure that the Rite Aid on the east side of Griswold north of Michigan was previously a Cunningham's.

Kathleen is correct. I can also recall a State Street entrance to this store next to Colonial Merchandise. I have also seen pics of a Woodward entrance as well. Wasn't the evolution Cunningham to Apex to Perry to Rite Aid? There was also a Perry's on Woodward where the Thai Place now controls the storefront S of Cadillac Sq.

My first trip to Detroit without parental escort was staying at the Book Caddy as a teenager in the 70's [[$19.95 per person included buffet breakfast). My friend and I wandered down to Kinsel's for some late night snacks. Can't remember which was more exciting - being propositioned by all the hookers out front and or having the guard raise his shotgun to let us through the front door. Good times for a kid from small town Ontario!

Don't remember Apex, remember that Cunningham's became Arbor - result of a union dispute.

My ~1950's map of downtown confirms what Kathleen and DetroitPlanner wrote. It was in that building that wraps around the David Stott Building giving Cunningham's entrances on both Griswold and State Street. There was another, seemingly not connected and somewhat smaller, Cunningham's, right around the corner on Woodward just south of the B. Siegel store which was on the SW corner of Woodward & State.

Kinsel was a very old Detroit store. dating back to 1893.

Kinsel eventually grew into a chain of drug stores that was bought out by Cunningham's in the late '50s. All of the stores were rebranded as Cunningham's except the Griswold-Michigan one that remained as Kinsel due to its long-time name recognition and the proximity of other Cunningham's stores.

Kinsel was for a long time the only 24 hour store downtown and one of the very few 24 hour pharmacies in the Detroit area. I remember going there in the early morning hours to get an emergency prescription for my father. As 401don indicates, it also became known for certain folks hanging around the place, although I never found any of them actually threatening.

But, ahhh, that wrap-around Cunningham's store that ran from Griswold to State. I spent a lot of time in there hanging out in the heat or the air conditioning when I was supposed to be outside waiting on the Vernor bus. Shoplifted my first girlie magazines and somewhat pornographic paperbacks from that place. Such sweet warm memories...

Here is some info on Cunningham's. Interestingly enough Cunningham's also owned Kinsel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunningham_Drug_[[U.S.)

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Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Kinsel was a very old Detroit store. dating back to 1893.

Kinsel eventually grew into a chain of drug stores that was bought out by Cunningham's in the late '50s. All of the stores were rebranded as Cunningham's except the Griswold-Michigan one that remained as Kinsel due to its long-time name recognition and the proximity of other Cunningham's stores.

Kinsel was for a long time the only 24 hour store downtown and one of the very few 24 hour pharmacies in the Detroit area. I remember going there in the early morning hours to get an emergency prescription for my father. As 401don indicates, it also became known for certain folks hanging around the place, although I never found any of them actually threatening.

But, ahhh, that wrap-around Cunningham's store that ran from Griswold to State. I spent a lot of time in there hanging out in the heat or the air conditioning when I was supposed to be outside waiting on the Vernor bus. Shoplifted my first girlie magazines and somewhat pornographic paperbacks from that place. Such sweet warm memories...

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When I was in first and second grade, I had a twice-a-month appointment with a pediatrician in the Stott Building. On those days when my dad drove me there, we always stopped here for hot fudge sundaes afterwards. "Don't tell Mom, she'll just yell at us for messing up our dinner appetite," he would always say, and I never did. Mom, on the other hand was all business and couldn't get into or out of downtown fast enough. :)

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Originally Posted by catch22

When I was in first and second grade, I had a twice-a-month appointment with a pediatrician in the Stott Building. On those days when my dad drove me there, we always stopped here for hot fudge sundaes afterwards. "Don't tell Mom, she'll just yell at us for messing up our dinner appetite," he would always say, and I never did. Mom, on the other hand was all business and couldn't get into or out of downtown fast enough. :)

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I would see a dentist about once a month for my jacked-up jaw in the Whitney. Mom would take me there by bus. We would occasionally walk down to Hudson's, Crowley's or Seigel's; but other than that all business. When dad took us downtown it was sometimes by bus to the Olympia [[okay not really downtown), and usually include stops at Lafayette Coney Island.

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Originally Posted by carlscomputers

Greetings All!

For some reason, I have it stuck in my head that there was a Cunningham Drugs on the N/W corner of Michigan & Griswold near Capital Park, but my friends say it was always a Kinsel's Drugstore? Does anyone have any insight on that area in the late 70's or early 80's? I can remember Quickie Donuts, Toyland, Griswold Sporting Goods & Detroit Business Institute [[DBI) all being in that area around that time?

Thanks,

Carl

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Kinsel's Drugs was on the NW corner and Cunningham's was across the street on Griswold but just to the north, nearer to Capitol Park.