2011 Gratiot Cruise - East Detroit

**Supersport** · June-18-11, 10:13 PM

Just finished uploading and blogging about this year's Gratiot cruise. Though my Camaro didn't make it due to mechanical problems I was unable to resolve in time, I still had a blast! I will be able to get my car up and running by this following weekend in order to attend the Downriver Cruise, and am still pondering the all Camaro show 4th of July weekend in Depot Town Ypsilanti.

Motor City Muscle

**Cincinnati_Kid** · June-18-11, 10:52 PM

Nice pics, thx.

**Kathleen** · June-18-11, 10:56 PM

Thanks, Sport!!! Haven't made it out to any car events yet this year so am enjoying your coverage!! As I'm perusing your pics, I am hearing the roar on Woodward only a couple blocks away!!!

**MaxSpeed** · June-20-11, 11:47 PM

Here is a video for whoever could not make it there...

**jgavrile** · June-21-11, 07:37 AM

I thought it was a loser as compared to previous years and to other cruises. I stuck around until 1:30 and most of the cars were current vehicles?? I had to leave,as it just wasn't interesting. Not the classic and hot rods expected from a cruise. Someone needs to get the people to get their cars off of the curb and actually cruise the street??
It was not very interesting. Plus when they do cruise, they are going 50 miles per hour??

**dtowncitylover** · June-19-19, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by jgavrile

I thought it was a loser as compared to previous years and to other cruises. I stuck around until 1:30 and most of the cars were current vehicles?? I had to leave,as it just wasn't interesting. Not the classic and hot rods expected from a cruise. Someone needs to get the people to get their cars off of the curb and actually cruise the street??
It was not very interesting. Plus when they do cruise, they are going 50 miles per hour??

Sorry to bump an 8 year old thread, as I was going to start a new one, but this post resonated for why I wanted to post.

Saturday I found myself in Eastpointe innocently going to a friend's house so they could drive to where we were going. Who knew that, from 10 Mile to 8 Mile, ALL the Michigan lefts were blocked AND the cross streets for 2 miles were CLOSED.

WHO'S FUCKING BRIGHT IDEA WAS THIS? My friend lives on the other side of Gratiot and before I knew it, I couldn't get to the other side. ALSO the left lane was closed.

The Gratiot Cruise is no where near as big as the Woodward cruise. I found a cop and asked him how I can get to the other side. He told me to go down to 8 Mile and the last Michigan left before 8 Mile is open. WTF?!?!

1) The cars sucked. Well over half of the cars [[probably 3/4) on the roads were modern. Probably people like me who had no idea and just wanted to get somewhere. Barely any rows of classics on the side. Some motorcycles.

2) Because of 1 the crowds were thin. Sure the weather sucked a bit, but at least Woodward always gets a good amount of crowds around the mile roads no matter what.

3) Because of 1 and 2, why the fuck is any part of Gratiot closed?! How is it even allowed that cross streets are closed off? Who accepts this shit to happen?

The cop basically told me "well we've been doing this for 25 years". I said, "I've lived off Woodward my entire life, don't tell me how to run a cruise!"

Woodward NEVER closes cross streets. As far as I can remember, lefts are always open and there's never a lane closed. And it's easily 10x bigger!

As if I needed a reason to strongly detest Macomb County even more.

**Gistok** · June-19-19, 12:47 PM

The Gratiot Cruise, unlike the Woodward Cruise has a turd in the punchbowl... namely Roseville... which refuses to participate... so therefore you have the Eastpointe Cruise... and north of Roseville you have the North Gratiot Cruise. The Eastpointe Cruise is the poorer of the two. Had Roseville allowed a cruise, you would have seen something closer approaching the size of the Woodward Cruise, and we wouldn't be having this discussion.

As for crossing at a Michigan left... I agree it is a stupid idea closing them all down... try making a right turn at a 1/2 mile road [[8 Mile, Toepher, 9 Mile, Stephens, 10 Mile), and then make a U-turn within a block [[into a sidestreet or business) and turn back to Gratiot and make another right turn... that's the most convenient way to get to the other side of Gratiot... without going miles out of your way.

Getting back to the cruises... since Roseville doesn't participate and the Gratiot Cruise is in 2 separate parts... St. Clair Shores has their own cruise... and Harper Ave is clogged one day a year.

Like I said... had Roseville participated... the 3 eastside cruises would have likely been a single larger event, not as large as the Woodward Cruise, but still large.

The reason for Roseville opting out of any 'dream cruise' is due to the fact that back in the 70s and 80s Gratiot was the main eastside cruising street on a Friday or Saturday night, especially thru Roseville... and the roadway was congested from just random cruising, thus making a big headache for the Roseville Police Department. This is probably why Roseville wants nothing to do with cruises.

**Honky Tonk** · June-19-19, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

Sorry to bump an 8 year old thread, as I was going to start a new one, but this post resonated for why I wanted to post.

Saturday I found myself in Eastpointe innocently going to a friend's house so they could drive to where we were going. Who knew that, from 10 Mile to 8 Mile, ALL the Michigan lefts were blocked AND the cross streets for 2 miles were CLOSED.

WHO'S FUCKING BRIGHT IDEA WAS THIS? My friend lives on the other side of Gratiot and before I knew it, I couldn't get to the other side. ALSO the left lane was closed.

The Gratiot Cruise is no where near as big as the Woodward cruise. I found a cop and asked him how I can get to the other side. He told me to go down to 8 Mile and the last Michigan left before 8 Mile is open. WTF?!?!

1) The cars sucked. Well over half of the cars [[probably 3/4) on the roads were modern. Probably people like me who had no idea and just wanted to get somewhere. Barely any rows of classics on the side. Some motorcycles.

2) Because of 1 the crowds were thin. Sure the weather sucked a bit, but at least Woodward always gets a good amount of crowds around the mile roads no matter what.

3) Because of 1 and 2, why the fuck is any part of Gratiot closed?! How is it even allowed that cross streets are closed off? Who accepts this shit to happen?

The cop basically told me "well we've been doing this for 25 years". I said, "I've lived off Woodward my entire life, don't tell me how to run a cruise!"

Woodward NEVER closes cross streets. As far as I can remember, lefts are always open and there's never a lane closed. And it's easily 10x bigger!

As if I needed a reason to strongly detest Macomb County even more.

You should have used one of the city's 4 public transportation bus services. Drivers would have known about the detours and got you there on time, without the angst.

**dtowncitylover** · June-19-19, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

As for crossing at a Michigan left... I agree it is a stupid idea closing them all down... try making a right turn at a 1/2 mile road [[8 Mile, Toepher, 9 Mile, Stephens, 10 Mile), and then make a U-turn within a block [[into a sidestreet or business) and turn back to Gratiot and make another right turn... that's the most convenient way to get to the other side of Gratiot... without going miles out of your way.

Thanks Gistok for the info about Roseville, had no idea! That's a good probably 5 miles of Gratiot not part of it and it makes me wonder, even if I do have an ulterior feeling, if it's even worth having at all. But of course not my call.

Anyway, as to the above suggestion, which I do appreciate, all the crossings were closed. I thought about making such a right turn and U-turn but I couldn't because the median part of each intersection from Frazho to Toepfer was completely blocked by cops and/or fire engines. Had I realized it sooner, probably before Frahzo, I would've just gone back to 11 Mile and taken it over and then down.

Anyway, Gratiot Cruise is shit. The End.

**dtowncitylover** · June-19-19, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

You should have used one of the city's 4 public transportation bus services. Drivers would have known about the detours and got you there on time, without the angst.

HA! Oh you. You're so cute when you're trying to "catch me". I drive, I've never denied that. But I am also a proud holder of a SMART/DDOT DART pass.

No "detour" was posted. In fact, nothing was posted along the route about going down to 8 Mile. There was also no sign about the left lane being closed. It was just blocked with cones for two miles. It was a clusterfuck. What's funny is that I don't even remember seeing any press about it. I know these cruises happen every year but I didn't see anything about. I would've taken the 696 to 94 to 9 Mile route had I seen before.

**EGrant** · June-19-19, 07:02 PM

There was an article about the ridiculous lane closure in the Macomb Daily, but that's not exactly the best way to reach anyone anymore...

Also, Van Dyke has a cruise now? How about we don't.