Parkview [[or Parkside) Homes on Connor Avenue

**nativegirl** · September-22-11, 07:44 AM

Does anyone know if there are old pics of the old Parkview or Parkside Homes [[projects) that was on Connor Avenue south of I-94?

**Danny** · September-22-11, 08:08 AM

It was built somewhat in the late 1950s early 60s for a gov't subsidized housing project for low income families [[ Moslty black folks) who want a taste of the middle class pie in Detroit expanded Little Italy community. Most Italians and other non-Italian white folks feared that as more low-income black folks moved into the area trouble will loomed. When suburban development spead up in Macomb County and the Parkside Projects loomed with 90% black by the mide 1970s, White Detroiters quickly move away filling the void with low-middle income black folks along E. Warren Ave. ghetoohoods By the mid 1980s, half the ghettohood was 50% black stretching to Alter Rd and Chandler Park, Little Italy was instanly gone and White Boy Rick and The Best Friends Gang rule the upper Detroit east side spread their urban diseases through its ghettohoods. The Parkside Projects was part of it. By the 1990s The projects was instant drug den, some homes were closed, other demolised to make way for rehabitation. By the early 2000s, The Parkside Projects its still in its rehab stages and few security measures was in place to prevent more violent crime from going to those projects.

**Carey** · September-22-11, 09:26 AM

Parkside was built long before the late 1950s...here are some photos from the Reuther Library at WSU:

http://parksidethebricks.com/wsu.html

**MikeM** · September-22-11, 10:04 AM

Go here: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/habs_haer/ and search on Parkside.

**aoife** · September-22-11, 10:18 AM

Here are some more from the Reuther Library.

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...view=thumbnail

Not all of the negatives were scanned- if you are looking for something that does not show up give the Audiovisual Department a call [[577-4024) and they can check for you.

**Danny** · September-22-11, 02:28 PM

In Detroit when housing projects built, people of low under priviledge will move in.

These housing projects are:

1 Brewster-Douglas

2. Herman Gardens and Vista Nuevas Projects

3. DH Burnham Smith Homes

4. Sojounrer Truth

5. Jeffries

6. Lafayette [[ formally Black Bottom)

7. Parkside

All of these homes were actually built as a form of institutional reservation for black folks. They were very happy to live in those conditions for the structure was new.Later as it became very crappy, slummy, ghetto and crime laden, Black low-income families will became unhappy. What a good ideal to keep under priviledge black folks under warps to prevent them for knowing of what type of price, credit do they need to but a good decent home in the white neighborhood.

**nativegirl** · September-23-11, 07:23 AM

Thx everyone!!! When some family members of mine lived there in the early '70s some of the buidlings wer painted white and pale yellow. Then, slowly in the early 1980s the city began tearing down some of the buildings.

Buy American · September-23-11, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

In Detroit when housing projects built, people of low under priviledge will move in.

These housing projects are:

1 Brewster-Douglas

2. Herman Gardens and Vista Nuevas Projects

3. DH Burnham Smith Homes

4. Sojounrer Truth

5. Jeffries

6. Lafayette [[ formally Black Bottom)

7. Parkside

All of these homes were actually built as a form of institutional reservation for black folks. They were very happy to live in those conditions for the structure was new.Later as it became very crappy, slummy, ghetto and crime laden, Black low-income families will became unhappy. What a good ideal to keep under priviledge black folks under warps to prevent them for knowing of what type of price, credit do they need to but a good decent home in the white neighborhood.

" Instititional reservation", "under warps", "prevent them for knowing of what type of price, credit do they need but a good decent home in the white neighborhood", Did you just graduate from DPS?

I lived in the projects at the foot of Fairview in the 40's and early 50's. Incidentally, I'm white if you didn't know it. They were built for the "working poor"...not just for poor black folk.

**oladub** · September-23-11, 07:15 PM

My recollection from the mid-fifties was of quonset houses on the west side of Conner built sometime after WWII to accommodate returning GI's. I don't remember any blacks in Parkview in the 50's. Blacks, for sure, were living in Parkview and frequenting Chandler Park in the 60's. The development was tidy in the 50's with it's own grocery store. Sam's shopping center was nearby. There were large auto factories west of Conner with a lot of railroad tracks crossing Warren. Small switchyard steam engines moved back and forth. Can anyone remember the name of a nice sit down restaurant somewhere around there? I don't remember if it was in the Sam's shopping center or down Conner a little ways. I am not referring to A-Z Safariland.

**313WX** · September-23-11, 07:19 PM

Didn't these homes along with Chandler Park also incur significant damage during the 1997 tornado outbreak? [[the particular twister in question took a rough track from Hamtramck to Grosse Pointe).

Buy American · September-23-11, 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by oladub

My recollection from the mid-fifties was of quonset houses on the west side of Conner built sometime after WWII to accommodate returning GI's. I don't remember any blacks in Parkview in the 50's. Blacks, for sure, were living in Parkview and frequenting Chandler Park in the 60's. The development was tidy in the 50's with it's own grocery store. Sam's shopping center was nearby. There were large auto factories west of Conner with a lot of railroad tracks crossing Warren. Small switchyard steam engines moved back and forth. Can anyone remember the name of a nice sit down restaurant somewhere around there? I don't remember if it was in the Sam's shopping center or down Conner a little ways. I am not referring to A-Z Safariland.

I think you meant Parkside projects. Would the restaurant be Happy Landing on Conner across from City Airport? Or Haas Roast Beef on Outer Drive and Conner?

**oladub** · September-23-11, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

I think you meant Parkside projects. Would the restaurant be Happy Landing on Conner across from City Airport? Or Haas Roast Beef on Outer Drive and Conner?

Thank you, Parkside it is. No, The restaurant, whatever it's name, was closer top Warren and Conners in the late 50's and into the 60's. It was sort of a dress up weekend night or Sunday after church lower middle class sort of place.

Edited to add: I just did a google search and answered my own question.
The name of the restaurant was "Cupid's".

Buy American · September-23-11, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by oladub

Thank you, Parkside it is. No, The restaurant, whatever it's name, was closer top Warren and Conners in the late 50's and into the 60's. It was sort of a dress up weekend night or Sunday after church lower middle class sort of place.

Edited to add: I just did a google search and answered my own question.
The name of the restaurant was "Cupid's".

Spent many summer evenings at Cupids Drive-In as a teenager.