Hamtramck

**JenniferL** · June-12-12, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Brich

The DDOT Chene bus goes right up the middle of Hamtown on Jos Campau. It will take you downtown with no need to transfer buses. To get to the Cultural Center, transfer buses at Warren or walk.

I am absolutely not standing on the corner of Chene and Warren waiting for a bus or anything else. There are packs of wild dogs in that neighborhood, among other things.

**Baron_Haussmann** · June-12-12, 09:29 PM

Bham1982 - Should you really be calling something ridiculous when you obviously have no knowledge of what you are talking about?

Here is a link to the main loft rental company in Hamtramck.
http://www.detroitloftliving.com/

There is just a small sample of the lofts displayed on the site, and they are very rarely available. They are filled with professionals ranging from attorneys, to engineers, to high end art gallery owners.

**Zacha341** · June-12-12, 09:38 PM

I hear that... It would not be my first option.

Originally Posted by JenniferL

I am absolutely not standing on the corner of Chene and Warren waiting for a bus or anything else. There are packs of wild dogs in that neighborhood, among other things.

**rjk** · June-12-12, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by Baron_Haussmann

Bham1982 - Should you really be calling something ridiculous when you obviously have no knowledge of what you are talking about?

Here is a link to the main loft rental company in Hamtramck.
http://www.detroitloftliving.com/

There is just a small sample of the lofts displayed on the site, and they are very rarely available. They are filled with professionals ranging from attorneys, to engineers, to high end art gallery owners.

If that's the case why hasn't a developer done something with the old Federals/Shoppers World Building? It's been sitting there for over five years doing nothing.

**jackie5275** · June-12-12, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by JenniferL

I am absolutely not standing on the corner of Chene and Warren waiting for a bus or anything else. There are packs of wild dogs in that neighborhood, among other things.

Plus up & down the service drive & Mt. Elliott

**corktownyuppie** · June-12-12, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by rjk

If that's the case why hasn't a developer done something with the old Federals/Shoppers World Building? It's been sitting there for over five years doing nothing.

There are a lot of buildings where a developer could make tons of money rehabbing a building with great returns. The problem is that rehabbing a building requires money up front....this generally means involving a bank willing to lend the money.

Then, you might say, if it's such a good investment, why won't the banks lend the money to the developers? [[Or on the corollary, if the banks won't lend, it's probably a bad investment.)

That's not quite true. Banks are required to keep their commercial loans below a certain percentage of money lent. Same with residential loans and auto loans, etc. This is required by the FDIC to make sure that no bank is overexposed to any one type of investments.

[[For example, if a bank lends all of it's available funds on vacant land which is generating no revenue, then it's in big trouble if they have to foreclose on all of it. It's hard to sell, it costs money to own it, and it costs even more money before you can convert it into something that generates revenue.)

So we're in a situation right now where almost all banks are wayyyyyyyyyyy overexposed to commercial loans. And so even if you showed up to the bank with a great property that will make tons of money for both the bank and the developer, the commercial loan officers are saying, "We're not open for business on commercial loans yet...give us another 1-2 years for more of these existing loans to get paid off."

**Hamtragedy** · June-12-12, 11:53 PM

Those lofts are indeed getting that much and have been for at least the last 20 years. I've seen some pretty fancy cars coming and going from the drive-in warehouse spaces on the first floor of some of those lofts on the W side of Campau south of Edwin, including a 64 Porsche [[i made his running lamps work), and an old E class.

Its funny reading alot of the comments on here, and the ignorance that is willfully and authoritatively presented as fact is mindblowing.

Some insightfulness is spot on.

We are in a mass transit desert. Getting any line to get to Woodward quickly is desperately needed. The Plymouth just doesn't cut it, and the Conant shuts down at 8pm.

Cops do indeed show up within 2 minutes. Any time of day or night. 876-7800. Program that number into your phone.

In 20 years I've never seen a cop on the service drive by Axle plant. They will get you North of Caniff every time, north or south. Complete stops at stop-signs are highly recommended.

Hamtramck is a kit house paradise. The two family four squares with the double front porches [[you can see your neighbors 5 to six porches either direction) are for the large part extremely well built. They have been bastardized over the last 50 years, many of them, but boy, there are several cuties still with the exposed roof brackets, oak columns and partitions are common, and the Moorish arched doorways between rooms make up many more Hamtramck houses. I'd gladly take one of these anyday over a post war II frame bungalow.

The "non-descript" buildings lining the main streets are the same non-descript buildings you see in any viable Chicago North side neighborhood. In fact, Hamtramck is one of only two neighborhoods in the entire area that give you that same feel as any of those Chicago neighborhoods, minus, of course the "thriving" part. [[Vernor Hwy is the other. I will concede Ferndale and RO too, just to make some of you happy).

But here's where it veers. Code enfocment, like Detroit, has been so lax for so long, that when I do call city hall because some business or resident is painting yellow brick purple [[usually un-primed), there is nothing they can do. Which sucks, especially when it is one of those cool 1920's period buildings lining Campau, or Conant. The hand painted signage quality has gone downhill as well. I won't deny this attributes mightily to the run-down appearance.

Finally, listening to all the chickadee friends I've been entertaining for years, they like visiting, bar-hopping, or stopping thru on the way downtown. But they won't ride a bike to campus [[15 minutes tops) because we are landlocked. And the creepy guy factor is off the charts. With a handful of exceptions, most Metro Detroit women don't feel safe there. Women from other towns that are here, don't share that same feeling.

I say send the Dequindre cut all the way to Hamtramck, a problem given the Terminal RR still uses the line north of Eastern Market. St. Aubin is still too creepy for most people.

**Islandman** · June-12-12, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

as far as I can tell, it's just the chains left except for a Halal pizza place on Conabt

You always have the original Buddy's Pizza less than 10 minutes, at most.

**Islandman** · June-12-12, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Based on this ridiculous comment, I assume your post contains nothing but promotional propoganda.

If this statement were true, the retail along Campeau would all be converted to residential, because that's higher than some of the current retail rents. The landlords can't get this for the ground floor retail, but they're getting it upstairs? Don't think so.

"Buy now or be priced out forever"!

Actually, you are incorrect. I happen to be one of those loft renters. As I was moving into my loft, which was vacant for a couple of days, another girl was moving from one of the units to live downtown. A guy started moving into the unit a few days later.

And yes, the range price range for the lofts is also correct.

**mwilbert** · June-13-12, 11:07 AM

If this statement were true, the retail along Campeau would all be converted to residential, because that's higher than some of the current retail rents. The landlords can't get this for the ground floor retail, but they're getting it upstairs? Don't think so.

This is illogical. Look at all the arterial streets in Detroit where the commercial spaces are empty, and 50 feet away on the sidestreets there are perfectly good houses with people in them. Residential and commercial spaces aren't interchangable, and converting one to the other costs a lot of money.

**townonenorth** · June-13-12, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Islandman

Actually, you are incorrect. I happen to be one of those loft renters. As I was moving into my loft, which was vacant for a couple of days, another girl was moving from one of the units to live downtown. A guy started moving into the unit a few days later.

And yes, the range price range for the lofts is also correct.

That proves to me that Barnum was right.

**JenniferL** · June-14-12, 08:53 PM

Despite what I said earlier about the transit problem and the neighborhoods surrounding Hamtramck, it still has a lot going for it. I've been following the real estate market for some time now, and Hamtramck's home values haven't plummeted to the degree that I've seen in inner ring suburbs like Hazel Park, south Warren, and Eastpointe. The population of Hamtramck has also remained steady. As one group of immigrants leaves, there are always new arrivals to take their places. In other words, if I moved to Hamtramck and later wanted to sell my house, I could. This is not the case in most Detroit neighborhoods or in the inner ring suburbs.

**Lt. Dan Bassett** · June-17-12, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by piczka

It's located in the middle of a cesspool and is slowly being overrun. Full of empty churches and closed stores. Filled with transients waiting for the next bus to the burbs. It no longer has roots.

Chene St. ghetto to the south, Carpenter Rd slum to the north, Highland Park ruins to the west and East Detroit battle ground to the east. This is going to attract students, professionals, artists etc.? Who in their right mind would take the chance?

not so fast, pilgrim. the artists ARE already north of Carpenter. PowerHouse productions is developing a, as one hamtown stalwart put it, "honky heidelberg" right under your nose. Yes, some so-called transients are shooting for the burbs asap but the bud of self-sustaining community is blooming near the corner of Conant and the Davison. not for everyone, but it is real, progressive and maybe more than temporary autonomous zone of pirate utopia.

**karenka** · June-18-12, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by piczka

Full of empty churches

What churches are empty? I can't think of a single one.

**rb336** · June-19-12, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by rjk

If that's the case why hasn't a developer done something with the old Federals/Shoppers World Building? It's been sitting there for over five years doing nothing.

Aldi's was going to put a store in there, and put a senior living space above. don't recall why it fell through, but I can think of one reason -- NO parking except street and lots -- at meters

**rb336** · June-19-12, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Baron_Haussmann

Bham1982 - Should you really be calling something ridiculous when you obviously have no knowledge of what you are talking about?

Here is a link to the main loft rental company in Hamtramck.
http://www.detroitloftliving.com/

There is just a small sample of the lofts displayed on the site, and they are very rarely available. They are filled with professionals ranging from attorneys, to engineers, to high end art gallery owners.

I am singularly unimpressed with those lofts. they are big for the price, yes, but the finish materials look sub-standard for today, especially in the kitchen. Formica? Really? and the cabinets look equally cheap. loft space J is the worst offender, with open fluorescent tube lighting. Looks like a low-rent office space

Shollin · June-19-12, 09:59 AM

I don't get this forum. i read on here how parking lots are awful. How we need a street wall, how we need walkability, how we need a dense urban core, how sprawl has ruined the area, how we should rip out freeways and turn them into boulevards, yet Hamtramck has all that, yet people complain about the parking.

**rb336** · June-19-12, 10:45 AM

What are needed are parking structures under buildings. You can't have a residence without parking in this area. What people complain about is tearing down historic structures for parking lots

**detroitsgwenivere** · June-19-12, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by Shollin

I don't get this forum. i read on here how parking lots are awful. How we need a street wall, how we need walkability, how we need a dense urban core, how sprawl has ruined the area, how we should rip out freeways and turn them into boulevards, yet Hamtramck has all that, yet people complain about the parking.

Maybe its because not all of us posting on this forum want to rip out freeways and do away with the automobile.

**Király** · July-15-12, 03:47 AM

Scratching my head over Wiki's Hamtramck page. It says that Hamtramck is Michigan's most densely populated city, and I believe that from the Google Earth shots.

But what I don't get is that Hamtramck has experienced just as sharp a population decline since its peak as Detroit has:

Hamtramck 1930: 56,268. 2010: 22,423, a 60% decline.
Detroit 1950: 1,849,568. 2010: 713,777, a 61% decline.

So how did Hamtramck manage to lose 60% of its population but keep all of its neighbourhoods and homes intact, and remain the densest city in the state? Were residents simply packed in like sardines in 1930?

GUSHI · July-15-12, 09:43 AM

In the 30s you had 2 to 3 families, living in one house, there were more house, hence more people, There are streets w no house on them in hamtramck, they all had house once upon a time,

**Hamtragedy** · July-15-12, 01:46 PM

Also consider an entire neighborhood was demolished to make way for the GM Poletown plant in the early 80's. Parts of the south side, which is the oldest side of Hamtramck, is rather sparse in terms of housing, but doesn't really resemble the urban prairie Detroit is known for.

GUSHI's right. Those "two-family" flats held alot more than two families. Many of those classic Hamtramck two family flats with the upper and lower balconies [[front and rear, I might add), had a huge unfinished attic space, most of which had planking to walk around on, set a bed or five, dressers, etc, and plenty of head space to walk around in, and windows front and rear which usually opened to let a breeze thru.

**RickBeall** · July-15-12, 11:07 PM

Kiraly wrote:
>>So how did Hamtramck manage to lose 60% of its population but keep all of its neighbourhoods and homes intact, and remain the densest city in the state? Were residents simply packed in like sardines in 1930?

Yep! Sardines! I lived in an apartment in Hamtramck where the arrangement of doors to the kitchen made no sense until you realized there must have been people living in the unfinished attic and they had kitchen priviledges. [[on Jacob St). Also, if you drive through the Hamtramck "subs" you will see 4 old stores on every corner. There was a lot of people buying a lot of stuff!

We are at a pretty comfortable population level right now.

Shollin, in the first post wrote: Hamtramck " seems to have become a gateway for immigrants." That is a humorous statement because Hamtramck has been a gateway for immigrants for 60 years! Rock on Hamtramck! Immigants are the wind that keep our sails full. I am guessing they come here partially because we have a police and fire dept which helps keep them safe once they arrive. In Detroit, if crime erupts in an area, Detroit does not "double down". They just let the area rot.

Concerning pizza, try Amar Pizza on Conant. I think it is the best pizza in Detroit. And, ha haha, the original Buddy's is just up the street. Try Amar's Chicago deep dish or their Naga [[ghost pepper) pizza. The ghost pepper pizza is not that hot, it is just real tasty. [[My wife would consider it hot, remember "hot" is kinda relative.) If you ask, they can make it hot though. I had them make a hot pizza for work which just about made us all hallucinate.

**DetroitPlanner** · July-16-12, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by Shollin

The 80's. When I was younger it was never hip to live in Ferndale, and if memory serves me correctly, downtown Royal Oak was just a bunch of shuttered warehouses and small factories. They both continue to lose population and Ferndale's population loss is outpacing Hamtramck's loss. You're missing the whole point. It's about the potential. Someone realized the potential of the abandoned warehouses in Royal Oak and created a yuppie utopia. Before that it wasn't a desirable suburb. Hamtramck has the potential.

Thats my recollection too. But then Hamtramck was full of businesses as well. What folks seem to not understand is that things cycle, particularly when you're talking about a market as huge as metro Detroit where everyone is always looking for something new. It wasn't until the late 1980's that people even talked about going to Royal Oak as a destination. Ferndale lagged Royal Oak by about 10 years. I am concerned however that many of these communities are losing staples in favor of what is fashionable. As rents rise retailers have to figure out how to change to stay in business and often this makes a grocery store or hardware store disconinue basic stuff in favor of higher profit stuff or risk being put out of business entirely.

**Detroitej72** · July-16-12, 09:56 AM

As long as immigrants continue to pour into Hamtown, we'll be just fine. As I have stated on previous threads, on my block alone, 5 houses have been gutted down to the studs and completely rebuilt and rewired for them to live in. I say that's good for the community and think this city and state could use more of them, as they make the area a better place, as evident by all the rebuilt houses.