Is Chene the worst commercial district in the city?

[Detroitdave]

On the subject of jewelery stores you guys missed a BIG one that's been in the city since 1925 and still open and NEVER went out of business and still open !
Wait for it , wait for it ! boom ! http://www.simmonsandclark.com/
Detroit history ! I bet you can buy a battery for you watch there ? :-)

[detroitbob]

I am old enough to remember the latter days of Chene Street. the Chene Ferry Maket was busy...old bubba's carrying the knit shopping bags and their quart glass milk bottles for the blood from the duck or goose they would purchase out the back door of the store on Chene overlooked the market ...go home and make czarnina or czernina. Also the bakery, Chene Modern and the Meat and Sausage store on the ne corner of Chene and Ferry with the hot smoked sausage and the best garlic headcheese. Thee had been some attempt at defining the core business area with awnings and graphics and it all seemed stable until the demolition of the north end of the neighborhood for the Poleown plant. As the families moved out, more left from the south end and with thaging population it wasn't ten years until St. Stanislaus closed, marking the end of the area for all pratical purposes.

[Motor City Sam]

On the subject of jewelery stores you guys missed a BIG one that's been in the city since 1925 and still open and NEVER went out of business and still open !
Wait for it , wait for it ! boom ! http://www.simmonsandclark.com/
Detroit history ! I bet you can buy a battery for you watch there ? :-)

Best radio jingle in history, too.

I've always said that if I get married, I'm going to buy my wife's rings at Simmons and Clark. :-)

[Detroitej72]

I am old enough to remember the latter days of Chene Street. the Chene Ferry Maket was busy...old bubba's carrying the knit shopping bags and their quart glass milk bottles for the blood from the duck or goose they would purchase out the back door of the store on Chene overlooked the market ...go home and make czarnina or czernina. Also the bakery, Chene Modern and the Meat and Sausage store on the ne corner of Chene and Ferry with the hot smoked sausage and the best garlic headcheese. Thee had been some attempt at defining the core business area with awnings and graphics and it all seemed stable until the demolition of the north end of the neighborhood for the Poleown plant. As the families moved out, more left from the south end and with thaging population it wasn't ten years until St. Stanislaus closed, marking the end of the area for all pratical purposes.

I remember many of those stores you mentioned as well as Palmer Bakery, which remained open until the mid 80's, if my memory serves me correctly. Many storefronts remained standing well into the 90's, even though many were vacant. The hardware store was one of the last holdout.

[marshamusic]

On the subject of jewelery stores you guys missed a BIG one that's been in the city since 1925 and still open and NEVER went out of business and still open !
Wait for it , wait for it ! boom ! http://www.simmonsandclark.com/
Detroit history ! I bet you can buy a battery for you watch there ? :-)

I just did buy a watch battery there, for my husband. :-)

This was after weeks of thinking that I'd have to run to Hamtramck just to get one, then, all of a sudden remembering S&C. I Talked to one of the owners in recent years, he was very funny, a great old guy, and a fount of Detroit - especially Downtown - history.

[[I could have bothered jeweler, Nate Muccioli, on Beaubien and Larned, to change the battery, but didn't want to be tempted into commissioning another one of his incredible creations)