Old Redford Questions

**YounginDetroit** · November-09-14, 08:28 PM

Does anybody on this website actually live in or work in Old Redford neighborhood on Grand River and Lahser. I went through the neighborhood today and loved what I saw. All the little storefronts filled with business[[some cool some ghetto). The area seemed like it would be one of the next "emerging" neighborhoods. I just drove through for about 45 minutes so I just had a few questions regarding the neiborhood. What's the area south of GR like? It seemed really spotty to me some beautiful brick homes some vacant homes, gorgeous parks. Is the city doing anything in the neighborhood in terms of blight removal?I know there a few homes on the buildingdetroit website. What are the people like?Do they care about their community or do they not give a s**t? What do you thing the neighborhood will look like in the next couple of year?two years? Any other information you might think is relevant will help. Thank You.

**dmike76** · November-09-14, 09:02 PM

Motor City Java House is the home of Motor City Blight Busters. John George would be a good guy to talk to; volunteer on Saturdays at 9am. I've met some really nice people in that area and there are some nice homes. I've seen a lot of blight as well. There is a Meijer being built at 6 mile and Grand River which should boost that area. A couple of people I've talked to do say that police response is not good.

**Pickford-Bentler** · November-10-14, 07:33 AM

My father lived in that area till 2008. He lived in the Co-ops on Bentler two blocks north of Six Mile. Anyhow, the most stable area around that corner, IMO, is the area enclosed by Lahser, Grand River, Burg Road and the former golf course.

The area on the east side of Lahser was hit very hard by drug dealing and the blight that goes along with it - for example, Santa Clara street.

All said, there is a core of people trying to make thing better, so take the other advice and visit the Motor City Java House.

My father passed away due to old age, but I still contribute to his church - Christ the King.

**misstjohn1** · November-14-14, 10:16 AM

Oh my. On Santa Clara, the house I grew up in is one of the only houses still occupied and standing.

**Parkguy** · November-14-14, 01:54 PM

The old 8th precinct building was just demolished-- they are probably finishing up the cleanup of the site now. It is on the triangle between GR and McNichols on the east side of the intersection. Landmark Commercial Realty has proposed two retail stores and a drive-through coffee shop for the corner. The Redford Branch Library is currently undergoing remodeling adjacent to the 8th pct site. New Meijer is across the street, with several new retail outlot buildings planned for that location. The McDonalds just west of McNichols on GR is finishing up a complete renovation and expansion. I've noticed some storefronts east of McNichols getting new windows, etc. I think Meijer is actually driving some long-needed improvements, but there is still a long way to go.

**Pickford-Bentler** · November-14-14, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by Parkguy

The old 8th precinct building was just demolished-- they are probably finishing up the cleanup of the site now. It is on the triangle between GR and McNichols on the east side of the intersection. Landmark Commercial Realty has proposed two retail stores and a drive-through coffee shop for the corner. The Redford Branch Library is currently undergoing remodeling adjacent to the 8th pct site. New Meijer is across the street, with several new retail outlot buildings planned for that location. The McDonalds just west of McNichols on GR is finishing up a complete renovation and expansion. I've noticed some storefronts east of McNichols getting new windows, etc. I think Meijer is actually driving some long-needed improvements, but there is still a long way to go.

I must have walked or drove by that triangle area about ten thousand times from the early 1960s to 2008. If you had predicted, in the 1960s, that the sleazy Rivieria would be the only thing the same as of 2014, most people would have said you were crazy.

Here is a review:

https://plus.google.com/101741202253...ut?hl=en&gl=us

"only good if your desperate, running away broke, looking to sell sex or drugs or hookup with somebody for one night stand. this place is a DUMP..."

All jokes aside, I am glad to see some new development go in that area. Double glad about the library. I must have spent hours in there during my grade school days.

**rooms222** · November-14-14, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by Pickford-Bentler

I must have walked or drove by that triangle area about ten thousand times from the early 1960s to 2008. If you had predicted, in the 1960s, that the sleazy Rivieria would be the only thing the same as of 2014, most people would have said you were crazy.

Here is a review:

https://plus.google.com/101741202253...ut?hl=en&gl=us

"only good if your desperate, running away broke, looking to sell sex or drugs or hookup with somebody for one night stand. this place is a DUMP..."

All jokes aside, I am glad to see some new development go in that area. Double glad about the library. I must have spent hours in there during my grade school days.

Even the Riviera has a fresh coat of paint to welcome the Meijer to the neighborhood.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · November-15-14, 11:59 AM

There was a building on the SW corner of GR and Lahser that has since been demolished due to fire. I believe it was one of the oldest buildings in Old Redford, but I can't remember the name of it. Any one with a clue?

**Jimaz** · November-15-14, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

There was a building on the SW corner of GR and Lahser that has since been demolished due to fire. I believe it was one of the oldest buildings in Old Redford, but I can't remember the name of it. Any one with a clue?

Here's an old thread about it with pics: Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning July 2006 » Old Redford in flames!

"The C.F. Smith building [[built in 1919)."

**daddeeo** · November-15-14, 04:23 PM

My dentist Dr. Siegan and Dr. Starman were upstairs that building in the 60's-'70's.

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Here's an old thread about it with pics: Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning July 2006 » Old Redford in flames!

"The C.F. Smith building [[built in 1919)."

**Smirnoff** · November-18-14, 09:14 PM

Worked at this MG car dealership [[Redford Stables) on Grand River, east of Telegraph & near Lahser back in the 1970's......it looked nothing like this?

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Name: Reford Stables.jpg
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**Honky Tonk** · November-19-14, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

Worked at this MG car dealership [[Redford Stables) on Grand River, east of Telegraph & near Lahser back in the 1970's......it looked nothing like this?

Name: Reford Stables.jpg
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Used to buy Spitfire parts there, [[some were interchangeable with MG), back in the late 60's. Do you recall the name of the MG/Triumph dealership on MI Ave., between Weiss and Addison? I've been trying to recall that for years now. It became "Father and Son Muffler", now closed.

**Smirnoff** · November-19-14, 11:27 AM

HT,

The only MG dealer I knew of in that area back in the day was Burban Motors......at the Stables, all British cars were serviced & parts sourced [[MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey, Lotus).

**gazhekwe** · November-19-14, 02:53 PM

Christ the King's community is still going strong, just eight blocks southeast down Grand River. I have a friend who has lived there all her life.

There was a Danish Bakery, Iversen's, on Lahser between Grand River and Six Mile. My Mom used to bring home donuts and rolls on her way home from work in the 50s. Dad would drive up there and pick her up from the Grand River bus, and the goodies were a bribe, I'm sure.

Iversen's supplied the World's Best Cookies for the DIA's monthly Old Movie series, and they were open til the late 80s at least.

**hhockey** · November-19-14, 03:32 PM

Iversen's is still in business. They have a small store in Dearborn on Michigan Ave. east of Outer Drive.

**gazhekwe** · November-19-14, 03:55 PM

Great to know. For awhile they had one in Southfield, 12 and Evergreen. We will have to rush down there and see if we can still get the World's Best Cookies.

**Parkguy** · November-23-14, 11:24 PM

Iverson's also has a place on Michigan Ave in West Dearborn, in a strip across the street from the church at Military. It is next to Biggby Coffee, I think. They only sell pastries at that location. Also, believe it or not, Smirnoff, that pick and orange building is actually a working business. It is a repair shop that seems to deal almost entirely with cab owners. Pickford-Bentler, you were probably in the old stone library at Chapel and McNichols and Grand River. The library branch moved across the street and a bit east [[I think maybe the old Redford Hospital was there at one time-- before my day). The stone building is still there, and will be maintained after Meijer opens... at least according to the plans.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · November-24-14, 01:31 AM

Thanks for the link, Jimaz.

**Smirnoff** · November-26-14, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Parkguy

Iverson's also has a place on Michigan Ave in West Dearborn, in a strip across the street from the church at Military. It is next to Biggby Coffee, I think. They only sell pastries at that location. Also, believe it or not, Smirnoff, that pick and orange building is actually a working business. It is a repair shop that seems to deal almost entirely with cab owners. Pickford-Bentler, you were probably in the old stone library at Chapel and McNichols and Grand River. The library branch moved across the street and a bit east [[I think maybe the old Redford Hospital was there at one time-- before my day). The stone building is still there, and will be maintained after Meijer opens... at least according to the plans.

The pink/orange side of the building was the dealer showroom, very small, but so were the MG's.....

**Pickford-Bentler** · November-27-14, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Parkguy

Iverson's also has a place on Michigan Ave in West Dearborn, in a strip across the street from the church at Military. It is next to Biggby Coffee, I think. They only sell pastries at that location. Also, believe it or not, Smirnoff, that pick and orange building is actually a working business. It is a repair shop that seems to deal almost entirely with cab owners. Pickford-Bentler, you were probably in the old stone library at Chapel and McNichols and Grand River. The library branch moved across the street and a bit east [[I think maybe the old Redford Hospital was there at one time-- before my day). The stone building is still there, and will be maintained after Meijer opens... at least according to the plans.

Yes, it was the stone building

.
The Redford Hospital sewed up my split lip and I still have the scar. They also may have saved my father's life. He stepped in a bucket that had sharp broken glass and got a bleeder that he tied off and drove himself up Bentler to that Hospital. The floor of the car was filled with blood.

The Hospital was about mid way between Christ the King and the 16th Precinct.

Before they built what I remember to be a Ponderosa Steak house, there was a store called Kott's Market. That guy was a real ass. He was never nice to us when we went in to buy candy or soda on our way home from CK.

And the manager of that motel was very sleazy. I thought he took way too much interest in young school boys buying bottles of soda from the machine they had outside. I believe that we used it because they had Nu grape.

That was almost 50 years ago. So my memory could be fuzzy.

One more memory is that the "hippy" looking Redford students use to hang out on the triangular grass strip with that "8 Ball" in front of the 16th precinct.

**Pickford-Bentler** · November-27-14, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

The pink/orange side of the building was the dealer showroom, very small, but so were the MG's.....

I remember that.

**TOPGUN** · November-04-23, 03:32 PM

I used to live on Keeler street in my early years. But that's 80 years ago!The Kronks were neighbors as well as the Coonces. George Gilligan

**TOPGUN** · November-04-23, 03:39 PM

I appointed the owner as an Austin/MG dealer in 1967. We were the distributor for Austin/Morris/MG and Austin-Healey from 1952 until 1973.
George Gilligan

**softailrider** · November-04-23, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by TOPGUN

I appointed the owner as an Austin/MG dealer in 1967. We were the distributor for Austin/Morris/MG and Austin-Healey from 1952 until 1973.
George Gilligan

I had a Triumph TR6, I think it was a 1974. It was a horrible car, even when it was new I couldn't keep t running. You hardly ever see an MG or Triumph from that era at car shows anymore. I never purchased another British vehicle after that ownership experience.