Gratiot Conner Area Memories

[Maxine1958]

I'm a new member of this forum. Joined when the new site went up. But I've been 'lurking' for a long time. I really enjoy reading about everyone's warm - okay maybe some not so warm - memories of the eastside neighborhoods they grew up in.

I'd like to see if anyone shares my memories.

My parents owned the drugstore on the corner of Gratiot and Conner - Heyn Drug. I'd love to hear from anyone who remembers the store, my parents, or that part of the city.

[Bearinabox]

I was over there a couple weeks ago. I remember that.

[Maxine1958]

When they first took down that whole block, where there once were over a dozen different businesses and offices, and put up a single Rite-Aid store it took my breath away.

[eriedearie]

Maxine - how far back do your memories go in that area?

[Maxine1958]

My dad bought the business after WWII and we closed the store in 1972.

I went to St David's Elementary school from 1964 through 1972.

I can post some of the family names from the neighborhood, but I'd like to see if anyone remembers the store first. I know, I can be brat sometimes.

[lafontaine]

I'm not familiar with your store, but my dad was a cop at the 15th [[on Gratiot at Conner). We used to to to Haas Roast Beef a lot.

[diver1369]

I lived on Sanford between Gunston and Elmo from Hallowe'en '76 until spring '82. The neighborhood was transitioning by then and I was part of it, from homeowners to rentals. The first murder in Detroit of one of the years I was there happened on Sanford near Gunston. A couple across the street from me was found murdered execution style, their dog too, as a result of their selling stolen property. A book titled Land Of Opportunity covered part of the continuing transition after I'd left. It's about the Chamber brothers and their crack cocaine drug trade. Many of the addresses in it are in this area.A Hmong family moved into the lower flat that I had rented.

[Detroitej72]

I remember back in the 80's a party store named Karmo's which might have been in the building that your parents used to own. A buddy of mine went to DeLasalle and we used to frequent the place. If I recall, they used to sell "pipes" of assorted varieties which was one of the reasons my buddy liked the place!

Also my father taught at St. David's the last year the middle school was open in 1989, if my memory serves me correctly.

My freind's sister used to be married to the owners of Quick Lock and Alarm that was next door to the apartment building you mentioned. The father was a retired Detroit Fire Fighter.

[Sludgedaddy]

Ms. Maxine, I grew up on the west side of City Airport, the Six Mile and Van Dyke area,which presently is now a wasteland and all but a memory. I attended DLS from 1965 to 1969 and do have some recollection of your 'hood.

Used to hang out after school at the A & W, which was run by a big Black woman who treated us punks fairly , but wouldn't take no shit. Then there was the American-Italo Club where matters of fisticuffs were taken care of by saying, "Meet me Behind the Italo Club".

I have fond memories of Woods Drive-In. Used to go there before class for coffee and a smoke. They never let more than two students in there at a time, so used to hang in their vestibule with Tim Kiska when he attended DLS for two years and puffed on Kool cigarettes.

One time, across from Woods, a Lear Jet was parked along Conners. It was the personally private jet of James Brown. Along it's fuselage were painted his gold records [[ala an air ace) like "Try Me" and "Please, Please. Please". I hopped the fence and looked inside the aircraft, since it's door was open, and saw stacks of Playboy magazines as well as a beauty parlor style hair dryer for the maintenance of his "conk". I Personally met James when I went into Wood's after school and he was sitting there having coffee. I was amazed at how short he was, even in Beatle boots, but his process was "Outta Sight", One of the highlights of my youth, since most of the greasers and budding hippies were really into Mr. Brown's music.

I'm not familiar with your dad's drug store, but used to hitch-hike home from school at Conner and Gratiot, since there was a traffic signal that cars had to stop for east of the cop shop.

[Danny]

I lived on Sanford between Gunston and Elmo from Hallowe'en '76 until spring '82. The neighborhood was transitioning by then and I was part of it, from homeowners to rentals. The first murder in Detroit of one of the years I was there happened on Sanford near Gunston. A couple across the street from me was found murdered execution style, their dog too, as a result of their selling stolen property. A book titled Land Of Opportunity covered part of the continuing transition after I'd left. It's about the Chamber brothers and their crack cocaine drug trade. Many of the addresses in it are in this area.A Hmong family moved into the lower flat that I had rented.

In the meantime a new murder for hire black gang called 'The Best Friends' ruled the 7 Mile from Schoenherr Rd to Kelly Rd. By 1986 The Best Friends Gang went to the drug dealing businesses.

[14509glenfield]

I'm a new member of this forum. Joined when the new site went up. But I've been 'lurking' for a long time. I really enjoy reading about everyone's warm - okay maybe some not so warm - memories of the eastside neighborhoods they grew up in.

I'd like to see if anyone shares my memories.

My parents owned the drugstore on the corner of Gratiot and Conner - Heyn Drug. I'd love to hear from anyone who remembers the store, my parents, or that part of the city.

As a paper boy for the night Free Press, our pick up was at the Police Station. Yes I do remember "A Drugstore" and Heyn does ring a bell on that corner of Promenade/Conners and Gratiot. DLS was the home field for the Servite High football team. Quick Locksmiths was a block South on Conners. Loved cruising A&W and The Woods after getting a license

[eriedearie]

Oh Diver - you mentioned Gunston! The little baptist church that was there on Gunston just off Gratiot is where me and Mr. Erie were married in 1972. Back then the church was actually just a basement. Last time we did a drive-by the church was all built up.

[Buy American]

I remember eating ribs at the Happy Landing Restaurant on Conner across from the City Airport....best in town. The slabs were huge, cole slaw, french fries, the sauce was great!

[IrishSpartan]

I believe Heyn was the place in the neighborhood to buy Stroh's Ice Cream. Closing the store in 1972 was probably a good move looking back even though the neighborhood was still okay. A good number of businesses stayed too long into the 1980's and paid for it. However, a few of the "old guard" still remain. Conner Park Florist is still around at Conner & Longview.

I'm a new member of this forum. Joined when the new site went up. But I've been 'lurking' for a long time. I really enjoy reading about everyone's warm - okay maybe some not so warm - memories of the eastside neighborhoods they grew up in.

I'd like to see if anyone shares my memories.

My parents owned the drugstore on the corner of Gratiot and Conner - Heyn Drug. I'd love to hear from anyone who remembers the store, my parents, or that part of the city.

[hockey_player]

Does anybody know what that huge factory used to be, off Gratiot just south/west of Conner [[between Conner and French)?

[Maof]

Bud Wheel?

[Frankg]

Dear Maxine,

We used to live on Wilshire near Roseberry, but we moved away when I was 10 in 1972. I also went to St. David's Elementary for grades 1-4. My parents are both from large families in the neighborhood and all my uncles and aunts married others from the neighborhood.

I was too young to see the changes going on at the time. But I just find it strange that every person who used to live there, to a T, says that was the greatest neighborhood to live and raise kids. Yet within 10 years, everyone was gone. As part of my fascination with this topic, I started a blog about the old neighborhood, although I must admit to being a slacker and not making any recent posts. I do, however, have a list of a dozen topics to write about when I get off my butt.

http://www.theoldneighborhoodindetroit.blogspot.com/

Frank

[eriedearie]

Thanks IrishSpartan and BuyAmerican! Yeah Happy Landing!

Oh and another memory I have of the area...parking next to the fence at the airport and "watching the planes land"

[MikeM]

Does anybody know what that huge factory used to be, off Gratiot just south/west of Conner [[between Conner and French)?

It was built for Clayton & Lambert, makers of auto bodies. Later sold to Hudson Motors, and later still to Cadillac.

[mauser]

Mike m rox !

[mauser]

Um - that last post was supposed to be shouting in all caps..


Hey - anybody in the hood across from City Airport and back to Gunston remember a paperboy named "Don" ? My father in law delivered papers in that hood back in the very early 60's.

He said when JFK came to Detroit, he landed at City.

[Flanders]

I remember that there were a couple of large car dealerships in that area, Dick Green Chrysler-Plymouth and Mike Dorian Ford. I remember hearing rumors of mob ties to the latter. There also was a Dodge? dealership across Gratiot from Dick Green, but it's name escapes me now.

Dick Green had built up their car lot to nearly 5' above street level with dirt and asphalt, in order to prevent their new/used cars from being stolen. I used to walk past it to and from school in the 60s @ St. David Elementary, and the dealership had a large service and repair building that ended at Glenfield. The service employees used to drive their customers' cars out of the automatic roll-up/down service doors at a high rate of speed, and one of them nailed me one afternoon as I walked past on the sidewalk. My books went flying and I slid a few feet,covering my pants with oil from the driveway. I wasn't badly hurt, but I did end up getting a nice sized bruise on my right leg. The service employee cussed me out for "not watching out for their cars" yeah, right!!!

There were a couple of memorable fires in that area, a 3 alarm one summer night @ an A&P located between Flanders and Jane on the east side of Gratiot, and another involving several factory? buildings on the west side of Gratiot between Bradford and Flanders, where the Burger King and a Red Barn fast-food restaurants were later built. The Burger King is still there, I believe. At the corner of Dickerson and Gratiot, a tire or auto repair shop exploded from a bomb or something one night, there were bricks from the building scattered all over Gratiot the next morning.

[12081 glenfield]

I grew up on Glenfield between Gratiot &roseberry. Went to St. David 1st tru 9th when it closed down.Those name sure ring a bell. There was jeff and westley farr, Joe petorbono and others many ggod times.

[Maxine1958]

Flip, if you remember Haas Roast Beef, do you happen to remember Heyn Drugs? It was on the corner of Gratiot and Conner. My parents owned it up until about 1972.

[Flip]

Hi Maxine,
yes i remember the drug store on connor and gratiot, Someone here on this thread was recalling the "dick Green chrysler and could not remember the dodge dealer across the street wher the 9th precinect of the detroit police now sits, the name of that place was "Eastown dodge" and bought one of my fav cars there.
My parents had a house on kilbourne [[the Street Dick Green was on)

Let me say lowell, you have done great service for all of us old timers, getting this place to reminece, and relise we mostly have CRS .