River Rouge Excitement?

**legodude** · January-11-10, 11:05 PM

Hi Everyone,
I'm looking for suggestions for fun things to do in River Rouge. I don't know the area at all, and Yelp doesn't have much of anything. This is for a second date, and based on something she said first date I really want/need something within the city limits of River Rouge.

*mike

**Lowell** · January-11-10, 11:35 PM

Belanger Park for a dramatic downriver view of the Ambassador Bridge and downtown Detroit.

MichMatters · January-11-10, 11:55 PM

You could try Zug Island...

**RickBeall** · January-12-10, 12:06 AM

What can we do to float this idea ...

To see the present properly, it would be good to learn a bit about the history It may give you some ideas. Check out this nice site:

http://www.old-delray.com

It mentions
6986 Jefferson at Post Kovacs Bar [[Netovabb) one of the more famous spots in Old Delray. Still in business. Stop in and toast your ancestors!

It has a forum too, post a question there.

Once you can figure out a destination, figure out how to drive along Jefferson there in Delray, it is right on the Detroit River and it should have a beauty all its own since its on the water. Twinkling lights and all that.

You need to find somewhere to eat .....

There used to be another bar in Town there. I think it was about the only business still running. The area is pretty devastated so you definately need to plan ahead.
.....

**WaCoTS** · January-12-10, 12:33 AM

i'd say go to Historic [[and picturesque!) Fort Wayne but thats just across the border in Detroit...and its also closed to the public until summer

**lalynch** · January-12-10, 12:48 AM

River Rouge has a terrific historical museum. It is in a former funeral home on Jefferson. And yes it is haunted!

**sumas** · January-12-10, 02:15 AM

Jefferson or Biddle? Haunted? How so? Sounds interesting. The Pewabic Tile house is also haunted. Love the stories! A close friend also claims his house is haunted but the story is sparse.

**sumas** · January-12-10, 02:31 AM

I see Zug Island mentioned. Many moons and light years away, there was an artist in Harmonie Park. He had an art work I wanted. The story is that the pollution from Zug altered his work. He bought it back. Would not sell it to us. He wanted to hold it close to him.

Horrible pollution created what the artist could not. Strange but true!

**Lowell** · January-12-10, 09:27 AM

I knew a Detroit artist whose studio accumulated soot that filtered down from a business above him. He had left a piece of art paper out for a length of time with objects on it and when removed they left ghosts of where they had been. Since the paper was ruined, he fixed the image with spray fixative, they put other objects on the paper and waited. After more soot settled, he removed them and fixed the image again. After several layers his pollution art work was finished. "If you stuck with lemons, make lemonade."

**EastsideAl** · January-12-10, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

Once you can figure out a destination, figure out how to drive along Jefferson there in Delray, it is right on the Detroit River and it should have a beauty all its own since its on the water. Twinkling lights and all that.

Ahhh... the ol' twinkling lights of Delray...

**RickBeall** · January-12-10, 11:15 AM

He may see some shooting flames.

**RickBeall** · January-12-10, 11:17 AM

Actually, I was kinda confusing River Rouge with DelRay ... there used to be a bar on the west side of the drawbridge on Fort. There are a bunch of bars and restaurants in that area, but I don't know the area well enough to actually name or recommend them. It's fun to just drive around near all the industrial areas. Sadly, it's probably best to avoid Del-Ray since it's glory appears to all be in the past now.

Bearinabox · January-12-10, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

Actually, I was kinda confusing River Rouge with DelRay ... there used to be a bar on the west side of the drawbridge on Fort.

Try again, that's still Detroit. River Rouge is along Jefferson.

**lalynch** · January-12-10, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by sumas

Jefferson or Biddle? Haunted? How so? Sounds interesting. The Pewabic Tile house is also haunted. Love the stories! A close friend also claims his house is haunted but the story is sparse.

Yes, the River Rouge Historical Museum is on Jefferson. It doesn't become Biddle until you go over the bridge and then you are in Wyandotte. This museum is in a former funeral home. Talk to the people at the museum an they will tell you about why they think it is haunted.

**DetroitPlanner** · January-12-10, 12:07 PM

Wow thats tough, RR is a small city. Bellanger Park is the best thing mentioned, I suppose you could go to the Hardware Store? RR is trying to link their two sides with improvements around a viaduct, thats interesting, but not a real date type of thing unless you're into half-done pedestrian improvement projects.

**jcole** · January-12-10, 12:11 PM

Here's a list of 'restaurants' in River Rouge from Americantowns.com:
Dairy Queen
10940 W Jefferson Avenue, River Rouge, MI 48218
[[313) 843 - 7997
http://www.dairyqueen.com
River Rouge Bar & Grill
150 E Great Lakes Street, River Rouge, MI 48218
[[313) 849 - 5220
Zenith's Lunch
11295 W Jefferson Avenue, River Rouge, MI 48218
[[313) 849 - 0833
Norma's Diner
10457 W Jefferson Avenue, River Rouge, MI 48218
[[313) 849 - 2521
Sweet Irene
196 Visger Road, River Rouge, MI 48218
[[313) 357 - 1053
KFC
10844 W Jefferson Avenue, River Rouge, MI 48218
[[313) 849 - 2250
http://www.kfc.com

**lalynch** · January-12-10, 12:19 PM

I think that their historical museum is the best date activity. Things are starting to look up in River Rouge. River Rouge has a new arts incubator, Red River Arts Center. They have several community gardens and are about to get a new community garden project with federal dollars via The Guidance Center. It will be at the Walter White Community Recreation Center. It is to be called Green Recovery Project.

**gnome** · January-12-10, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by legodude

Hi Everyone,
This is for a second date, and based on something she said first date I really want/need something within the city limits of River Rouge.

hmm, by chance, did she say, "I'm on a tether?"

Retroit · January-12-10, 03:51 PM

If she has an over-protective father, don't park too close to the water.

[[http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?t=4110)

**Nikki Pooh** · January-12-10, 04:29 PM

I was thinking the same thing gnome...Restricted to the city limits of River Rouge? bummer...

**1KielsonDrive** · January-12-10, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

What can we do to float this idea ...

To see the present properly, it would be good to learn a bit about the history It may give you some ideas. Check out this nice site:

http://www.old-delray.com

It mentions
6986 Jefferson at Post Kovacs Bar [[Netovabb) one of the more famous spots in Old Delray. Still in business. Stop in and toast your ancestors!

It has a forum too, post a question there.

Once you can figure out a destination, figure out how to drive along Jefferson there in Delray, it is right on the Detroit River and it should have a beauty all its own since its on the water. Twinkling lights and all that.

You need to find somewhere to eat .....

There used to be another bar in Town there. I think it was about the only business still running. The area is pretty devastated so you definately need to plan ahead.
.....

Hey Rick Beall, the request was for River Rouge, not Delray. I know they may seem like one and the same, but they aren't. Argghhh.

**1KielsonDrive** · January-12-10, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by lalynch

River Rouge has a terrific historical museum. It is in a former funeral home on Jefferson. And yes it is haunted!

I'll second that one. While your there, check out the piano I used to play on as a kid. It belonged to my grandpa and grandma. There's also a Joey's Stables sign. Not the original. Joey's was so important to Rouge poeple, they included it in their historical museum.

**1KielsonDrive** · January-12-10, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by RickBeall

Actually, I was kinda confusing River Rouge with DelRay ... there used to be a bar on the west side of the drawbridge on Fort. There are a bunch of bars and restaurants in that area, but I don't know the area well enough to actually name or recommend them. It's fun to just drive around near all the industrial areas. Sadly, it's probably best to avoid Del-Ray since it's glory appears to all be in the past now.

Rick Baby, you're talking about Oakwood. It was a largely Italian neighborhood running along Oakwood Street to Schaefer for many years. There's still a few bars and businesses around there, most notably, Gonella's and Giovanni's. The bar you spoke of is still operating. The next one west has been closed for at least a few years. I'm by there all the time and damned if I can remember their names. Ah ha, The Bridge Cafe is the one right across the drawbridge.

**1KielsonDrive** · January-12-10, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by lalynch

Yes, the River Rouge Historical Museum is on Jefferson. It doesn't become Biddle until you go over the bridge and then you are in Wyandotte. This museum is in a former funeral home. Talk to the people at the museum an they will tell you about why they think it is haunted.

The Frank Gallagher Funeral Home followed by Whitehead and Kales Corporation and now the River Rouge Historical Museum.

**lalynch** · January-12-10, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

The Frank Gallagher Funeral Home followed by Whitehead and Kales Corporation and now the River Rouge Historical Museum.

Thanks. I wasn't familiar with the name of it. There is an old hand peddled sewing machine in one of their rooms, 2nd floor, that we donated a few years ago. Just something that my husband found at a thrift store and had to have and restore!
The display cases at this museum are filled with lots of neat stuff and plenty of old photographs!