What are your memories of Greektown

**R8RBOB** · January-19-10, 01:02 AM

Thread Revived Jan.12, 2014 - Click Here to jump to new conversation >>
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In the thread about Stella, I posted the things I miss about Greektown. So in honor of Stella who was a fixure in Greektown, what are your memories of Greektown?

Anyone who is near forty or older know that the Greektown of today is a shell of what Greektown used to be. I remember going to the festivals back in the 80's and the sidewalks in Greektown were packed with people. You had to walk in the street because there were so many people on the sidewalk.

Places like the Golden Fleece used to be filled with people craving the lamb they had spinning behind the counter. The Athens Bar was packed every Friday and Saturday night for karaoke. Trapper's Alley had stores, restaurants and bars before slot machines. I remember the Trapper Bar packed when the Wings won the Cup in 97. Want the best breakfast sandwich, got to Plaka's. Of course there was Niki's and Fishbone's and I guess you could say Floods's is in Greektown but the old Greektown was life and now well all you see is Greektown Casino.

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**lalynch** · January-19-10, 01:12 AM

I remember interesting stores around Trappers Alley in the 1970's. There was an interesting used book store as well as a floral shop. New Hellas Cafe was where my family would go for dinner if we were in Greektown. Often there would be a line. Greektown had charm and character.

**R8RBOB** · January-19-10, 01:33 AM

Originally Posted by lalynch

Greektown had charm and character.

Words that speak the truth. I mention the Golden Fleece as a place I was patronize when I was in Greektown. It represented charm and character because it was and is an old restaurant. The place has an old look like something from the 20th century but that is what gives it its charm and character.

**Meddle** · January-19-10, 02:36 AM

Pretty much the same as everybody else. Bumper to bumper line of cars barely moving, jockeying for what litle on street parking there was. Find a spot somewhere. Walk from end to end stopping in every little shop or bakery. Wall to wall people. Baklava. I don't know what the other cakes and pastries were called, but you could spend $10 and be FULL. I'd eat at the International or one of the other dives. Went to the Pegasus a few times. Trapper's Alley was a blast when it first opened. Some really weird stuff in there. T-shirt shops, gift shops, arcades. Wasn't there a movie theatre there at one time?

I asked on another thread if anybody remembered Emily's. Owned at least in part by Lily Tomlin I think.

Greektown was a destination. You went downtown to go to Greektown and you spent the evening there.

A block or two west, you couldn't even get in to the Old Sheleighle on some nights.

I haven't been there since the mid 90s when I used to go to Fishbones for lunch [[great GatorBits). From what some of you had posted on other threads, I don't think I'd like it now.

**smogboy** · January-19-10, 02:55 AM

Greektown was the place to take a date and try to impress her. The street vendors there knew it. I'll always have fond memories of and a solid disdain for the flower vendors that would try to hit us guys up, trying to make us look cheap in front of our ladies.

I still remember when Trapper's Alley went up; they had that cool logo painted on the water tower. They had a great art gallery on the top floor as well as some pretty cool trinket shops inside. And I think it was the summer of 1987 that the People Mover had opened up a Greektown station. The neon underneath that pedestrian walkway from within Trapper's Alley was always pretty cool.

And some of the best free parking was right across from Niki's. I used to park there all the time when going to Flood's, Wings games or to shows at St. Andrew's.

Greektown is still ever evolving. Sure some of the old haunts are gone and part of the charm of the locals is no longer there, but it's still a destination to take out-of-towners, it still has some fine dining, a cold drink can still be found nearby, and the streets are still covered with people [[something you don't see on too many other downtown Detroit streets).

**smogboy** · January-19-10, 03:01 AM

Years ago while taking some out-of-town VIPs out for a meal there, I still remember a colleague of mine had agreed to hold one of their boxes of Astoria baked goods while they shopped in the Made in Detroit store by the People Mover Station. Goofy idiots that we were [[could it have been the adult beverages we had at dinner?), we got to jockeying one another around and scattered the baked goods onto the sidewalk. The box fell open and all sorts of candied goods went flying. Rather than dash to the Astoria to buy replacement goods, we discretely shoved the candies back into the box [[probably some street grit too), re-wrapped the box and smiled like cheshire cats when our guests came back with their Detroit swag.

We never said a word.

**carlscomputers** · January-19-10, 09:08 AM

Pegasus Wax Sculptures, owned by George Alexander & of course the Video Arcades...

bartock · January-19-10, 09:26 AM

This only goes back to the late 1990s. Before Ford Field, my wife and I went through a spell where we would go to Bennigan's on Sundays during football season. We'd also hang out at Marilyn's on Tuesdays or Wednesday nights - whichever one was trip-hop night.

**jackie5275** · January-19-10, 10:02 AM

My brother & I used to hang out at Trapper's Alley in the 80s. There used to be lots of people & lots of cops in Greektown. I remember my brother saying he thought it was the safest place in the city because of all the cops there. In the 90s, a colleague of mine who is part Greek liked to eat dinner there & often invited me. We always went to Pegasus, then to Astoria bakery for a pastry called Tiger Tails.

**Maof** · January-19-10, 10:31 AM

spent many times in greektown in the 80's and 90's and on occassion, we would head over to the Bazooke [[sp) for traditional greek music and dance. isn't it a strip joint now?

**R8RBOB** · January-19-10, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Maof

spent many times in greektown in the 80's and 90's and on occassion, we would head over to the Bazooke [[sp) for traditional greek music and dance. isn't it a strip joint now?

Yep, it is a strip joint. I visited the place quite a bit at the end of the 20th century. The girls was eye-candy. Went there last year and they were trashy.

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**kenp** · January-19-10, 10:57 AM

Uzo, Opa and the Chicken and Onion dish at Hellas. Then a trip to a bakery for some cookies.
Nothing better the Uzo and cookies

**Meddle** · January-19-10, 11:00 AM

OhPahhhhhh!!!!!

Just reminded me of the flaming cheese dish they did at tableside.

**Bobl** · January-19-10, 11:01 AM

Yes, it had charm and character.
We have always liked Cypress Taverna. Vassos [[sp?) has always greeted us as we enter. One memorable day there was when the Hudson's store was imploded. We were at the corner of Beaubien and Monroe, and made our way toward Cypress. My partner was ill and walking with a cane, and with the giant cloud of dust pursuing us, we barely made it in the door. Looked like a science fiction movie scene! Moments later, we saw her sons walking by, wearing surgical masks, their heads covered in dust.

**kenp** · January-19-10, 11:18 AM

One memorable moment at Greektown was almost falling over Ryan Secrest during his filming of a commercial. I was down at Greektown before a Wings game, and where headed to the people mover after a few drinks. He was on a knee on the sidewalk with the camera looking up at him showing the street in the background. I didnt even see them because I was blah blah blahing. Oh well, take 2.
It seems American Idol was in Detroit for a show.

**Detroitnerd** · January-19-10, 11:26 AM

Check out Dan Georgakas. My Detroit: Growing Up Greek and American in Motor City

**jcole** · January-19-10, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by R8RBOB

Words that speak the truth. I mention the Golden Fleece as a place I was patronize when I was in Greektown. It represented charm and character because it was and is an old restaurant. The place has an old look like something from the 20th century but that is what gives it its charm and character.

I realize that we are now in the 21st century, but saying that a place has an old look like something from the 20th century in 2010 is stretching it a bit, isn't it? I mean the restaurant IS from the 20th century.
Do you mean 19th century?

**eno** · January-19-10, 11:49 AM

For our 6th grade graduation from elementary school at Pitcher [[now closed) Elementary School, our social studies teacher, Mr. Barach, took us on a class trip to Greektown in January, 1964. I don't recall us going into any of the restaurants but we did go into the gift shop. I recall buying a "marble" statue of Zeus and something for my Mom. Years later, friends and I would go down to Greektown for the annual street festival they had. We would buy some retsina or pop wine and get loaded. There would be spontaneous group dancing in the closed off street. It was like a scene from "Hair".

Coincidentally, I landed a job at Detroit General Hospital and would spend my lunch time at one of the Greek social clubs, the Macedonia Club, eating my bag lunch and playing pool. There was another social club across the street, the Peloponessus Club, that wasn't as friendly or welcoming. For a while, I worked the afternoon shift on weekends and would eat a dinner of chicken lemon soup, a wedge of bread and water or a beer at the Hellas. At that time, there was a party store on the corner next to the Hellas where you could buy lunch meat sandwiches, cheese, Greek pastry and beverages. I worked at DGH for nearly 6 years so I got to know the place well. In the early 70s, hip entrepreneurs occupied some of the smaller stores. One store you could get your Zodiac and astrological chart mapped and interpreted. Another store had a guy who worked in leather goods. I believe he also took photos from a camera he had mounted onto a rifle stock. Stella roamed the streets reacting to phantoms and frightening the casual visitors. I'm leaving out the half of it but Greektown was a great place to be around.

**Bobl** · January-19-10, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by jcole

I realize that we are now in the 21st century, but saying that a place has an old look like something from the 20th century in 2010 is stretching it a bit, isn't it? I mean the restaurant IS from the 20th century.
Do you mean 19th century?

Ha Ha, Jcole. Maybe we are just getting old [[I think I'm several years ahead of you). "An old look" is relative. Last century is yesterday to us, distant past for the young ones!

**Rosa** · January-19-10, 11:58 AM

I liked the Olympia back when it was a tiny dive with a picture of Telly Savalas over the jukebox. The gyro platter was great, and it cost about 4 bucks.

There was a short-lived restaurant in the late 80s - was it Lindos? They tried to do more authentic Greek stuff. It was quite good. One day my friends and I were the only people in the joint and we ended up dancing in a circle in the kitchen with the staff. Good times.

Stosh · January-19-10, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Bobl

Ha Ha, Jcole. Maybe we are just getting old [[I think I'm several years ahead of you). "An old look" is relative. Last century is yesterday to us, distant past for the young ones!

I agree. The 40's were before my time, but Grecian Gardens was popular then. Many of the restaurants were there in that period. Remodels in the 60's and 70's. still 40 years ago. Dated for restaurants.

**R8RBOB** · January-19-10, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

I realize that we are now in the 21st century, but saying that a place has an old look like something from the 20th century in 2010 is stretching it a bit, isn't it? I mean the restaurant IS from the 20th century.
Do you mean 19th century?

LOL, I'm not that old so I had to use a time that I was familiar with like the 20th. Let's just say it does not have the bells and whistles of the bar next door to it. It has a old look it it.

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**jcole** · January-19-10, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by R8RBOB

LOL, I'm not that old so I had to use a time that I was familiar with like the 20th. Let's just say it does not have the bells and whistles of the bar next door to it. It has a old look it it.

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Ok, let's just go with 'vintage'

**gazhekwe** · January-19-10, 01:34 PM

The Golden Fleece was THE place to go for lunch or dinner. Really inexpensive, and very good gyros with lots of fresh tomatoes and onions and french fries, all thrown onto a big flat pita. I think you were supposed to fold the whole thing up and eat it like a sandwich but I always resorted to the knife and fork method to preserve my work outfit. The people were really nice, too, I think they were all related. Jim carving the gyros I remember especially. And the Greek music that played in the background.

There were a couple of gift shops, one on the corner and one a couple doors down. The Astoria bakery was in there somewhere. If we felt like splurging, we'd go wait in line at the Hellas where we would fill up on the super great bread and split some appetizers. Grape leaves, yum! I miss old Greektown. Last time I went down there, I somehow went into the Casino from the parking garage and was trapped in there for awhile before I figured out how to get out to the street.

**kryptonite** · January-19-10, 01:40 PM

The Old Shillelagh was where I spent several memorable St. Patrick's days and Friday/Saturday nights out with friends.

And many stops at the Golden Fleece for their gyros or Greek sausage sandwiches, and the bakeries in Greektown.

Once a few of my friends and I were asked to leave Old Detroit bar because it was St. Patrick's day afternoon and we were already getting rowdy. Odd, we were the only people there but we got bounced.