Growing up in Detroit

[12468_laing]

Born 1957 at St. John's Hospital, lived on Laing till '82, then moved to TN. In the meantime, went to Carlton for kindergarden, St. Jude for grade school, Arthur for 9th grade, Denby High, then Wayne State graduating in 1979. I worked at Kavans on Morang then the Clock Restaurant at East Warren and Cadieux, then Allstate in Southfield. Dad worked at Fruehauf till he retired in 1977.

[Linda from Detroit]

I was born at Mt. Carmel hospital. Our home was on Virginia Park 2 blocks from Grand River. When I was 5 we moved to Grand River and Strathmoor...I can still smell the old Great Lakes bakery on the corner! In 68 we moved to Lahser/6 Mile on Greydale just a few houses above Hope Park. Anyone remember Iversons Bakery on Lahser? There was a Woolworths on Grand River, a dress store, Rexall Drugs and a beauty school too. Probably a few other places I can't remember too.

[grumpyoldlady]

East side!! I was born in '49 at Cottage Hospital in Grosse Pointe. My family lived on Wayburn between Morang and Moross. I married and moved away, but was back in the house in the mid 80's until we sold it in '89. I attended Carleton, Arthur, Denby and WCCC, as well as a short time at RETS.

[Olddetroiter]

GOL: You're not so old. I was born in Cottage Hospital in '41.

[jjw]

Born in Detroit on Indiana Street near Joy Road. Moved from there and spent my childhood on Oakman Blvd between Joy and Tireman. Lived by Wayne State and then before leaving Detroit near Warren and Cadieux on Grayton.

[Eastburn]

Born at St. Joseph Hospital, Detroit. Lived in an upper flat on Longview [[Chalmers/Outer Dr area) until I was 4, then to Eastburn in NE Detroit. Burbank, St. Jude, Notre Dame, U-D, WSU.

[sumas]

We are an east meets west story. My husband and I met at WSU. Been married now for 35 years. My husband was born at Womens Hospital on Woodward and I was born at St John's on Seven Mile/Moross. That was when it was a tiny Catholic hospital. My Dad, father of five, always said the best kids were born there. I concur.

I was born in 1954, the year of Mary. I am not Catholic but the hospital was. The date of my birth was my Aunt May's b'day. My middle name was supposed to be May but the damn Nun put it down as Mary.

My memories of growing up Detroit were great. My mom even wore a skirt, Peter Pan collar shirts and an apron most of my childhood. We never locked our doors. So much for nostalgia.

We are now back in Detroit [[5 yrs). I still love it. It is super simple to me. My neighbors are great. My community is awesome. I invest in my community and it pays back triple. I rarely swear but a big Fuck You to anyone who thinks Detroit is a community of losers.

[Bobl]

Northeast suburb. Escaped to the Cass Corridor a week after graduating from High School.

[wanderinglady]

Born at North Detroit General. Grew up on Novara at 7 Mile/ Gratiot. Moved to Harper Woods in 89. Bought first house in 95 on University at Harper/ Caduix. Currently live in Hamtramck.

I was born at North Detroit General as well. Spent the first six years of my life near Dequindre and Six Mile. Later lived near W. Outer Drive and James Couzens. Haven't lived in the city of Detroit in 25+ years [[currently in Southern California), but I visit often!

[gibran]

Eastside: lived on Wayburn from [[1959-1977) attended Carlton---GA----Arthur---Denby [[1977)----NMU---WSU---and then moved south....

[EMG]

Born at Bon Secours, lived on Nottingham near Morang [[Kavan's), attended Carleton elementary through grade 5 then went to University Liggett from 6-12. Belonged to St. Brendan's parish back when I was Catholic [[I'm a non-denominational Christian now). Moved to Grosse Pointe Woods in '83 and then threw away all my show shovels and fled to Arizona in '01. I got fed up with the high taxes, rainy days, long winters and short summers and decided life was too short to take any more of it!

[SJ.Jet]

Born in Bon Secours, lived on Lenox near E Warren. Then moved to Pinewood, at 7 Mile & Gratiot.
Finished growing up in Harper Woods. My dad grew up at Conner & Gratiot in what he always referred to as the Projects, some place called Parkside, I think. Anyone every heard of it? When I was little, he used to take us kids on drives through his old neighborhood but all I remember is that Parkside was near City Airport and there were cannons in the courtyards of the buildings

[EMG]

Born in Bon Secours, lived on Lenox near E Warren. Then moved to Pinewood, at 7 Mile & Gratiot.
Finished growing up in Harper Woods. My dad grew up at Conner & Gratiot in what he always referred to as the Projects, some place called Parkside, I think. Anyone every heard of it? When I was little, he used to take us kids on drives through his old neighborhood but all I remember is that Parkside was near City Airport and there were cannons in the courtyards of the buildings

Not just heard of it - my mom and grandparents LIVED in Parkside, and my mom lived there until her early teens, when my grandparents moved into the duplex on Nottingham in the early 50's, so that my mom could attend Denby High which was perceived as a better school at the time. Then, once I came along a few years later, I continued to live on Nottingham with my grandparents while my parents both worked.

While in Parkside, my mother and grandparents lived on a street called Stringham Court, I believe; it was right within Chandler Park and my mom has fond memories of enjoying that park, and the public swimming pool there, and of attending Hamilton elementary and Jackson middle schools.

It was near Conner and WARREN, not Gratiot, though.

[EMG]

Born 1957 at St. John's Hospital, lived on Laing till '82, then moved to TN. In the meantime, went to Carlton for kindergarden, St. Jude for grade school, Arthur for 9th grade, Denby High, then Wayne State graduating in 1979. I worked at Kavans on Morang then the Clock Restaurant at East Warren and Cadieux, then Allstate in Southfield. Dad worked at Fruehauf till he retired in 1977.

Wow. The Clock Restaurant - now there is a memory blast from the past. I had forgotten all about those! I don't think I ever ate at one but I remember seeing it there - right next to Midas Muffler which I believe was on the SE corner of Warren and Cadieux. And of course, as previously stated, I lived on the same block as Kavan's, on Nottingham halfway between Britain and Morang.

Another landmark I remember from a little further north was what used to be Brodie's Mufflers on Warren and, I believe, Marseilles. Now it's a JiffyLube. That was an interesting bit of architecture that got my attention even as a little kid. I think I have a picture of that too:

[SJ.Jet]

Thanks EMG. I was starting to think he made it up or I imagined the story. It being on Conner and Warren makes sense too, all I could remember is we used to end up by the airport. That's at/near Conner & Gratiot, right? Was there a school called Wilbur Wright around there? That was also on the driving tour, I was pretty young so I can't really remember where it was. There was also a big scary church, maybe St John Berchman?

[EMG]

Thanks EMG. I was starting to think he made it up or I imagined the story. It being on Conner and Warren makes sense too, all I could remember is we used to end up by the airport. That's at/near Conner & Gratiot, right? Was there a school called Wilbur Wright around there? That was also on the driving tour, I was pretty young so I can't really remember where it was. There was also a big scary church, maybe St John Berchman?

Yes, the airport was/is along Conner near Gratiot. I just looked it up on Google Earth to make sure, and interestingly enough it's apparently been renamed from City Airport to Coleman Young Municipal Airport [[as if he needed yet another city landmark named after him ). Anyway the airport runs between Gratiot and McNichols on Conner - then north of McNichols, Conner becomes Outer Drive.

As I said, the Parkside area was my mom's childhood neighborhood, not mine, so I'm not that familiar with it. My mom's elementary school was Hamilton at the corner of Southampton and Newport. As far as "Wilbur Wright elementary," the name sounds familiar but other than that I knew nothing about it, but even through some Googling and Google Earth searching I was unable to find it. Link to the Detroit Public schools is here so maybe you will find another similar name, or address, that might help find a school that you might be thinking of: http://www.detroit.k12.mi.us/

As for the "big scary church," I guess all churches are scary if you're young enough or small enough at the time. I did a Google search [[see this link: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...it&btnG=Search ) and from what I can see apparently there was a St. John Berchman's that is apparently now closed - and what's more on that page you'll find at least one link to an old thread about it on the "old" version of these forums; alas, that link apparently is no longer valid.

[Maof]

St. John Berchmans was on Lakeview and E. Warren. It is still there but under a different denomination. Could the church on Connor be St. Ignatious?

[aprilgirl33]

Warrendale

[WKL]

Wouldn't Conner and Gratiot be St. Davids - Outer Drive and Gratiot

[Maxine1958]

Wouldn't Conner and Gratiot be St. Davids - Outer Drive and Gratiot

Not sure what your asking or referring to, WKL.

St. David's Church and school is/was on Outer Drive just east of Gratiot. Conner is just south of that.

My parents owned the store right on the corner of Gratiot and Conner. That's where I grew up. Went to St. David's for 8 years too.

[DetroitPlanner]

I grew up in the shadows of Cody High School. I went to Everett [[which was a wing in Cody High) for Kindegarten and took a summer school class and Driver's Ed at Cody. I was born at Mt Carmel. I only live about 1.5 miles from the houses I grew up in, I have only lived in three zip codes in my life, all contiguous.

[grumpyoldlady]

Sounds like there's more eastsiders than westsiders so far.

Gbran...I'd love to talk Carleton with you..is there some way we can message privately? Haven't figured that out yet.

[EMG]

Sounds like there's more eastsiders than westsiders so far.

Gbran...I'd love to talk Carleton with you..is there some way we can message privately? Haven't figured that out yet.

If it's Carleton - which BTW was my own elementary school - you're interested in, I've got pics of that too! These are from 2001.

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[EMG]

OK, the above were the outdoor pictures of Carleton. Now here are the indoor ones. All were taken in early 2002. Knowing I was going to be leaving the state, I got permission to tour the inside - with a faculty escort - for the first time since I finished fifth grade there in the '70s. Enjoy!

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[EMG]

Born in Detroit Recieving 1963. Lived from '63 to '83 at Harvard and Frankfort, near Warren/Cadieux, across from Finney/Cannon Rec Center. Couple more years near I-94 and Cadieux before leaving for the 'burbs.

Here then are a couple just for you! One of Finney and another of the Cadieux Cafe down the street!
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