Nortown/Downtown

**hermousefriday** · February-18-11, 10:28 PM

Not sure if this worked...I'm scanning old negs

Our Lady Queen of Heaven

Man Downtown

Kmart on Sherwood and Outer Drive

Red Top Coney Island

Nortown Bakery.

**reddog289** · February-19-11, 01:03 AM

Yep it worked, I need to learn that skill myself. That must be the EastSide Kmart I heard about but never seen.

**preserve** · February-19-11, 02:12 PM

No, I bet it's the K-Mart that was on Southfield since all the other pictures are from around that area.

**313WX** · February-19-11, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by preserve

No, I bet it's the K-Mart that was on Southfield since all the other pictures are from around that area.

Nope, that's the one on Sherwood & Outer Drive.

It was briefly converted to a Big Kmart before being shuttered.

It closed around the same timt the Kmart on 8 Mile & Gratiot closed and I think everyhting was consolidated at the Frazho & Gratiot Super Kmart.

**stasu1213** · February-19-11, 06:22 PM

I othat bus terminal. Does anyone has more picture of it and the greyhound bus station that was a block south of it?. I think that Detroit was a much better city during the time this picture was taken. I had a friend who had lived on House off Van Dyke. The area was still nice during the 1980s. I had loved the Kentucky Fried Chicken that sat on the corner of Vandyke and 7 mile.

**hermousefriday** · February-19-11, 07:42 PM

All these were taken in North East Detroit, 'cept the one of Downtown. Yeah Nortown stayed nice for a long time. Even in the early 90's it was still pretty safe. That K-mart is still there, though it's not a pretty sight. And it's called Dollar World or something. Nortown Bakery is still open too. Anyone go in there lately or know what it's like?

**slick** · February-22-11, 03:00 PM

Sorry gang but about the only decent place left in the Nortown, 7 Mile Van Dyke area is Randazzo's Fruit market. I was there on Sunday.

Lived in the area till about 1985, still nice but going down hill.
oh well, not sure what to say.

Proslack · February-22-11, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I othat bus terminal. Does anyone has more picture of it and the greyhound bus station that was a block south of it?. I think that Detroit was a much better city during the time this picture was taken. I had a friend who had lived on House off Van Dyke. The area was still nice during the 1980s. I had loved the Kentucky Fried Chicken that sat on the corner of Vandyke and 7 mile.

I think this is the old Downtown terminal you're referring to. It was located in the spot of the current One Detroit Center., actually the location of the parking deck.

Locations of past bus terminals for GreyHound in Detroit:
UNION BUS TERMINAL, 502 W. Grand River Ave., built in 1920's
TULLER HOTEL, Park Ave. and Bagley St., existed in 1930's
GREYHOUND TERMINAL, Washington Blvd. and Grand River Ave. [[NW corner), built 1937
GREYHOUND TERMINAL, 130 E. Congress St., built 1958
GREYHOUND STATION, 1001 Howard St., recent

**hermousefriday** · February-22-11, 03:31 PM

I loved going to Randazzos with my mom and grandma, good times.

detroitjim · February-22-11, 06:22 PM

The photo billed as Nortown bakery is a view of the northwest corner of E Seven mile and Spencer.
The building on that corner was a topless dancer called
" The Rumpus Room" later renamed "The Please Station".
Two storefronts to the left were a printshop and a watch repair shop.
On the southwest corner of E Seven mile and Spencer there was a Kowalski meat market
In the early 70's the storefront next to Kowalski's was candy store /ice cream fountain called
"Ku Ku Kow"

Augustiner · February-22-11, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by hermousefriday

Nortown Bakery is still open too. Anyone go in there lately or know what it's like?

I've been a few times, it's a pretty cool place. The bread is excellent, not quite like anything else I've had in the metro area, and the owner is a real character. He looks to be having a rough time of it, and I'm not sure how he's managed to stay open this long. I've never seen another customer come in while I was there, and some of the packaged merchandise looks like it's been sitting there a while. Definitely worth a visit, though, if you like good bread and vanishing slices of old Detroit.

**313WX** · February-22-11, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

I othat bus terminal. Does anyone has more picture of it and the greyhound bus station that was a block south of it?. I think that Detroit was a much better city during the time this picture was taken. I had a friend who had lived on House off Van Dyke. The area was still nice during the 1980s. I had loved the Kentucky Fried Chicken that sat on the corner of Vandyke and 7 mile.

The shopping center where the Kmart used to be is a virtual wasteland now. The dollar store, grocery store or whatever briefly moved into the old Kmart location has been gone for at least two years.

As for the KFC, that location apparently suffered more recently from poor management because it was shuttered and converted to a JJ's Fish & Chicken about two years ago or so. Every time I would go to that location the wait would be long and then the chicken would be very greasy [[by the time you get home to eat it the carton had grease all over it).

It's amazing how much that area has transformed in the last 20 years, let along 40-50 years.

**hermousefriday** · February-23-11, 09:32 AM

Wow I can't believe that Kmart location [[or Dollar store) has only been closed for a short time. It looks as if it's been shut down for 20 years, but that's how it goes. I don't know why, but I have a ton of old photos of that old K-mart. My family would seriously take photos of each other shopping and goofing off in the store. They took polaroids of the polaroid booth in the store, ha! I guess they had a lot of sentiment.

I'll definitely stop in Nortown Bakery sometime. My mom used to work there in the 70's, when it was still owned by Polish immigrants. She said the quality of the food wasn't as good when the Ukrainians bought it out. Not sure when the new owner took over.

Augustiner · February-23-11, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by hermousefriday

I'll definitely stop in Nortown Bakery sometime. My mom used to work there in the 70's, when it was still owned by Polish immigrants. She said the quality of the food wasn't as good when the Ukrainians bought it out. Not sure when the new owner took over.

I believe the guy who owns it now is from Romania. Maybe he bought it from the Ukrainians.

**stasu1213** · February-23-11, 11:10 PM

I know that the Greyhound bus station had closed it's 130 E Congress location in 1989 or 90. When was the building razed?

**Hamtragedy** · February-24-11, 12:34 AM

Anyone care to enighten the rest of us on Norristown. I read somewhere back that he laid out the boundaries to Yellowstone. His house is still stands too. What about the bar? Who "appointed" him? How long was he here?

**slick** · February-24-11, 01:06 PM

Hamtragedy,

Norristown, I thought we are talking about Nortown?
That was the area around 7 Mile Van Dyke, have heard it refered to as Polish Grosse Pointe.

Hamtragedy please enlightin us on Norristown?

**MikeM** · February-24-11, 01:17 PM

Norris, Norristown, Nortown, North Detroit: all refer to the same place.

**Brian1979** · February-27-11, 06:58 PM

I lived on Stockton off of 7 and Van Dyke from 1979-1993. The K-Mart was called Dolllar Market for awhile I think, it had a green and yellow exterior when it was Dollar Market. I haven't been over in that neighborhood in awhile, I'm surprised that building is still there.

**Brian1979** · February-27-11, 07:00 PM

I remember the Greyhound terminal on the site that is now One Detroit Center. One Detroit Center seems like it's older than it really is, that building is only 20 years old.

**Big Dog** · February-27-11, 09:09 PM

I lived in the area near Outer drive and 7 mile and van Dyke in the 40's, 50's and early 60's.

**hermousefriday** · March-01-11, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by Big Dog

I lived in the area near Outer drive and 7 mile and van Dyke in the 40's, 50's and early 60's.

maybe you know the Mahoneys?

**Big Dog** · March-02-11, 07:19 AM

I seem to remember a Dan Mahoney, that lived in the area, and went to DeLaSalle high school.

**kklemmer** · March-02-11, 08:02 AM

I lived on Doyle Street, just south of McNichols on the east side of Van Dyke in 1989-90. At that point there were still a lot of houses there and a fair amount of original residents, many from Holy Name Catholic Church. I lived in the church rectory at the time to keep the place filled so it wouldnt be robbed. At the time, my brother and about 3-5 other guys lived there. Also around this time was the first wave of shuttering Detroit catholic churches, and the "expansion" of Detroit City Airport. So the neighborhood around Van Dyke and 6 was largely abandoned, and still is.
Holy Name was bought by Shield of Faith church when sold by the archdiocese. Nice people and they keep the complex well maintained. I last visited about 2-3 years ago.