Nortown/Downtown

**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.

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.

**Modusvivendi** · February-03-12, 01:49 AM

Originally Posted by Augustiner

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.

There's a good story about the store and it's owner here: http://metrotimes.com/culture/holes-...wall-1.1249769

The owner's situation is really sad. He moved to Detroit from Romania 30 years ago and started at the bakery when the neighborhood was still a good place to live. Now it's gone completely downhill and is full of thugs who shoot up his store, leave racist messages on his answering machine, loot his goods, and steal his cars [[10 in total). Most of his customer base has moved away or died off, yet he is stuck there--he lives above the store too-- because he doesn't have the money to move. From google street view, it looks like the place next door is a boarded up former strip club. What a mess for the poor guy. If i were him I'd save up every penny and move out--even back to Romania--before I lived a hellish existence like that!

Ravine · February-04-12, 07:11 PM

We stopped there today and picked up one of those "football-shaped loaves" today. I'll tell you, the guy names four ingredients: water, yeast, flour, salt. That's it. And the bread is goddam thrillingly good. I ate 3 slices before we were even very far out of the neighborhood.

**Roq** · February-04-12, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by Ravine

We stopped there today and picked up one of those "football-shaped loaves" today. I'll tell you, the guy names four ingredients: water, yeast, flour, salt. That's it. And the bread is goddam thrillingly good. I ate 3 slices before we were even very far out of the neighborhood.

Vouch. I recommend anyone who loves bread to stop by and get a loaf. It's sooooo good.