Nortown/Downtown

**jtf1972** · March-10-11, 12:51 AM

Nice pics! I'm especially partial to that Kmart because I remember being a kid & riding to pick up my grandmother there. I think she worked in the jewelry department.

Now the weird thing... I saw the pics fine until signing in. Now I just see the pics as attachments, but the images are a no-show.

**kmartgal** · October-25-11, 12:19 PM

Hi, glad to be here , enjoy the pics! Does anyone have anymore of the kmart on Sherwood and Outer Drive? I worked there for 10 years and am sorry I dont have any...Please post any if you can! Thanks so much, kmartgal!

**Islandman** · October-25-11, 12:40 PM

Two Way Inn is still going strong in the area. My buddy and his family run it. He loves showing me all the old school pics he has of the building and it many uses over the years.

**Gistok** · October-25-11, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Brian1979

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.

Yup... opened in 1991.

**313WX** · October-25-11, 08:09 PM

They just demolished the old Kmart. It's another vacant lot now.

**Ted** · January-30-12, 07:31 PM

I remember all of this. I grew up on Brentwood, behind the National Food Store on 7 Mile road between Packard and Rogge, just west of Van Dyke. I attended Queen of Heaven from 1st through 8th grade, graduated in 1962. Attended Grant for K grade and 9th grade then off to Osborn HS. We bought all our bakery needs at Nortown Bakery and meat at Kowalski or Jaworski. Shopped Kresge and Cunningham Drug store at 7 & Van Dyke. Movies at Nortown Show. I worked selling 45 rpm records at Nortown TV across from National Food Store for about 3 years starting in 1963. I remember when the K-mart first opened. I would walk there with my girl friend and I would buy her a bag of chips coke at the cafe. It was a nice and safe area back then.

**Ted** · January-30-12, 07:38 PM

I remember a Danny Mahoney. I hung around with him for a little while when we were pretty young. He lived on Carrie St about 6 or 7 houses south of 7 Mile rd.

**Big Dog** · January-31-12, 08:51 AM

Ted, Those were the days, back then. a good experience.

**slick** · February-01-12, 08:56 AM

I lived on Suzanne, north of 7 mile off van dyke. Next to lipke park. The park was very nice back in the 60, 70 and 80's. Even had concerts on Thursday evening.

They would flood a portion and we could ice skate in the winter.

all the stores made for a great community.

**Parkguy** · February-01-12, 04:04 PM

I think the bus shelter shown in the photo was the DSR/DDOT shelter in Cadillac Square, east of Woodward. This shot is looking southeast, past Fleishman Carpets toward the RenCen, which is under construction in this shot. Proslack has the location right, but the shelters were in the middle of Cadillac Square. I think there was another station in Capitol Park.

**Bob S** · February-02-12, 03:13 PM

I rememember the area very well. I used to go to the Nortown theater every Sunday. I also bought my records at Nortown TV. My dentist and doctor's offices were above the Nortown Bakery. There was also a beauty shop up there. Quite a mixture of smells. I also went to Grant for the 9th grade in 1963-1964. I remember two guys you mat have went to school with Ted. John Dodge and Al Leider. I played baseball with them.

**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.

**Henry Whalley** · June-23-21, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by slick

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.

But so far from the Polish Yacht Club.

**Danny** · June-24-21, 09:47 AM

Nortown Bakery Today.. What's left of it.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4339...7i16384!8i8192

Even this young blood is cussing at the Google Map Crew.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4339...7i16384!8i8192

**Henry Whalley** · June-24-21, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Ted

I worked selling 45 rpm records at Nortown TV across from National Food Store for about 3 years starting in 1963... It was a nice and safe area back then.

My big sister used to buy 45 RPMs there every Friday after school circa 1958-61. I remember she had The Big Bopper, Elvis, Sidney Bechet, Everly Brothers, Brenda Lee, Bobby Darin, Chubby Checker, Patsy Cline, etc. Two of my playgrounds were Derby Hill and Farwell Park. Agreed, it was nice and safe back then. This kind of neighborhood ceased to exist in the U.S., except perhaps in the wealthiest enclaves.

**David L** · June-25-21, 12:26 PM

I lived on the NW corner of Stotter and Savage until the early 70's. My mother sold the house to a Ukrainian family in 1976. There was a bowling alley on Outer Drive and Van Dyke and a grocery store across the street.
Busy business area at Van Dyke south of 8 mile and even a SS Kresge at 7 mile that was tired even in the 50's. I remember Tilley's Hamburgers a few blocks south of 7 mile. Hamburger deluxe was 35 cents. Miss Tilly was very old and ran the joint until she died. All basic needs were available in that neighborhood known affectionately as Polish Grosse Pointe.
The neighborhood was home to many families that attended Bethesda Missionary Temple at Nevada and Van Dyke [[as well as Our Lady...) and its move to Sterling Heights was a terrific blow.