7-Mack shopping center at Mack and Moross...

**Al Publican** · April-13-11, 02:10 PM

This was the forerunner to Pointe Plaza that now occupies that corner next to St. John Hospital. I was discussing this corner with some fellow former Detroiters recently. I had a Woolworth's and a S.S. Kresge as part of the 7-Mack shopping center, along with Winkelman's and Lerner, two women's fashion stores.

Can anyone list the other retail stores in the 7-Mack shopping center? What was the name of the bar that faced Moross in those days. Not thinking of the Golden Lion that was across the street from the 7-Mack shopping center. What year was 7-Mack razed for Pointe Plaza? I'm guessing 1990.

I remember this topic coming up on this site a few years ago. Could someone re-post the photos of 7-Mack, please.

**kellyroad** · April-13-11, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Al Publican

This was the forerunner to Pointe Plaza that now occupies that corner next to St. John Hospital. I was discussing this corner with some fellow former Detroiters recently. I had a Woolworth's and a S.S. Kresge as part of the 7-Mack shopping center, along with Winkelman's and Lerner, two women's fashion stores.

Can anyone list the other retail stores in the 7-Mack shopping center? What was the name of the bar that faced Moross in those days. Not thinking of the Golden Lion that was across the street from the 7-Mack shopping center. What year was 7-Mack razed for Pointe Plaza? I'm guessing 1990.

I remember this topic coming up on this site a few years ago. Could someone re-post the photos of 7-Mack, please.

Great trivia question about the bar. Looking forward to the answer

. What was the grocery store located near the JC Penny building?

**Gistok** · April-13-11, 02:24 PM

Don't forget Sanders, J.C. Penney's and Wrigley's Supermarket. On the St. John side of the complex there was also an A & P Supermarket. And IIRC, there was a Cunningham's Drug Store directly on the corner.

And of course on the opposite corner there was the Sears outlet store and the Hughes Hatcher Men's Store.

**pgn421** · April-13-11, 02:58 PM

Al- are you thinking Cromwells?
That bar was facing Moross

**Al Publican** · April-13-11, 03:00 PM

Where the Barnes & Noble sits the Detroit-Grosse Pointe Woods city line runs just outside the store on its north side. The street on the north side of the Barnes & Noble is the extension of Kingsville that is the divide between Detroit and Harper Woods as it runs from I-94 toward Mack. The boundary between said three cities does zigzag a bit in that area. I think the parking lot behind St. John Hospital sits mostly in GPW.
Perhaps someone can post a map of the city boundary at that corner.

**Al Publican** · April-13-11, 03:11 PM

pgn421, yes, I think Cromwell's was the name of the bar where the parking lot in from of the Rite Aid is today.
Looking at a zoning map of Grosse Pointe Woods, the line running from Kingsville from where the street ends at the St. John Hospital parking area to the north of the hospital is, indeed, the city line. The driveway that comes off of Mack that leads to the Barnes & Noble appears to be the city line.
If you ever have a chance to look at the City of Detroit charter, you will find its political boundaries described in the front of the charter. It has some quaint terminology that includes references to the British crown and such.

**Gistok** · April-13-11, 03:12 PM

Here's a map of Grosse Pointe Woods...not the greatest... but it shows that all of the St. John property [[including Pointe Plaza) lies either in Detroit [[west of Kingsville) or in Grosse Pointe Woods [[east of Kingsville). So the side street to Barnes & Noble separates Detroit from Grosse Pointe Woods, and across the street [[Mack Ave.) is Grosse Pointe Farms. Harper Woods ends north of the St. John Medical Center complex.

The bottom tip of the gray area of the map is where the St. John/Pointe Plaza area is...

http://www.gpwmi.us/Docs/Publication...recinctMap.pdf

**PaulGall** · April-13-11, 03:28 PM

The Woods movie theater was right next door, along Mack Avenue toward 8 Mile, as well as Blazo's, a casual restaurant.

**Maof** · April-13-11, 03:30 PM

wasn't there a franks nursery [[or some type of crafty store) next to jc penny's?

**mikefmich** · April-13-11, 03:34 PM

There was a time when I could've rattled off everything in there. I grew up just blocks away and rode my bike there all the time as a kid.
On the same side as Penny's, far west corner on the back parking lot, was that a Franks where Wrigleys once was? Large toy store? I know the tenant there changed once during my youth.
One thing I remember for sure was the shoe repair behind Cunninghams on the corner. Used to get cleats on my shoes in Jr. High.

The bar across the street.....was that named Ma7ck?

**pgn421** · April-13-11, 03:42 PM

Al- I used to work with a fellow, that used to own Cromwells.
We were talking one day, I mentioned, I used to frequent it, and he said he owned it.

**Carey** · April-13-11, 03:58 PM

The Cunningham's had an old-fashioned soda fountain. Cherry cokes: 7 cents.

**MikeM** · April-13-11, 04:38 PM

When I was a kid in the late 1960s the bar on Moross was the Woods Lounge.

On the corner of Mack was Kinsel Drugs, then a Kay Bee Shoe store, then maybe another store, then Woolworth. Working around the shopping center: Lerner Shops, MichCon office, Danby's Shoes, an optician, Allen's Shoes, Kinney Shoes, Sanders, Winkleman's, then Kresge. Across the drive from Kresge, from Mack back, was J.C. Penney, some other store, an Awrey Bakery, then a Wrigley supermarket. Along Mack, east of Penney was a restaurant, the Woods theater, and a ski shop [[later a florist, now Robustos).

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...art=;resnum=33

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...art=;resnum=88

**jcole** · April-13-11, 05:10 PM

My sister used to work at that Cunningham's back in the 60's and my brother met his wife working at the A&P that faced Moross.

**Gistok** · April-13-11, 06:44 PM

Mikefmich.... that "Ma7ck" was a burger joint... and the last time I drove by last week it was still there... on the Grosse Pointe Farms side of Mack Ave.

And remember that many of the 7/Mack stores had entrances facing Mack and also rear entrances facing the rear parking lot with St. John Hospital looming in the distance.

And speaking of St. John... I remember when the old main hospital had only 4 stories [[the twin wings), with a 6 story gable in the middle. only later in the 60s did they add 2 additional stories to the main hospital [[and the "L" addition towards 7/Mack) as well as add the tower.

From what I gathered... the future hotel the hospital is planning on building [[on hold with the economy in the toilet) is supposed to be where the Woods Theatre used to be.

**tarkus** · April-13-11, 06:57 PM

There was a Lums restaurant and a Radio Shack in the middle of the strip.

**JBMcB** · April-13-11, 07:51 PM

My mom used to take me to Sanders to eat lunch all the time. Tuna fish sandwich, Vernors and water in those paper cone-cups with the metal bases. It was an old-school Sanders, the same vintage as the one that used to be in the Village and is now a Carribou.

**EMG** · April-13-11, 08:31 PM

I remember this area quite well from my childhood and can confirm the former existence of Cunningham's right at the corner of Mack and Moross - I spent many an hour browsing the paperback books there in the mid-70's while my grandmother shopped at Penney's and the aforementioned Lerner Shops.

Cromwell's must have been before my time as I don't remember it but I do remember a bar of some sort on Moross just west of that Cunningham's - it had a neon sign - was it The Elbow Room? At least, the neon arrow was bent like an elbow and no I am not thinking of the gigantic 7-mack plaza yellow arrow sign - and I know there was a place called the Elbow Room SOMEWHERE in that area!

Lum's was a favorite place to eat with my mom and I always ordered my favorite - fried shrimp!

**EMG** · April-13-11, 08:33 PM

---I do also remember Blazo's [[now that was a LONG time ago!!) Didn't Blazo's burn down - ironically, in a BLAZE??? Or is my imagination just being creative?

**Carey** · April-13-11, 09:09 PM

EMG: I think your imagination is on fire: Blazo's became AAA, didn't it?

**EMG** · April-13-11, 09:12 PM

I'm almost 100% sure you're right about it becoming AAA - but I'm still at least 50% confident about a fire in between, too.

**princealbert** · April-14-11, 01:05 AM

I remember the Elbow Room in the Parkcrest Motel on Harper between Moross and Vernier. Anybody recall a Chicago-style pizzeria called Michelangelo's in the 7-Mack shopping center from the late '70s, early '80s? They made a heck of a pie, similar to Pizzapapolis.

**Kathleen** · April-14-11, 05:26 AM

Here is the link to a DYes Hall of Fame thread on this topic...from the Ookpik old photo series!

Old Photo III - Where is This?
http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/91953.html

**GPCharles** · April-14-11, 12:43 PM

Blazo's was the place to dine and dash for east side high school students. The bathrooms were downstairs and the stairwell was past the cash register and closer to the front door.

**1KielsonDrive** · April-14-11, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by pgn421

Al- are you thinking Cromwells?
That bar was facing Moross

Diamond Lil's was also at or near that intersection. I played on their softball team for a nano-sec back in, ohhhhh, the 70's? Pgn, you'd probably know the area better than I because you're an eastside rat.........and you're older than I am.