Quote Originally Posted by bust View Post
Since lured to work among the first assembly lines my family migrated up the streetcar lines, landing near their end on Mack. They stayed for more than 60 years.

The Mack Avenue streetcar provided the primary transportation for the first generation. They must have frequented the shops that lined the tracks. It's great to see the photos and other records.

The next generation was young when the streetcar was shut down. Cars became their mode. They must have more easily traveled further afield.

It's difficult to imagine a thriving business district along Mack today.

How much did removing the streetcar contribute to its demise?
Not much. The Mack streetcar was gone by the 1950s and the street was still vibrant.

If you go from 1.8 million people down to 750 thousand, you need fewer stores, fewer houses, and you will have fewer streetcar and bus riders.

When i went to Jackson 51-53, all of the blocks around the school were filled with houses or two story flats. You look at Google Streetview now and see many blocks with just a couple of houses. Why open a store to serve an urban prairie?