Also, to put a date on it, I remember walking up Woodward with my Dad as a child in the summer of 1992, and there was still shopping. I think we then headed over to Washington Boulevard [[he had his office downtown back then).
I remember being fascinated at the fairly busy [[and to me, frankly exotic) scene. Almost entirely African American, and lots of music being blasted from the stores. Wig stores, shoe stores, I think a "record world" or something, blasting hip-hop. I found it fascinating. We had lunch at some grubby Coney Island on one of the side streets.
I think by about 1997 or so, this was almost entirely gone. So I think 1992-1997 would be the rough era for ending of downtown retail.
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