  Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4290 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.174.229 |
Demo crews are at the long vacant Wonderland Mall in (Hitlerland) Livonia. Wonderland Mall open in back in 1963 to serve the sprawling community in Livonia, flowing with outdoor mom and pop stores along with it dept. store anchors of Montgomery Ward's, Federal's, and Woolworth's and later the AMC Theatres, Service Merchandise and Target. The Eaton Place Food Court was replaced by the Fountian Walk to lure patrons back into Mall for a quick bite to eat with its 6 pack resturants. Due to more ex-urban malls like Great Lakes Crossing, Somerset and the Fountian Walk, Wonderland Mall continues to suffer of the loss of patrons and the closing of Federal's in the 1971, Woolworth's in the mid 1990s and Ward's in 1999 put in mall in total jeopardy. Today there is NO Wonder in Wonderland Mall, A new Wal-Mart Supercenter will replace the structure even through the citizens of Livonia feared that the new Wal-mart Supercenter would turn their squeaky clean community into a instant ghetto. So we have to see when this new Wal-Mart Supercenter can revive the Plymouth business corridor or destroyed it and to replaced my a mixture of local corporate chains and low-income folks that are moving into the Livonia communities. Please share your fond memories of Wonderland Mall on this forum and post other comments about who is at fault during the demise of one of Metro-Detroit's older malls. By the way Wonderland Mall is 2nd mall in the Metro-Detroit area to be closed and 1st mall to be demolished. | ||
Itsjeff Member Username: Itsjeff Post Number: 6126 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 208.27.111.125 |
So sad. I remember every Christmas, my grandmother and I used to go to Hitlerland to do our shopping. Of course they had the real Hitler, with a real moustache, not a piece of black electrical tape like the others. | ||
Matt Member Username: Matt Post Number: 1063 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 208.49.95.12 |
LOL Itsjeff. Actually, I do remember going to "Hitlerland" during the Christmas season with my mother to do some holiday shopping. We'd always head over to the food court when we were done to admire all the shimmering lights hanging from the ceiling - not to mention all the trees that had replaced the plants in the giant planters throughout the court. We'd always get warm cookies from Cathy's Cookies or a scoop from Sander's. I remember thinking that it was odd how these restaurants were all in a row and yet they had no walls between them to seperate them. Okay, enough of the memories... | ||
Davidmausolf Member Username: Davidmausolf Post Number: 12 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 66.240.120.170 |
I lived in Livonia for about 18 years, but never heard it called "hitlerland" someone want to explain the history on that? | ||
Matt Member Username: Matt Post Number: 1064 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 208.49.95.12 |
It's known has Hitlerland because of Danny's chemical imbalance in his brain. | ||
Publicmsu Member Username: Publicmsu Post Number: 651 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.65.11.17 |
Hitler had a short stint in Livonia while he was touring the world in his boy band back in 1939. Just a piece of did you know! | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4297 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.174.229 |
Mr. Boileau, You might want to take the last photos of the Demolition of Wonderland Mall before to turns to crud. | ||
Hardhat Member Username: Hardhat Post Number: 131 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.248.82.38 |
"Hitlerland" is a feeble attempt at painting all Livonians as racists because of a few stupid residents' comments made during a meeting last summer leading up to the approval of the new Wonderland design. The November vote by Livonians to disassociate with the SMART bus system is also a contributor. Obviously it's a ridiculous label, but that won't stop equally stupid people from making broad assumptions about a community based on the comments of a few... | ||
The_aram Member Username: The_aram Post Number: 4957 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.41.124.8 |
Lots of great memories of Wonderland. Sorry to see it go... The Aram, missing the pretzels in the food court. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 372 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 129.9.163.105 |
I remember going to "the Shoe tree" ca. 1963 with my folks, getting fitted for shoes by the clerk. The centerpiece display was a three-dimensional tree, with shoe styles arranged on little shelves. and the Marshall Fredericks sculptures, before they enclosed the mall. My grandparents shopped at Monkey Wards there. | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 442 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 216.223.168.132 |
Was Wonderland the mall of choice (in its heyday) in Livonia? Or was it Livonia Mall? Or did they compliment each other? | ||
Wazootyman Member Username: Wazootyman Post Number: 61 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 68.75.220.9 |
I always preferred Livonia Mall, they were the sponsors of the parade every Thanksgiving when I was a kid. Wonderland was a decent mall too, it's a shame to have seen it go, but it had fallen far. Livonia Mall is deteriorating too, it's only a matter of time before they demolish it. I believe development plans are already in the early stages for its replacement. Laurel Park seems to be the only mall holding its ground in the city, and if anything, it's just getting snobbier (is that a word?) Just an aside on the SMART vote - I believe most Livonians viewed it as a "better bus service for less". The wording on the ballot empasized the new bus service, and only a round-about mention of eliminating SMART. I voted against it, to keep SMART, as did about half of the city. Unfortunately, slightly over half voted for the new service and to eliminate SMART. It's a good thing, too - our Tornado sirens don't work (most of them didn't sound on the last test), and the city is going to use some of the money it saved from dropping SMART to replace the system. Ya'll should stop by, we're having Hilterfest this weekend. That is, of course, unless you're from east of Telegraph. We'll have police guarding the borders, don't worry. Yeah. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 373 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 129.9.163.234 |
Wonderland came first, it was open-air style, like the original incarnation of Norfland--Livonia Mall came later, in 1963, and was a "hardtop". Wonderland had Wards as an anchor, and Livonia mall has Sears as it's anchor. At one time the Livonia Mall Sears was the largest sq. ft. Sears retail store in the chain. I would say that they complimented each other, back in their heyday. Here's an interesting "urban legend" that rolled around the corridors of Clarenceville when I went there--don't know how true or untrue it is: the city of Livonia tried all kinds of evil crap to deny the original re-zoning of the farm at seven mile and middlebelt that the developers bought to build Livonia Mall on. The city realized that the tax money would go to Clarenceville schools. The city wanted it built at six mile/Middlebelt, where the money would come to Livonia public schools. | ||
Valkyrias Member Username: Valkyrias Post Number: 267 Registered: 02-2005 Posted From: 66.238.129.197 |
danny, i don't think it's the first mall to be demolished. you forget about tel-12 mall, granted there is a giant strip mall there now, but i think only one or two stores that were connected to the original mall still exists (dsw and staples). pretty everything else was demolished, added onto, re-done, etc. | ||
Rjk Member Username: Rjk Post Number: 346 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 68.41.145.5 |
When does Universal Mall meet the wrecking ball? The last time I was there (9 months ago) you race mack trucks through the mall and not hit anyone. It's sad when mall employees out number shoppers. | ||
Atl_runner Member Username: Atl_runner Post Number: 1922 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 198.151.12.10 |
Universal Mall was dead 10 years ago. Must be a secret something or another going on there to enable it to stay open. I actually stood a toys for tots post there in my Blues one christmas. That was actually a lot of fun and we collected a ton of gifts. | ||
Haydenth Member Username: Haydenth Post Number: 145 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 67.107.50.35 |
What about Winchester mall out in Rochester Hills? That mall was converted to big box retail about 5-10 years ago. | ||
Jjw Member Username: Jjw Post Number: 107 Registered: 10-2005 Posted From: 68.33.56.156 |
sorry--no fond memories of Wonderland Mall. Luckily, my parents took me downtown to shop. | ||
Thursdaynext Member Username: Thursdaynext Post Number: 128 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 70.236.145.18 |
I think whether you shopped at Wonderland Mall or Livonia Mall really depended on where in Livonia you lived. I grew up at 7 Mile and Merriman, my best friend at I-96 and Farmington. My memories are more of Livonia, whereas his mom shopped Wonderland. However, we did make the trek to Westland Mall when we needed to shop JC Penny or Hudsons and every once in a great blue moon we'd head over to Northland Mall. Northland and Westland seemed to far away when I was a kid. Funny how close things suddenly are when you're an adult. Best memories of Livonia Mall was getting my new shoes for school every year at Fashion Shoes. They had a little carousel that you could peddle around and you climbed up some steps to get your feet measured. This would put your tootsies at about hand level of the clerk waiting on you. Made you feel like big stuff! I have a birthday card collection from when I was a youngin' and I think I actually saved a birthday card or two from them. | ||
Wazootyman Member Username: Wazootyman Post Number: 62 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 71.65.15.68 |
I think it's also interesting that Westland Mall has continued to prosper, even though Wonderland was arguably in a "better neighborhood". I suppose it depends a lot on the decisions of the property owners. I'm a bit nervous about the new development, but hopefully it will work out well. With a somewhat questionable economy, I'll be interested to see how they fill the 40 stores in addition to the Wal-Mart, larger Target and unnamed big-box. I live just down the street from it, I'll have to go take a look at the demolition progress this weekend. | ||
Mumbly Member Username: Mumbly Post Number: 30 Registered: 10-2005 Posted From: 69.219.119.15 |
I still remember my first visit to 12-Oaks in Novi. It was just a few weeks after it opened in 1977. I had never seen a two-story mall before---and I was absolutely amazed. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 98 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 64.131.176.232 |
Westland probably prospered because they had an upscale component... kinda. Plus there wasn't really an oversaturation of shopping in the area to compete. I always thought 3 malls in Livonia was a little too much... But as for Wonderland, I guess it gets my first official "tear that schitt down". I hope Livonia Mall is soon to follow. | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 452 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
And by upscale component you mean Hudson's? | ||
Brandon48202 Member Username: Brandon48202 Post Number: 90 Registered: 12-2004 Posted From: 165.252.70.2 |
I'm going to venture that Summit place in Waterford is the next mall to close- last time I was there more that half of the stores were closed. | ||
Nainrouge Member Username: Nainrouge Post Number: 18 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 68.21.43.26 |
I lived in Livonia until I was three. I don't remember which mall was which, but one of them had a large swordfish fountain that sprayed a stream of water almost to the roof. I remember noticing that the ceiling tiles above it were stained from getting wet at one point and that I was amazed that water could spray up that high. I could spend hours (and probably did) at that fountain. All the time I spent in Livonia I never met Hilter. Just some older folks who had fought against him. | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 460 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
Sticking to Danny's original thread topic - here's a commentary on Wonderland: Wonderland Mall, Michigan's third-oldest mall, opened in 1959 in the western Detroit suburb of Livonia. This 850,000 sq. ft. mall had Montgomery Ward as its original anchor. Later on Target, Foland's (a catalog store), Amazing Savings (formerly Mazel's), Dunham's Sporting Goods, and Office Max joined the anchor lineup. It also was the first mall in metro Detroit to offer kiddie train rides, and used that as a selling point in its promotions. The layout of Wonderland was similar to a "TTT" look. At the left end of the first "T" were Wards and Amazing Savings. An AMC 6-screen multiplex was situated at the right end of the last "T". The three wings that spurred off the "T"s, from left to right, were Dunham's/Office Max, Foland's, and Target. After a while Wonderland began to update its mix of stores. Entertainment venues such as the AMC theater and Jeepers, a kids' pizza restaurant similar to Chuck. E. Cheese's, opened. It was also home to an FYE prototype store. Widespread mall-based stores such as Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, Dollar Tree, Claire's, and Famous Footwear set up shop in the midst of many other independently-owned stores. Service Merchandise moved in when Foland's went out of business in the early 90s. Even though the economy was booming in the 90s, Wonderland Mall was going downhill. It became a breeding ground for crime. This deterred many customers and made them flee to newer suburban malls. After that, security guards patrolled the mall in golf carts to try to give shoppers a sense of safety. Wonderland also lost business because it faced fierce competition from two other malls in Livonia, which are Livonia Mall and Laurel Park Place. Livonia Mall had a similar mix of stores as Wonderland, but it was safer and anchored by Mervyn's, Sears and Value City. Laurel Park Place is home to more upscale stores such as Parisian, Von Maur, and a Marriott hotel. Also, big-box stores such as Sports Authority, Media Play, Party City, Office Depot, and Waldenbooks & More sprung up across the street and took advantage of the mall's demise. As the years went by, Wonderland was losing stores faster than it could fill them. At the end of the 90s, Service Merchandise closed its store as part of a reorganization. Wards went bankrupt at the end of 2000. AMC shut down its theater because it has two newer multiplexes in Livonia. Dunham's and Office Max later pulled out. An eight-unit food court, the Boardwalk Caf‚s, was built in a desperate attempt to revive the mall. It was placed between the second and third "T"s. Now the food court is empty. In 2003 the management announced that Wonderland would be demolished. They are looking at sometime in 2005 to raze this dark and dreary mall. A proposed idea is to transform it into a power center and expand Target into a Super Target. Otherwise it could be a mixed-use development with some residences. Courtesy: deadmalls.com http://www.deadmalls.com/malls /wonderland_mall.html | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 444 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 35.12.23.170 |
Third-oldest mall? Hmmm. More like at least fourth oldest. Northland and Lansing's Frandor opened in 1954, Eastland in 1957. | ||
Goggo Member Username: Goggo Post Number: 183 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 64.136.49.226 |
Not sure what Danny meant by Wonderland 'flowing with outdoor mom and pop stores'. There were very few such stores there. I was there the day it opened. It was a bright and sunny place in 1959, not the dim, dank thing it died as. To paraphrase an oldtime tombstone epitath; As Novi's Fountain Walk is, Wonderland once was... As Wonderland is, Fountain Walk will soon be. The fact that Wonderland was situated in the part of Livonia separated from more affluent Livonians by the C&O mainline (and the industrial property alongside it) didn't help. 1960s Livonia mayor Moelke allegedly referred to residents of this part of Livonia as 'white trash'. The Livonia Mall did well for its first 10 years, but died sharply through the 1980s. Wonderland, on the whole did much better, for a longer time, until Wards was paralyzed by inept marketing. Federal really never did that well, being on the 'dead' end of the mall.  | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 99 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 64.131.176.232 |
Yeah, I was talking about Hudson's (hence, the "kinda"). Fountain Walk won't last nearly as long as Wonderland. (Message edited by iheartthed on June 16, 2006) | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 62 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
Quote Demo crews are at the long vacant Wonderland Mall in (Hitlerland) Livonia. End of Quote I'm very proud to live in Livonia becase we love blacks and jews. The November 8, 2005 SMART Opt Out is proof of this. The people who will be voting YES next August 8, 2006 are mis-informed. The passage of this means the Michigan Department of Transportation pays NOTHING. It means we want the DARTA to prevail which will destroy the inner city blacks as only the outer suburbs will get any money from the state. Danny before you call Livonia hitlerland again, please learn the real facts first. | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 472 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 216.223.168.132 |
Plus, Hudson's had a greater regional appeal than the national chains. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4310 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.174.223 |
Trainman, You said that you love Livonia becuase of blacks and Jews. FALSE!!!! (Hitlerland) Livonia does not has non comglomerate black-community nor it doesn't have a organized Jewish community. The Jews in Livonia who are now living in northside area from 6 to 8 Mile Rd. ( Base Line Rd.) from Inkster to Haggerty Rd. are almost non-existant. Most of them have migrated to Farmington Hills area. Black folks are just started to move into Livonia in the Compton Estates area along 5 mile east of Middlebelt area and 7 mile and Inster/ Grand River area near the Southfield and Farmington Hills area. Livonia still maintains a BAD reputation of its police force, its Plymouth Business Corridor turning it into a instant white man's ghetto, Wonderland Mall is DEAD! and so will be Livonia Mall. It's public school system is 7 times worst than Detroit Public Schools. And the population fell under 100,000. The people of ( Hitlerland ) Livonia needs to join Metro-Detroit bandwagon in order to survive through this rough Michigan economy. It needs public transit with SMART and D-DOT. Livonia dependence on regional transit will have to wait. It need good quality jobs and it needs diverse people into their neighborhoods. Livonia doesn't have to hide from the minorties. Livonia doesn't have to be xenophobic or segregated and Livonia doesn't have to be a lone ex-urbe forever for one day it going to need regional help. (Message edited by danny on June 16, 2006) | ||
Haydenth Member Username: Haydenth Post Number: 148 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 67.107.50.35 |
"It's public school system is 7 times worst than Detroit Public Schools." WHAaa? You sir, are the master of accuracy. | ||
Wazootyman Member Username: Wazootyman Post Number: 63 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 68.75.220.9 |
Danny - In the words of Peter Griffin: That is the smartest thing I have ever heard anyone say about anything. | ||
Czar Member Username: Czar Post Number: 3121 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 129.137.196.56 |
After Korvette's closed, I used to buy all my records at the Wonderland Harmony House. Malls are malls, they all suck in their own way, but I liked it much better when it was an open air mall. They used to have live animals in tents outside. That was pretty depressing. | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 473 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 216.223.168.132 |
I thought I remembered reading about or seeing photos of the live animals in tents. I am sure it was done as an amusement but now it seems pretty strange. | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 63 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
Danny Thanks for answering because except the word hitlerland your quote is correct Quote The people of ( Hitlerland ) Livonia needs to join Metro-Detroit bandwagon in order to survive through this rough Michigan economy. It needs public transit with SMART and D-DOT End of Quote Unfortunately, the total and complete abolishment of over 90 Million in operating subsidies to be replaced with county tax increases will not or ever work to improve mass transit. My efforts to protect current transit tax mechanisms are not supported by the DARTA which among other reasons is why I’m opposed to it at this time. The DARTA agreement is an UN-funded mandate to replace state funds to merge two transit authorities. It is presently illegal and in my opinion immoral. The opt out shows the truth about our present leaders and transit providers. They just don't listen and respond to the reality that we need to compete on the world markets to get jobs. Personally, I think we should all work together to lower per-passenger costs of bus service AND just leave SMART and DDOT and their revenue sources alone. | ||
Swingline Member Username: Swingline Post Number: 520 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 172.149.5.252 |
I love it when Danny gets on a roll. One other thing though. Forgive me because I'm not very familiar with Livonia neighborhoods, but is there really an area in Livonia actually named Compton Estates where Livonia's black folks live, or is this a slur aimed at drawing a connection to the S. Calif. city that has struggled with Bloods and Crips gang violence over the years? | ||
Dougw Member Username: Dougw Post Number: 1184 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 136.1.1.33 |
 Don't forget to take Lowell's Wonderland tour... https://www.detroityes.com/webisodes/2004/03-wonderland/09-won-enter.htm | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 144 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 63.85.13.248 |
Danny is right there is a Compton Estates on the eastern edge of Livinia roughtly in the Schoolcraft/Middlebelt/Inkster area. It is not a far streach to assume that black people live here as it is a common pattern of movement for Detroiters irrespective of ethnic group or race to move out of Detroit and into Livonia. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 376 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 129.9.163.234 |
Danny, Livonia has a GREAT police force, if you are a law abiding citizen who has respect for other persons rights, and their property. If you are a lowly theif who only wants what he wants without earning it, they are pricks. If something is going down, and you call the LPD, you don't go into voice mail hell, they don't take the offensive while listening to your complaint, and a, or several squad cars will come AT ONCE. This, to most of civilized America is good police work. The citizens do not want roll-down steel doors over strip mall windows, rampant, senseless vandalisim and theft, and support their police department. I can excuse you if this way of life seems foreign to you, but it works. Detroit used to be that way, but that is a matter for history books. (Message edited by 56packman on June 16, 2006) | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 2605 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.43.15.105 |
Before Wonderland was Detroit's National Airport; two grass strips, a small terminal, and a corrugated-metal hangar:  | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4320 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.173.157 |
56packman, Livonia has a great police force. YEAH RIGHT! when a black-folk just minding his or her business walking on any main road in Livonia. He or she will get pulled over and be racially profiled. | ||
Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 186 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 207.61.38.86 |
Why are these malls declining in the first the place. I look at the malls around me and they are all doing great and actually renovating and looking amazing. Big box is not killing them at all. So why the difference in Metro Detroit with this? I don't see why these malls would just go down the drain when they still have people living near them, etc. | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 488 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
It's not just Detroit. There are 'dead malls' in the Toronto area and all over the U.S. http://www.deadmalls.com/ (Message edited by HYSTERIA on June 17, 2006) | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4324 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.173.16 |
So for here's a list a class of malls in the tri-county area from DEADMALLS.com. : Wonderland Mall-4th class, soon be tranformed into a 5th class devlopment. Livonia Mall-2nd class 90% white, 8% black. Laural Park Place-1st class 95% white, 3% black. Twelve Oaks-1st class used to be 2nd class in the late 1980s. 93% white 3% black. Fountian Walk-remained 1st class 94% white 2%black. Orchard Mall-early 2nd class 91% white, 2% black 3% other. Great Lakes Crossing, the #1 mall in the Tri-County Area and the 2nd biggest mall. 1st class 55% white, 40% black, 3%other. Northland Mall-early 2nd class 1% white, 97% black Oakland Mall-1st class 80% white 16% black. Macomb Mall-1st class 89% white 8% black. Fairlane Mall-the biggest popular mall in the Tri-country area-1st class 9 white, 70% black, 18% other. Lakeside mall-1st class 97% white, 1% black. Eastland Mall-used to be 2nd class in the late 1990s now 1st class 10% white, 87% black. Westland mall-late 1st class 92% white, 5% black Southland mall late 1st class 89% white, 7% black Tower Center Mall-early 3rd class 0.5% white, 96% black, 3%other. Malls inside The Ren Cen building-early 5th class 51% white, 30% black, 15% other. | ||
Livedog2 Member Username: Livedog2 Post Number: 436 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 71.10.61.35 |
Livedog2 | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 497 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 216.223.168.132 |
Interesting. The demographics of Northland and Fairlane's shoppers have sure changed over time. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4329 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.173.16 |
Yes Hysteria, in a matter of fact when Fairlane Mall opened in 1975. Black-folks were forbidden to enter its doors until the early 1980s. | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 498 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 216.223.168.132 |
I forgot to mention Eastland. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4333 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.173.16 |
That too Hysteria, A long time ago lot's of rich-folks from Snobbyville (Grosse Pointes) used to shop at Eastland until they re-aligned themselves back to the Kercheval and Mack Ave. Shopping Districts. Now lot's of black-folks are shopping there. | ||
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria Post Number: 499 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 216.223.168.132 |
Yeah, Eastland and Northland must have been really great back in the day. The retail selection isn't what it used to be in Grosse Pointe but I suppose it's adequate for that area. I never liked the Jacobson's there but I hated to see it close ... all Jacobson's for that matter. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 402 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 129.9.163.105 |
Danny--get off of your race-baiting high horse. Black people have been shopping at Fairlane since it opened. Not as many as shop there today, but that should be viewed as a good measure of social progress, unless the Thunderbird bottle is always half empty to you. If you really hold on to those beliefs, explain the legalities of barring people by race in Michigan in 1975. That practice was as illegal then as it is now. | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 751 Registered: 05-2004 Posted From: 68.40.119.216 |
That demolition is sure taking a long time. By the way, when I lived in Livonia I did an informal survey of pulled over drivers. The sad thing is it seemed that 50% of the time, it was a black person pulled over by the cops. I'd call that racial profiling. Most of the folks in Livonia seemed to come from the westside of Detroit. It is a community with good schools, low crime rate and the old Ed McNamera crew in charge. | ||
Detroitgalaxian Member Username: Detroitgalaxian Post Number: 1 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 67.149.104.92 |
I grew up a few miles from this mall and my family went there regularly. Does anyone recall the mosaic tile murals that graced the walls near what would later become the north “Eaton Place” entrance? (Towards the east-rear of the Foland’s building.) If I recall, there were two of these near each other and they depicted outdoor scenes and were composed of colorful geometric shapes. They were originally outside. When the mall was enclosed, one ended up indoors, and the other was outdoors. The later northward expansion of the mall “ate” the outdoor mural. It was either destroyed, or covered over. (My memory of all this is hazy. Also, there may have been more of these murals scattered around the mall.) The indoor mural however, would survive late into the mall’s life, if not until the end. I think that part of this mural may have been covered by later renovation work. In the late 90’s the mural was significantly obstructed by a booth selling replacement windows and bathtub liners. I hadn’t been to the mall in its last years, so I don’t know if the mural made it until the end or not. In actuality, these murals probably did not have much artistic merit, and were perhaps a little corny. But I have been impressed that the one mural survived all of these years. It was the sole remaining vestige from the whimsical, colorful décor that graced the mall in its open-air days. (Check out http://water-winterwonderland. com/center.asp for a good photo of the mall from that period.) Does anyone know what I am talking about? Or if the mural even survived past the relocation of the food court? I would love to snap a photo of this mural if it still exists. Or perhaps catch a glimpse of the other mural if the demolition process reveals that it is still hidden in there or something. I live at the other end of town and probably won’t be able to get by there with the right frequency and timing to catch a shot of this. So if one of you folks who likes to take demolition photographs is looking for a mission, I think this would be a great point-of-interest to try and capture. (If the mural is still there, this could be kind of tough since it’s location is now deep within the core of the mall.) | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4447 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.84.90 |
56packman, Under racial pressure from Dearborn Mayor Orville Hubbard Blackf-folks NEVER went to Fairland Mall. Even when the day it was opened. He was problably there when it first opened. He didn't want to see any blacks in the mall period. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4448 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.84.90 |
Black-folks didn't went inside Fairlane Mall until after 1980. By late 1980s, Fairlane Mall was mixed. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 429 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 129.9.163.234 |
Danny, I'm 47 years old. I first went to Fairlane within six months of it's opening. While there, I ran into two friends I worked with at the Studio-8 theatre. They were/are black-folk. There were other blacks shopping there then, and throughout the years, and I have never seen the place lilly white. Mind you, not as many blacks were there in the early days, but they were certainly there. I was there, I lived it. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4462 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.84.90 |
They were there becuase they were on business before Hubbards KKK Clowns show up. | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 41 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 207.74.168.127 |
Wonderland Mall was prominent in my childhood. School clothes shopping at Wards was an annual event. My sister and I would distract my mom when we passed Winkelmans because they only had one chair near the dressing room! This is all when it was open air! |
