  Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 187 Registered: 11-2006 |
I notice there are many vacant small mom and pop stores and markets scattered throughout the city of Detroit. Were many of them owned by immigrants? What type of groceries did they sell? Did they give credit? Any memories or pics anyone could share? | ||
Craig Member Username: Craig Post Number: 11 Registered: 02-2007 |
I have two enduring memories of the small market, Shrubland, that operated down the block when I was younger: they sold a lottery ticket that went on to win a million dollars, and they had the filthiest magazines that I've ever seen. Also, in the spring they sold flats of annuals. R.I.P. Shrubland. Brightmoor's never been the same. | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 189 Registered: 11-2006 |
LOL AT FILTHIEST MAGAZINES | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 1628 Registered: 12-2005 |
Ours was primarily a pizzeria but had groceries too. The whole neighborhood would smell of pizza when they were busy. They sold ice cream to neighborhood kids who would then take it to a nice park nearby. To this day whenever I smell a pizzeria I think of that place. It's long gone.  The filthiest magazine they sold was The Detroit News.  (Message edited by Jimaz on March 01, 2007) | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1054 Registered: 12-2005 |
TerryH managed to get his dick into this thread in four words | ||
Yelloweyes Member Username: Yelloweyes Post Number: 96 Registered: 02-2007 |
We still have Yorkshire Market on the East side. | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 193 Registered: 11-2006 |
And Chene market. | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 194 Registered: 11-2006 |
And Chene market | ||
Norwalk Member Username: Norwalk Post Number: 29 Registered: 11-2006 |
Come to Hamtramck and see for yourself. Many Mom and Pop shops with a variety of fresh products from a variety of cultures and all just a short walk from home! | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 32 Registered: 11-2006 |
Your neighbor owned the store and lived in the back or above it. It had everything you needed, meats, pop, snacks, fresh vegetables, milk, flour, sugar, eggs, bread, can goods, pop, snacks, penny candy, candy bars, rubber balls (to play strike out), balsa wood gliders and rubber band airplanes, kites, yoyos, string ( kite and yoyo), ect. They were not overly priced. Very convenient, as you would have to walk some distance to get to an J&A market or Farmer Jack grocery store where you used a shopping cart (A rectangle or square fold up one that you owned and used to get your things home with) to do weekly shopping. They knew you and did give some credit, for us kids they would count your money and tell if you had enough for your item or let you slide if short. Kids could take a note and they would give you what your mom wanted. All the kids in the neighborhood hung out around there, on the corner, the alley or the open field. You turned in pop bottles for the return money (2 cents). You could get sen sen, aspirin, mercurochrome, band aids. Toothpicks (even the cinnamon ones), patches for inner tubes, newspapers, magazines, almanacs, and number books. (Some even took money to play the numbers). It was open early and closed late (5 or 6 o’clock), it was closed during church time on Sunday or if someone in their family was sick. That was our corner store. | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 561 Registered: 10-2003 |
1st_sgt, That's the kind of mom and pop store that I grew up with in the late 50s/early 60s. You forgot two things though. The wooden screen door at the entrance, which had a bell attatched to its frame to announce the customers. And if you needed to purchase something from the top shelf, they would get it down for you with one of those long pole grabby-things with the suction cups on the end. | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 33 Registered: 11-2006 |
You are correct! | ||
Ron_saad Member Username: Ron_saad Post Number: 71 Registered: 03-2005 |
Our store, Saad's Market(Eastlawn and Freud).We had little hooks we would squeeze to get it off the top shelves. | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 4848 Registered: 10-2003 |
In the Vernor-Springwells area and Michigan -Central are were little corner stores that had smokehouses out back that made their own kielbasa, sausages, and luncheon meats that I remember back in the 60's. Mom and I were talking about this subject last week. In those days, I remember our family never bought meat from the supermarkets, even though they had real "butchers" behind the counter then. Saturdays, my Dad and I made a circuit of about a half dozen corner markets, kielbasa at one, beef at another, luncheon meat at another, and so on. Poultry was my Dad's biggest concern, it had to be fresh killed otherwise it was not on our table. I remember the bitch he put up once, when my Mom trying to save some time bought some chicken at the A&P. Dad took one look at the bone and knew immediately it was not fresh killed. To this day I know if chicken bones are dark, it is not fresh killed chicken. This thread might strike more than a few of the younger posters as a bit odd, but there was a time you could purchase more than something in a bottle or can without fear in the corner store. | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 34 Registered: 11-2006 |
I forgot: shoe polish (black, brown and some times white). After shave (Old spice and Mennen, ect) shave cream (disk, tube and can) safety razor blades, hair cream, (wild root, burl cream and butch wax). Deodorant (odor-oh no, right guard ect). Bath soap (Ivory, Dial, Lifebuoy, ect), hand soap (Lava) there was a difference, washing power, baking powder, shampoo, starch, clothes pins, bobby pins, tooth paste, baking soda, floor wax (in the can) sprinkler things that went into an empty pop bottle to sprinkle water on the clothes before ironing them. (Message edited by 1st_sgt on March 02, 2007) | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 35 Registered: 11-2006 |
I remember buying a chunk of bologna so mom could make ground bologna sweet pickle spread. Or a pound of old fashioned loaf and they would rap it in brown butcher paper and tie it with a string. | ||
Southwestmap Member Username: Southwestmap Post Number: 718 Registered: 01-2005 |
Newport and Avondale (or Essex?): LaFleur's. Hard to believe that it had a real butcher's section in the back. I love 1st_sgt's lists. I was thinking about mercurochrome recently. What happened to it? Would it be a banned substance now? After picking up things at LaFleur's, we would walk diagonally across the street to the drugstore and sit at the counter and have a 5 cent coke. It was a great neighborhood. | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 244 Registered: 12-2006 |
My grandfather owned one, but in New York not Detroit. It was just as 1st_sgt described in his comments, and brought tears to my eyes. Everyone in the family worked there. It was officially closed on Sundays but since he and Gram lived behind it, everyone knew if they knocked on the living-room window he'd open the store for them. 1st_sgt, did your neighborhood store have Octagon soap? That was actual soap, not the sissy stuff you can buy today. You got your mouth washed out with Octagon, your mouth stayed good and washed out. He also had a deli, comic books, a candy rack where the top shelf was the big ten-cent bars and the bottom shelf was two for a penny items. The cash register never worked my entire life, and he had business cards taped to it from back when phone numbers weren't uniformly seven digits. In the 1960s the Hershey Ice Cream people gave him a sign for the store. It was a nice, big lit-up number to hang from the second floor of the building. It said "Fisher's Grocery" and under that was painted "Hershey's Ice Cream" and "Popsicles 5 cents". Because of that, he sold popsicles for 5 cents until he retired in 1987 because it was cheaper to lose money on the popsicles than to replace the sign (and it would have looked hideous to paint over it). Those were good times, then. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 2668 Registered: 10-2004 |
During the summer of 1958, I stayed in Dearborn for nearly three months. There were two corner groceries on Ruby (Reuter and Hartwell) with their own butchers. This was a Polish/Italian neighborhood but without bratwurst--a common staple in Milwaukee. After bitching about this a few times to the owner of the one 1/2 block away on Reuter, he called he over one time and showed me a huge supply of bratwurst imported from Wisconsin--a hundred pounds or so, both cooked and uncooked varieties. He worried that he might not be able to sell any of it other than what I, a fifteen year-old, would buy. But he put up a sign on his butcher case about his Milwaukee bratwurst, and to his amazement, the bratwurst soon outsold the sausage that he made or previously bought from elsewhere--to his customers who never tried it before. The butcher a block away eventually heard about it, and he too started making his own or buying bratwurst from Wisconsin. (Message edited by LivernoisYard on March 02, 2007) | ||
Carolcb Member Username: Carolcb Post Number: 145 Registered: 11-2006 |
My memories of walking to "Joe's" or "Al's" were mostly to buy candy or pop, I think. My dad bought a Schwinn Twinn when I was in third grade, and I spent a lot of time on it when I was old enough to ride in the front and control the person on the back. We would stop and buy Nesbitt Orange.... But the real memory was walking in front of all the older boys in the black leather that hung out in front of Joe's - they would say something like "what's shakin" - or sing some song lyric (really). We would buy penny candy (squirrels) and walk to the city pool. We were never afraid. Joe and Al were great too! We rode around town on that bicycle with those glass bottles in one hand and the handlebars on the other....... | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 36 Registered: 11-2006 |
We were lucky and had two corner stores in our neighborhood one on Lane and Lawndale and one at Lane and Elsmere. At Grandma’s house was Helen's store between Honorah and Stair on Vernor. Helen had two grandkids living with her that we were pals with. | ||
Carolcb Member Username: Carolcb Post Number: 147 Registered: 11-2006 |
Oh, and there was lots of liquor at Al's....I don't remember anything except "Tiger Beat" in terms of magazines, nothing to offend, I am sure! Gosh, my mom probably would not have let me walk over there. Our neighborhood was full of liquor though - people who had real bars in their basements - solid wood that was 15" long - the real deal. Oh and the Tigers would come over and sign autographs at the Little Caesars next door to Joes..... | ||
Christos Member Username: Christos Post Number: 72 Registered: 12-2006 |
My grandparents owned "Mediterranean Deli" on Jefferson on the River Rouge / Ecorse border. Anyone ever been there/have stories? | ||
Rockcity2windycity Member Username: Rockcity2windycity Post Number: 109 Registered: 11-2005 |
Wow those stories are alot different from the mom and pop stores i grew up around and are still around today. We would go to the local party store owned by someone middle eastern or asian. After getting money from grandma who would warn us to count our change because the clerk might try to scam us. Then we would enter the store greeted by harsh looks and a language we couldn't understand behind a bullet proof partition. Trek past the pornography out in the open and at eye level for a child. Grab our milk, making sure to reach behind the front row past the spoiled milk. Head to the candy aisle and grab some quarter candy or if we got chocolate bars we would slightly open them to make sure they weren't spoiled. Head to the counter and browse the marijuana rolling papers and other drug paraphenalia while waiting on the clerk to finish yelling at the neighborhood drunk in front of us in a language none of us could understand. The drunk would yell at him also in a language we couldn't understand. Hand the clerk our grandma numbers to play. Count her change, pay for our items and leave. | ||
Southwestmap Member Username: Southwestmap Post Number: 719 Registered: 01-2005 |
I never heard of anyone playing the numbers in the neighborhood that i grew up in. However, when I moved to the west side, not only did I learn about where you could play the official numbers, I knew people who ran the numbers as their own little businesses. One lady lived on my corner. Do people still play the numbers? Seemed like such a factory thing. | ||
Southwestmap Member Username: Southwestmap Post Number: 720 Registered: 01-2005 |
I never heard of anyone playing the numbers in the neighborhood that I grew up in. However, when I moved to the west side, not only did I learn about where you could play the official numbers, I knew people who ran the numbers as their own little businesses. One lady lived on my corner. Do people still play the numbers? Seemed like such a factory thing. | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 4850 Registered: 10-2003 |
Mr. Cushing had his store the corner of Gartner and Mullane, next door to a bakery I don't remember the name. Next block over Cahalin and Mullane was Sam's where we bought our "Syrian" bread (Pita), Gartner and Springwells was Pat & ?'s store. I'm trying to place the Lane & Lawndale store, was that nextdoor to "Joe the Barber?" or was he a block away across from the Lawndale Bar? And yes, I remember J&A quite well, despite the A&P was closer, my parents preferred J&A. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 2669 Registered: 10-2004 |
J&A was bought by another set of Arabs and now is mostly a Mexican grocery--La Fiesta. The south side of Vernor between Honorah and Stair is essentially the strip mall owned by the laundromat. A new store replaced the older vacant one that burned down, but was only open for two months before going under. [I suspect another fire might spontaneously erupt there.] The Coney place on the corner with the ancient Corvette in the back lot has been gone now for about a year or so. It and the service garage next door were demoed for yet another strip mall. And the corner hardware store moved a few years back some two or three blocks east and was transformed into a combo dollar store and hardware until the new Family Dollar store a block away killed that idea. The old Ferndale Market on Vernor near Central (formerly a combo hardware/party store) was sold about three months ago and has virtually nothing stocked in it. It's apparently does not have a liquor license anymore as I haven't noticed any spirits yet. Maybe they have one now. [Why do some people ever bother to go into business when their business plans seem so far out of touch with reality?] BTW, Ferndale was the previous name for Vernor in that neighborhood. And Honorah (a.k.a Solway, 52nd, Florida, among others depending on how far N/S) was misnamed for Hanorah Burns--mother of the owner of the 1901 Tigers and Wayne Co. Sheriff. (Message edited by livernoisyard on March 02, 2007) | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 8509 Registered: 12-2003 |
My second cousin Frankie owned a soda joint on the east side of Junction just north of Vernor Highway seemingly forever. I don't remember the name on the sign...and unfortunately have NO idea whatever happened to him. He was a little slow on the uptake, but until the neighborhood was over-run by gangs in the 80s was able to make a fine living serving the folks within walking distance of his little corner store. Back in the day, a slightly retarded honest man could make a safe living serving up malteds, ice cream, and easy food (although I don't remember a grille, I ate little besides junkfood until ten years ago, only solid food I think we ate outside Grandma's was Dulys). He always kept his comic book, newspaper, and magazine selection neat and up-to-date...that whole damn store was unbelievably clean, he was very proud of his part of the world. My childhood stop on the daily walk home from Holy Redeemer's afternoon novena with Grandma or Mom...kept me up on Sergeant Fury's and Alfred E. Neumann's antics...and had me smiling a cold chocolate malted mustached grin, yum...liquid malted milk balls. I still remember the Sgt. Fury story about the skinny guy who carried a bathroom scale into the battle zone due to his obsession with weight. He went from ridicule to hero when he saved the group by weighing everyone to find out who was too heavy to tread the minefield tripping the anti-tank triggers. The lighter guys found the mines and made a safe path for the rest. Good Lord, that was too long ago to remember that well. I can also vividly remember his glee when he first got Superman ice cream...especially since he tried to get me to try it, away from my favorite French Vanilla. I've got to find out what happened to Frankie, he's GOT to be over sixty now. | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 4851 Registered: 10-2003 |
For one of those "evil of our youth" stories. I loved Taystee's Banana Splits, a horrendous "pastry" made of chemical sludge, I suspect. One day, Mr Cushing went to the back of the store and I grabbed a Banana Split and jammed it into my pocket. Mr. Cushing questioned me about the bulge in my pocket and of course I lied my ass off. When I got home, Dad questioned me about what at happened at the store earlier that day. The CIA couldn't be more effective when it came to Dad's interrogations, I confessed everything. I was marched down to the store`, apologized to Mr. Cushing for my misdeed and spent the next month separating pop bottles, stocking shelves, and mopping the floor to pay for that 10cent item. I've never considered shoplifting ever again, nor eaten a Banana Split. Dad and Mr. Cushing were good friends and drinking buddies, that was how Dad learned of my transgression. Years later, over drinks with both, they told me of their scheme to scare me into never stealing again, it worked, and despite my embarrassment, I laughed with them and told them the lesson was learned. | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 562 Registered: 10-2003 |
Jams, Banana Flips were made by Mickey Cakes who also made Jim Jams, which were two stacked circular cakes with cream filling in the middle and cocoanut and strawberry jam on top. Yum! | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 4852 Registered: 10-2003 |
Dad was a Taystee driver at the time (early 60's) Could have had them all of the time, but he was a meanie. Now when he acquired the Archway Cookie route, that was cool. Still love those date-filled turnovers. (Message edited by JamS on March 02, 2007) | ||
Paczki Member Username: Paczki Post Number: 14 Registered: 02-2007 |
Hey Jams I never heard another person say anything about chicken not being fresh if it had black marks on it besides my grandfather. My grandparents lived on Grandy and 94 and my grandmother had to walk to the poultry market at the Chene Ferry Market to buy chicken or duck. She'd pick out her bird wait for it to be killed and dressed and then bring it home and make dinner. My grandfather was so picky it couldn't even sit in the fridge for a day. My grandfather didn't drive and when he needed a case of Stroh's we would walk down the service drive of 94, with my grandfather pulling his wire cart, to Chene cross the freeway and go to a party store on Chene where he would talk to the guys in the store. If I was lucky the owner would let me go behind the counter with a little brown bag so I could pick out a couple of pieces of penny candy. Sometimes we would go the other way and walk to the original Chene Trombly Market. I liked the other store better, Chene Trombly didn't give out free candy. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 8514 Registered: 12-2003 |
quote: If he gave them to you 'all of the time', and you ended up a four-hundred pound diabetic with no teeth...you would be saying he was a meanie because that's all he fed you. | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 4853 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ed_Golick, You're right Banana Flips, see what traumatization as a youth can do. Paczki, I would have loved your grandfather, I've come to appreciate the knowledge our forefathers had about the simplest things in life. Gannon, What can I say? (Message edited by JamS on March 02, 2007) | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 75 Registered: 01-2007 |
Paczki,is this the place to go for a forty?: http://farm1.static.flickr.com /159/408299318_e9d083a21a_b.jp g http://farm1.static.flickr.com /176/408293150_ee8a906f08_b.jp g http://farm1.static.flickr.com /123/408343624_ff2d665748_b.jp g | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 37 Registered: 11-2006 |
Jams On one side of Lane and Lawndale was the funeral home parking lot the other was the store. Next to and attached to the funeral home was the under ground barber shop, you could look down through the window and see men getting hair cuts. An old man drove his car into and through the side wall from the next door parking lot down into the shop one time it was in the early 70's I think. | ||
Brougham Member Username: Brougham Post Number: 11 Registered: 01-2007 |
Heres one such neighborhood store owned by an Italian/Armenian couple in the Detroit area. The photos are from the 50's. The store was forced to close when the supermarkets came in during the early 60's. The last picture is a montage-fantasy pic with the market embedded into a cityscape, a friend created. Anyone recognize the store and can place it ? The couple also had a small farm in the area that is still there. Last year they still grew and sold tomatoes, squash and peppers. Sadly, the husband passed after celebrating his 89th birthday in January. He was great guy with a big heart and smile to match.     | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3139 Registered: 10-2003 |
1645 Rochester Rd, Troy Twp. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 1752 Registered: 06-2004 |
Throughout the above posts I only saw mention of one store selling alcohol (though the photos show Terio's did, too). Nowadays it's all alcohol, cigarettes, lottery, and titty mags. Why the big change, especially since those are low profit items, and can anyone think of a store today that doesn't carry any of the above? It seems that non-selling stores could contribute to improving quality of life in neighborhoods. | ||
Rickinatlanta Member Username: Rickinatlanta Post Number: 31 Registered: 07-2006 |
Jams and 1st_Sgt., Looks like we all grew up in the same neighborhood as we lived on Logan, Gartner and Wendell during the late 50's through 1970. You mentioned Mr. Cushing. His daughter Meredith and I were first dates back then and we went to St. Gabe's from 1st to 12th Grade. Saw her as recently as 2005 as my wife and I go back up about twice a year to see old HS friends. Along with the corner stores seemed like every corner had a "corner bar". We were good friends with Joe and Danny Fedea who owned K-Andy's on Vernor. We also lived for a short time in the apartment building across from K-Andy's where there was a barber shop on street level with the windows open to the street. Great memories there. If anyone has any pics of the Vernor/lawndale/Springwells area from that time, would love to see them. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 82 Registered: 01-2007 |
 This is an inside view of Janicki's store on Chane St. Sadly, it was demolished 3 weeks ago, before I had a chance to photograph it(Mikem??).I have a few more shots that I'll post later on flickr, so you can enjoy the larger view. | ||
Fredgarvin Member Username: Fredgarvin Post Number: 31 Registered: 02-2007 |
I remember as a kid my Dad taking me to Lefty's, near Abington and Capitol, I believe. The cool kids got to sit on the pop cooler he had in the store. The kind you opened from the top and had a bottle opener on the side. Years later, Lefty and Vi (his wife) used to have annual reunion picnics at Hines park to let the old neighborhood guys get together again. I wonder if he was really left-handed? | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 83 Registered: 01-2007 |
 Here's a better view, I think I've got this resizing problem figured. | ||
Oldredfordette Member Username: Oldredfordette Post Number: 1285 Registered: 02-2004 |
Two blocks from the Redford Theater, on Grand River next to the bowling alley was Bills Beer Store. Bill kept an giant old pistol under the counter so you could see it, and his chain smoking wife kept the neighborhood kids out of the store, unless they had a note from their parents to pick up cigarettes or a six pack of beer! | ||
Gtat44 Member Username: Gtat44 Post Number: 45 Registered: 02-2007 |
I remember a small market near the New Center area, when I was working in area. It was called Y&B, man they had good sandwiches. They both grew up and still lived in the Morang & Cadieux area. They ran this store since the early 50's. They still had a lot of the signs and ads left in their store from back then. They always used to say that they were serving the needs of the neighborhood at the time. They were located on John R. between Milwaukee and the Blvd. As the neighborhood changed their clientele did also. They stayed open with little profit as a sense of pride. True Detroiters always hoping things would turn around. I often wonder if they are still alive and open. Good men and good friends, just like all the Mom and Pops were. | ||
Ravine Member Username: Ravine Post Number: 708 Registered: 01-2006 |
When I was a little kid, my big brother & I used to go to a little place called Les's, on Little Mack near 12 Mile. A true Mom & Pop store; we always referred to the lady behind the counter as "Mrs. Les." We were quite fond of Mrs. Les because of her way of selling baseball cards. This was back when a pack of Topps Baseball Cards cost one nickel, back when the cards were thought of as something which came with the gum. If you gave Mrs. Les a quarter, she would grab a small fistful of packs from the box and bag 'em up, and if you ended up with 2-3 packs more than you payed for, it was O.K. by her. (Who knows; maybe she was generous, or maybe she was in a hurry to get the damned things off of her counter.) Actually, the Bagley-Trumbull Market used to look EXACTLY like Les's, until the new owners (very recently) had to go ahead and completely fuck it up. I'm sure they think that they made worthwhile improvements. The owner was quite proud of it all, and asked me How I Liked It. I didn't tell him that I was nearly heartbroken, and that he had just erased a sweet, irreplaceable bit of antique Americana. The new folks are nice people, but without knowing it, they vacuumed the soul right out of the place, and I can scarcely bear to enter, even though I drive by it every day. | ||
Paczki Member Username: Paczki Post Number: 15 Registered: 02-2007 |
Bull. The place my grandfather bought his beer at was on Chene and 94 across the street from Dane Donut and Dan & Vi's pizza. Further down the block was a soda shop called Werner's. My mom and dad hug out there after school with the crowd from St Stanislaus. George Werner later closed the shop and bought a bar on Kelly and Moross and then a Hallmark store futher up Kelly on the Eastpointe side. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 89 Registered: 01-2007 |
Thanks for the feedback Paczki. Dan & Vi's is still there and doing well. Brays NAPA is across the street a bit. I've been in the place on Kelly, but can't recall the name at the moment. I'll grab some photos on Chane for ya on Monday, maybe a vid too. | ||
Qweek Member Username: Qweek Post Number: 162 Registered: 07-2006 |
My Moms side of the family lived on Casper off Michigan Ave. My Uncle still lives in the house he was born in (my Moms twin) there. My Aunt and Grandma lived on Casper also, and as a child I spent many days playing in the alley next to St. Stephens convent, great memories. There was a really old Mom and Pop store on Springwells, maybe the same one Jams spoke of. On the corner of Central and Cypress was a bar my family helped sustain, anyone remember Michnos? | ||
Stromberg2 Member Username: Stromberg2 Post Number: 8 Registered: 10-2006 |
Anyone been to Markowyczs European Home Style Sausage Shop on Michigan around Trenton Rd. Been there 55 years. Now that's a mom and pop store. Stromberg2 | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 2686 Registered: 10-2004 |
So, what building was the convent for St. Stephen's? The original convent was located on the second floor of the older school building on Central. It eventually was converted into a small auditorium and used for music classes and such. And who were the original occupants of the Queen Anne mansion where the rectory is today? That red brick house predates the parish by probably 35 years. | ||
Qweek Member Username: Qweek Post Number: 164 Registered: 07-2006 |
Ok. just talked to my Mom, she said the house was the rectory for St. Stephens, sorry, it just seemed the Felician Nuns were always visiting my Grandma, I just thought they lived there. You could walk to the end of the alley and there was a little gate leading to the rectory, my Grandma used to make bread and take it to the Nuns, and again I was wrong, my Grandma lived on Casper just south of St. Stevens, Michnos bar was on St. Stephens and Central and that little store was on Springwells and St. Stephens. | ||
Detroit_uke Member Username: Detroit_uke Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2007 |
What memories! We used to call them "corner stores" because there was one on every corner! I grew up in the Warren Ave/Livernois area (I still remember one of my neighbors teaching me the pronunciation of "Livernois" - she said 'mother makes the liver - children make the noise'). There was Ann's on the corner of Willette/cicotte. She had a lunchmeat counter, groceries, pop, chips, ice cream, penny candy, school supplies. She and her family lived upstairs and the store was downstairs. I remember she also sold used comic books - most of the time half of the front cover was torn off...but if you were lucky some had a full cover - Archie and Jughead! On the corner the next street over was Leo's (Wagner/cicotte)...at Leo's you could go behind the counter and get your own penny candy - I loved Squirrels, Chum Gum. Somehow I felt like a traitor when I went to Leo's because I always felt that Ann could see me and my friends walking across the street. Of course the reason for all of the corner stores was that there was usually one car in the family. Mom was home with the kids and when she ran out of milk or needed something for cooking - she would send one of the kids to the store. We walked everwhere. But wait - then there was Dee's - Dee's was on Pittsburg and Gilbert - across the street from Hanneman Grade School and not too far from Chadsey High School - now Dee's had an ice cream counter. A double dip was 25cents. But Dee's also carried magazines! Life, Look, Post. In addition to corner stores - there were also corner bars! The corner bar was on Wagner and Gilbert - and kids could go in, too - to buy pop and a bag of chips. For meat, fruits and veggies - you walked to the "Gypsy Market" on Warren and Livernois. I stopped going when I learned tht the chickens, rabbits, etc. were not there for petting. Good Humor ice cream was on Martin - as was Taystee Bread - ah, the smell! In the summer all the little Good Humor bicycles with the "drivers" in their white uniforms with white hats and jingling those bells. Then....in came A&P on Warren Ave., then Arlan's Imperial City...argh! If you go down McGraw between Gilbert and Martin you'll still see homes with two entrances - one going to the main floor - the residential part - the other entrance went downstairs to the basement. That's where alot of women had beauty shops. I lived in that area from 1954-1970...that's a long time ago. And yes - still go to Markowycs - she has the greatest store and the homemade sausage - yum. Thanks for the memories. | ||
Jan Member Username: Jan Post Number: 14 Registered: 07-2006 |
Our corner store was at Newport and Freud. We called the owner Sal, but I don't think that was the name of the store. I used to run up there for bread (we got milk delivered by Twin Pines) and cigarettes for my folks. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 96 Registered: 01-2007 |
Welcome Detroit_uke.Thanks for sharing you memories. My wife and I spent some time at 5502 Casper in the late 80's, early 90's and loved that area. We had a lower flat that we rented from Dan Graschuck (sorry for the spelling Dan). His family had a store on Michigan Ave. back in the day, but I couldn’t tell you more about it. We would go over to Supreme Bakery for their good rye bread. Lots of former soviet bloc people were there during that time. Last time I was around there, it was mostly Mexican. I have lots of photos that I’m trying to dig up and I will post them as soon as find them. | ||
Detroit_uke Member Username: Detroit_uke Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2007 |
Thanx for the welcome, Bullett. Lived in that area from 1954-1970. My parents were "DP's"...Displaced persons - came here after WWII. Now live in Warrendale. Give me the old neighborhood anyday!!! Can't wait for the pix. Wish Vic's Pizza Bell on McGraw was still around - it was the best! | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 38 Registered: 11-2006 |
Jams; One of my best friends lived on Mullane near Gartner in an apartment on the east side of the street, He played 1st trumpet in the band and was one of the best left hand ball players in Wilson Jr. High. His name was Eddie Rowlett (Spelling might not be right). Gannon; I visited that store on Junction sometimes while walking to Western High. (Walking to save bus money to spend in the store). There was a small candy store on Vernor and Scotten we would visit before school started, Also the cafe a few doors down served a great breakfast. | ||
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt Post Number: 39 Registered: 11-2006 |
Livernoisyard; There was a Ferndale apartment’s across from Angelo’s Coney island on Honorah. (it ain't there now) I always wondered why it was named that. My grandparents and Aunt lived in the second house from the alley behind Angelo’s. Angelo’s owners were friends of the family they owned the restaurant and other buildings around there. We played strikeout in the school yard down the street. There was a Kowalski's across from J&A on Vernor, sitting here I can still smell the way it smelled when you walked in. | ||
Mercman Member Username: Mercman Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2006 |
Livernoisyard; "J&A was bought by another set of Arabs and now is mostly a Mexican grocery--La Fiesta. The south side of Vernor between Honorah and Stair is essentially the strip mall owned by the laundromat. A new store replaced the older vacant one that burned down, but was only open for two months before going under. [I suspect another fire might spontaneously erupt there.]" My Grandfather had a TV repair store on Vernor- I think by the laundromat you speak of...Ajax Television. It was a Yellow- fascade building part of a block of buildings...not sure if it's still there, he died 13 years ago and we closed up the shop. Anyone know the building I'm talking about? | ||
Michmeister Member Username: Michmeister Post Number: 126 Registered: 10-2006 |
Bulletmagnet, would that be the Dan Graschuck who was the swimming coach at Cass Tech at least while I was there (`77- `81)? | ||
Southwestmap Member Username: Southwestmap Post Number: 723 Registered: 01-2005 |
1st_sgt and mercman: can you tell us about Paradise ice cream and candy. I was in that store once. | ||
Gibran Member Username: Gibran Post Number: 44 Registered: 02-2007 |
My grandfather came from Lebanon early in the last century, most likely around 1915. He ran a store near Olympia. His six kids went to catholic School at St. Maron's and two of his Boy's (my dad and uncle) served in the Marines in WWII. The boys and girls (6) raised my 31 cousins, many going on to university, and those that didn't ran successful businesses...all thanks to an immigrant store owner who instilled love, hope and good old American values into his kids...The corner store was and still is one way for people escaping or seeking a better future. My grandfather (died 1945) followed his dreams here and has left a strong legacy... | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 250 Registered: 11-2006 |
Gosh I love your story Gibran! | ||
Rickinatlanta Member Username: Rickinatlanta Post Number: 32 Registered: 07-2006 |
Paradise Candies was on Vernor near Springwells. We'd all go there after school from St. Gabe's and hang out eating great sundays and NOT getting fat cause we played a lot of sports and no gameboys. The last time i actually looked around the old neighborhood was in 1999 and the building was still there with the faded name on the side. Used to be a great Coney place right near there too where Dad and I would go late in the evening to get some dogs and wait for the Free Press to come out so I could check Tiger boxscores. | ||
Southwestmap Member Username: Southwestmap Post Number: 727 Registered: 01-2005 |
Late in the evening for the Free Press... that was the Bulldog Edition. They used to have it in front of Duly's, too. For the news-obsessed. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 2700 Registered: 10-2004 |
quote: That building is still there--next to the gas station/convenience store at Central that changes its name every few months. Due to Michigan Avenue construction, that location now is Ho corner. The Ferndale (the older name for Vernor) Market is directly across the street. Not too many Gringo places left--the pizza shop across the street dates back to the 1950s. | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 4862 Registered: 10-2003 |
Paradise Candies, ahh the memories. My sisters and I stopped getting Easter baskets at some point and each year we received a gigantic chocolate egg which opened up to a delectable assortment of chocolate treats inside. I've wondered what happened to those molds, except for Master's I've never come across another shop that had anything like that. Damn, I'd love a few chocolate covered date right now.....ok, I really want to gorge myself on those. | ||
Gibran Member Username: Gibran Post Number: 47 Registered: 02-2007 |
I suspect we all have memories of the corner stores and people that worked in the background....I remember in 9th grade I went into such a store and said "gosh the price of everything is going up...pretty soon there will be no penny candy" the next week I went into the store and bubble gum was raised over a penny...I still can't believe that cokes cost $1.39...where is town club pop when you need it... | ||
Rickinatlanta Member Username: Rickinatlanta Post Number: 33 Registered: 07-2006 |
I just looked at one of the aerial shots of the Vernor Highway area and saw that the old "corner store" on Pearl @ Vernor is still there although there's a lot of vacant lots now compared to the 1960's. We used to play basketball at the back of a building, now gone, owned by St. Gabriel's and then go to that small store to ge a couple of 16 oz. Pepsi's to slug down and go play more. | ||
Savannahsmiles Member Username: Savannahsmiles Post Number: 9 Registered: 05-2005 |
The corner store on Pearl and Vernor was very cconvenient when my mom would actually let me out of the house long enough to walk up there from our house at 2521 Wendell (house is gone now). When I moved to my first apartment (8132 Whittaker), that same store was still convenient. I remember Angelo's on Honorah and Vernor was a popular hangout for my brother. When I lived on Stair, Kowalski's was my fave store. I can still smell that old store smell. Nothing else like it in the world. | ||
Rickinatlanta Member Username: Rickinatlanta Post Number: 35 Registered: 07-2006 |
Savannahsmiles, We lived at 2619 Wendell in the 1960's, last name Maurer...your's? | ||
Savannahsmiles Member Username: Savannahsmiles Post Number: 10 Registered: 05-2005 |
Last name Whited. I moved from Wendell to Whittaker (Burnside building) in 1983. | ||
Mtm Member Username: Mtm Post Number: 198 Registered: 06-2006 |
Growing up in "Hamtramck Heights" (Detroit with a Hamt. zip code), there were a LOT of corner stores. Directly across the street from us, at the point of Carpenter and Eldridge, there was Mr. Joe's Sunny Day Market. It was your typical grocery store with meat counter, milk, etc. One vivid memory was when I was about three or four and begged Dad to let me help him return the (deposit) glass milk bottle. Just as I was walking up to the door, the bottle slipped through my mittened paws and smashed to the ground. I felt horrible because then we couldn't get our 2¢ deposit back. Mr. Joe expanded to a second store on Mt. Elliot and eventually sold the first store to Mr. Rich. He was an incredibly kind man who hired my brother for odd jobs during the summer and often treated us to ice cream. He really tried to push the Superman which, IMHO, had nothing going for it other than the vivid colours. | ||
Gibran Member Username: Gibran Post Number: 65 Registered: 02-2007 |
I remember the corner stores on Morang, especially was the one across from St. Brendan. They had a soda fountain and the greatest collection of comics...we would rake leaves for a quarter and then run to buy a comic. They were always so kind to us....what a big adventure. another corner store changed into a ice-cream store and serve the first slurpees (whitter) and langsdown)I remember getting a brain freeze drinking them..Maybe that is the reason to this day I my short-term memory is so bad...Frontal lobe brain freeze waiting for a deeper brain thaw. | ||
Paczki Member Username: Paczki Post Number: 17 Registered: 02-2007 |
Mtm do you remember there was a corner store on Fenlon and between Harold and Charles. The lady in the store was really mean but they would sell beer and wine to underage kids? Everyone from the high schools would go there. | ||
Buyamerican Member Username: Buyamerican Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2007 |
I am new to this forum and have been reading the posts. The memories that you all have generated are amazing. My corner stores were on Lemay and Vernor, Bogus Market. Across Vernor was Leo's Market and on the corner of Lemay and Vernor was Mac's Drug Store where you could buy a cherry coke and penny candy. Anyone from that area? |
