Your Detroit Memories! (Warren, Harper Woods, Buena Vista: living, shops, bars)

[FiftyFiftyAboutCO]

I forget who originally coined that "home again" line, but it's so true. I really loved Riverbend Apts. When we moved to our house in Canton after a year at Riverbend, I missed the trees at the edge of Hines Park and that winding walk. In 1973, all the new subs in Canton were totally treeless.

We had a 2-story townhouse at Riverbend with a full basement. I'll never forget the day I got my first washer/dryer combo. It was so cool to throw in the clothes, listen to the machine churn, smell the lint, and feel the heat out of the top. Heck we were young -- stuff like that was a big deal. Ever notice the more the years go by and the more stuff you get, the less fun it is? I'm not even impressed with new cars and new houses anymore, and I'm not even rich!!!....just comfortable. I've enjoyed reading all the comments on here about Michigan from you good people, but it's sad to hear of the negative changes. I've got a pretty good memory, so Riverbend and the apple cider mills, the way they were in the 70's, will stay with me. That's what I'll remember.

I'm so sad to see the troubles Michigan is having. You know, the week I moved to Denver in '82 (transfer with Ford) was a time of eye-openers for me. The first thing I noticed while driving to my new job the first day was all the foreign-make cars on the freeway. I couldn't believe it! I'd just come from Michigan where almost everybody drove American cars. To see all these yuppie cars on the roads and parked in front of all the apartments and condos just made me sick. I still remember a bumper sticker I'd see driving to work in Dearborn in the 70's during the days of the Arab oil embargo and so forth. It said "REAL AMERICANS DRIVE AMERICAN CARS." Nowadays it's dangerous to have signs like that on your car. But people should have heeded the warning back then. They all but ruined a great American city and a way of life many people enjoyed and expected to live for the rest of their lives.

That's what's really sad, lots more than the crime and mosquitoes around River Bend.

[Nearborn]

I still remember a bumper sticker I'd see driving to work in Dearborn in the 70's during the days of the Arab oil embargo and so forth. It said "REAL AMERICANS DRIVE AMERICAN CARS." Nowadays it's dangerous to have signs like that on your car.

In Vincent Chin's case, having a bumper sticker like that might have saved his life!

As far as Riverbend, I had the wrong complex in mind. I don't think they're as bad as I made them out to be. Although....here's a review from a couple years ago, so it MIGHT be that bad!!
http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate...ts-255669.html

STAY AWAY...FAR FAR AWAY!!

From: -Anonymous-
Date posted: 8/15/2004
Years at this apartment: 1993 - 2004


(broken link)

My mom has lived here for many years, and her friend has lived here for twice as long as she has. This complex used to be beautiful and pleasant to live in, until about two years ago, when things started to go downhill. Everything about this apartment complex was completely inadequate when considering the price we paid to live there. Management is rude and uncaring, and does not resolve ANY conflicts occuring in the complex, even when called repeatedly over the same issues. The owners decided that the managers did not have to report complaints to the tenants that had been complained about, because one time he was met at the door by a tenant holding a gun. Yes, he was greated with a gun, and now they are seemingly not held responsible for taking care of their own apartment complex. We could hear the noise from our neighbors through the walls so clearly that we knew exactly what radio station or tv show they were watching at all times...even with our dishwasher running, tv on, and all of the windows closed. All of the parking lots were repaved...except the lot in our building, leaving potholes and bumps everywhere. There are no lines in the parking lot, so people park wherever they feel like leaving their car, often using enough room for 2 or 3 cars. Many times there was not room to park when coming home at night, I had to walk from the lot at the next building to my apartment. This would not have been too bad, if there had been good lighting, but even that did not work half of the time. Overall, I would never recommend that anyone move here.

[zakian]

Sad. Born & raised here. Lived in 3 other states as well. WAS a great town, the 4th largest in the country. The downfall started with the riots in the 60's.
Not having any foresight with the oil embargo and everyone buying Japaneese cars put the last nail in the coffin. I now refer to Detroit as Detoilet and am leaving again asap. We're the 1st ,3rd world state.

[rfetner66]

I am late in joining but here I go:

The Catholic Church located on S. Oakwood in Detroit was Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. It just shut it doors this past October. My nona and nono were the first couple married there in 1927. Even though we moved out to the suburbs my family continued going to church there.

Giovanni's is still there and very expensive but excellent food. The best Italian resturant in Detroit by far.

Gonella's has gone down hill. I have never seen such a dirty store.

I stayed weekend at my grandparents house on Bayside and remember getting dairy products delivered to your house by sticking a paper in your window.

Oakwood Bakery is still there making bread daily. I still go to Dearborn Sausage. I do remember the Kitty Kat, it was the place to stay away from when you where a kid. My dad used to jog around the field next to the bowling alley weekly while we played on the swings. Ahh..I do remember the good ole' days.

Does anyone from Oakwood remember Wally the Barber?

[belbell777]

[quote=rfetner66;6198641]I am late in joining but here I go:

The Catholic Church located on S. Oakwood in Detroit was Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. It just shut it doors this past October. My nona and nono were the first couple married there in 1927. Even though we moved out to the suburbs my family continued going to church there.

Giovanni's is still there and very expensive but excellent food. The best Italian resturant in Detroit by far.

Gonella's has gone down hill. I have never seen such a dirty store.

I stayed weekend at my grandparents house on Bayside and remember getting dairy products delivered to your house by sticking a paper in your window.

Oakwood Bakery is still there making bread daily. I still go to Dearborn Sausage. I do remember the Kitty Kat, it was the place to stay away from when you where a kid. My dad used to jog around the field next to the bowling alley weekly while we played on the swings. Ahh..I do remember the good ole' days.

Does anyone from Oakwood remember Wally the Barber? yes born, raised in oakwood

[belbell777]

hi, i remember wally and his father Bruno the barbers. i worked at the blue jackets. born in oakwood. went to Hunter school. lived on Bayside. my mom went to hunter also, i had the same teachers she had.

[Blue Grass Fever]

Originally Posted by rfetner66

I am late in joining but here I go:

The Catholic Church located on S. Oakwood in Detroit was Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. It just shut it doors this past October. My nona and nono were the first couple married there in 1927. Even though we moved out to the suburbs my family continued going to church there.

Giovanni's is still there and very expensive but excellent food. The best Italian resturant in Detroit by far.

Gonella's has gone down hill. I have never seen such a dirty store.

I stayed weekend at my grandparents house on Bayside and remember getting dairy products delivered to your house by sticking a paper in your window.

BTW, Does anyone remember that restaurant that sat directly across the street from Gonella's. It was another Italian restaurant, i believe. It sat vacant for a number of years and then was finally torn down. The question is, what was the name and story behind that restaurant?

Oakwood Bakery is still there making bread daily. I still go to Dearborn Sausage. I do remember the Kitty Kat, it was the place to stay away from when you where a kid. My dad used to jog around the field next to the bowling alley weekly while we played on the swings. Ahh..I do remember the good ole' days.

Does anyone from Oakwood remember Wally the Barber?

It's funny you mentioned "nona" and "nona", remember hearing that quite a bit growing up around "Oakwood Heights".

Giovanni's, which i have lived right across the street (more like kitty-corner) from for quite a few years; never ever been inside that restaurant.

Yeah, i agree with Gonella's going downhill. I can share this sentiment all the way back to the 80's, when the original owners sold the business.


BTW - Does anyone remember the restaurant (which i believe was another Italian restaurant) that sat directly across from Gonella's? It was vacant for a number of years before the city finally tore it down. What was the name and story behind that place?

[Blue Grass Fever]

Originally Posted by belbell777

hi, i remember wally and his father Bruno the barbers. i worked at the blue jackets. born in oakwood. went to Hunter school. lived on Bayside. my mom went to hunter also, i had the same teachers she had.

Where was the barber shop? Near Mt. Carmel on the same side of the road?

If so, i might know him too! Remember, as a kid, getting a hair cut from an old man in this particular barber shop that has been there for years.

[belbell777]

hi, the restaurant across from gonellas was Majors. It was a fine dining restaurant & Bar. There was also Casedeis rest & bar on fort & dumfries, and Lupones Pizza on Oakwood.

[jill.faraday]

I was born and raised in Detroit...my father and both of his brothers were Detroit cops, so we lived as close to the border as possible, "copper country" around State Fair and Dequindre. Here are my favorite memories from growing up in the 60's and 70's (we fled the city to Sterling Heights in 1976 when my father retired!)

Riding the city bus on Dequindre all the way downtown in the summer time to hang out in the big city library

Riding our bikes through Palmer Woods to look at the exclusive houses there

Indoor Ice skating at the State Fair Colliseum or outdoors on the canals of Belle Isle

Shopping for a new Easter outfit, complete with patent leather shoes, at the downtown Hudsons, then having our Easter Pictures taken at the flower house after church on Easter Sunday

Getting a hot fudge cream puff at the Sanders near the downtown Hudsons

Visiting my grandmother's poultry market at the Chene farmers market

Going to St Stanislaus church for sunday bingo

Making my first Holy Communion at St. Rita's Church

When the Tigers won the world series in 1968.

Being scared to death when my father worked during the 67 riots and the vivid memory of my father teaching my mother how to use a gun in case anything happened while he was off working 24 hour shifts during the riots.

Ice Cream from the Good Humor truck

Alleys behind our houses on Dequindre where "gypsies" would pull carts with horses to collect junk we threw away in the garbage

Bel-Air drive in on Outer Drive

See the Lions play on Thanksgiving Day at Tiger Stadium

Beach days at Metro Beach, and skipping high school to hang out at Stoney Creek

Going to Boblo with the girl scouts

There are so many more! Life in Detroit in the 60's really wasn't so bad!