[cardwellave]

I could recommend a few places in the area that I like:

-Garden City Cafe (on Middlebelt North of Ford) Garden City
Just really a coney island but a friendly staff and good food. Nothing fancy. Might not handle 15.

-The Golden Feather Restaurant (on Ford west of Middlebelt) Garden City
Great restaurant. Features broasted chicken, ribs, and many other dinners. Not too upscale, but not like a coney either. Kid friendly. This is actually probably a great place for you to go.

-Leon's Family Dining (on Ford between Brandt Ave and Henry Ruff)
One my my haunts. I'm there every week. Love the staff, love the food. Also probably too small for 15.

-Little Mexico II (on Wayne just south of Warren) Westland
The best of the Mexican I've had in the area.

-Matador (on Van Born east of Inkster) Taylor
Nice, yet small, will handle 15, but tightly. Great food.

-Mexican Fiesta (on Ford Rd west of Telegraph) Dearborn Heights
Decent Mexican. My family loves it, I prefer the above two. Big place though, always have big parties there.

-The Bone Yard BBQ (on Telegraph south of Warren) Dearborn Heights (and on Plymouth east of Merriman)


And I know you didn't mean anything bad by your comment Acupunk. Just shedding some light on the city.

[cardwellave]

Oh and just wondering which freeway you mean. The only one I know that references GC is 275, and even then GC is a good 2+ miles from the exit, and the downtown area more like 4 miles.

[detshen]

96 goes through Livonia, but it's pretty close. Maybe that's the confusion.

[cardwellave]

Hmm true, it's about 3 miles north of GC. Would be easy to get off at Middlebelt and get right to the heart of town though, I kinda prefer the view coming in off Ford Rd going west.

Originally Posted by Acupunk

You should be on the board of the Chamber of commerce if you aren't already, I'm pretty sure you know a lot more about Garden City than my family. LOL

Thanks, but I don't think they'd want a 17 year old.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

Hmm true, it's about 3 miles north of GC. Would be easy to get off at Middlebelt and get right to the heart of town though, I kinda prefer the view coming in off Ford Rd going west.



Thanks, but I don't think they'd want a 17 year old.

Why not? some town has a mayor about your age.

[cardwellave]

True. I know I volunteered for the Main Street Project haven't heard anything, which reminds me I was going to email the lady. Maybe they just don't like that I don't live in the city. Not my choice, I would if I could.

[detshen]

I'm sure they will welcome the help whether you live there or not.

Maybe you need to start a business there in the future, then you could head up the chamber of commerce.

[cardwellave]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Garden City has the potential to be the next Wyandotte or Northville and even the next Royal Oak if the right kind of initiative is put forward. The city has the backbones for it.

[babigyrl5]

Originally Posted by Acupunk

I meant no offense, I have family in Garden City, I've just always loved Detroit and being in the city.

You should be on the board of the Chamber of commerce if you aren't already, I'm pretty sure you know a lot more about Garden City than my family. LOL

What you think of Hammtramck (sp)? I heard if I live in Detroit and I dont live downtown to live in that neighborhood

[babigyrl5]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

Hey, I could talk for days about Garden City. Feel free to send me a PM and ask me anything about it. I'm sort of a historian on the area.

In general the downtown has been somehwhat revitalized, not to the extent of Northville or Plymouth or Ferndale or Wyandotte, but it is pleasant. The city is pretty small. About two miles tall (Cherry Hill to Warren) and a little over 3 miles wide (Inkster to some sloppy borders on the west side including Venoy Rd and Radcliff St.)

The "pleasant name" comes from the British garden layout of neighborhoods, making larger lots to be able to grow a garden in tough times. You can see on a map some of these larger blocks still exit (Between Bock St and John Hauk St for example) though some of those larger blocks were filled in with other streets (example Donnelly St). The area was first discovered by John Lathers, and the city pays homage to him these days by the 1940s era Lathers Avenue on the east side of town and the Lathers General Store at the Garden City Historical Museum, open Wednesdays and Saturdays on Merriman Rd and Elmwood Avenue (North of Ford Rd.). The city also has two boulevard style (divided) avenues running east-west between both Warren and Ford and Ford and Cherry Hill (Maplewood Ave and Marquette Ave respectively). I've found this has really enhanced the landscape of the city.

The city has a lot of 40s bungalows on the east side along with some smaller sided and bricked ranches. Some areas do have some VERY old homes from the middle 1800s, as well as brand new subdivisions, such as Victoria Gardens (near Marquette Ave and Henry Ruff) and some new condo developments around Krauter Ave and Dillon St and on Meadow Lane off Middlebelt.

I myself am planning to volunteer on their Main Street Project initiative soon to be underway. They are also starting a Farmer's Market in Garden City this summer. Right downtown is the first K-Mart ever built at Ford Rd and Brandt Ave, and right behind it is Henry Ford's honeymoon home, a registered Michigan Historic site. Garden City is also home to the first Little Caesars, on Cherry Hill near Merriman.

Garden City is also home to great schools; all were recently redone or remodeled extensively. They have a very low crime index, and lots of good businesses and restaurants throughout with easy access to Westland Mall, Downtown Detroit, and the freeways. They are also home to Garden City Osteopathic Hospital, so urgent care is never too far away.

Anything else you want to know, please ask!

And here is a picture of Garden City's greatest old building, the Faulkner Buidling, former city hall, and home today to Orin Jewelers on the corner of Ford and Middlebelt, in the heart of the Downtown District.

wow I am so interested in Garden City now! You should work in the visitors center or something. Do you have any pics of these 1800 homes? How far is downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor? What mile is it by?