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Old 05-10-2011, 01:30 PM
 
298 posts, read 704,479 times
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I grew up in Royal Oak in the 60's and spent many happy times enjoying Detroit's museums, shopping, theaters and sports. Moved away for graduate school in WI and haven't been back since 1989. Hubby and I are planning a July Michigan vacation. I'm almost afraid to return to the Detroit area for fear that my heart will be broken by the deterioration I read about. What can you tell me about the changes-is it really that bad?
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Old 05-10-2011, 04:10 PM
 
Location: Grosse Ile Michigan
30,708 posts, read 79,810,729 times
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Some areas have gotten better. Midtown and Downtown are improved for the most part. I think that Royal Oak has improved as well. Hamtrammak - well no punker bars there now that I know of. I do not remember anyhting else beign there in the 1980s. Kensington Metropark is still beautiful. It depends on where you are going to go. Some Detroit neighborhoods are simply not there anymore.

The art museum is still great. What other museums did you go to? Are you referring to Detroit only, or to the whole area. THere is no shopping in Detroit now, but there is lots in the suburbs. Somerset mall in Troy is a beautiful upscale mall. Novi is one giant shopping plaza.

It iwll be interesting to see your reaction.
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Old 05-10-2011, 04:22 PM
 
298 posts, read 704,479 times
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Loved the art institute. And my mother volunteered at the Detroit Historical Museum. I have many good memories of working behind the scenes there like decorating the museum for Christmas. Spent a lot of time on Belle Isle. Is it safe to go there now? And of course went to Bob-lo island amusement park every summer. I assume that is all gone now.

Have googled my childhood home in Royal Oak. The street looks the same though the current owners of the home have covered a beautiful Arts and Crafts home with ugly yellow vinyl. Of course prior to that my dad put gray aluminum siding on it (remember the movie,"Tin Man"?).

Am looking forward to visiting the zoo, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village again. Hope they won't disappoint.
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Old 05-10-2011, 06:27 PM
 
Location: On the brink of WWIII
21,088 posts, read 29,223,196 times
Reputation: 7812
Quote:
Originally Posted by alle View Post
Loved the art institute. And my mother volunteered at the Detroit Historical Museum. I have many good memories of working behind the scenes there like decorating the museum for Christmas. Spent a lot of time on Belle Isle. Is it safe to go there now? And of course went to Bob-lo island amusement park every summer. I assume that is all gone now.

Have googled my childhood home in Royal Oak. The street looks the same though the current owners of the home have covered a beautiful Arts and Crafts home with ugly yellow vinyl. Of course prior to that my dad put gray aluminum siding on it (remember the movie,"Tin Man"?).

Am looking forward to visiting the zoo, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village again. Hope they won't disappoint.
The zoo...well it does have polar bears. It is now THE HENRY FORD, no longer MUseum or Village...progress huh?

Thought the Historical MUseum closed or limited hours?
Boblo has been gone for years...

Belle Isle? ICP had a great song about the deers on Belle Isle..Not much left to see, though picinics can be great along the water..
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Old 05-10-2011, 07:03 PM
 
Location: north of Windsor, ON
1,900 posts, read 5,906,480 times
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The Historical Museum is there but it isn't that great. Belle Isle to some (myself included) is very creepy but can be a lot of fun. The Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are very good. There are four casinos: Motor City (best Detroit casino building, looks great at night), Greektown (in old Trapper's Alley), MGM Grand (nicest Detroit casino), and Caesar's Windsor (also very nice and looks great from downtown Detroit). Royal Oak got cool after you left, as did Ferndale. The suburbia that was here when you were is looking a little worse for wear in a lot of places, and there's a lot more that's been built since. Oh yeah- depending on who you talk to, 14 Mile, 16 Mile, M-59, or 26 Mile is the new 8 Mile.
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Old 05-10-2011, 11:07 PM
 
298 posts, read 704,479 times
Reputation: 509
Nice to know that Royal Oak got "cool" after I left-maybe it's because I left. My old home is located on the south side of the city between 10 1/2 (Lincoln and 11 Mile just a few blocks west of Campbell Rd. Is that neighborhood still nice?
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Old 05-11-2011, 12:48 PM
 
Location: north of Windsor, ON
1,900 posts, read 5,906,480 times
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It's okay. It looks old now, but most of the housing stock is better kept than the comparable stuff in Madison Heights or most of south Macomb. The majority of Berkley has held up nicely, too. Downtown Clawson looks nice, too. Madison Heights is still Madison Heights, but it's pretty ethnically diverse now. They have good Vietnamse restaurants. Hazel Park is the land of foreclosed houses. Warren is not what it was back then...Universal Mall was de-malled and NW Warren/SW Sterling are very ethnic now. Oakland Mall and environs are still busy, but many of the stores in the mall have an urban or ethnic flair to them now. Ferndale is "Fashionable Ferndale" now...some of the artsy-fartsy stuff that got priced out of Royal Oak is there now. Not all of Ferndale is nice, in fact, much of it is old and ratty, but Woodward is a lot of fun if you're into bars and clubs (as is downtown RO). Downtown RO also has mid-rise condos and lofts now.
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Old 05-11-2011, 03:08 PM
 
298 posts, read 704,479 times
Reputation: 509
I'm ok with "old" as I'm not so young myself. And my old home was built in 1910 so it was "old" even when I lived there. It will be interesting to see Royal Oak all "artsy-fartsy" since it was just a bedroom community when I was growing up.
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