what was detroit like in the 70's, 80's and 90's? photos? video footages? (Warren: low income, 2013)

[MS313]

Originally Posted by jamary1

I heard that TJ and the Snug is still operating. True? That was our hangout when we lived in the Cass Corridor for a little over a year in '72-'73.


Moving to the Cass Corridor was a real shock for this country girl.....our apartment building was full of hookers, every time I'd walk down the street pushing my child in a stroller guys would wave $20 bill out the window at me and the playground across the street was covered in broken glass. Happiest day of my life was fleeing to north of 8 Mile for the rest of our Michigan days.


I did take a less-than-sentimental journey back in 2004 and drove downtown to see the old neighborhood. Yow! The condition it was in in 2004 made the 1972 condition look like Bloomfield Hills. Can you say Beirut after the bombing? Our old apartment building was roofless and windowless. The street was, unfortunately, now dead-end and I had to make a 10-point U-turn under the observation of some people who really, really scared me. One of these days, I'm really going to have to fulfill all those promises I made to God of things I'd do if I just got out of there alive.....

Now downtown and midtown looks like Bloomfield Hills compared to downtown and Midtown of 2004 and 1972. Cass Corridor is about to see $1,000 rent prices for one bedroom in the next year or two max. Crazy how fast things can change.

[paulmcall]

Downtown has seemed to always get the money for revitalization while neighborhoods were left to fend for themselves. As a result, big chunks of buildings are gone and crime is still a problem with schools a mess.
I don't see a turn around there in my lifetime.

[loose cannon]

the Detroit territory was hot until the mid-1970's. Ed Farhat kept putting himself over with his silly gimmick. People stopped coming to the matches. TV stations dropped the show. Eventually the WWF and Georgia Wrestling fought over the territory leading to National expansion and the WWF ultimately winning. It all was spurred on by Detroit.

[Vicman]

I remembered reading on DetroitBlog that so many building interiors are/were from the 1970s, as they were abandoned at that time. They are/were a time machine. I don't know how much this is still true...

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Vicman

I remembered reading on DetroitBlog that so many building interiors are/were from the 1970s, as they were abandoned at that time. They are/were a time machine. I don't know how much this is still true...

Not a lot. Most of the buildings have either been renovated, or stripped bare. You might find one here or there not yet cleaned out, but it would be rare.

[pojack]

I lived downtown from 1996-2000. It was a ghost town and it sucked for the most part. The only things to do were the temporary MGM casino, Club X at the State Theatre, Concerts at St. Andrew's Hall, Tigers and Red Wings games and that was about it. Even Greektown sucked back then compared to now.

I then moved to the far west side, still in Detroit and lived there from 2000-2003. The neighborhood was all city workers who were required to live in the city. It was a great, tight knit neighborhood. Today, it's no different than any of the other crime ridden Detroit neighborhoods.

Downtown is 10 times better than in was in the mid-late 90's. But the neighborhoods are worse than they were back then.

[Vicman]

What were the schools serving that west side neighborhood? It would be interesting to track their declines.

Originally Posted by pojack

I lived downtown from 1996-2000. It was a ghost town and it sucked for the most part. The only things to do were the temporary MGM casino, Club X at the State Theatre, Concerts at St. Andrew's Hall, Tigers and Red Wings games and that was about it. Even Greektown sucked back then compared to now.

I then moved to the far west side, still in Detroit and lived there from 2000-2003. The neighborhood was all city workers who were required to live in the city. It was a great, tight knit neighborhood. Today, it's no different than any of the other crime ridden Detroit neighborhoods.

Downtown is 10 times better than in was in the mid-late 90's. But the neighborhoods are worse than they were back then.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by pojack

I lived downtown from 1996-2000. It was a ghost town and it sucked for the most part. The only things to do were the

Not weird enough for Detroit City Club?

[pojack]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Not weird enough for Detroit City Club?

I heard about it, but yeah, I wasn't the punk rocker type. Liked the music though.

[pojack]

Originally Posted by Vicman

What were the schools serving that west side neighborhood? It would be interesting to track their declines.

I don't know. I was in my mid 20's at the time. Didn't pay attention to the schools. I do know that DPS schools were still bad back then. Most of the people in that neighborhood sent their kids to private schools. Dearborn Divine Child, Redford St. Agatha, and Bishop Borgess, from what I remember.