What was the East Side of Detroit like in the 1970s? (Sterling Heights: middle-class, 2015)

[1972Impala]

I understand that up until 1985 or so, the outer East Side of Detroit (along Gratiot, from City Airport to 8 Mile, including East English Village) was fairly stable and Caucasian. I'm told this is where Detroit's now vanished Italian community was.

Does anyone have any first hand experiences with this part of the East Side back in the day? Were there allot of Italian businesses on Gratiot? Where there lots of White Families? Pre white flight Detroit fascinates me allot.

[jonnynonos]

You're certainly getting around.

I wasn't around then but most of Detroit was already well in decline by then.

Indeed the Italians in Detroit have always been on the East side and now live in the east suburbs, but I don't know the exact mechanics.

[313 TUxedo]

By 1985, most of the area west of a line formed by Alter and Hayes was mostly African-American, many renters were moving into the area between there and Whittier, but east of there (except into apartments), only a few had begun to move in. More importantly, those moving East of Whittier were older, middle-class, African-Americans.

They actually restored and maintained the houses they were proud to own, after the white residents who had been there for 20+ years had been letting the elements take over. Property values soared, until the sub prime mortgage rage another 20 years later.

[animatedmartian]

The part of the eastside that most Italians resided in was around Gratiot and I-94. The local Italians refereed to it as Cacalupa because at Gratiot and Harper, there used to be a streetcar loop and barn. It was relatively small, but it's where many Italians who now live across Metro Detroit (many along the Gratiot corridor in Macomb County) can trace their roots. Buscemi's and Randazzo are a couple of Italian businesses that had their start on the Eastside of Detroit.

The peak of the Italian population in the area was probably around 1940. Most Italians had actually moved out to the suburbs by 1950 and by 1985, it was just the older Italians who were still living in Cacalupa. By then the neighborhood was mostly populated with Germans, Poles, and African Americans. It was about 50% white, 50% black. Most businesses (that weren't owned by any of the above mentioned races) were usually owned by Jews or Arabs. Though most Jews and Arabs were also living in the suburbs by that point.

[animatedmartian]

By the way, here are a couple of maps showing the predominate groups at the particular time.


Map: Detroit Area Ethnic Groups 1971 | DETROITography


Most immigrants had a neighborhood somewhere downtown and over time the neighborhoods they lived in would move further and further out. These days, the migration patterns still seem to be continuing in the same directions as you can find Jewish people up in West Bloomfield, Polish people going up to Sterling Heights, and some Italians in Clinton Township.


Map: Ethnic Migrations in Detroit 1900 – 1950 | DETROITography

[vbellomo927]

I find some of the info here incorrect. In 1970...there WERE still many white families in the are you speak of. I would say the majority were gone by 1975...but 1970..yes..the east side was predominantly white Italian in that area. Many polish also. Did you know that East Detroit..now called Eastpointe....also had many, many Italians living there in that period. I would disagree though that gratiot had several Italian businesses. In my opinion, Harper Avenue from 6 mile to 9 mile had majority of Italian businesses.

[Retroit]

Thanks for reviving this old thread. I live near 10 Mile Rd. and Gratiot in Eastpointe. Only a few old pure bred Italians and Polish left in this area. Now mostly mixed whites, blacks, bi-racial families, and variety of ethnicities (Native American, Laotians, East Indian, African, etc.)

Trying to think of the Italian businesses along Gratiot in the 1970’s.

Giglio’s (pronounced Julio’s) Deli across from Saratoga Hospital (now a liquor store)

Villa restauarant (still there)

Famous Italian Bakery south of Frazho (now part of Mike Reihl’s Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep)

Bellasario Florist south of Stephens (still there)

Randazzo’s Fruit Market at 11 1/2 (still there) and also Outer Drive and 7 Mile Rd.

Roma Hall (now Olive Garden, formerly Chesterfield Hall Prohibition era gambling hall)

There was an Italian bakery on Charles R. and Gratiot. Can’t remember the name. Maybe a branch of Bommarito’s?

Maybe a few other owned by Itlaians, but without Italian names.

Eastpointe Manor banquet hall (south of 10 Mile Rd.) is Italian owned. It opened in 2000. In the 1970’s it was Carpenter’s Hall.

[vbellomo927]

Wow. You named all of them. You are right. GRATIOT did have many Italian businesses. How soon we forget. I know your old neighborhood so well. My best girlfriend lived at 10 mile and Kelly. Old stomping grounds. Area has changed. Frankly too many immigrants for my taste. I am no racist believe me. But this huge wave of immigrants has ruined America. That's why the threat of socialism is so very very close. It's what these people want. They want to be taken care of by the government. They are used to that. We are not. We want small gov. Not bigger. That's what the founding fathers wanted for this country and the left is destroy g that.

[North 42]

Lol “I’m no racist, believe me. But this huge wave of immigrants has ruined America.”

[Retroit]

Originally Posted by vbellomo927

Wow. You named all of them. You are right. GRATIOT did have many Italian businesses. How soon we forget. I know your old neighborhood so well. My best girlfriend lived at 10 mile and Kelly. Old stomping grounds. Area has changed. Frankly too many immigrants for my taste. I am no racist believe me. But this huge wave of immigrants has ruined America. That's why the threat of socialism is so very very close. It's what these people want. They want to be taken care of by the government. They are used to that. We are not. We want small gov. Not bigger. That's what the founding fathers wanted for this country and the left is destroy g that.

Thanks for your response. I’ll have to disagree with you on some points though. The area has not seen a huge wave of immigration. True, there are some immigrants, but there always were. The area was originally settled by German immigrants, then Irish immigrants, then Italian and Polish immigrants. Most of the people moving in now are blacks, whose ancestors were “immigrants” hundreds of years ago.

As for whether the recent immigrants “want to be taken care of by the government”. Au contraire! It’s not the immigrants that want the government to take care of them; it’s the damn liberals whose families have been here for generation. The immigrants work their asses off! They came here because they love capitalism and entrepreneurialism. It’s the lazy ass Americans who expect others, including immigrants, to take care of their social welfare. I have several non-immigrant white neighbors who sit at home, collect disability, and smoke pot.