  Dtown1 Member Username: Dtown1 Post Number: 2 Registered: 08-2006 Posted From: 69.215.244.78 |
I'm posting this forum to get someones opinion on the vintage all along Gratiot ave. Its in my opinion, underappreciated vintage, Faygo fact., Better Made fact., Eastern Market, City Airport, Macomb Mall, etc. | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 398 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.246.55.51 |
Vintage what??? I don't understand your question. | ||
Wmuchris Member Username: Wmuchris Post Number: 375 Registered: 06-2005 Posted From: 69.246.19.24 |
Welcome to the forum D Town. I appreciate Gratiot. But what do you mean by Vintage? | ||
Miketoronto Member Username: Miketoronto Post Number: 273 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 65.92.146.147 |
I have always found Gratiot Ave to be a very interesting spoke road. One of the reasons is the name. Its very interesting. | ||
Hamtramck_steve Member Username: Hamtramck_steve Post Number: 3209 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.248.42.207 |
Is that where the grapes of wrath are stored? | ||
Livedog2 Member Username: Livedog2 Post Number: 1005 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 24.223.133.177 |
Huh!? Livedog2 | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 135 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
I think he means the great old stuff that still remains too much we lament on how seven and gratiot is gone. He may just be reminding us of all the stuff that is still there. | ||
Dtown1 Member Username: Dtown1 Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2006 Posted From: 69.215.244.78 |
yes, detroit planner, your exactly right, feel free to mention more underappreciated vintage if you can think of nay, like the ones i mentioned in my original message. It's also, an easy access street for northeast side commuters to enter in andd out the CBD. Its about a 15 minute ride overall wiith traffic to and from downtown Detroit ( Without express way). Gratiot is very interesting its was once a main indian hutnting trail and now its on my opinion, one of the busisest non-express highway in SE Michigan (Message edited by Dtown1 on August 23, 2006) (Message edited by Dtown1 on August 23, 2006) | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 6373 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
Dtown1, You'll find our confusion stems from your using an adjective as a noun...although vintage 'can' be a noun in that state it is almost ALWAYS referring to some part or process of winemaking. Vintage isn't anything by itself, and we cannot understand what you're saying...but we get the gist of it. (Ham_Steve, you're not helping much, LOL, 'stomping out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored' does NOT make 'vintage' where they are kept! For those who missed it, he was quoting the Battle Hymn of the Republic) Vintage architecture...neighborhoods.. .automobiles...wine...all of those nouns can be described by the adjective 'vintage'. Enough of the English lesson... I never knew how busy Gratiot WAS until I moved down here...being a west-sider and all...but at least that four miles to I-94 is just bonkers. For a short while when I was dating a woman from Mt. Clemens I took it all the way in a couple times just for fun...so I would agree, it is the SECOND busiest spoke in the city...Woodward HAS to get the nod for busiest. M-DOT has those traffic flow numbers for State Roads, so whoever has access to them can post so we'll know for sure. There ARE some pretty amazing buildings on that street...my favorite HAS to be that two-story all-white marble one about a half mile north-east of Vernor (I think)...what an amazing structure, to me it is as beautiful and impressive as that GAR castle over on Grand River. That has all the vintage you can handle...architecture, marble, panache...you name it...it is just cool. Michigan Avenue was also an Indian trail...all the way to Chicago, if I remember my Dearborn Historical Museum lecture well...my guess is that Grand River was, too. Geez, maybe the spoke idea WASN'T some concept copied from whatever plan that was...since the guy was European he could've simply usurped the Native traditions and called them his own. Wouldn't be the first time... | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1477 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 63.157.65.169 |
Welcome Dtown1, if you go to this link and do a keyword search for Gratiot, you'll find lots of vintage photos. Maybe it will help you identify some of them. http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/ i/image/image-idx?c=vmc | ||
Dtown1 Member Username: Dtown1 Post Number: 4 Registered: 08-2006 Posted From: 69.215.244.78 |
Gannon, your right about Michigan, but Grand River was an actual river that dried up. so they turned it into a street and named it Grand River. However, all the other avenues were indian hunting trails | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 226 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 69.136.155.244 |
Grand River Avenue - History | ||
Neilr Member Username: Neilr Post Number: 331 Registered: 06-2005 Posted From: 68.60.139.212 |
Welcome, Dtown1. One of my favorite old buildings on Gratiot is the Mark Twain Library between Seneca and Burns. It is in the monumental Tudor Revival style: a true Palace of Reading. Unfortunately, it has fallen into a state of disrepair and decay in recent years. I think the building has asbestos issues and that's a main reason for its present condition. Inside, there are four major rooms and several fireplaces. It used to be filled with comfortable old oak furniture. The Parkman Branch on Oakman Blvd. is of a similar style and monumentality. The Parkman, however, is in good repair. | ||
Psip Member Username: Psip Post Number: 1134 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 68.60.45.70 |
Was Mt. Elliot a mountain that suddenly went flat?? | ||
Wmuchris Member Username: Wmuchris Post Number: 376 Registered: 06-2005 Posted From: 69.246.19.24 |
No Psip, But Jefferson was formed when Thomas Jefferson wanted to walk from the Ren Cen to St. Clair Shores. | ||
Psip Member Username: Psip Post Number: 1135 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 68.60.45.70 |
^^Always wondered about that.  | ||
Dtown1 Member Username: Dtown1 Post Number: 6 Registered: 08-2006 Posted From: 69.215.244.78 |
Neilr, I ride pass that every day coming to and from my gmom house/downtown. I wondered why it was always so vacant, ty. Oh, by the way, remember the brief tornado that appeared at the Harper/Gratiot imtersection, I cant remember what year, but their was some damage to be seen, nothing drastic though. It was likely the same tornado that touched down in the points and Chandler Park (before water park/golf course) (Message edited by Dtown1 on August 23, 2006) | ||
Tndetroiter Member Username: Tndetroiter Post Number: 160 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 141.217.226.162 |
I'd like to give some love to Gratiot Vintage in the form of St. Joesph's Church. I've just discovered the place and it's amazing. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 2691 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.81.69 |
St. Joseph's supposedly has Detroit's tallest church spire. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 137 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 63.85.13.248 |
I like some of the new stuff on Gratiot as well. Personally I like the Blvd from Downtown to Eastern Market. It is a was a great addition. I also like the Art Van Center. | ||
Bongman Member Username: Bongman Post Number: 1229 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 198.111.56.128 |
Those German ladies are still making blood-tongue sausage the old fashioned way at Alexander & Hornung's at Harper & Gratiot. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1882 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 134.215.223.211 |
Some underappreciated vintage buildings along Gratiot that I've always liked are in Roseville's downtown. Yes, Roseville once had a downtown and the buildings and infrastructure are still there. The intersection of Gratiot and Utica Road is their downtown. Chester Boot Shop, a great Catholic Church, a theater and more make up what could become a Ferndalesque redevelopment. Downtown Mt. Clemens is also loaded with lots of great old buildings and some pretty decent newer ones as well. | ||
Rrl Member Username: Rrl Post Number: 592 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 71.213.227.125 |
This little gem is one of my favorites; an art deco storefront just north (east) of Russell Street. The facade, and from what I can see of the interior, appear to actually be in great condition; I believe the place is owned by Butcher & Packer Supply Co. I'd love to buy it from them one of these days.  | ||
Dtown1 Member Username: Dtown1 Post Number: 20 Registered: 08-2006 Posted From: 75.7.135.95 |
Any say or questions on the Harper/Gratiot Tornado. The issue was, this tornado struck duirng normal business hours for the shops in that area. I would post a forum, but it might be too much | ||
Toybreaker Member Username: Toybreaker Post Number: 38 Registered: 01-2005 Posted From: 12.159.57.2 |
"This little gem is one of my favorites; an art deco storefront just north (east) of Russell Street. The facade, and from what I can see of the interior, appear to actually be in great condition; I believe the place is owned by Butcher & Packer Supply Co. I'd love to buy it from them one of these days." As far as I know this is still owned by and rented through Rocky Peanut - I almost moved in there a few years ago (and am now kicking myself repeatedly) but there was only a toilet in the basement and no other plumbing/bathroom facilities. At the time I was seeing the unit as my primary residence and not just studio space, so the bathroom thing was a big issue unfortunately. The upstairs has beautiful, ornate sculpted plaster archways and the downstairs as been partially remodeled into a recording studio. It is even equipped with an iso booth - it was one of the original Transmat spaces (please correct me if I am wrong with the history here). It was something like 700 or 900 for the whole thing about 3 years ago, at the time it was just myself and that was a bit prohibitive. It doesn't look like the current tenants are doing much with it. I'm signing off now so I can continue kicking myself. Repeatedly. | ||
Rrl Member Username: Rrl Post Number: 593 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 71.213.227.125 |
Heh, good stuff Toybreaker. When your foot gets tired, I can lend you one... Yeah, I love that little building, I figured it must be pretty nice inside. At least the upside is, it sounds as if Rocky P-nut or whomever owns it, isn't letting it completely rot and is giving it at least a modicum of maintenance. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 2698 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.81.188 |
That tornado was a late afternoon occurrence. Many chimney's had the top knocked over on the eastside (Chandler Park area). And many many tree limbs were knocked down in Grosse Pointe/Grosse Pointe Farms. And of course there was the tragedy of the non-English speaking family visiting the Grosse Pointe Farms Pier, and were blown into the water along with the pavilion that they were sheltered under. Apparently they didn't understand that severe weather was coming, and I believe 6 in the family died. | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 399 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.246.55.51 |
The tornado flipped over the abandoned Police Mini-Station trailer at Gratiot and Harper. | ||
Dtown1 Member Username: Dtown1 Post Number: 37 Registered: 08-2006 Posted From: 69.212.172.155 |
OH yeah, what about the former Grand dimitri. I believe its vintage in itself. The spinning thing out on the corner and the old-style restaurant inside the building. Now Natioanl coney Island Owns it, however, they did keep a lot of the vintage though, they just put their name on the building. Also, remember the old Dixie Barbecue restaurant on Gratiot and 10 mile. They just tore the building down recently. However, the sign is still standing. |
