● "Old" Westside neighborhood bars, bakery's and more

[donpablo]

Greetings!

The other night I went to Skippers “Hamtown” to check it out and after talking to Skipper about the bars in my neighborhood I was inspired to take some pics and post them here.

My neighborhood is what some of you consider “old” Westside. I have lived near Michigan Ave. and Central for nearly 20 years. What I love about my neighborhood is the diversity. It is an old Polish neighborhood with a few Polish businesses still around. We have a great mix of Latino, white, black, Arabic and eastern Europeans. The Latino population has invested greatly in the neighborhood and has basically saved the area in my opinion. Unfortunately the latest recession has hurt a bit around here as I have seen more vacant/burnt houses.

In its heyday there were businesses on almost every residential corner. Many are long gone/bricked up and converted to flats and some remain. In the early 90’s I lived on 51st. just south of Michigan Ave and from my flat there were literally 6 bars within 2 blocks of my house.(Southwest Lounge, Red’s Drive-in Bar, The Alaska, Hard Body, R&R, and the Freer Bar) The house I lived in I suspect was a blind pig back in the day. There was an old tunnel going from the basement to the garage. (pic of the house below) The front of that house at the time was a beauty parlor run by an older polish lady. Now I live off Central north of McGraw.

I am looking forward to possibly hearing some stories about these places, let me know if I am missing any and I will try to get a pic.

I’ll start with the Michigan avenue Bars. Here is Brent’s place at the corner of Michigan and Addison;


The Celebrity Bar and Grill just east of Lonyo;


One of my favorites, the Cas Bar at Casper(this place is open at 7am!!)


Here is the Alaskan bar just east of Central;


A few blocks down there is the freer Bar;

[donpablo]

A few more blocks to the east is the long gone Toby’s bar;


There are 2 Bars on Central that I know of and here is Red’s Park-in Bar near St. Stephen;


Here is General George S. Patton Lounge and Hall on Central just north of Michigan. I believe this place was mostly rented out but I have noticed in the last few years they seem to be open all the time.


South of Michigan in the neighborhood at the corner of Freer and St. John is the Southwest lounge. It is still open. When I lived near there at the time this was a neighborhood gang spot where the “Waldo Boys” used to hang out. They never messed with me but they still made me uncomfortable so I only went there a few times. (same with the freer bar)


Now we will go a bit north of Michigan Ave, over the freeway at McGraw and Central stands this formerly beautiful building that some a-hole painted and ran a dollar store there for less than a year. I was so upset when I saw them painting it. I cant remember the name of the place but it was another hall that I think had a bar. I’m sure someone here will remember what it was.

[donpablo]

Down McGraw going east is the old Dare Bar, now turned into the “Caribbean club” they also have pool tables upstairs. The club was booming for a while but now it is sporadic. I wish I had an old pic of the sign. That place was stylin back in the day!


South of McGraw at the corner of Chopin and Panama is the old “Panama” bar now called the La Sierra


I had to include this pic of the house across the street from the La Sierra. A few years back this house had an 8’ chain link fence with barbed wire completely surrounding it. All the 1st floor windows were blocked up. As you can see it formerly had a business in it as well.


Going down Panama over to Proctor stands the famous “Supreme Bakery”


Across from the Supreme Bakery you have Mother’s Bar;

[donpablo]

North of McGraw there is the classic, now closed Aloha Lounge at the corner of Chopin and Wagner;


Here is a pic of the Lombardia Bakery on Proctor and Kirkwood. Previously this was a Polish bakery.


Last but not least is another business in the hood;

[donpablo]

Whoa.. I forgot the infamous gay bar on Michigan Ave; "R&R"

[donpablo]

And my old place with the tunnel (garage now gone)

[kryptonite]

wow, these are excellent photos. I don't often travel the side streets in SW Detroit, I am usually on the main thoroughfares. thanks for posting some of these. I love neighborhood pubs and businesses. There is nothing like that where I live in the burbs.

[jcole]

My husband grew up in the general vicinity (Michigan and Livernois). His dad used to drink at the Cas bar in the old days. 50's, 60's. His mom's family owned the Ozga Bakery on Livernois back then too. His Aunts and grandparents lived closer to Junction and used to eat at the Michigan Coney and Starlite. Great old neighborhood.

[Rosa]

I went into Mateja & Sons (advertised on the Cas Bar building) once before it moved out to the suburbs. Can't remember if I bought anything.

I ate at Claire's OK. Really good pierogi and it was a cool old place. I was sorry when it closed. Are there any Polish restaurants left in the area? I remember that place that was once on McGraw. Called something like Golden Ducking?

Did you ever go to that Italian restaurant that some family ran out of their house in SW?

What's the Cas Bar like? It looks like it's for sale. I've always been fascinated by the bars in that area, but I've never gone in one. I always wanted to go in that one with all the crazy velvet painting that became kind of a hipster joint for a while, but never did.

I always loved driving around there and looking at the old signs and houses. I knew someone whose family had a business near Buck's Eat Shop. Think it was on Central. I told him there was something alluringly creepy about the area around there. He told me there was a grisly murder at that restaurant.

Wow, that Aloha Lounge looks amazingly cool.

How would you say this area compares to say Hubbard Farms and the rest of SW as far as livability/viability?

Not the same area, but speaking of bakeries, I really miss the sourdough rye bread from Chamberlain bakery. I went down to the Chamberlain once, hoping to find more delicacies and was amused to see it was just the front of a house and only had the rye bread and some doughnuts for sale.

[jcole]

Starlite is a Polish restaurant and it's still open. It's on Michigan between Central and Cecil

[donpablo]

Yes the Starlite. I have been eating perogies from there for a long time although its been a while. Not sure if the place on McGraw was named the"golden duckling" or not but that turned into a mexican restaurant a few years ago. I'll get a pic. The place had a bunch of red eagles on it.

The cas bar is a total dive. place looks like it hasnt changed in years.

The area used to be worse than Hubbard Farms but sort of bounced back with the influx of so many Latinos. IMO it is very livable. I bought my house 12 years ago and have never been robbed, broken into, jacked, etc. (knock on wood) I love my neighborhood, i dont care what anybody says!!! I am also raising 3 children here who all attend DPS schools and they are getting a great education.

[donpablo]

Is the Italian restaurant run out of a home named Vince's on Springwells? I think that was a former home.

[Detroit_uke]

Grew up in that neighborhood - near Warren and Livernois. Went to that "Ukrainian" school on Clippert and Edward (St. John's). There's a group on facebook - The Old St. Andrew's Neighborhood in Detroit - 48210" - they have photos too...Thanx for your photos!

[Maple Leaf Rag]

I went to the Franko Bar one Saturday afternoon after the market. It was in a house right in the middle of the block on St. John between Martin & Apple. The front door was locked and as I started to walk away, this old dude comes running from across the street saying "I got the key". We went in and had a great time. Bing's aerial map shows it torn down, and Google's street view is what my vision looked like after I left. There was also Tony Michno's place. Actually, his dad's place, Michno's, on Central by Waldo. I don't think they ever had an ice machine in it before they closed.

[Rosa]

Originally Posted by donpablo

Is the Italian restaurant run out of a home named Vince's on Springwells? I think that was a former home.

No, it was an illegal restaurant that a family ran out of their house, I think in the late 80s or early 90s. It started getting good reviews in the newspaper, so maybe the attention got it shut down.

I just noticed that those streets are named Chopin & Wagner, like the composers. Let me guess...is Chopin pronounced "Choppin"?

[jcole]

Originally Posted by Rosa

No, it was an illegal restaurant that a family ran out of their house, I think in the late 80s or early 90s. It started getting good reviews in the newspaper, so maybe the attention got it shut down.

I just noticed that those streets are named Chopin & Wagner, like the composers. Let me guess...is Chopin pronounced "Choppin"?

It could be around here, but it's really 'Showpan' if that's what you're asking.

[Rosa]

No, I know how Chopin (as in the composer) is pronounced. I just figured in Detroitese the street might be pronounced "Choppin" - kinda like how a French word like "Gratiot" ends up being pronounced "Grah-shit".

[jcole]

Originally Posted by Rosa

No, I know how Chopin (as in the composer) is pronounced. I just figured in Detroitese the street might be pronounced "Choppin" - kinda like how a French word like "Gratiot" ends up being pronounced "Grah-shit".

OK, I wasn't sure. And when talking about screwed up French words don't forget 'Livernoise'

[gazhekwe]

My husband's grandparents lived across the street from Franko's. I think Grandpa was friends with the owner back then. They used to have great Friday fish fry.

[donpablo]

I have always pronounced it "showpin"

Thanks for the link Detroit_uke, i'll check out the 48210 on facebook

Maple Leaf Rag - I love that Frankos was in the middle of the street! I never heard of it or mitchnos. i will drive over there and take look to see if mitchos is still there. When did they close?


BTW- here is a pic of the mexican restaurant La Rosita on McGraw that used to be a polish restaurant

[Rosa]

Originally Posted by donpablo

I have always pronounced it "showpin"

Fair enough. I have been meaning to try the kielbasa at Markowycz's, so I think I'll hit the Starlite while in the neighborhood. Is Supreme Bakery still good?

[jcole]

I've never been to Supreme but the kielbasa at Markowycz's is very good, albeit pretty expensive. I think it was somewhere around $6 a lb when I was there last Christmas. I bought the smoked.

[reddog289]

Still miss the old Senate Coney next to the theatre, and the Pure Food Bakery.

[jcole]

Is George's Coney still any good?

[barnesfoto]

Thanks for the great collection of SWD corner bars. In my twenty years on and off in SWD, I've been to a few. The Dare had some pretty cool 40's deco decor, The Alaskan used to have the coolest motorized chair behind the bar, enabling the bartender to whiz up and down a set of rails to attend customers, all the while comfortably seated. Not pictured: Two of my faves, the Cozy Cove on Otis and Gilbert, which was a hangout for aficionados of Pigeon Racing, and Lenik's on....was it Martin?

Never went into the RR, as it was some kinda gay cowboy bar, but went there as a kid when it was Clare's OK Restaurant, a Polish restaurant.

[Lowell]

Absolutely fabulous tour DonPablo! SW Detroit has so much color.

[princealbert]

DonPablo, you're making me homesick. Lived in that neighborhood from the early '90s until 3 years ago. In fact my house was just across Panama from the old place with the glass block windows in your photo, a block east of Supreme Bakery.

I think the crummy looking dollar store used to be John Wayne Bar. I used to frequent Red's, Dare Bar, Cas Bar and Patton PLAV. Mother's across from Supreme Bakery and Stempien's Sidestreet Lounge on Martin south of Michigan are worth a mention. Martha, the regular night time bartender at Mother's can really belt out the old country tunes. It's in her blood... she's related to the Stanley Brothers. Stempien's is the friendliest place I found in the area. Kenny Stempien is a really sweet guy and they serve some killer burgers... Stump Burgers! The Alaskan Bar used to have a giant mural of a sled dog race on the wall across from the bar. Last time I went in the new owner painted over the mural with stark white paint and was playing Euro techo super loud. Like I said, it was the last time! I think the mural was painted by a semi-famous neighborhood artist, whose name escapes me. He may have painted the interior of the old Carnival Bar by Clark Park. Maybe barnesfoto knows who it is.

I think the Tarnow Outlet used to be the Tarnow Bakery. Seems like that place opened and closed several times while I lived in the area, maybe even burned once.

[Rosa]

According to Yelp, Stempien's is closed:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/stempiens-si...lounge-detroit

Mother's sounds cool though. Where else in SW has a great burger?

[princealbert]

The Aloha Bar had to be the swankest place in the neighborhood. Martini glass neons in the windows, beautiful blonde bar and furniture with lime green upholstery. Tiny stage with a piano right by the front door, dance floor surrounded by a raised up area with booths. Total time warp back to the 1930s. Too bad the old drunk bat that owned it was so cranky. One time I went in there with my girl and she accused us of trying to sell drugs. The thing is, there was no one in the bar but us, her and her son tending bar. Her son started yelling, "You gotta stop accusing people of that! You want people to come in here, dontcha?" Needless to say, I didn't stop in too often. Later, a Mexican dude by the name of Angel bought the place. He ended up getting shot in the spine by a richocheting bullet when a gang-related fight broke out in his place. That was about a week after the last time I set foot in there. Glad I wasn't around for that, the place was getting sketchy, anyway. I recall a hand scralled note taped to the bar mirror: "Mens keep your hands off other mens womens" Sticks in my memory for some reason.

Another cool place was the Just For One Bar on Central south of Michigan. They had a beautiful German stained glass behind a dark mahogany bar. Spent the first night of the blackout trying to help them finish off their beer before it got warm!

[princealbert]

Rosa, try Abick's Bar near the post office on Livernois. Corner of Dennis and Gilbert.

What a shame about Stempien's, if Yelp is right. I was there not too long ago.

[princealbert]

donpablo- Michno's is no longer there. They moved to Redford - 5 Mile and Beech Daly. I believe the Michno's on Central ended up being called the Just For One I mentioned, but I'm not positive.

[ljbad89]

Donpablo, thanks for the nice pictures and descriptions. It's nice to hear that you've enjoyed living and raising kids in the city. I'm still in college so it's years off, and unless it's a problem with the future Mrs., I've always had your area at the top of my list of possible neighbourhoods to buy a house in someday. I usually take Michigan Avenue to go downtown and the streetscape between Wyoming and Livernois (can't say the same for east of Livernois and west of Corktown) looks to be in good condition - open businesses and many people out and walking about. Hopefully things remain stable or get better in the upcoming years.

[softailrider]

Originally Posted by jcole

Is George's Coney still any good?

I think it's been absolutely terrible for about 20 years. After the origional owners son sold it, the food became awful.

[jcole]

Originally Posted by softailrider

I think it's been absolutely terrible for about 20 years. After the origional owners son sold it, the food became awful.

That's too bad. I really liked it way back when
Thanks

[gazhekwe]

I've been trying to perfect George's chili ever since John sold the place. When I was PG I lived on George's coneys. The recipe has finely crumbled ground beef, finely chopped onion, lots of cumin and other mysterious spices to give it flavor and color, NO tomatoes. I don't know what the liquid was, beef broth, water? I use beer. I've gotten close, but not right on. I think the guys who worked there were all from the same country. Was it Albania? The one guy with the hole in his head, with his "Four on Two, Two heavy, Ships!" was iconic.

[jackie5275]

Thanks for those pix. I remember taking my kid, who was about 4 y/o at the time, to preschool downtown travelling Mich Ave because of construction on the freeways. He was beginning to read, & one evening while driving home, he kept reading the word "bar" on the all the bar signs on Mich. As we neared Lonyo, he noticed he'd been reading "bar" alot and asked me "Mom why are there so many bars here? Every street has a bar, why is that?". The things kids say.

[jackie5275]

[quote=donpablo;111722]
I’ll start with the Michigan avenue Bars. Here is Brent’s place at the corner of Michigan and Addison;
Attachment 4885
Didn't this used to be the Kress Lounge about 20 years ago?

[Rosa]

No, the Kress was by Lonyo. There was a big picture window with a fabulous neon sign in the window. with "Kress" in cursive. The couple that owned it retired and moved to Florida. Everything in the bar was sold, including the impressive bar. I wonder who bought the neon sign.

[1KielsonDrive]

Originally Posted by jcole

I've never been to Supreme but the kielbasa at Markowycz's is very good, albeit pretty expensive. I think it was somewhere around $6 a lb when I was there last Christmas. I bought the smoked.

$6.00 a pound is a steal. You probably know that and you're likely commenting in relative terms. I bought some smoked sausage at Koptyko's in Hamtown recently. I think it was considerably more than $6.00 a pound. I think I paid almost $30.00 for a little over 2 pounds. It was sooooo good, I've been back a few times. It's a great snack or meal. Markowycz's is very similar in that it is all homemade and labor intensive. If you've noticed, most of the big meat company stuff out there is all pretty much the same. I think they make it all in one batch and then add some flavorings and call it 'brats', or Italian, or whatever.

[jackie5275]

Originally Posted by Rosa

No, the Kress was by Lonyo. There was a big picture window with a fabulous neon sign in the window. with "Kress" in cursive. The couple that owned it retired and moved to Florida. Everything in the bar was sold, including the impressive bar. I wonder who bought the neon sign.

I remember that big neon sign. My dad & I went in there for a beer once. For a while I lived downriver. When I got back to living in this area, Kress was gone, & I keep trying to remember where it stood. Although Addison is only a few blocks west of Lonyo. I'll have to drive by there again.

[jcole]

I don't buy at the 'big meat companies'; I usually go to the Polish Market and buy out of their meat counter. You can get some really good chopped, not ground, sausages for as little as 2.79 a pound. They have Wedding Sausage for around 3.79 lb as well as about 15 other varieties, fresh and smoked, ranging from the above mentioned 2.79 up to about 5.99.

[1KielsonDrive]

This thread reminds me of some of my best times in Detroit. I love the southwest and west sides. Last fall during the Jazz Fest, a friend and I decided to do a 'Dive' crawl, which we do periodically. I started at the Jazz Fest in the afternoon. We rendezvoused in Hamtown for a few stops and then headed over to a few bars near the Ford Rouge and Patton Park. After those stops we headed back downtown to the Jazz Fest and a walk around downtown. We capped the night with Telway burgers and coffee on our favorite perch, watching the street, night life along Michigan Avenue. What a day and night. Doesn't get better. That stretch of Michigan Avenue is an urban delight. As Don Pablo said, the Mexican's have saved that neighborhood, much as they've done with the Vernor corridor.

[1KielsonDrive]

Originally Posted by jackie5275

I remember that big neon sign. My dad & I went in there for a beer once. For a while I lived downriver. When I got back to living in this area, Kress was gone, & I keep trying to remember where it stood. Although Addison is only a few blocks west of Lonyo. I'll have to drive by there again.

Look for the middle of the used car lot. There's an indent in the curb where the street used to be. That's where the Kress was located.

[1KielsonDrive]

[quote=jackie5275;112042]

Originally Posted by donpablo

I’ll start with the Michigan avenue Bars. Here is Brent’s place at the corner of Michigan and Addison;
Attachment 4885
Didn't this used to be the Kress Lounge about 20 years ago?

The Kress was torn down by the dealership (used to be Jerry Bielfield Ford), at Michigan and Lonyo, for their expanded used car lot.

[1KielsonDrive]

Originally Posted by jcole

I don't buy at the 'big meat companies'; I usually go to the Polish Market and buy out of their meat counter. You can get some really good chopped, not ground, sausages for as little as 2.79 a pound. They have Wedding Sausage for around 3.79 lb as well as about 15 other varieties, fresh and smoked, ranging from the above mentioned 2.79 up to about 5.99.

Right on jcole, that is some good stuff.

[donpablo]

Originally Posted by Lowell

Absolutely fabulous tour DonPablo! SW Detroit has so much color.

Thanks Lowell. It would be even more colorful on a bright summer day. It was pretty dreary out when i took the pics.

princealbert- I love the stories! Especially the sliding bartenders chair in the Alaskan and the old lady at the Aloha.

1KielsonDrive - dive crawls are always fun except for the fact that you usually cant find a dark beer! Everyone loves the Telway, it seems many find themselves there after a good night at the bar!

I will try to get some pics of some of the closed down joints some of you have mentioned here

Thanks everyone for your replies!!

[reddog289]

Having got to know a bit about that area in the 15 or so year I was in and out of that place.While a few places are gone alot still remain. The Kress was an Old Timers Bar, according to my "gramps" Who lived in that area for 60+yrs.
I read were the bar ended up north in a vacation home.

[caspermi]

I grew up in that area in the 60's and 70's and a few places come to mind.
- Michno's Cafe on the corner of Central and St. Stephens
- The Softball Bar on the corner of Freer and St John
- bar on the corner of Central and St John (can't remember name)
- Who could forget the 52nd Show Bar on Michigan and 52nd. Remember as kid the ad in front for 'Antoinette the MonkeyLady". I was eight when the Tigers won the World Series in '68 and people were celebrating on Michigan Ave. A friend and I dared each other and we went into the place and each got a bag of chips and I still remember the gal dancing on stage at the time.
- There was a bar next to Piaskowski Drugs on Michigan that had a shuffleboard table game that we played on many times.
- I think it was the El Dorado Bar on the corner of Michigan and Livernois. Used to stop in and buy french fries in their restaurant on the way home from Boys Club.
- Don't know the name, but there was a go-go bar on the north side of Michigan between Martin and Livernois that had a series of torches on the front of the building. I remember driving past at night with my dad and the front was lit with the flaming torches.

Here are some other businesses that come to mind;
-White Tower Burgers on Central and Michigan. Cunninghams-later DOTS drugs, Neisners Dime Store, A clothing store next to a jewelery store (can't remember names), Plizga Shoes, Jaworski's Deli, Piaskowski Drugs, Darpol Travel, 5 and 10 Dime Store, Sgt Russ Barbershop, Polys Hardware, Gniewak Trophy Shop, a hardware store on 52nd and Michigan, Banner Grocery and right next door was a magazine store where I bought many a comic book.

I'd like others to share memories of the area.

[SMRJim]

Originally Posted by donpablo

... There are 2 Bars on Central that I know of and here is Red’s Park-in Bar near St. Stephen;....

I knew the owners of Red's, the Davises - I think Jimmy may own it now, not sure if Mr. Davis is still around. A good friend of mine lived around the corner from them, used to hang out at their house sometimes (near Schoolcraft and Southfield). Went to Reds one time with that friend after a Tigers game back in the mid 80s. We never had to buy a beer -customers knew we were friends of Jimmy's, kept sending beers over to us. Lots of good old boys hanging out there - the Davises were from Tennessee. The 'special' whiskey came out later, after many beers.

[preserve]

Supreme Bakery is still good - great rye bread and pastries.
Feel bad that there is so much dumping in that area, behind
Mothers and all the way up to Central. Creeps me out when I
go there to buy my weekly bread. At one time, in addition to the bars along that stretch of Michigan, were bridal shops. Had my wedding gown made in a shop across from the 52nd
show bar - back when it was a piano bar and very classy. I
sort of remember that the bridal shop became a twister lounge.