Growing Up in Detroit

For the most part many of the images that we see on the news, in movies, and in the newspaper paint a dim view of Detroit. Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy in 2013, becoming the largest city to do so.  A former major, Kwame Kilpatrick is serving a prison term for corruption. It’s crime statistics are frequently in the news. At some point, I believe it was the “murder capital” of the United States. I remember a more vibrant Detroit.

 I grew up in the city of Detroit, Michigan in the 1960 and 1970’s. I don’t recall going out to the suburbs many times. That’s because most of our needs could be met in the city. My parents, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great-aunts and great-uncles all lived within the city limits. My father married the girl next door. Both sides of the family knew each other.  Most Sundays we would visit my grandparents and great-aunt and uncle who lived next door. We usually watched the evening news, The F.B.I. television series or The Ed Sullivan Show. Some Sundays we would visit my other great-aunts and uncles on my mother’s side of the family. Our treat was popcorn, popped on the stove. We’d sit on the floor watching television with the popcorn spread out in our napkins.

I walked to and from my elementary school from kindergarten up until we moved to northwest Detroit when I was in third grade. I think in the beginning my cousins who went to a nearby public school would walk me to school. After awhile sometimes I even walked by myself. Most of the time there were other kids to walk with.

Many have heard the phrase it takes a village to raise a child. Well that was pretty evident when I was young. If Byron’s grandmother saw any child do anything out of line as we passed her house, the parents would receive a call that evening. Other neighbors were the same way. When we were just learning to ride our bikes, we were only allowed to go from corner to corner. Going around the block was not permitted.

We stayed out until the streetlights came on. We entertained ourselves outside. Sometimes we played in the back yard. We had a Ping-Pong table there. I remember the pedal-car we had when I was really young. Jump rope, jacks, tic-tack-toe, hide and seek, riding our bikes were some of our outdoor activities.

Every neighborhood had its national grocery stores, A&P, Kroger, Farmer Jacks. We also had drugstores such as Cunningham. Nearby Department stores included Arlan’s , Federal and Crowleys. There was also Hudson’s downtown store as well as five-and-dime stores like Kresge and Woolworth. As the years went by, the stores closed. Until recently there were no national grocery stores in the City of Detroit. Meijer opened its first store within the city limits in 2013. Whole Foods also opened a Detroit store that year. 

Many businesses have opened up in the city. As I drive into work I see Bucharest Grill (I highly recommend their falafel wrap.), Two James Spirits (on my list to visit), The Mercury, Slows Bar B Q (yummy food), The Detroit Institute of Bagels (very fresh and tasty bagels) among others. I can look out of my window and see The Westin Hotel. It was originally The Book Cadillac Hotel. When I started working downtown in 1985, the only part of the hotel that was open was a restaurant on the first floor. After that shut down for over 20 years different developers tried unsuccessfully to renovate the site. Once again it’s a vibrant part of the city.

The image of Detroit I see today is of a city on the comeback. It’s being revitalized with a new Major, Mike Duggan, current caring residents, new businesses, micro farms, and people moving into the city.