Woodward Avenue, 1942 - Detroit - Page 2

DecoJim · #21 Posted **Oct 19, 2009, 8:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishrose

Looking at the 1942 picture, it seems crazy how tall the Book-Cadillac building looks when it's not bracketed by the Renaissance Center and the Comerica Tower.

I think you are referring to the Cadillac Tower. The Book Cadillac hotel is partially behind the Book Tower (tallest building to the west of the Penobscot building in the first photo).

That first photo is pretty amazing.

Quote:

Anyone else notice how they didn't have lane markers back then?

Just imagine no lane markers + cell phones!

fishrose · #22 Posted **Oct 19, 2009, 9:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DecoJim

I think you are referring to the Cadillac Tower. The Book Cadillac hotel is partially behind the Book Tower (tallest building to the west of the Penobscot building in the first photo).

Yeah, I realized that just after I posted, but I was in class before I could edit it.

jodelli · #23 Posted **Oct 20, 2009, 4:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baronvonellis

Anyone else notice how they didn't have lane markers back then? Driving down a 6 lane road with out any lane markers would get my heart pounding for sure.

In general the cars of that time tended to be narrow, even if tall. The Ambassador Bridge nearby had five lanes in early photos, now it's down to four. Driveways and garages then were also narrower, as seen in areas of older housing.

Pics will have to wait, I'm having trouble connecting to Flickr right now.

Rizzo · #24 Posted **Oct 20, 2009, 5:58 PM**

Looking forward to them. And yes, flickr is down everywhere.

fishrose · #25 Posted **Oct 29, 2009, 12:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by STLgasm

Unbelieveable! Does anyone have a shot of the same view today? (Do I really want to want to see it?)

Ask and you shall receive! I took this shot through a window on the 13th floor of the Maccabees Building. I did my best, but I just couldn't finagle my way onto the roof.

SuburbanNation · #26 Posted **Oct 29, 2009, 3:40 AM**

What an amazing photo. Detroit looks much cleaner/fresher than St. Louis in the 1940s.

LMich · #27 Posted **Oct 29, 2009, 7:09 AM**

Does anyone happen to know what factory building is pictured on Woodward where Studio One Apartments was recently built? It appears to be the block just north of The Whitney.

MolsonExport · #28 Posted **Oct 30, 2009, 12:51 AM**

love those old shots of the motor city. alas, its heyday.

Exodus · #29 Posted **Oct 30, 2009, 5:59 AM**

Thanks fishrose, the pic you took shows that the same area is doing pretty good today considering 1.2 million people left, along with the economic slump

jodelli · #30 Posted **Nov 2, 2009, 7:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMich

Does anyone happen to know what factory building is pictured on Woodward where Studio One Apartments was recently built? It appears to be the block just north of The Whitney.

I believe the main Vernors plant was just north of the Whitney. It was torn down by the early 90s IIRC, having gone to a wedding reception there around that time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernors
"In the late 1950s, when the City of Detroit proposed construction of Cobo Hall and other riverfront projects, a land-swap was negotiated, and Vernors moved its bottling plant and headquarters to the location of the old civic exhibition hall at 4501 Woodward Avenue, incorporating many of the popular features of the old plant. Tours of the Vernors plant old and new were major tourist attractions. The flagship Detroit bottling plant was shut down by United Brands in 1985, with the local rights to bottle Vernors granted to Pepsi-Cola. [3]"