Poor old Delray has seen better days. At its peak in the 1930s, the Delray neighborhood of Southwest Detroit numbered over 23,000 residents, and pictures from that era show vibrancy and activity that is only imaginable today. Currently, that same neighborhood has about 2,700 residents, and many of the once beautiful Art Deco commercial buildings lining West Jefferson Avenue are now boarded and in need of major repair.
On my recent ride through the area, I noticed most of the residential side streets have a limited number of occupied, old frame homes that seemed to have taken on an ashen hue. It was clear to me that at one time, those same streets were once jammed with houses where immigrants from Eastern European countries such as Armenia, Hungary and Poland once lived. Unfortunately, most of the area reminded me of a ghost town. Not a western ghost town with tumble weeds blowing about, but an urban, industrial ghost town tucked into a small, isolated section in a vast city that covers 140 or so square miles.
However, there are subtle changes happening in Delray today. These are positive and noticeable changes to the landscape, as compared to a year ago when I last rode my bicycle through that bruised chunk of Detroit. Sure, heavy industrialized Zug Island, at the mouth of the Rouge River just below Jefferson from Delray, is still home to huge steel mills that have operated there since the early 1900s. Thousand foot ore carriers and train engines pulling hopper-cars still work their way to the island to feed raw materials such as coal, iron ore, coke and other elements to the mills in order to keep them humming along.
The Detroit wastewater (sewage) treatment plant, the largest of its type in the country, continues to operate around the clock, purifying our waste water before it is released into the Detroit River. Many of the heavily, burned out and wide open blighted commercial buildings I saw just last year lining W. Jefferson (the main road through the old village of Delray) have been knocked down and carted away. However, a few of the secured classic Art Deco commercial buildings from the boom times of the 1930s still survive; waiting patiently for new life that will, no doubt, never come.
I was also encouraged to see the few remaining viable businesses from last year’s bicycle journey, such as a hardware store and a tavern or two still holding on. It’s a remarkable feat, considering the surrounding abandonment of the commercial strip. Plus, the once heavily populated residential streets are only a remnant of what they once were, with many open fields having replaced row after row of small frame houses that are today nothing more than an image in a photograph.
Even the air quality seems to be better. I remember a time when chemical and other industrial smells overwhelmed the area, but much of that throat-drying stench is gone. Nevertheless, the combined aromas of the wastewater plant and the chemical odors of Zug Island can still stimulate the sense of smell in unusual ways. Rambling through poor old Delray is far from a casual stroll through a rose garden in full bloom.
This looks like a pretty sad place…probably sort of unreal to see knowing full well 60 years ago it was packed full of people.
Hi D.C–
Yes, in many ways, it is a sad place, considering the area’s history. This little isolated part of Detroit was once a village and it still has that feel. It was annexed by Detroit in the early 1900s.
Charlie
Good post. That brown-and-orange Art Deco storefront needs to become a bar.
Hi Sven–
Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate. You are right, that place would make a great bar. I’d love to see the inside of that building (and the others).
Charlie
It use to be a bar called “Ideal” and has been closed since at least 1986.
Hi Murphy –
Thanks for identifying that wonderful old Art Deco building, very cool.
Charlie
The brown and orange building was the Ideal Bar. It was a hangout of the famous Purple Gang and was instrumental in rumrunning during alcohol prohibition. There’s a tunnel that runs under West Jefferson Ave. from a dock on the river to the warehouse across the street. Boats brought booze from Canada and it went straight to the warehouse. In 2009, a film crew shot a film called “Highland Park” starring Danny Glover which has yet to be released. The inside is beautiful and in decent condition. I’ve done some advertising with the company that owns this bar, and plans are currently underway to reopen it in the near future.
Hi Donnie —
Thanks for the info, quite interesting. I knew the eastside of Detroit was notorious for rum runners, in particular The Purple Gang, but had no idea of their activity in Delray. The Ideal Bar building sounds like a great place. I’ll have to check it out once it opens.
Appreciate your comments and checking out my blog.
Charlie
The Ideal Bar has been closed since at least 1986. I recently talked with the owner while filming a movie there called “Only Lovers Left Alive”. He talked about the house next door (the one above labeled “Frame house are the norm in old Delray”). he had to purchase that house in order to gain access to a cement stairway that leads down to the rear of the bar. He told everyone on the set (both cast and crew) of how he hated having to purchase the house just for the stairway. Sometime after filming there in July the house burned down. There’s been talk that the old man who owns the bar did it for the insurance money because he didn’t want the house in the first place and only wanted the stairway access. If you look at the picture of the bar above you can see the fence to the left that blocked the stairway.
As for the inside of the bar (which as been closed for at least 26 years), it looks great inside. Just wipe down the 2 1/2 decades of dust, stock the bar and you could reopen the place in a heartbeat.
Hi Murphy –
What an interesting story on the stairway that lead to the bar. That is great you were able to get some background on the place. The stairway was probably installed during the time of prohibition. Good stuff!
I didn’t know the house has been burnt. That looked to be a pretty solid old place.
The interior of the bar sounds terrific. I’d love to take a peak sometime.
Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.
Charlie
I have been filming down there for about 2 years now. I am making a documentary on Zug Island. I didn’t know much about the Ideal Bar – Interesting.
Hi Adam –
I don’t know about that place either, but it’s an interesting looking joint. Good luck on your documentary and thanks for checking out my blog.
Charlie
Back in the early 1960’s I remember most men wore hat and had racing forms in their pockets, I mentioned this memory to my dad about six years ago and he told me a story. The owner of the Ideal bar was a women, my dad told me her name but i can’t remember it, and she owned a race horse too
. He said whenever she was dressed up you knew to bet on her horse because it would win. She dressed up for the winner’s circle and photos.
Hi Steven –
What a great story. Thanks much for sharing it, I do appreciate it.
Charlie