A little story

[BigSleep]

In the late 80s and early 90s I was working at a place in downtown Detroit.

One afternoon I was bored so I took a walk around the downtown area.
(My wife wasnt to pleased to hear that but during the day it was pretty safe)

Detroit like many cities had fallen into disrepare. But one look at the old Deco buildings and boarded up theaters and you could tell that at one time it must have been a grand sight to see.

During my walk I passed many old shops now closed. (Except for some strange reason there were a lot of wig shops. Weird.) One of the shops I passed was a classic old hat shop. Must have been there forever. I peaked in the window and there was row upon row, shelf upon shelf of mens dress hats. The decor of the store looked like something out of a Warner Brothers movie from the 1940s. The was an older man helping a customer at the counter. In my memory its all very sepia and gold.

It was pretty cool for a kid who was always in love with hats and a bit of a romantic. But unfortunately I was just a kid fresh out of college with very little money in my pocket. I walked on.

Funny, I think of that place often.

It was somewhere near the Detroit Athletic Club.

When I was in Detroit last year I went downtown. It is really making a comeback. Wonder if that little hat store made it.

Just something I was thinking about and thought you folks on this forum could relate with.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

It's pretty much the same in downtown Cleveland.

All the big department stores are gone, as are most of the smaller old retail shops like the Florsheim shoe store I used to work for. Mostly they have been replaced by the more modern outfits like Old Navy and what have you,...
There is still "Mike the Hatter" though, so his shop must be doing well. :eusa_clap I'll have to check it out one of these days.

 

[tonyb]

In the late 80s and early 90s I was working at a place in downtown Detroit.

One afternoon I was bored so I took a walk around the downtown area.
(My wife wasnt to pleased to hear that but during the day it was pretty safe)

Detroit like many cities had fallen into disrepare. But one look at the old Deco buildings and boarded up theaters and you could tell that at one time it must have been a grand sight to see.

During my walk I passed many old shops now closed. (Except for some strange reason there were a lot of wig shops. Weird.) One of the shops I passed was a classic old hat shop. Must have been there forever. I peaked in the window and there was row upon row, shelf upon shelf of mens dress hats. The decor of the store looked like something out of a Warner Brothers movie from the 1940s. The was an older man helping a customer at the counter. In my memory its all very sepia and gold.

It was pretty cool for a kid who was always in love with hats and a bit of a romantic. But unfortunately I was just a kid fresh out of college with very little money in my pocket. I walked on.

Funny, I think of that place often.

It was somewhere near the Detroit Athletic Club.

When I was in Detroit last year I went downtown. It is really making a comeback. Wonder if that little hat store made it.

Just something I was thinking about and thought you folks on this forum could relate with.

An old girlfriend is from Detroit. Her dad (he may well be deceased by now, for all I know) practiced law out of a downtown Detroit office for several decades. This was over the objections of his wife, who had urged him to move to the 'burbs. Nope, he said, I'm stickin' it out. I'm not giving up on Detroit.
Then he got mugged.
Lately I've been reading about efforts to have great swaths of downtown Detroit declared landmark districts, to protect and preserve those old buildings. I can only hope those efforts are successful.
It's all kind of reminiscent of what I've heard called "preservation by neglect." Often old urban districts remain intact because they were essentially neglected during the period when growth was centered in the outlying districts. The buildings still stand because no one thought it worthwhile to demolish them and build anew on their sites. That's certainly what happened in Seattle. The "old" districts were decidedly down at the heel for a few decades. Now they are home to fancy boutiques and art galleries and trendy restaurants. Sure, something got lost in the transformation, but at least the structures survive.
It would be just splendid if that old Detroit hat shop is still there. Yup, Sleep, I'm something of a misty-eyed romantic, too.

 

[besdor]

It sounds like you are talking about Henry the Hatter. It is Detroits only hat store and has been around a long time . The owner is second generation and knows his hats . The neighborhood has gotten better from what I've been told so when in Detroit , check them out .



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[BigSleep]

It sounds like you are talking about Henry the Hatter. It is Detroits only hat store and has been around a long time . The owner is second generation and knows his hats . The neighborhood has gotten better from what I've been told so when in Detroit , check them out .



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

I might do that. If I can find the place again. It's been a lotta years and all I remember about its location was that I passed the Detroit Athletic Club the same day. I started the walk from the corner of Fort and Brush.

That name sounds reeeeaaal familiar.