Apparently, Detroit used to be known as "The Paris of the Midwest" around the turn of the last century. Looking at some of the old buildings, I can see why!
Detroit also used to be called "Big D." In fact, the grocery store we used to shop at was coincidentally called "Big D." It was on the corner of Harper and Barrett. You can see it from I-94 pretty easily. Today, it is called "Thrifty Scot."
To this day, my Momma, when she is referring to a large paper grocery sack, still refers to it as "a Big D bag," even though we haven't shopped there in nearly 40 years.
But yesterday, I went shopping there.
The store was clean on the inside, well-lit, stocked well, and the prices were reasonable. There is the pipe maze you have to walk through to get inside, I think they have that to keep all the grocery carts from being stolen. There is also barbed wire along the edge of the roof in certain parts, I suppose to keep thieves from entering the building through the roof? One of the features I like about the old buildings in Detroit is the ceiling tiles. This store still had original ceiling tiles. There aren't all that ornate, compared to many old ceiling tiles I've seen, but they do have thier own distinctive pattern.
Well, for what its worth, I am glad that I went shopping there.
For the longest time I always thought Mom's "Big D" reference was some sort of paper bag classification. Kind of like the D battery.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't until I was older that I heard someone mention the Big D grocery store and I made the connection. I was too young to remember the Big D store in Detroit.
I lived a block a way on Harrell. It used to be Great Scotts.
ReplyDelete12331 Longview here... that grocery started out as National supermarket, which was sold to become "Great Scott!". Big D was a "transition" name used for a year or two for each store to prove it's profitability before earning the Great Scott name, until the chain was bought out. Sadly, that Thrifty Scot is now one of the two filthiest stores within Detroit city limits.
ReplyDeleteI'm commenting 14 years after the rest of you. Hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteI grew up at 12150 Longview. I remember this store when it was Great Scot. It was one of the several stores my mother shopped at, and because it was the closest, this was probably the main one.
I came here after a search caused by my wandering the neighborhood on google maps street view. I was reminded that Barrett had a bridge over I-94, and then noticed the store, which I recalled being closer to Conner, but now realize was at Barrett. The store that was one of Detroit's "filthiest" in 2006 is now obviously closed and abandoned.
Meanwhile, as I "drove" up Barrett, I was amazed how decrepit the street itself had become and how on some blocks it was almost returning to nature.
Depressing.