Posted November 15, 200618 yr Today I visited the Detroit suburb Royal Oak with a population of about 60,000. "First Baptist Church of Royal Oak In January 1839 twenty people organized this congregation, ten of whom were baptized in the Red Run Creek. The Baptists built the first church in Royal Oak in August of that year near Main and Third streets. All subsequent churches have stood on the present site on Main Street where the second church, known as "Greek Cross Church," was built in 1876. The Tabernacle followed in 1918, the first brick sanctuary in 1921 and the adjacent educational building in 1950. The present sanctuary was erected in 1965." "Orson Starr home Orson Starr (1803-1873) and his wife, Rhoda Gibbs Starr, (1806-1853) built this home in 1845. Five generations of the Starr family lived here until 1964. The house was purchased by the city of Royal Oak in 1976. Orson Starr came to this area in 1831 and began manufacturing cowbells in a factory located just north of this site. He continued this trade for forty years. The cowbells, products of Royal Oak's first industry, were stamped with Starr's trademark and are now prized by collectors." "Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery was established in 1875 and consecrated by Bishop Caspar Henry Borgess that year. The land for the cemetery was purchased from Royal Oak Township. One of the earliest burials was for Edmund Loughnane (Lockman), who had hosted Catholic meetings in his home. Unusual statuary includes a concrete tree trunk and a seated maiden holding flowers. The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located atop Saint Mary High School beginning in 1925, was moved here in 1992. The cemetery contains the remains of a number of local businessmen, among them undertaker William Sullivan, and John and Frank Fraquelli, founders of Royal Oak Monumental Works, who markers are located here and in the Royal Oak Township Cemetery." The Fifth- which will include 78 luxury condo's and 18 stories. "Royal Oak Methodist Episcopal Church On May 3, 1918, the Royal Oak Tribune boasted that, "architecturally and artistically," the new Methodist Episcopal Church was "the achievement of a master mind." William E.N. Hunter, a Detroit architect and Methodist who designed many Protestant churches, provided the plans for this Collegiate Gothic-style church, now known as First United Methodist Church. The Methodist Episcopal congregation was the first church organized in Royal Oak. It was established in 1838, and five years later its members built a wood-frame church on this site. In 1894 the frame church was replaced with one built of bricks manufactured and donated by Edwin A. Starr. By 1915 a new church was needed to accomodate the growing membership. The eduaction wing was added in 1928."
November 15, 200618 yr 11 Mile, holla! Royal Oak's a cool little area. 's where the Greyhound drops me off when I visit the Detroit side of my family, and I've always thought it had a nice feel to it and certainly more urban than a lot of suburbs you run into.
November 15, 200618 yr Ah, Royal Joke. Atleast it has Lou's Coney Island. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 16, 200618 yr Hum...the new towers seem to be totally out of scale with the rest of downtown, but it looks like it is becoming a sharp place!
November 16, 200618 yr Is this where the hip crowd lives in Detroit? I know wimwar used to live there, so I'm assuming so. ;) But seriously... if you were a hip 20something moving to Detroit, would this be where you'd live?
November 16, 200618 yr if I here a hip 20something moving to Detroit, i'd live in ... well ... Detroit But since I'm already here, I'll remain unhip and live in the burbs. Ink- the towers are so out of place and very expensive...upwards of $1 million
November 16, 200618 yr quick over view. There are four major suburban downtowns in the woodward corridor. From South to north Ferndale (9 mile & woodward): Royal Oak of 5-10 years ago. Caters largely to the yuppie and guppie crowd, with a good blue collar vibe running through the town. Growing collection of upscale retailers, and cutesy services i.e. a trendy bakery and spa like dealies. Under construction is the first GLBT Community Center in Michigan. This is also where I spent 1983-1999 of my life. Largely devoid of chains, with the exceptions of a BW3s and *sigh a Old Navy Outlet. Royal Oak (11 mile & woodward): In a construction boom (for a suburb) Condos and townhomes are rising left and right. Property values downtown are on the rise and they are seeing some ambitious projects. Pretty much every age group can be accomodated here, but after 11pm the city is amok of 20-somes. Like completely amok. Think Coventry Village with condos times Five with a slightly older crowd. Birmingham (15 mile & woodward): This is where the elite and rich hang out. Former home of Larry Brown and numerous other sports celebrities. Of note plenty of upscale retailers from one of the first anthropologies and linda dresner (surely one of you guys know the name). Pontiac (18 mile? & Woodward): The end of Woodward Avenue. Clearly the most blue collar of the four. Think the gritiness of the flats (with less trash) combined with the lancer steakhouse. if anyone really cares, and old crappy photo tour of three o' dem: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2901.0
November 16, 200618 yr Ah, Royal Oak. Quite possibly my favorite of the Detroit suburbs. Enjoyed a good lunch and yummy cookie from Prontos! right in the downtown area a few summers ago. I'd probaby be quite interested in living there if by some chance I ever were to move to the Detroit area.
November 16, 200618 yr Though not really on Woodward, Rochester has a nice downtown as well. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
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