Just thinking back

[Maggie_May]

Does anyone remember the old Hudson's building at Christmas time? I remember when I was a kid and riding the bus with Mom down to Hudson's at Christmas time. Does anyone remember Sanders ice cream parlor where you sat down at the stools and got the best ice cream sunday ever. I guess just missing the way things use to be.

[bfealk]

1. My grandmother used to take me downtown to see Santa

Even though I was raised Jewish, my grandmother used to take me to Hudson's to see Santa. I have a great picture of myself on Santa's lap, even though I wasn't going to get any presents on Christmas.

[Maggie_May]

2. Wow that a treasure

Its from the old Hudson's keep it and treasure it.

[TahitiNut]

3. Since I'm older (born in 43), I remember taking the streetcar down Woodward Avenue to downtown ...

... from Pleasant Ridge. I'd be put on Santa's lap and then we'd do our Christmas shopping. Part of the ritual would be to walk all around Hudson's to see the window displays. We'd usually stop at the main Sanders on the other side of Woodward - mother for a sandwich and me for a Hot Fudge Sundae Tin Roof - still the BEST sundae of all. Marble counter-top and metal-backed stools. Sometimes, we'd stop at the Vernors bottling plant and have a cooler. (Yum!) This was in the late 40s and earliest 50s.

[1gobluedem]

4. I don't remember going to Sanders, although I know I did

I do remember Hudsons and their beautiful Christmas windows. We have at least two photos of us with Santa at Hudsons and my mother still has the little Christmas books they gave us there.

[maddogesq]

5. My dad woked in the Fisher Bldg. for many years.

We had this family tradition: Mom would load us up in the wagon and take us down to dad's office, which was, I think, on the 17th floor. At the time he worked for my mom's father-in-law by her first husband that had died in 1947 from injury and disease due to service in the South Pacific.

We would walk through the tunnel over to the GM buidling and I would trip out on whatever mock-up they had over there. Then, we would go to Hudson's and go through the display and see Santa. It was truly an amazing place to a little kid, even though I have poor eyesight and I didn't have the visual aids I do now.

Speaking of Sanders: I have two sisters in Colorado, and every year I send them what I call the "paint can," that 42 ounce can of Sander's Hot Fundge you can get at their stores, or at any ACO for like $8. Yummo!

This time of year doesn't have the luster it did in those days, but I suppose that is the price we all pay for getting older.

[PassingFair]

6. I remember taking the bus down, rather daringly!

But Crowley's was the place my Grandmother liked to eat in!
I have VERY hazy recollections of a balcony.

I do remember Santa's workshop as a kid.

I worked "Downtown Detroit Days" for 2 years
before they closed the store. They would bus
us in from the suburbs to work and it was such
a mob scene, I would just take off for the employee's
lounge and read and scope out the river all day.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://forums.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm%3Fcategory%3Dpeople%26id%3D29&h=270&w=360&sz=42&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=pn4VpmbZ1WQBZM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhudson%2527s%2Bdowntown%2Bsanta%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

[maddogesq]

7. Good Cry of the century:

http://www.controlled-demolition.com/default.asp?reqLocId=7&reqItemId=20030225133807

I think I sent this to sis that lives in Colorado, and she never responded. Then again, she always envied flappers in the 1920's and that whole art deco era. I never sent it to her again, because I worship the earth she walks on.

I guess we need to preserve our past in a balanced way, but damn it hurts the folks that move away. But wait: I sent them the "paint cans." :)

By the way, I lived in Colorado for a few years. I lived in Alabama and Chicago too, but I came back here. I am again trying to find my reason to stay, but it is damn hard.

[1gobluedem]

8. Hiller's has tins of Sander's hot chocolate

Retro, like old-time hot chocolate tins. I'm going to get some for my mother's Christmas stocking.

Do you say 'Sanders' like sandbox or 'Saunders?' It's been my experience that westsiders say Saunders and eastsiders say Sanders. I asked a friend who grew up on the westside how she pronounced it and she said "All my life I said Saunders because that's what my family said. Until I began working there and found out that it's Sanders."

[PassingFair]

9. That was PAINFUL.

:(

[JNelson6563]

10. I remember it!

I really loved the downtown Hudson's! We always hit Sanders when we went there.

Before they tore it down we went there and I got a mirror from the hat department. Very cool.

Julie