Detroit Brightmoor community (Southfield, Redford, Jackson: houses, neighborhood, high school)

[gmc862000]

Anyone live in the Brightmoor community on the west side of Detroit? Just wondering what the house I lived in looks like. 14124 Burt Rd. 2nd house on the North East side of Burt Rd. off of Kendall.

I grew up there. Left in the 80's. Attended Redford High which I heard is closing due to not enought students.

[and the]

Don't know about your house, but I still go to Scotty's.

[SKD527]

I lived on Pierson 3 houses from Kendall then moved across from Harding School 2 houses from Acacia. The last time I was in the neighborhood, about 10 years ago it looked like a war zone, burned out homes, boarded up windows, over grown lawns. I went to Harding through 8th grade, graduated in '57 then went to Cody High. My parents left Brightmoor sometime in the 70's because of the crime. Still have wonderful memories of growing up in good old Brightmoor.

[teejay1968]

I lived there and on blackstone..have not been there in about 14 years..I went to Redford High school in 1984-86..does anyone know a Donna Finch.. she is passed but just wondering if there is anyone here that I know....

[teejay1968]

ok that was before I moved over there sorry

[steve05]

Hi, I was in Detroit for the car show wit a co worker who wanted to go to the show and he knew I was from there. Looks like there startting to clean up brightmoor a little sense the last time I was up there about 6 or 7 years ago. I drove passed the house I lived in and its still there and the houses on each side of it. I live on Pierson between Lyndon and Easton. I went to Harding and then Redford High. Born and raise there left to go into service 1973, discharged 1976. came down to Tulsa Oklahoma Jan 1977, been here ever sense. A lot of houses are gone and torn down now from people couldn't sell there house and didn't pay there tax'es and let the city have it. Only thing I miss is people that I grew up with, But never would move back.

[trinkit]

Brightmoor is STILL a war zone.

[gfeisel]

Brightmoor wasn't so bad back in the 1040's and 50's. I moved there with my family in 1941 where I attended Hubert Elementary before moving on to Redford High. Attended Redford 1947 - 1951. Attended Michigan State 1952 -'53; spent two years in the army; returned to State where I garduated in 1960 with a BS in Civil Engineering. Am now retired and living in Ohio.

Many of the old friends and school mates from my days in Brightmoor have passed on, but am sure there are many more still out there rattling around the same as I. Names that come to mind include the Janssen twins, Vernon and Vincent; the Concilla twins, Mary and Sally; Howard Palmer; Donnie Franquist; Jack Talis; Joe Leholm; Betty Jackson; Wanda Clark; Donna Kavon; Bob Day; Patti Gatzka; the Rowlands; Ray Maisevich. Any common chums still among us?

I had never attended one of my high school reunions until I was encouraged to do so by my wife when the 50th came up in 2001. It was held in Southfield in early September of that year. My wife, who had never been to the area where I grew up in Brightmoor, came with me and I took her on a tour of many of my old stomping grounds. What a shock was in store when we arrived on the street where I used to live! Trash everywhere, doors and windows boarded up making the area look like a war zone. What did please me, however, was to see the house in which I had grown up looking the best of any on the street. More of the same was seen when driving around the area of Redford High. Nothing, except the school, looked familiar. Offered as a side trip by our reunion committee was a visit to Redford with the opportunity to walk the halls once again of that venerable old institution of learning. After the disappointment of my drive-a-round tour of Brigfhtmoor and Redford, I declined. It was depressing enough to see what had become of some of the fondest remnants of my youth.

Then, earlier this year, I learned of the closing of Redford, along with many other schools in the system, and regretted not taking advantage of that opportunity of "walking the halls" for a last time. And, just maybe, being able to once again give out a cheer for my beloved "Huskies".

Anyway, enough rambling about things one can do nothing about. The question I want to pose is in relation to any memories others may have of growing up in Brightmoor and attending Hubert and Redford High during the 40's and 50's.

[Cato the Elder]

To the OP: If you use Google Maps "Street View" feature You can "stand" at the corner of Burt and Kendall. Unfortunately, the camera car did not go down Burt Rd., but I believe you can just make out your old house beyond the trees on the east side of the street.

[clynnog]

Originally Posted by Cato the Elder

To the OP: If you use Google Maps "Street View" feature You can "stand" at the corner of Burt and Kendall. Unfortunately, the camera car did not go down Burt Rd., but I believe you can just make out your old house beyond the trees on the east side of the street.

Microsofts Local Live programme shows that house on their "Birds Eye" View feature. The street itself and the houses look fairly intact, but just a couple of streets to the east it looks pretty bleak.

As a Canadian, the contrast between Windsor and Detroit is unbeleivable (and Windsor isn't the nicest/safest City in Canada by a long shot). I had a look on Local Live at 7 Mile/Chalmers Van Dyke/Harper etc, and they look awful (they were listed in the worst parts of Detroit thread).