New Nostalgia

It's not too late to create some misty water-colored memories of a bustling downtown Detroit Christmas of your own before you have to sit through another retelling of your folks' 313-golden-age holiday nostalgia.

If you grew up in the Detroit area and are of a certain age (25 to 40-ish, say), you more than likely know the bittersweet ritual of parents, aunts, uncles or other generally well-meaning relatives unfolding their downtown Christmastime nostalgia. Typically it starts with reminiscences about the Thanksgiving Day parade and winds its way through soft focus recollections of visits to Hudson’s, the Kern block, streetcars and then into whatever unique spin they’ve developed on the state of the city.

That can get a bit tiresome. And the fact is, at least downtown, there’s plenty to suggest we’ve reached a tipping point for creating our own memory bank of future Christmas nostalgia. It’s time to make your own misty water-colored memories. Grab the kids or nearest loved one and head downtown or out and about in Detroit and you’ll find nuggets of holiday goodness most abundant.

This is about the special kind of magic spell only a city’s downtown can cast over the imagination of a child.

Of course, part of the new nostalgia is about taking Santa’s arrival in the traditional “America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” as a cue to bundle up the wee ones and make merry with folks of all stripes in the Cultural Center’s genuinely heartwarming ritual of Noel Night. Your kids will reminisce fondly, surely, with their tots about singing in the streets before heading over to the DIA where, perhaps, they learned about the holiday rituals of folks the world over at one of the weekend drop-in storytelling sessions or craft workshops. (There’s still a chance this year to head on over to the DIA for these sessions, btw, just follow this link for more info.) Further down the Woodward corridor, future fond memories await visitors to the Max M. Fisher Music Hall where last week Santa’s Workshop was encamped and next week “Joy: A Gospel Christmas” takes the stage.

Where the streets of the city come together, below Grand Circus Park and down into Campus Martius, the walk along Woodward and the recovering and rebuilding architecture take on a twinkly grandeur. The colored lights atop the Penobscot Building (“That’s like, the tallest Christmas tree ever, huh dad?”) are mirrored by the 50-foot glittering and twinkling fir that twinkles large and luminous over Campus Martius.
Perhaps your kids will someday tell their admiring new college friends from Ishpeming, Columbus and San Francisco about the joys of ice skating in the shadow of that giant tree the night of its lighting ritual. Or maybe it’ll be other lazy days thereafter when their mom or dad played hooky from work. That’ll trigger recollections of blasting shakily back and forth across the rink, crashing into the boards while trying out their first ski stop, racing around with other kids and grownups all grinning at their own return to the ice.
 
When the seekers of the hot chocolate overwhelm the rinkside Au Bon Pain, the expansive confines of the Rowland Café are the ideal breakaway. They may not appreciate the better-tasting coffee, but the Guardian Building’s mezzanine hall are all gilt-inlaid wonderment and make a heckuvan impression. And on a purely non-nostalgic note, while there you can nail down a couple of those last minute gifts at the Pure Detroit store (hint, there are numerous gifts appropriate for the 313-centric kids in your life. You’re welcome.)

Additionally, if you wanna get out of downtown and still indulge in some good old-fashioned holiday cheer, head over to Old Redford and check out the historic Redford Theatre – home of the Motor City Theatre Organ Society. Sure, sure they’re showing the “classic” "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," but you get the winter wonder of a theater organ prelude. And, to be fair to Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and co., "HA2" is fun for the kids (at least the kids who love slapstick violence).

There’s no reason not to think that we can’t start to augment our elders’ tales of wonderful Detroit days during the holidays with stories of our own. All it takes is a scarf, a hat and a coat, some mittens and a few bucks for skate rental or admission, and a willingness to indulge in a little soft focus remembrances.

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Campus Martius Christmas Tree

Santa at Compuware

Skating at Campus Martius

The Rowland Cafe at the Guardian Building

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All Photographs Copyright Dave Krieger