Not your grandma’s Hudson’s by Andrew McFarlane
On December 31st, I will begin my 20th year of doing Michigan-focused photo blog Michigan in Pictures!! I’m going to try some new things this year to keep things fresh & fun for Michigan in Pictures regulars including yours truly like featuring more of my photos from the present day & my surprisingly extensive archives. As with today’s entry, a lot of them will be from Detroit where I live.
My first “Farlane Friday” is the brand new building at the new Hudson’s building in downtown Detroit which I am honestly a big fan of. I wasn’t alone, because this photo blew up when I shared it in the Detroit Photography group on Facebook. Hudson’s was Detroit’s signature department store and the place where I – like many Detroiters – unquestionably got my first picture taken with Santa. I also spent more than one Saturday reading dinosaur books at the lunch counter while my Grandma shopped with her friends. You can head over to Hudson’s Detroit for lots more about this new addition to Detroit’s skyline & for sure check out this post about the history of Hudson’s on Michigan in Pictures.
Michigan in Pictures 
This “Farlane Friday” feature sounds fun! I had not seen any close-ups of the new Hudson’s building, just skyline photos from a while ago. I am amazed! I went to school at WSU, then worked downtown until 2003 when my boss/I moved to Stroh River Place. I remember the old Hudson’s very well. I took the suburban bus from Downriver, then another bus to take me to WSU’s campus, so on very hot, cold or rainy days, between buses, I’d often roam around Hudson’s waiting to connect to the next bus – those old elevators with a elevator operator! I walked from our office building to see the remnants of Hudson’s after the implosion. It was sad to see the piles of rubble and dust still swirling. I missed Hudson’s and Crowleys after they were gone. My “visiting Santa days” were at Eaton’s Toyland in Downtown Toronto.
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I’m really interested to see what they do with the retail space on the lower level. I’s pretty big & I think Downtown needs a multiuse indoor area that the Ren Cen could never be
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So likely one large store, as opposed to the “shops” like the Ren Cen once had. I haven’t been in the Ren Cen in years. I worked there briefly when Young & Rubicam was forced to move there after we acquired Lincoln-Mercury as an account. I doubt it would be a Macy’s as they are closing stores in the new year – maybe Lord & Taylor now that it is making a comeback!
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