5747 Chene Street
Stanley’s Cafe, New Elk Restaurant, New Elk Bar, Mo’s New Elk, Ava’s Bar and Grill, Transfer Point Lounge
In 1897, according to the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, there was nothing on the west side of Chene Street on the block where this structure stands today. There were a few dwellings on the other side of Chene; however, the area was still very underdeveloped.
By 1921, Chene Street had filled out, but this was still a vacant lot. A small temporary shed on the backside of the property was attached to the structure at 5751 Chene Street, labeled as a motion picture house.
I believe that the structure pictured here was completed in 1939 to house Stanley’s Cafe. That year, adverts in the Detroit Free Press said, “Dinners Served in Dining Room.” The paper listed it as a cocktail bar, so drinks were flowing there.
On October 27, 1940, Steve Anielakm, 30 years old, was beaten up in the rear room of this structure, which was labeled as a beer garden in the newspaper. This occurred at 2:15 AM, and the two men who committed the crime took $58 from Anielakm. In 2024, that’s over $1,300.
By 1940, the structure was home to the New Elk Restaurant. It still served booze and had a dining room.
In June 1951, the bar was listed under business opportunities in the Detroit Free Press. It was a Class C bar, which, today, means you can retail beer, wine, and spirits for consumption on-site. The sale included the bar, which I believe was still called the New Elk, and the structure that housed it, pictured here.
In 1953, the bar was listed in the paper again. The advertisement says the bar had been established for 14 years, implying that the same owner had been running it since its construction in 1939.
By talking to people who grew up in this era, I’ve learned that there were multiple New Elk bars on Chene Street in Poletown East, but this one was likely the longest-running. The bar had live music, stiff pours, and shuffleboard games.
A version of the establishment was still open in March 2000 under the label Mo’s New Elk. That month, they had at least two performances by The Fundamentals. That’s the last mention I’ve found of this address online. At some point, this may have been Ava's Bar & Grill, but I’m not sure when.
According to Google Street View, the structure was still painted white in 2007, with a sign that said ‘Transfer Point’ on the facade. Transfer Point Lounge, Inc. was incorporated at the address by Jimmie Rice in 2004 and dissolved on the state level in 2007. The sign was gone by 2009.
By 2011, the structure had been painted black. Today, it’s owned by PADG Holdings, LLC, an operation formed in 2021 and currently (2024) not in good standing on the state level. I’ve seen people in and out of here a few times in recent years, but I’m not sure what the property is currently being used for. An old RV was parked in the backyard in the last year or two.
The structure next door, 5755 Chene Street, appears to be well-maintained, too.
Though in-use buildings are sparse on this section of Chene Street, if every structure here were activated, it could have a huge impact on the neighborhood and development in the area. Chene Street was once a walkable community, and I still hope it may be again someday.
