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The head is almost as big as the abandoned ice cream stand on which it's perched.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- 13099 Mack Ave., Detroit, MI
- Directions:
- East edge of the city. I-94 exit 220B. Drive south on Conner Ave. for about a mile, then turn left onto Mack Ave. Drive six blocks. On the northwest corner of Mack Ave. and Lenox St.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Checking out a bit of the inner city... While driving along Mack, I came across this enormous cow head. It was sitting on top of a closed ice cream stand. My friend told me it was used in the movie 8 Mile and that in one scene Eminem shoots it with a paintball gun. This could account why cow head has a decent and fairly recent paint job when the neighborhood around it is crumbling. This is not the best neighborhood to go "roadsiding" in, but it does show that no matter where you are, there are treasures to be found.
[Richard Weiss, 09/04/2005]The owner doesn't seem to be putting up new Polaroids, but he is still working at his store. It is in an area that is kinda scary, but my trip inside the store was worth it!
[Traci Rowlett, 03/22/2021]Lawndale Market - The People's Polaroids:- Address:
- 1136 Lawndale St, Detroit, MI
- Directions:
- In southwest Detroit, northwest of I-75. Off the corner of Lawndale and Chamberlain Sts.
- Hours:
- Open from mid-afternoon until after dark. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 313-841-2531
We did want to stop in, but it's really not the best part of town.
[Bette, 04/08/2013]Lawndale Market in southwest Detroit has been owned for the past 30 years by Amad Samaan, who hails from Baghdad. In the last decade, he's plastered his small bazaar with about 10,000 Polaroid photos of customers. The snaps line the wood-paneled walls and hang like little oblong chandeliers from the ceiling.
This people promotion began back in 1995, when a local boy saw pictures of Samaan's grandkids taped up behind the counter. The kid came back with more than a few of his own photos, so Samaan proudly displayed them. The owner probably had no idea what he was getting into. "I do it for the people," he says.
Samaan has a good deal going with local kids: If they receive all A's in school, he'll post their report card next to their photo and give them $5 to spend in the store.
But adults like his hobby too. "One couple came in hugging and kissing and wanted their picture taken," Samaan says. "A week later, the woman returned and threw $500 cash on the counter. She had broken up with her honey and wanted the photo back -- so she could burn it. I told her to keep the money. I knew I'd see her in a week." Sure enough, the woman returned after the couple reunited.
The Polaroids share store space with headshots of a holy few, such as Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Elvis (an entire back room is dedicated to the King) and Marilyn Monroe. And Samaan inscribes "God loves you" on every snapshot.
[Rebecca Mazzei, 05/29/2007]July 2011: Even though Polaroid stopped making instant film in 2008, Lawndale Market owner Amad Samaan still displays his photos in his store. He keeps undefined hours, arriving when he feels like it in the afternoon and closing when he feels like it at night.
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March 2021: Photo added.