Field trip to Glenn's old neighborhood

[katherine5832]

Okay, you Glenn fans...guess where I just came back from? Glenn's neighborhood where he grew up. Last night while in the chat party, Soda told me the name of the street on which Glenn grew up in Royal Oak, MI. I found it on the map last night and decided to take a little road trip (emphasis on little - it's only 18 miles south of me). This morning it dawned on me that the school where I student taught 19 years ago was probably in that same neighborhood. When I checked the map again, I discovered that the school was only one street over! I almost hyperventilated thinking that I may have been student teaching in the elementary school where he went! Not to mention that for a semester I was literally just a half block away from where he grew up.

Unfortunately, Soda didn't have the address, so I have no idea where his house was exactly. As I was approaching his street, I was amused to see that there was a street called Irving just 3 streets away. Even back then "their Satan" was a presence in Glenn's life - unbeknownst to him, of course. Pretty sad how my mind thinks.

When I turned on his street, I broke into this huge grin. Now, mind you, I like Glenn, but I'm not a huge fan like some of you are. I'm more of a Don gal. So, I was really surprised at my reaction to just being on this street on which he probably hasn't stepped foot in decades. It was a very surreal feeling. I just kept thinking, "Oh my God! Glenn grew up here! Oh my God! Glenn probably rode his bike and played baseball on this street! Oh my God! Glenn probably went to the school that used to be there!" (side note: the school where I student taught was torn down and they're building big, out-of-place-for-that-neighborhood houses on the site ) Btw, Peaceful Easy Feeling was playing in my car, so I'm sure that contributed greatly to the awesome feeling that I had.

So, I drove down the length of the street which was about 2 and half blocks long just checking out the houses. The neighborhood has big trees and small houses with small yards just to give you an idea of what it looked like. Then I drove down the street where I was sure the school used to be. I stopped a guy on the street and asked him if that was where the school used to be and he said that it was and it had been torn down 3 years ago. I couldn't bring myself to ask him if he knew where Glenn used to live. Well, I drove down Glenn's street one more time and then came home.

So, it was no Pebble Beach or anything , but I just wanted to share my little expedition with you guys!

[sodascouts]

Wow, you didn't waste any time! It is interesting for a fan to see the area which Glenn jokingly calls "the fertilizer of my genius." Thanks for sharing your experience. And how cool that you may have taught at his elementary school!

[EasyFeeling]

What a cool story, Katherine. That's like going back to Glenn's past. Must have been awesome and strange at the same time. Thanks for sharing.

[Glennsallnighter]

Well done Katherine! I'd say you certainly had a PEF doing that. I can only imagine the whole atmosphere of the trip. It must have been awsome! We'll make a hard core Glenn fan of you yet!

[Freypower]

Great experience. I'd be happy if I could only visit Detroit, let alone the actual 'street where he lived'.

[sodascouts]

Dreamer reminded me that an old schoolmate of Glenn's named Fred Pike (who has since fallen out of Glenn's favor for selling Glenn's stuff on Ebay) had once joined our old board Flip City. Fred posted that Glenn's house no longer exists. Here is the post:

==============================
Fred Pike posted:



What a bummer! The other day I drove over to get a picture of Glenns childhood home. There has only been one major road improvement, in Royal Oak, since Glenn and I graduated from high school, lo those many years ago. Interstate 696 was run from east to west across the south edge of the city in the 70s or 80s. Well, guess who lived on the south edge of town?

The above picture shows 1600 Wyandotte. Glenn lived at 1616. It is the southernmost house still standing. Probably Glenns house was very similar, since, while the street is not a tract where the houses are all identical, streets in Royal Oak, like his, were mostly built in the 1940s and had similar sizes, even though floorplans and options were all different. Also, 60 years of home improvements makes the houses even more differentiable. In Royal Oak, usually neighboring houses are only 4 or 6 numbers apart, so Glenn probably lived 2 or 3 doors away from 1600. There may have been a few houses located even south of Glenns.

[katherine5832]

Dreamer reminded me that an old schoolmate of Glenn's named Fred Pike (who has since fallen out of Glenn's favor for selling Glenn's stuff on Ebay) had once joined our old board Flip City. Fred posted that Glenn's house no longer exists. Here is the post:

==============================
Fred Pike posted:



What a bummer! The other day I drove over to get a picture of Glenns childhood home. There has only been one major road improvement, in Royal Oak, since Glenn and I graduated from high school, lo those many years ago. Interstate 696 was run from east to west across the south edge of the city in the 70s or 80s. Well, guess who lived on the south edge of town?

The above picture shows 1600 Wyandotte. Glenn lived at 1616. It is the southernmost house still standing. Probably Glenns house was very similar, since, while the street is not a tract where the houses are all identical, streets in Royal Oak, like his, were mostly built in the 1940s and had similar sizes, even though floorplans and options were all different. Also, 60 years of home improvements makes the houses even more differentiable. In Royal Oak, usually neighboring houses are only 4 or 6 numbers apart, so Glenn probably lived 2 or 3 doors away from 1600. There may have been a few houses located even south of Glenns.

You know that thought crossed my mind as I got to the end of the street and saw that 696 was running perpendicular to Wyandotte at that point. What were they thinking tearing down the childhood home of such a prominent Michigander? So, now when I drive down that stretch of I-696, I'll imagine myself driving through his house! LOL! How many of you can say that? Thanks for the info, Soda. He was indeed only 2 and half blocks away from Franklin Elementary, so chances are good that he went there.

[Brooke]

That is really cool, katherine, that you took that road trip! If I lived that close, I would do the same thing!

There are many Eagles related trips I would like to take. Have you read about Soda's California trip last year? It's somewhere around here. I would love to see all the places that she did.

I had the opportunity to be in Peoria, IL a lot a couple years ago with my husbands work and was always trying to find out where Dan Fogelberg lived and went to school. No one there that I asked ever knew much at all about him. One lady even thought he was from a neighboring town. One day, driving around I ended up in a very not nice part of town and couldn't get out quick enough to suit me. I finally gave up with that!

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Wow Katherine – I’m envious of that little field trip of yours. And how cool that you may have actually taught at Glenn's elementary school. When I was reading this thread last night, I was talking to Soda. One reason I recalled the pic was because I remember thinking when I first saw it how amazing it was that such hotness grew and flourished in such a modest little house.

[glenneaglesfan]

Katherine, I've just read this. How exciting to have been so close to where an Eagle was brought up, and to think you may have taught at his elementary school! On behalf of all us Glenn fans, thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us. Perhaps MF and I should seek out where our boys made their first three albums in London.

Soda, thanks for posting that picture - I missed it first time around. By British standards it looks a decent sized house!