When Gary Frundel and Pat McNames opened Birdtown Pet Shop on Cass at
Peterboro in the early 1980s, it was a very different neighborhood.
They still own the building that Birdtown was in -- now occupied by Mantra -- but now operate Showcase Collectibles from the storefront next door.
"When we first
opened the pet shop, this was a thriving community, no empty lots," says Frundel. "We had a five and dime, shoe
repair, cleaners, jewelers ... pretty much everything within a block." Until the Chinatown district moved
out in the late 1980s, he remembers seven Chinese restaurants clustered nearby.
But Frundel is adamant that, through its ups and downs, the Cass Corridor always remained a community. "It's never been a seedy neighborhood," he says. "Sure, we had prostitutes, but they weren't all on drugs."
Frundel sees growth, with Canine to Five down the block and Zaccaro's around the corner. "There's hope, it's spreading down Cass." Plus, the Birdtown Community Garden next door has received coverage in the New York Times and Oprah Magazine. "That's kind of helped people think its not the old seedy Cass Corridor."Many of the buildings in the area are still owned by Chinese families, at least some of whom have interest in reviving the district. "It would take a lot of young blood," says Frundell.
Frundell and McNames decided to open Showcase 10 years ago when their personal collection swelled to an unmanageable size for one home. Ten other dealers rent space at Showcase -- available goods range from vintage clothes, furniture, records and 8-tracks to jewelry, paintings and collectibles such as Coca Cola memorabilia, cameras and metal banks.
The store has seven small rooms and one large main one. "It looks small from the outside, but when people come in, they see that there is so much to us," says Frundel.
Showcase Collectibles is at 3409 Cass Ave. Call 313-831-6397. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., although sometimes the store stays open later on Friday and Saturday nights.
Source: Gary Frundel, Showcase Collectibles
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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