a beautiful, tropical floral scent
You'll think you're in Hawaii smelling the plumerias.
As the auto industry began to flourish in the early part of the 20th century, African-Americans, along with workers from around the world, were attracted to the jobs being offered in Detroit. Many African-Americans settled in an area just east of downtown. As the community grew, scores of black-owned businesses sprang up. In addition to the grocers and tailors and physicians and lawyers, the area also became home to numerous clubs.
By the mid 1930s, the center of this activity was Hastings Street, and the area became known as Paradise Valley. Nobody knows for sure why the area became known as Paradise Valley. One story is that the Asian "Paradise" tree had just been introduced to the area and it was flourishing along fences in the area.
In addition to the clubs in Paradise Valley, Orchestra Hall reopened as the Paradise Theatre in 1941. All the best jazz artists came here: Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Dinah Washington, and on, and on. There were three shows a day and four on weekends. You could pay 50 cents and stay all day.
The Paradise Theatre thrived for 10 years. But eventually, competition from other venues drew the customers away. Many of the residential neighborhoods were destroyed by the construction of I-75, and the first efforts at urban renewal.
Today, Orchestra Hall has been restored and expanded. It is once again home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Empty shells of only a few of the other clubs remain.
Read more:
ParadiseValleyBlues.com
http://www.bluesharp.org/tour/hastingsindex.html
