I live on the "west-side" of Detroit. For those of you who aren't familiar with this distinction, let me just say that the Detroit metro area has two "sides" if you will... all of Detroit and suburbs east of Woodward Avenue comprise the "east-side" while all of Detroit and suburbs west of Woodward Avenue comprise the "west-side".
Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s when immigrant Poles were flocking to Detroit, they developed two distinct communities... one on the "east-side" and one on the "west-side". The east-side is the older and larger of the two neighborhoods. When the big exodus from the city of Detroit began in the 1940s, people tended to move to suburbs on their side of the city. To this day there are more Polonia on the east-side than on the west-side. There are also more Polish restuarants, banquet halls, markets, stores, festivals, etc. in the east-side suburbs than what we have here on the west-side. A lot more. So this new market is a real treasure for us west-siders.
I was in a bit of a hurry when I stopped in so I didn't have a much time to talk with the owner. I hope to learn more about the market soon. I'll keep ya posted! In the mean time, if you're in the area be sure and stop by. The Polanka Market is located on Plymouth Road in Livonia.
