Residents say it's better under the radar

July 24, 2007

BY KORIE WILKINS

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Clarkston is no Birmingham or Royal Oak. It's not a bustling, cosmopolitan downtown. It's more like a small English village, where shopkeepers know their customers by name and the man who owns the city's most popular eatery and watering hole is the mayor's son.

Sitting in the heart of Main Street, the Clarkston Union Bar & Kitchen offers some of the best grub around, best washed down with one of dozens of beers on tap, residents say. Locals and outsiders alike crowd the eatery -- a former church -- most nights. If there's a wait, patrons can browse the restaurant's nearby gift shop, which sells all kinds of items.

 Dinner is served to customers sitting in pews. A plate of gooey macaroni and cheese is the eatery's claim to fame.

The Union's sister restaurant, the Clarkston Café just down the street, offers upscale comfort food. Both are owned by Curt Catallo, son of Mayor Sharron Catallo.

"We're like the house in the neighborhood that everyone likes to come over and visit," Sharron Catallo said. "And we've worked hard to keep it this way."

Actually, Clarkston residents would prefer the public not know much about their little city of 1,000 residents.

A lot of them echo the thoughts of Therese Goebel and her family, who said if people find out how great the quaint village really is -- with its downtown free of chain stores, lush green park and elegant Victorian homes -- they'll be overrun with newcomers looking to spoil the fun.

With live music filtering through the air and dozens of children scrambling over a play structure, Clarkston's Depot Park is the place to be on warm summer nights.

People dance and sing along in the park just west of Main Street on Depot Road, a short jaunt from downtown Clarkston, which residents say with pride hasn't changed much in the last several decades.

Clarkston is a true hometown, they say. It's small, walkable and friendly -- with dogs welcome nearly anywhere. "We love it here," said Carol Ruby of Orion Township, who was accompanied by her 6-month-old golden retriever Deacon during a recent stroll in the park.

Mayor Catallo, who has lived in Clarkston since 1980, said residents and visitors alike cherish that small-town feel and would have it no other way.

Candy is still tossed to children along the routes of the city's popular Fourth of July and Labor Day parades, she said, and people flock to Art in the Village and Taste of Clarkston -- both held in September.

And people still order their meat directly from Robert Esshaki, who bought Rudy's Market 15 years ago from its original owner Rudy Schwarze. The market has been a downtown fixture for decades.

"Rudy's is a lifesaver," said Penny Shanks, a city resident and executive director of the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce. "I find myself there at least once or twice a week."

One of the things residents say they like best is the absence of chain stores and eateries in the downtown. Many said they don't mind the drive to Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills -- just a 15-minute trip down I-75.

Another major Clarkston perk? Free parking -- all day, every day in the two-block downtown area.

Founded in 1832 as a farming community and named after settler Jeremiah Clark, much of the area's agrarian roots have gradually given way to fancy subdivisions and strip malls.

But residents say they are glad downtown Clarkston has kept its hometown charm and remains a place where neighbors know one another and high school students still gather in Depot Park to take their high school prom photos.

It's comforting, they say, to think that Clarkston will be the same charming, unspoiled place for generations to come.

"We hope it stays this way for another 100 years," said City Manager Art Pappas.

Contact KORIE WILKINS at 248-351-5186 or .

PHOTOS

(ROB WIDDIS/Special to the Free Press)

David Truman, center, and Zoe Aldrich, right, dance during a concert last month in Depot Park. The park and a downtown without chain stores are two things residents say they like about Clarkston.

(ROB WIDDIS/Special to the Free Press)

Singer Dayna Lieder leads a conga line during a concert last month at Depot Park. The city of 1,000 people retains a small-town feel and friendly atmosphere and allows residents to shop in stores where they say everybody knows their name.            

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The history

Founded as a farming community in 1832, Clarkston became prosperous with a growing population. Over the years, city dwellers looking for a little weekend getaway headed for Clarkston's lakes, quaint shops and inns.

The town was a bustling tourist destination from the mid-1800s through the 1920s. Trains dropped off sightseers throughout the summer.

After the railroad was built in 1851, families from Detroit and Pontiac flocked to downtown for plays and dramatic readings at the Opera House, and to swimming holes -- despite regulations and $100 fines for swimmers who didn't wear long coats to the beach. Women had to cover their legs with long, black pantyhose.

Clarkston's allure as a tourist destination began to fade as the automobile gained popularity, giving travelers more options for vacation spots. Roads were paved and widened and, after 1962, I-75 diverted travelers from Clarkston.

Farming went by the wayside, giving way to more modern developments such as gas stations and strip malls.

Source: Clarkston Historical Society's Web site, www.clarkstonhistorical.org.