St. Clair Shores
St. Clair Shores is renowned for its “Nautical Mile”; the mile long, lakefront strip of Jefferson Avenue between Nine Mile and 10 Mile roads; featuring a nautical-themed streetscape, retail establishments, restaurants, boat dealers, and both private and civic marinas, this business district is dominated by the tallest structure in St. Clair Shores; the 28-story Shore Club Sky Tower, colloquially known as “9 Mile Tower”, and located at the foot of Nine Mile Road and Jefferson Avenue on Lake Saint Clair. The residential tower has become a prominent nautical landmark and its rooftop beacon can be seen for many miles.
St. Clair Shores annually hosts one of the largest, most attended, and longest running Memorial Day parades in the Midwestern United States; featuring both local, regional, and national participants with annual attendance often approaching 100,000 spectators. The location of the parade alternates each year between the city’s two main business thoroughfares.
Dating back to its years as a popular, lakefront entertainment destination, St. Clair Shores has a long connection to Detroit’s musical history. In addition to the many past roadhouses which featured numerous national performing artists of the era, other notable music-related locations include the former Car City Records store, whose employees have included many from the Detroit music scene; the former Crows Nest East, a short-lived, but popular music venue of the late 1960s; and the former Shirley’s Swinger Lounge. Individuals and groups who played at or frequented these venues went on to regional and national success; including Bob Seger, the MC5, Iggy Pop, The Frost, and more.
St. Clair Shores, one of a few communities to lay claim to the “Hockeytown USA” moniker before the Detroit Red Wings and the city of Detroit, Michigan, is renowned throughout both the USA and Canada as a long-time youth hockey hotbed largely related to its long successful St. Clair Shores Hockey Association. Once the home to the United States first privately owned indoor ice hockey arena, Gordie Howe Hockeyland, St. Clair Shores also boasts two municipal indoor ice arenas at its civic recreation center. Owing to its tremendously popular aforementioned youth hockey association, local high school hockey often dominated the local competition of the 1970s; with all three local high schools participating. St. Clair Shores Lakeview High School would go undefeated during its famed 1973 state high school championship season. Although the once beloved Gordie Howe Hockeyland has since closed, youth hockey is still very popular in St. Clair Shores and vintage references to “Hockeytown USA” can still be found inside the St. Clair Shores Civic Arena.
St. Clair Shores, Michigan continues to be a popular suburb of Detroit, Michigan; owing largely to its advantageous lakefront location, its municipal park system, its fine recreational sports programs and facilities, and its three public schools districts; South Lake Public Schools, Lakeview Public Schools, and Lake Shore Public Schools.
