My Brooklyn

Readers Report


Anon.

I grew up on Ocean Parkway and Ave. U. from 1937 to 1955. I went to P.S. 153 from kindergarten to the 6th grade and then to Cunningham Junior High from 7th to 9th grade. At P.S. 153, the smartest kid in the class sat in the first row first seat. The not-too-smart kids sat in the last row, or 6th row. Throughout 1st to 4th grade I sat in the fifth row because I was not a very good student. I then went to what we then called a vocational high school in Manhattan called Charles Evans Hughes, graduating in 1955.

I remember going to Coney Island on my bike during the summers; playing stoop ball, kick the can, Johnny on the pony, punch ball, stick ball, ham ball, Chinese, marbles, flip cards, ringelivio. I remember playing baseball in any vacant lot we could find with a baseball that was so wound with black electrical tape that when you hit it, all the tape would unwind.

There was a horse path then on Ocean Parkway, and we used to pick up the horse turds and whack them with a stick and get showered with horse shit. I remember having horse turd fights where we would throw horse turd balls at each other and try to hit the kids on the other side.
I remember my grandmother growing tomatoes and we would have similar fights only using rotten tomatoes as ammo.

I remember building scooters out of wooden fruit boxes and roller skates. The skate, which was not very well fastened, would always come off and you could go flying on your a— if you weren't careful.

For 14 cents you could go to the movies called the Dewey on Coney Island Ace but we called it the "Dump" and see two Westerns, a carton and the Three Stooges. On Saturday you even got a free comic book.

I have hundreds of these vivid memories of growing up in Brooklyn. Now I have seven grandchildren and am sad that they will never know what I had while growing up in Brooklyn.

19 January 2001


Jim Gaffey

Brooklyn to me was even more defined . . . more local. It was Lincoln Rd. in the (heart) of Central Flatbush. A world unto itself as though captured in a state of mind. People as they grow up or move on always see things through rose colored glasses . . . but Lincoln Rd. was a wondrous place with at least one of every kind of kid . . . and many of them. Enough to play any game with and to always have a friend to paly away the hours in a safe place that nurtured a kids dreams. What a fun place to be from.

20 January 2001


Tina Morello

Come with me—let's go to my Brooklyn. It was the worst of times. See, there are my brothers Gary (12) and Joe (8) and sister Kay (10). They are outside sitting in the street on what remains of our furniture. You see, Dad lost his job and we could not pay the rent. Those days life was very basic. No rent—no apartment. Furniture, kids, pets out! Fortunately, Gary's friend, Bill Garofalo, had come home with him that day. Bill ran home to tell his parents about our situation. Mr. and Mrs. Garofalo listened. They did not know us. They had five children of their own, Vinnie (14), Bill (12), Mary (10), Angie (9), and Chickie (8). They did not ask for a month's security, or when Dad would get a job, or how we would manage. They simply said "Tell them to come. They will live with us." And so we did. These were the best of times. And so began our life on Fulton Street. Eastern Parkway was next to us and Callahan Kelly Park was across the street. I was born in Kings County Hospital in 1944 and joined the brood in Mrs. Garofalo's house where I was loved much. Later, we moved down the street. My Uncle Jerry, Aunt Rose, cousins Gary and Margaret (#139) lived upstairs. The Chaunacy's had the candy store downstairs and we lived in the middle apartment with my Uncle Paul. My dad would get 16mm movies and set up a large screen in the street and all the neighbors would bring their chairs and snacks and we would watch movies and cartoons together. We did not need a permit in those days. Our church was Lady of Loretta and we loved Father Fury. School was P.S. 155. Mike the cop helped us kids cross Eastern Parkway to get to school. The hot dog man was on the corner at 3:00 and Dad would buy me a hot dog with lots of sauerkraut. There was Carlucci's, Colonial Theater where you got free dishes, spumoni ices with real pistachio nuts chopped in, lemon ice with real bits of lemon, shopping on Fulton Street (A&S, Martins), Pitkin Ace, cheesecake at Junior's, rollerskating at Eastern Pkwy Rink with organ music, short skirts and pompoms on the skates, took the train to Coney Island, Bay 14, Steeplechase Park, cotton candy, ice skating in Central Park and taking the shortcut through the tunnels. Those were the days of no fear. Then we moved to Ridgewood. Lived on Knickerbocker Ace between Cornelia and Jefferson Ace Attended P.S. 106 (Mrs. Steinline, Mrs. Beckett) Halsey Jr. high, graduated Bushwick H.S. in '61. My best friends were Margaret Wesner, Joan Palmenteri, Rosalie Salvato, Kathy D'alessandro, Helen Capato, Delores Sanchuk And Mary Ann Argondizza. If anyone knows how I can get in touch with them please let me know. My memories were of Halsey Park, Jahn's ice cream parlor, Hillside Roller Rink, Halsey Bops, Ellery Queens, Myrtle Avenue and Broadway for shopping, the guys singing a capella under the street lamps, summers on the roof where the tar would get so hot it would bubble. Teachers were totally committed, took a personal interest in us and were respected. My favorite was Mrs. Deitch from Halsey. Offenses that would get you into the principal's office were chewing gum, getting out of line, being late for class and the big one—getting caught with a cigarette. Our lockers were searched, parents sided with the teachers and schools were safe. After graduation I attended FIT and graduated in 1963. Married the only boy I ever dated, in '64. Had my son, Sean in '68, moved to Staten Island, adopted my son Stephen in '73, moved to Howell, New Jersey and adopted my daughter Jaime in '76. Divorced after twenty-seven years and now live in Florida with my Himalayan cat, Miss Lilly. Found this site and thanks to you I have been reliving those days of innocence. I realize that although we came from different areas of Brooklyn we all touched one another as we frequented the same landmarks. How awesome. Would love to find my "old" schoolmates. Please write to me if you are one or if you know any of them. God bless you for all the wonderful memories.

20 January 2001


Readers' reports continue . . .

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