Readers Report
Born in Brooklyn in March of 1934. I was baptized at Holy Name Church in the Park Slope section. My family lived at 16th St. and 9th Ave at the time. In 1939 we moved to the St. Rose of Lima Parish and lived on Coney Island and Parkville Ave. Our family moved around. Only a year later we moved to Newkirk Ave at 16th St.—right across from the BMT station and the Ebinger bakery. My brothers, Richie and Neil, my sister, Mary and I all attended St. Rose of Lima grade school. The boys were taught by the Sacred Heart Brothers and the girls by the St. Joseph Nuns.
Anyone out there remember: the Leader and Kent movie house—playing softball at P.S. 217 schoolyard—Bay 8 at Coney Island—Steeplechase Park (my dad worked part time there)—Nathan's—stickball—Jerry's candy store—Flynns and Rectors bar & grill—playing basketball at St. Rose's schoolyard—Risis Park—Kaufman's/Kennedy's surf club—Ma Hays—De Leo's and of course Ebbets Field and the Dodgers!
How about the war years? When we had blackouts, ration books and they closed the beaches one season (due to so-called debris from the ships that were sunk by the U-boats). I also attended Brooklyn Tech high school and then enlisted in the Navy in February of 1952. Went to boot camp at Bainbridge, MD, then assigned to a carrier, the USS Leyte CV32. I served until 1955, was discharged and married in 1959 at St. Rose's. We lived in an apartment on E. 9th St. and Foster Ave. Then I left my beloved city and moved to Arizona in 1963.
I go back to visit every couple of years. Mom still lives around Rugby Rd. and Foster Ave., in the same apartment house I use to deliver the Brooklyn Eagle to as a kid.
Brooklyn gave me some of my best times. I look back with fond memories of my youth. It was a great place to grow up.
Anyone out there who remembers the same, please contact me.
1 June 1999
I don't live in Brooklyn but my boyfriend lives there and I just wish I knew what he was doing every minute of the day.
3 June 1999
Summer nights and stoops. Hanging out in the P.S. 229 school yard. Walking up to 86th street to get an egg cream at Krasner's or buying a loaf of hot freshly baked bread from Cammerari's. Stoop ball and box ball. Groups of young guys harmonizing on street corners. St Bernadette's festa. Lemon ice after 10 o'clock mass on Sunday. Bay 15th at Coney Island. Buying a hot dog or a knish under the boardwalk.
4 June 1999
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