Readers Report
1948-1955
Brooklyn to me is a strange dream. We lived in a housing project tower block, on Bond St. My father washing the car near the Gowanis Canal . . . that smell . . . and (to my memory) a great silence on Saturday morning, a weird deChirico-like sunny barrenness. Stories about a boy who went too near the edge and drowned. Being given Indian burns by my horrid cousin Michael in Prospect Park, and riding (can this be true?) a camel or elephant, there. . . . McCrory's, again, the smell . . . some big department store that had a monorail-type ride around the ceiling at Christmastime . . . can THIS be real? A gigantic bank, very elaborate white building; always dark and cool inside,in summer. On the porch, if you looked up, you could see what seemed to be a rubber lizard suspended from the roof by builders. A big church (St. Agnes?), where life-sized angels held the holy water basins. . . . stained glasss Ressurection. . . . I live in London, and haven't seen this neighbourhood in over forty years. I wonder what it's like, now. . . .
Moved to Brooklyn in 1945, celebrated end of World War II on Wilson Ave. and Himrod St. I was ten years old. Moved to Jefferson Ave. between Wilson and Knickerbocker in 1951. Our turf was Halsey St. Park and Knickebocker Park. Was part of the Mohawks, knew the Jolly Boys and the Redskin Rumblers. Shot pool in Sharkey's on Gates Ave. off of Myrtle Ave. Shot pool in Pop's on Eldert St. off of Knickerbocker Ave. Went to St. Barbaras Grammar School and Bushwick H.S. Was drafted in 1954 and returned in 1956 to Jefferson Ave. Drank beer in the Half Moon Bar on Wykoff Ave., drank in the rathskellers on Myrtle Ave. Danced in the Cypress Manor on Myrtle Ave. Went to the movies on Myrtle Ave. in the Rivoli Theatre and all the other movies on Myrtle Ave. Swam in Macarren Pool and in Cypress Pool too. Had a million friends, school mates, and army buddies all from my neighborhood ,but lost track of them all over the years. Maybe someone will read this and remember the times, the neighborhood and all the good times we had together. Let's hear from you..
My Brooklyn was P.S.99. Hanging out in the schoolyard closest to Ave. K, and Midwood High. My three best friends—Linda,Barbara & Gail. On summer nights all the neighborhood kids would play hide and seek. The telephone pole on E. 10th was the home base. I was so skinny I used to lie in the shadow of the pole and no one would see me! As we got older we traveled the "boro." We hung out on Kings Highway in Sgt. Joyce Kilmer Square. We practically lived in Park Circle skating rink (lost alot of our friends from there in Viet Nam). Later Bensonhurst captured our fancy. Who could forget Mitchells? Now that we're all married and scattered around, we still are best friends after over forty years. Brooklyn friendships last a lifetime. I miss the Brooklyn I knew.
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