Readers Report
My Brooklyn begins in Williamsburg on Beaver Street, where we lived when I was born at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital in 1949. In 1951 we moved to a two-story brick home on 76th St and 21st Ave. My Aunt lived downstairs with her husband and my two cousins, Charlie & Steve. I remember ringalivio, a new spaulding, stickball, the rides that came around, like the half moon. We had gavell water (bleach) delivered as well as milk in glass bottles. Johnny the ice cream man, Good Humor and Mr. Softee. My Aunt was always yelling across the alley at Mrs. Gerani. All the kids on my block played stoop ball at my house because we had smooth rounded edges on our stairs. My father played stick ball with all the kids and they painted bases in the street. The cops were called a couple of times each week. I went to P.S. 186, Seth Low J.H.S and Lafayette. I fell in love for the first time in 1965 on 86th St. and Bay Parkway. It was a blind date and we walked to Nellie Bly. I can still smell the night. I miss Nellie Bly, the bike path near the Belt. I got my wheels when I was about 6 yrs old. It was a used brown & white Schwinn which I would ride over to watch the Verrazano being built. I left Brooklyn in 1969 and have lived in California since then. You would never know that my kids were born in Cal. We have the movie, Blue in the Face. I watch it a lot. My sister gave me The Brooklyn Cookbook. It has great recipes and stories about Brooklyn. Growing up in Brooklyn molded me into a "different" kind of person. Does anyone else out there have a problem with the attitude of people from Queens? I wrote a poem awhile ago. Here goes:
STOOP BALL DREAMS
SETH LOW PARK AFTER DARK
RINGALIVIO
WHERE DID THEY GO
A NEW SPAULDING
STOOP BALL DREAMS
VERAZANNO ALL LIT UP
MR. SOFTEE IN A CUP
ALL ALONE ON THE CYCLONE
CRAZY FRANK ALWAYS SWEEPING
LITTLE GIRL ALWAYS WEEPING
GOODBYE NELLIE BLY
8 February 1999
I'm a long way from Brooklyn and Greenpoint, where I was born. I've been here in California for over 20 years now. What a wonderful world it is to be able to touch base with Brooklyn and thoughts of the good old days. I visit my town frequently, as my brother is still living over on Avenue H. The town has changed, but those of us born in the city will never erase our "Brooklyn state of mind."
What about some current news? Oh yes, is Prospect Heights High School still in existence? Graduated from there in 1966. I guess you can call me bicoastal; because I also graduated from University of Redland, here in California.
Keep up the good news.
11 February 1999
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