Readers Report
Amazingly, Brooklyn still has a volunteer fire department within its borders, over in Gerritsen Beach. The Gerritsen Beach Vol. Fire Department, which is unaffiliated with FDNY, serves its community proudly as one of only ten volunteer fire departments left within New York City.
8 May 1999
. . . growing up in East Flatbush at 231 E. 55th St., upstairs from my father's laundry at 233 E. 55th Street . . . not knowing too much about anything except that summers were golden, the cars were magical (the 50s you know), the egg creams, the malteds, the Bungalow Bar truck (which outshone even the Good Humor man), the Chinese handball . . . in short, my wonder years . . . and despite all the social change that has occurred between then and now, it is still that good solid age that I try and transport to my kid!
11 May 1999
The first part of my life was spent in Brownsville on Powell St., Hinsdale St. and also Livonia Ave. The El was right outside my window. The second part was spent on St. Johns Place. My school was 167 or 191 but it was on Lincoln Pl. My aunt and cousins lived on President St. I wouldn't trade growing up in Brooklyn for any other place in the world. My high school was Samuel J. Tilden. We used to put pennies on the trolley tracks to see how flat they got. I lived across the street from the Utica Theatre and also a pool room. The mixture of the people was great and we had so much fun playing punch ball, stoop ball and of course kick the can. Anybody out there remember some of this?
15 May 1999
Although I was born in the Red Hook section, 1954, my fondest memories are of the Park Slope area. Frank's Candy Store on Carroll St. Hanging out with Carol, Steve, Gary and Kathy. We were all in our teens, and we all had crushes on each other. Carol did get to marry Steve whom I had the deepest crush on.
I often think of the nights at Steve's house, who played the guitar and sang wonderfully, joining him at singing my favorite songs. His Mom, Sis, was like a second mother to me. Where are you guys? I am now living in Jersey but my heart is still in Brooklyn.
If anyone knows their whereabouts or if you should be one of the above please contact me.
15 May 1999
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