My Brooklyn (230)

Carl Abraham

I live in Scranton, PA, but I spent the first 16 years of my life growing up on 70th Street And 20th Avenue in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. I went to Saint Athanasius school on 61st and Bay Parkway . . . and attended Bishop Ford High School for two years before moving to PA.

Here's what I remember about my Brooklyn: playing stickball with a spaldeen ball, waiting for Eddie the Good Humor man, the scent of the Italian pastry shop and the Jewish deli, going out to a "new" Shea with my dad to see my heroes the Mets, saving 20 Borden Milk coupons and getting in for free, watching the Verrazano Bridge going up, the N-Broadway Express train, Roger Grimsby, Bill Buetel and the entire eyewitness news team, Harry Harrison and Cousin Brucie, lighting punks, watching the summer fireworks at Coney Island from our apartment building roof, meeting the relatives at the same spot by the boardwalk every Sunday at Coney Island, Reingold beer—the beer with the 10-minute head, Nathan's famous, White Castle, and of course, only Fox's U-Bet syrup in my egg cream please! Thanks for listening. Happy 2000 to you all!

31 December 1999

Vera Casale

I was born and raised in Brooklyn on Devoe and Olive Street in the 30s and 40s. My father was a pharmacist and had a drug store on Devoe and Olive; it was called Casale's Pharmacy. I haven't been back in years and I was wondering if St. Nicholas Catholic Church and school is still standing. It would be interesting to hear from anyone who lived in the area during that time.

1 January 2000

Bob Dittmeier

My Brooklyn is Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Grand St. & Bushwick Ave., St. Nicholas School—1940s. Four local movies: Grand, the Graham, the Rainbow, and the RKO Republic—this one had balconies. The Italian feasts, the Grand St. Fish Store, which is still there, close to a hundred years old. The 5&10 stores with 5 cent rootbeers in a mug, big little books for a dime. The newspapers we could choose from: the News, the Mirror, Journal-American, Times, Tribune, Post and yes, even the Brooklyn Eagle. We played stoop ball, stick ball, punch ball and football in the projects because that was the only place that had grass. Cooper Park that had no grass. Old Man Liss' candy store for egg creams, mello-rolls, seltzer, penny candy and comic books. We usually had a quarter so we had to choose our purchases carefully. We moved when I finished 7th grade so I never graduated from Brooklyn. I would love to hear from any of the old Grand St. or St. Nicholas gang. Dom Donofrio, Connie Lo Presto, where are you?

4 January 2000