Jackson Heights Life
Get Connected => Jackson Heights of Yesteryear => Topic started by: erci on December 01, 2010, 03:06:33 PM
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If you are an "OLDTIMER" who lived in Jackson Heights prior to 1950, you might want to drop a line here.
Just tell us who you are/were, and where you lived, and just about anything else you'd like to say.
There isn't a heck of a lot of time left... We are dropping like flies now. :'(
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Lived in Jackson Heights from 1944 until 1980. I remember the area before IS 145,Northridge and SouthRidge..before Elmhurst General and before the Library.
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Lived in Jackson Heights from 1944 until 1980.
Kestral,
Where did you live? I lived on 93rd St. from 1939 until 1942 when we moved to 89-14, 34th Ave. I left Jackson Heights in 1954.
It was so good to have those empty fields ('The Lots') to play in.
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Born in 1938 and lived at 34-57-82nd Street with my folks who moved there when they were married in 1930. Went to nursery school at Mrs. Wills (right alongside of Garden Country Day School), P.S. 69 for Kindergarten, and St. Joan of Arc Grammar School graduating in 1952. Loved the lots in Jackson Heights for playing ball, burning Christmas trees, etc., and missed them in the late 40's after WW II when they all seemed to disappear. Was a cub scout in Pack 201 at St Mark's Episcopal Church, and a scout in Troop 217 at P.S. 69. Had many good friends growing up and remember many, many good times.
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Hi, first time poster here. I grew up in J Hts from 1944 til about 64 , my parents lived in the same apartment on 94th St and 35th av from 1931 until they died in the 80's. I don't remember myself but Blessed Sacrament church was originally an out building of St Joan of Arc towed up 35th av to 93rd st; I do remember the new church in about 1954. Junction Blvd had streetcars in my early memories. I remember the Quonset huts along Northern blvd, and seeing wizard of Oz at the Corona Theater with my mother. I remember the lots, the hill lot, the tree lot. Hill lot was named for the section of 94th from 34th to 35th(a little slope we called the hill) yet we managed sleds in the winter.I remember the men singing in the courtyards for change thrown out the windows , wrapped in a tissue, by the housewives, the scissor sharpener, scrap iron wagon and horse. I remember the entire student body of Blessed Sacrament being brought to the Polk theater to see "Song of Bernadette".
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Funny to think of your attending the Song of Bernadette at the movie theater, we had the same experience when Joan of Arc with Ingrid Bergman came out. The whole school went down to the auditorium one morning and saw the movie. That was the only time I can remember the whole school in the auditorium together! In 1954 had the good fortune to go to California, Santa Ana, for the Boy Scout Jamboree with a Scoutmaster Arthur Ryland from Carona. Good man and good leader. Went there by train through the South and back the northern route by way of Chicago stopping at grand places along the way. One of the famous Jackson Heights stars I went all through grammar school with is the playwright John E. CARE who wrote THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES (the apartment he lived in on 82nd Street left side just before 37th Avenue that had "blue leaves" wallpaper in the lobby.) TWO GENTELEMEN OF VARONA (adaptation of Shakespeares) as well as the movie ATLANTIC CITY starring Burt Lancaster. As a young boy John Guare wrote short stories about his life that were read aloud in class by Sister St. Catherine and again a few years later by Sister Carmella two very fine ladies who were members of the Gray Nuns of the Sacred Heart teaching at St. Joan's. His efforts were hysterical and very original at the time and he continued writing stories at St. Johns Prep and then at Georgetown and Yale. I believe it was Tony Hope (Bob Hope's son who was at Georgetown) was helpful to John Guare in his career. I recently learned that another schoolmate has moved back to Jackson Heights and lives in his parents apartment and loves living there.
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Hi Everyone-I was a long time resident of Jackson Heights & mostly remember 1948 to 1958. I lived at 37-52 89th street & went to PS 89 & JHS 145. Next to my building was an empty lot we played in, called the Defense Yard.
My great aunt had a book store around the corner on 37th Ave, between 89th & 90tn street-Bookshop Ida Dormitzer. Does anyone remember this?
Carole
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I used to walk by that store a lot, my GF's dad had a stamp and coin shop on the same block
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Where was the coin & stamp shop?
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Jim's stamp shop was acroos the street from the Castle Cave, closer to 89th than to 90th
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I think I remember it. Dave's Grocery store was there & Tony Tor-a jewelry store.
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I've lived here all my life. 1941-1963 at 34-20 83rd St, then on 80th between 34th and 35th from 1965-present.
My father had a bunch of plots in the victory gardens behind Saint Marks Church.
I went to St. Marks and still do.
Mine is a small world.
The number of interesting stores has almost disappeared. I think most people just go into Manhattan to work and shop there.
Travers Park between 77th and 78th is still the only playground, but the city has 1. Demapped 78th between Northern and 34th Ave for a PlayStreet, and 2. bought the Garden School playing field for a park. So there will be, hopefully, some greenspace and full-time park space from 79th St to 77th between Northern and 34th.
Alex Pizza on 37th turned into Romeo Pizza turned into the current Gustosa Pizza. Opposite PS 69.
The Boulevard Theater is now the Boulevard restaurant. The Jackson Theater is now the Jackson Cinema, showing Hollywood and Bollywood movies and the Colony Theater is now stores.
Jahn's is still there. Carroll Pharmacy is now Taco Bell. Dragon Seed, Cavalier and any decent bar hangouts are gone.
That's all for now.
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Hi Folks-
My 91 year old mother lived in Jackson Heights at 127 Hawthorne Court when she was in public school so that would have been in the 1920s. Her father was a pediatrician and had an office attached to their main floor garden apartment. We live in Canada now. Does that address still exist? Does anyone have info or pictures? My mom's short term memory is really poor but she has sweet stories of her youth there. Thanks to anyone who has info to share.
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Hi Folks-
My 91 year old mother lived in Jackson Heights at 127 Hawthorne Court when she was in public school so that would have been in the 1920s. Her father was a pediatrician and had an office attached to their main floor garden apartment. We live in Canada now. Does that address still exist? Does anyone have info or pictures? My mom's short term memory is really poor but she has sweet stories of her youth there. Thanks to anyone who has info to share.
Here are some websites with photos of Hawthorne Court. I'm not sure about the number 127, but Hawthorne Court refers to a coop that consists of 14 buildings.
http://queens.brownstoner.com/2013/07/jackson-heights-garden-crowdsourcing-submission-2-the-hawthorne/
http://www.corcoran.com/nyc/Listings/Display/2333422
http://www.hawthornecourt.org/about-hawthorne-court
http://www.hawthorne3520.com/
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The 14 buildings called Hawthorne Court were built in 1922 for the Queensboro Corporation by George H. Wells, architect. In those years the original street numbers and names were different. They were changed later to fit in with the grid numbers of the surrounding neigborhoods.
Originally building number 127 Hawthorne Court was in the middle of the block on the West side of 20th Street between Polk and Fillmore Avenues. In the renumbering of the streets the addresses also changed accordingly. Today 127 20 Street is now called 35-34 77th Street between 37th (Polk) and 35th (Fillmore) Avenues. There is no 36th Avenue.
We'd love to hear some of your mother's stories!
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Any past members of the St Mark's Boys Choir? I paid my dues from 1953 to 1961. Truly a unique operation.
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Can't believe I happened on this website trying to glean some info on St.Joan Of Arc grammar school. I have spent 2 days soaking in everything that is on this site, soaking in all these wonderful memories. My husband & I are both from JH, went to school, hung around & eventually got married at Our Lady of Fatima's, when it was still a Quonset Hut. My husband went to PS 148 and lived on 89th between 32n & 31st avenues. He then went to Bryant HS. He has always talked about stickball, victory gardens and the "Lots" & of course as he grew older, the bars on Northern Blvd. I was born in a one family house on 32nd ave between 86th & 87th std until we moved to 32-04 82nd st. right off northern blvd and below the Fire House that was on he Blvd. All of the movie houses mentioned hold fabulous memories. I remember pushing my sons in their carriage on 82ndSt and meeting all my girlfriends and chatting for hours. My mom bought my wedding dress in Clarks and I remember shopping with her at Fields and Marie Sheridans shop. I also remember going with my mom each month to a toy store with creaky floorboards so that she could give the man behind the counter a few dollars. The store was Gerstenharbers and the monthly money she gave him was to pay for our Xmas toys payable over the course of a year. I went to St. Joan of Arc and I think I too graduated in 1952. I remember Sr.St.Catherine as being very beautiful and Mary-like in her features. I never had Sr.Carmelita, but my brother did and I have memories of my mother having very unkind things to say about her due to some problem she had with my brother. I remember Fr.Boyland and his beautiful snow white hair, and Fr. Mooney being on the short side. I remember going to Fr. Lenahan for confession & making sure I was on his left side as he was deaf on that side !!! I also remember my mother having an argument with Sr. Dunellen, the principal at the time & the school secretary, Mrs ? being very nice. I also remember many, many girls in my class throughout those 8 years. I also remember graduation day and the name of my graduation partner as we walked down the aisle in St.Joan's. We were married in August 1958 in the Quanset hut of Our Lady of Fatima. The priest that married us was brand new, his name was Fr. Waring and he was very, very nervous as it was his first marriage ceremony.
Does anyone remember the Tune Timers on Northern and 82nd st, next door to the Toddle House? Flanagans Bar across from the Boulevard movie...McDonalds Bar on Northern Blvd. next door to the funeral parlor of the same name? McCallions, also on Northern..the Belevedere Bar, the FoodFair, Henry Joost's ice cream parlor, which just happens to be the place I met my husband at when we were 18 & 19 yo?
Bitter sweet all these memories from sooooo long ago, but at least I can still remember them so vividly. I had a baby in Physicians & two in Booth Memorial Hospitals & later on, after we moved, one daughter in LI Jewish.
Anyone on this site have some of these memories ... would love to continue reading about those wonderful days !
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i've only lived here for about 16-17 years, but those are beautiful memories!
thank you so much for sharing them :)
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Hello fellow "OldTimers"...I lived in Jackson Heights from 1938 until I married in 1958, had three boys and moved to Springfield Gardens in 1968, just before my 4th child was born. We lived in a 6 family apartment at 32-04 82ndSt, one block down from Northern Blvd. and the FireHouse. The Brown bus stopped right in front of our building. We had fire escapes in that building and I remember sitting on them in the summer when it was too hot in our top floor apt. There were two family houses across the street with concrete steps and porches. On our side, there were probably 5 more of the 6 family apartment houses before the one family private homes began and stretched all the way to Northern Blvd. Those were the days when we really knew our neighbors...it was hard to walk to the boulevard without stopping and chatting with at least six or eight of our neighbors. There were alleys along side of these buildings and small backyards where we kids played. I went to St.Joan of Arc school with so many of my neighborhood friends, even though we were, for the most part, in different grades. There was no school buses for us & when my mother felt we were old enough to walk to school, we did just that. Once I got to the other side of the boulevard, I remember passing all of those "prewar" apartment buildings and meeting my classmates along the way. Oddly enough there are times that I cannot remember what day of the week it is, I can still remember the names and cute little faces of so many of my classmates in SJA. Sadly, I will never forget Sr.Mary Alice who taught me spelling in the 1st grade. I remember her as being a tiny nun who was very strict. I vividly remember her spelling bees & the day she asked me to spell "water". She scared me to death and even though I knew how, my nerves got the best of me and I stammered and just couldn't do it. I guess I wore her patience because she slapped me across the face & called me stupid !!!! Looking back, I'm sure she is the one person who later in life, gave me the strength to defy another order of nuns that my childen had in elementary school....so thank you Sr. Mary Alice for making me a strong, but fair and tolerant mother to my own children. I also remember the principal, Sr. Dunellen (?spelling) who my little 4'11" mother confronted with fierce anger, after she said I "needed a haircut". I guess she had something against burnettes with long curly hair! You didn't want to mess with my litlle Irish american mother!! I remember the art teacher, another little lady with red hair and freckles. There may have been a music teach/nun who had a portable organ (with wheels) that she would roll into the classroom..I think her name was Sr. Gertrude. The one num who I will never forget as long as I live was Sr. St. Catherine, who in my childs eyes, looked like what the Blessed Mother would have looked like. Beautiful & such a sweet temperament. I have so many wonderful memories of my 8 years at SJA, unfortunately not all of them were sweet and loving. Oh how I wish I could see some of the little girls I use to play with in the schoolyard at lunch time. Even the smell of the lunchroom would be welcome all these years later.
I remember Fr. Boylan and his beautiful snow white hair & his associate, (little) Fr. Mooney. Hey Fr. Boylan, guess who has snow white hair now!
Thanx for letting me walk down memory lane!
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Hey ECG...I lived at 32-04 82nd st....just around the corner from you and went to SJA at the same time.....maybe we know each other???
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I graduated from SJA in 1950 and lived at 32-26 84th Street. When I was born (1936), we lived at 32-06 82nd Street for a short time. Dr. Lobell had his office on the SW corner of 82nd and 32nd Avenue. The principal at SJA was Sister Donalda. I attended SJA from 4th grade thru 8th. Sr. Mary Martin, Sr. Edith, Mrs. Monahan, Mrs. Quinlan, Sr. Patricia and Sr. Sylvia. I was never in Sr. St. Catherine's class but do recall and agree with what has been said about her; she was what I would imagine an angel would look like. The art teacher that was referred to was Miss Parker. There was another red-headed teacher in SJA by the name of Mrs. Powell. There was a Franciscan Monk who would visit SJA occasionally who would sing for us - as well as teach a music lesson - Father Rudolf. As I recall, Fr. Boylan was the Pastor and he was assisted by Fr. Lenihan (who became the Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima when that Parish was formed right after the war), Fr. Cunningham, Fr. Mooney and Fr. McCarthy. From 1964 until 1968 I was a driver on the Triboro Q-33 bus between B'way and 74th and LaGuardia Airport. Renewed some old friendships during that time.
I'm really enjoying the memories that are being shared on this forum.
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You lived @32-06 82nd St? I lived at 32-04 82nd St. Who are you?
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Hi Everyone-I was a long time resident of Jackson Heights & mostly remember 1948 to 1958. I lived at 37-52 89th street & went to PS 89 & JHS 145. Next to my building was an empty lot we played in, called the Defense Yard.
My great aunt had a book store around the corner on 37th Ave, between 89th & 90tn street-Bookshop Ida Dormitzer. Does anyone remember this?
Carole
I grew up just up the block from you and across 37th Ave. from 1943 until I left for college in 1960. I remember your great aunt very well. Not only did she tolerate me and a friend just passing time in her store while ostensibly looking for a book in the dog days of summer, but before I was old enough to know what was going on, she kept a 3-volume copy of either Sandburg's bio of Lincoln or Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (I can't remember which) on layaway for my mom, a Christmas present for my dad. And she sold solid wood Stromberg model airplane kits, so I didn't always get out without a purchase.
I remember your Defense Field, although we didn't call it that. I suspect you called it that because it was fenced, a rarity in our area. I remember a lot of cars parked in it--the building beside it on the end of the block was a garage for a while.
Do you remember the electric substation for the elevated "subway," between 89th and 90th on Roosevelt?
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The Electric Substation off Roosevelt Ave., was a very spooky place with an awful smell. John Guare the Playwrite who grew up in JH and graduated from SJA in 1952, wrote a short story about a couple of "feather-merchants" making a forbidden visit to the substation. I believe it was published, but, I couldn't locate it. There was an empty lot on 85 or 86 Steet, between 35th and 37th Ave., that we used to play baseball and football on and was inundated with holes dug by little kids or dogs and was a hazard to attempt running on. Nevertheless, it was all we had to play in after all the other lots disappeared with the Post WW-II late 40 early 50's apartment construction. There were two cops (ex PAL guys) who tried organizing a bit of a league, and worked very hard with the willing to teach the basics of the games. It must have been very frustrating dealing with us as we never had full uniforms or pads and noone had cleats only sneakers. Can't remember their names but we referred to them as "officer". Finally, St. Mark's and Community Church had Cub Scout packs that organized sport training and games on Saturdays. The coach of Community Church was a great guy and an FBI special agent named Joe Brock who was killed in the line of duty in 1948. Brad Corbett was a captain of the St. Mark's Cub Scout football team and many years later owned the Texas Ranger baseball team. Larry Judd was a fantastic athlete of Community Church and ran circles around us. Our paths crossed in the US Army when he was assigned to my unit from the 82nd Airborne.
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I lived in the temporary veterans housing barracks from 1947-53 when they torn them down
Went to PS 152,The Boulevard movie at 82nd Street and Northern Blvd was 12 cents for
Saturday's matinees.
It was like living in the country after coming from lower Eastside of Manhattan.
My address was 32-17 70th Terrace.
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I do remember Sr. Donalda the principle of St. Joan of Arc for my 8 years there. She was a big woman with a pleasant but serious face (who wouldn't be serious looking with a school having average classes of 68 kids?) First grade had an ancient nun by the name of Sr. Fostina and she of the gentle kindness was perfect for tiny kids. In 3rd grade we had Sr. Benedict who while she was nicknamed the "Gestapo" was a great teacher and had the entire class paying attention every day to her lessons. Our class (mixed) had a dozen extremely intelligent girls who seemingly at the time used to get 100% in each subject, when Pastor Rev. Boylan read out our report cards in class. Only one boy had a major number of 100%'s and I was usually chided at report card time for " poor" conduct. Lots of gabbing and note passing. Sports were very slim at SJA but Miss Wiseburger the gym teacher got us exercising in the Gymnasian once a week, and at lunchtime there was hand ball against the school wall. After school we used to frequent the empty lots for baseball, football, stick ball and hide and go seek. We had some super "Tom-boy" classmates who joined in with us playing sports and two of them were better at sports than any of us. Sr. St. Morris, our fifth grade teacher, strict, bright, fun, always challenging, demanded daily class participation from everyone so you had to have done your homework. Reading assignments were very demanding but in retrospect it helped me immensely in high school and college. She was singlehandedly responsible for helping me find my way in Math, and her extra help at that time gave us all a big advantage. Her expectations for us made us want to attain her approval. Overall, we were very lucky to have so many good dedicated teachers at SJA and am amazed that we ever learned anything with the class sizes of 65-75 kids. The school had a "Junior School of the Theater" associated with a top flight "Theater Guild" both putting on shows with amateur talent and Broadway/Off Broadway professionals living in Jackson Heights.
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My first memories were of living in converted barracks which were used by GI's after WWII. 1948 blizzard is a vivid memory
Our address was 30-19 76th St.
First grade was PS122 . Second grade and first communion was Our Lady of Fatima. 1952
The first parish masses I recall took place in a car dealership showroom that they cleaned out for Sunday. Later the church was a Quonset Hut
If anyone has any photo's of the old barrack housing, I would appreciate.
They were very basic. A 55 gallon drum of kerosene with 5 gallon cans to fuel the heating stoves....no gas.
During the summer A jeep pulling a sprayer would fog the neighborhood with DDT. The kids would run behind it. Amazing we survived. There as a junk man who would come by with a horse drawn wagon looking for scrap metal.
As kids we were told not to fly kites because they could interfere with the planes landing at LaGuardia...and they were low overhead.
The city wanted to tear down the area after they built the modern high rise public apartments we called "The Projects" across Queens and Brooklyn,
My folks moved us out to Hempstead to a home they managed to buy with a GI Bill mortgage in 1952
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My first memories were of living in converted barracks which were used by GI's after WWII. 1948 blizzard is a vivid memory
Our address was 30-19 76th St.
First grade was PS122 . Second grade and first communion was Our Lady of Fatima. 1952
The first parish masses I recall took place in a car dealership showroom that they cleaned out for Sunday. Later the church was a Quonset Hut
If anyone has any photo's of the old barrack housing, I would appreciate.
They were very basic. A 55 gallon drum of kerosene with 5 gallon cans to fuel the heating stoves....no gas.
During the summer A jeep pulling a sprayer would fog the neighborhood with DDT. The kids would run behind it. Amazing we survived. There as a junk man who would come by with a horse drawn wagon looking for scrap metal.
As kids we were told not to fly kites because they could interfere with the planes landing at LaGuardia...and they were low overhead.
The city wanted to tear down the area after they built the modern high rise public apartments we called "The Projects" across Queens and Brooklyn,
My folks moved us out to Hempstead to a home they managed to buy with a GI Bill mortgage in 1952
Thanks for sharing those memories. There's another thread on here about the Quonset huts, but I don't think it includes any photos. http://www.jacksonheightslife.com/community/index.php?topic=2770.0
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I didn't move here until 3 years ago, but I love listening to these memories.
Regarding Hawthorne Court, here's a peek inside a recent home for sale:
http://streeteasy.com/sale/1192124
They're still beautiful homes.
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Any kind oldtimers remember the Army Barracks on 71st/72nd Street.
Barracks were converted to homes for the brave servicemen who came
home. That whole area was demolished for a housing development of
attached brick houses. I was to young to remember to much, but sure
would love to hear from you.
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Update: Forgot to mention the location of the Army Barracks
in Jackson Heights would be Northern Blvd & 71st/72nd Street.
Sure would be nice to hear from someone who remembers that
area.
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I was married in Our Lady of Fatima's Church that was a quonset hut. My home was on 82nd St between 32nd Ave & Northern Blvd.
The brown bus used to stop in from of our 6 family apt bldg. I remember those quonset huts very well and all the places we frequented on
Northern Blvd. as teenagers.
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Hi
Anybody Remember a Jackson Heights bartender named Billy Brennan who worked in many bars during the 1950's-early 1960's
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I was born in Jackson Hts. at Physicians Hospital in March 1944. I still live in Jackson Hts. and have lived here for 72 years, I served 4 years in the U.S. Air Force. I've seen so many changes have so many good memories of Jackson Hts. I lived with my parents, aunt & grandfather, uncle and brother's & sister in a house on 92nd. St. bet. Roosevelt Ave. & Elmhurst Ave. Any one remember the guy in a white uniform on a bike with a bell riding around the neighbor hood selling good humor ice cream. I also remember an old Italian man with a horse drawn cart going thru the streets collecting rags.Remember a guy with a small van who drove around sharpening everyone's knives, scissors, tools etc. Remember seeing Ice man delivering large Blocks of Ice to all the houses and bars. In our old refrig the block of ice was put in top section of frig. All the houses were mostly heated by coal. The coal man would come and fill up our coal bin which was in the basement of our house. I remember Trollies running along Junction Blvd. There were several movies in Jackson hts. The Corona,on Junction Blvd. bet. Roosevelt Ave. & 37th. Ave. The Polk theater,on Polk Ave. between 93rd. St. & 94th. St. The Colony on 82nd. St. bet. Roosevelt Ave. & 37th. Ave. The Boulevard Theater on Northern Blvd. about 81st. St. There was another Movie House on 37th. Road bet. 73rd. St. & 74th. St. Does any one remember it's name. There also was The Jackson theater, on 82nd. St. bet. Roosevelt Ave. & Baxter Ave. The Jackson is not really in Jackson Hts. it is in Elmhurst. I remember a big empty lot that was along Roosevelt Ave. bet. 93rd. St. & 94th. St. we all burned our used Christmas trees there. I remember a Carvel Ice Cream store with a drive in parking lot it was on Polk Ave. bet. 93rd. & 94th. Sts. I remember Movies cost 25 cents. You saw 2 full feature films, cartoons and News Clips. I remember usher at the polk Theater, she dressed in a white uniform and carried a flash light, the manager or owner of the Polk wore a suit and had a carnation in his lapel. I also remember movie would stop for some type of malfunction if not fixed quick kids would go crazy and start screaming & yelling, there were times every one was kicked out of the theater. Okay enough for now. will submit more memories at a later date.
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There was another Movie House on 37th. Road bet. 73rd. St. & 74th. St. Does any one remember it's name
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Think it was called THE EARLE THEATRE
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It was the Earle. I saw the James Bond film Thunderball there. Like many of the other theaters in area --the Fair, the Polk--it changed to more adult entertainment at one point.
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I visited JH before I moved there in 1950. My aunt lived on 80th st right off Northern. I remember way before PS145 was built that there were tennis courts on that land. I was little, but I used to watch the people playing from her window. I also remember the GayDome bar on Northern between 80th and 81st streets
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My family moved to Jackson Heights from Astoria in 1943. We had an apartment on 73rd Street, north of 37th Avenue. I don't remember the address, but it abutted the building on the corner that was The Blue Haven -- when it was a respectable nightclub. I remember being a Junior Air Raid Warden, and boy didn't I think I was hot stuff. I went to P.S. 69 from the 3rd to the eighth grade; I was a cub scout at St. Marks Episcopal Church; and went to Mass at St. Joan of Arc. I grew up with a group of boys from the neighborhood that played all sports as a team called The Jackson Heights Trojans. I have so many great memories from that time of my life, I could fill a book. In 1987, Lew Ressequie, Joe Allen (the now famous restaurateur) and myself, Howard Giordano, organized a reunion at a Manhattan east side restaurant. Of the twenty or so kids that played on team at one time or another, we located eighteen guys, but only fourteen could make the reunion date. They came with wives, and one guy who couldn't make it, sent his sister as a stand-in. The evening turned out to be one of the most nostalgic evenings of my life.
More memories on another post.
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Update: Forgot to mention the location of the Army Barracks
in Jackson Heights would be Northern Blvd & 71st/72nd Street.
Sure would be nice to hear from someone who remembers that
area.
Would the houses have been right on Northern? My family has lived on 71st between Northern and 34th for 70 years.
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me -- 1950 - 1975 at 33-16 82nd str
grand fun
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coincidentally the same address of the garden country day school -- where my parents sent me
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Just recently discovered this site.
Lived in Jackson Heights from birth in 1941 until end of 1956, 86-10 34th Avenue, when we had to move after my father’s death. Watched as the tennis club disappeared plus the empty lots where lots of sports were played. In the end, schoolyards and streets were the playgrounds. Lots of good memories of fun and friends.
Schools:
K-5: P.S. 149
6-8: Garden Country Day School - basketball plus a couple operettas
9-10: Trinity School in Manhattan
Attended St. Mark’s for church and Cubs.
Friends - I’m sure I’ll leave some out:
Neighborhood friends: Billy Nussbaum, Lance Gaude, the Lyons brothers
GCDS:
Male-Doug Floren, Tommy Thulin, Ray Liggio.
Female- Dee Layer, Val Curtin, Mary Anne M.
Trinity- Went together with Doug Floren and Tommy Thulin from GCDS
I was sad to leave JH, but, obviously, my life changed dramatically.