park slope when

Old Goat:

Have a Merry Christmas

A merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to you all on this thread!!

Old Goat in FL wrote: Hey out there! I think I scared everyone from the blog when they saw how long ago it was that I moved from the Slope. Thre has not ben a post since I mentioned that I left in 1960. My connections to the slope are still very strong. My wifes Mother is still there and I have freinds here in Florida that I grew up with. We managed to keep in touch without a blog! We do get together on occasion and talk over what a great place the Slope was to grow up in. Also we all met our spouses there and they are ex-slopers as well. It is amazing that people who grew up together in the same neighborhood, attended the same church found each other 1200 miles away.

Heck no. I love your stories.

Some people asked me what it was like in the Slope at Christmas time during the late 30's and the 40's. The major difference in the 30's was that people had so little but shared so much. Kids learned to play with other then store bought toys. Maybe your father or older brother made you an airplane or a toy car. If you were the youngest you probably got a "hand me down" wrapped in new tissue paper. During the 40's it was war time and while most people now had jobs what you could buy was limited. Real Christmas Trees were the only thing around. We had a Tenant on the top floor of our 3 story house. The parents convinced their kids that Santa brought the tree Christmas Eve all decorated. They bought a tree and hid it in a side alley to our house. After the kids went to bed they would have to come down and drag the tree all the ways up to the top floor and then decorate it. In my family we helped my father pick out the tree and helped my Mother decorate it. Christmas Eve we all went to Church. (My Father worked for B'Klyn Union Gas and sometimes had to work Christmas or Christmas Eve). Church ended just about midnite and we went home and we were allowed to open one present + the present from my Aunt & Uncle. They went to Church with us and then had to take the 5th Ave Trolley from 12th Street all the way out to 90th Street where they lived. The trolley was a nickle and their time cost nothing compared to the joy they got from being with family Christmas eve.Christmas Trees were for sale all over 5th Ave. Every empty store front or lot would have them. Some people waited until late Christmas eve and then went to 5th Ave to bargain with the tree sellers. By that time they would sell them for next to nothing just to get rid of them and make a little more money. For a long time people did with less but you must realize that as a kid we did not know the difference. We were thrilled to get what ever we received!

What a sweet poem. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Hello all. I already explored the following on another thread. I am looking for anyone who knows the Hickey Family that lived on 12th Street. There was Margaret, Tommy, Fonzie (Alphonse) Jimmie & Charlie. They lived in the apartment house 310-12th St. Lost track of them many years ago but they are the gang I grew up with along with a bunch of other kids. Of course they are all probably Grandparents like me now. 12th Street had no lack of kids to play with in the late 30's the 40's and 50's. The game we played depended on the number of kids we had playing. Stickball you could have plenty. Not enough for two teams, then box ball or triangle. Parked cars were not much of a problem. There were only a couple of residents who owned them. Happy New Year-- Old Goat

stacey wrote: [quote=Old Goat in FL]Hello all. I already explored the following on another thread. I am looking for anyone who knows the Hickey Family that lived on 12th Street. There was Margaret, Tommy, Fonzie (Alphonse) Jimmie & Charlie. They lived in the apartment house 310-12th St. Lost track of them many years ago but they are the gang I grew up with along with a bunch of other kids. Of course they are all probably Grandparents like me now. 12th Street had no lack of kids to play with in the late 30's the 40's and 50's. The game we played depended on the number of kids we had playing. Stickball you could have plenty. Not enough for two teams, then box ball or triangle. Parked cars were not much of a problem. There were only a couple of residents who owned them. Happy New Year-- Old Goat

There was a Hickey Family who lived on Wyckoff between Bond and Nevins - Hickey was the dad (he would have been over 80 now) his wife Edith and they had two sons named Tommy who was a detective here in Brooklyn and Danny - does that sound familiar? I know their kids grew up with my sisters and brothers (which makes them between 50-55 now) on Wyckoff Street.
If these are the Hickey's you are looking for I do stay in contact with them.

Thank you but no, does not seem like the ages or names fit. I guess Hickey is a pretty common name in Brooklyn.

Subject: 11 Street 4-5 Aves

Hello, I was born in 1964 in the Methodist Hospital and lived on 11 Street from 4 Ave to 5 Ave. I went to St Thomas Aquinas School and Bishop Ford High School, all in Park Slope.
My family has lived on that block since 1949 and still does.
These are my memories of Park Slope.
I remember most was late 1960's was the hairstyle and clothing fashions. I remember the Hyppies with long hair and bell bottom jeans. Women wearing mini skirts.
I recall when the Mets won the World Series in 1969 alot of the youth made signs and stood on the median in 4th Ave and 11th St , having traffic blow thier horns for the NY Mets!
Older kids were always playing stick ball from sewer to sewer in the middle of the block on 11 Street. Occasionally, they would hunt the roof tops and throw down all the lost Spaldings(pronounced in Brooklyn-Spaldeens) balls.
I remember 5th ave being beautifully lit up at Christmas time with lights,(more that today) and the moving neon sign of Belmonts clothing store bells chiming away the season, seemed appropriate. There was in this order on the West side of 5th Ave 11-10 Steets O'Neils, Garry's Jewelry Belmonts,?,Lofts and Kresge's 5&10 store. They always had a dime childs ride in front.
Sepe's toy store was across the street, as was Meyers hardware, Carnival Ice Cream and Sun Bo Chinese take out.
On 4th Ave & 11 Street was Jack's grocery store. It was run by the Casa family. Jack, Mary and their kids Fab & Marie. It's still there, now Choi's.
12 Street had Jack Adams candy store on the corner of 4th Ave and next to it was the First Spanish-American grocery store I ever saw.
I think 5 th Ave and the surrond area took a turn for the worst when the Avon Theater on 9th Street where McDonalds is now, became an adult theater. I remember alot of crime in the early 70's and drug additcs walking around as well. The stores on 7th Ave were either burnt down or boarded up. Who remeber's a discount shoe store on 8th Ave called Gutter's? It was run by an old man named Gunther or Gutter. It was really old inside and dimly lit.
FYI, Burt Reynolds filmed a movie on 11 Street in 1972 called Shamus. The charactor he played lived in the Billards Hall(Biffs?) on the 2nd floor above O'Neils. There was a big Hollywood production that summer on the block.
I remeber the Harvey, Iulo, Lally, Vardy, Story, Manachino, Condello, Cottingham, Spinelli, Tobin, Mathisson, Polimpiac, Nonnenmacher, Martin and Irwin Families.
Signed;
Mark from Staten Island

Does anyone who went to Manual Training High School remember the mural by the staircase? It was a WWI mural with a soldier talking to a group of children under a goddess forging swords into plowshares. My grandfather painted it in 1918, and I need to see pictures of it,read or hear any memories you may have of it for a book I'm writing about my grandfather.

bluecat wrote: Does anyone recall the name of the veggie restaurant that was next to Clay Pot in the late '70s? My friend thinks it was the original Circles Restaurant, which later moved to 2nd Street where Two Boots is today (and subsequently moved to 15th St before closing).

Are you thinking of Gazebo? It was in one of the storefronts that is now
Back to the Land. Bean sprouts were sprinkled on everything except dessert.

There was a middle eastern place for a while in the space that is now Two Boots, before Circles opened.

Flexichick wrote: [quote=LongTimeSloper]Very interesting! The only store listed above that is still there is Garry Jewelers!

Sun Bo is still there too

really? Didn't know that, where are they?

Great post, Mark. You didn't mention it, but Timboo's bar across the street from Garry Jewelers is still there from 1969. You can see it in briefly in the movie Shamus that you cited.

Hamilton wrote: Mark.

Gutters was on 7th ave between 14th & 15th streets, he would have a cops hat and baton on a chair to give the illusion that there was a cop in the back room.
He would always close early so he could go to the track.
He was a very nice man and would charge what he thought you could afford.

Hamilton, I do remember the cop hat, my mom said the same thing. He would always keep it there to pretent that a cop was cooping in the back room. Did that place seem like you were walking into the 1920's?

Zebra wrote: Great post, Mark. You didn't mention it, but Timboo's bar across the street from Garry Jewelers is still there from 1969. You can see it in briefly in the movie Shamus that you cited.

Before it was "Timbo's it was LOFTUS. Most of the iron workers in the neighbor hood would go there Friday right from work. The wives would meet their husbands there and get what was left of the paycheck for food & rent.

Subject: Re: El train

gtomark71 wrote: Hey Old Goat,
Do you remember the elevated subway, when it ran along 5th Ave?

Believe it or not, I do. I was a mere lad but when I went to PS124 on 4th Ave & 13-14th Street, I had to cross 5th Ave under the EL. I also remember trying to climb the support columns which were latticed and looked like something from an Erecta Set. I lived on 12th St between 5th & 6th Aves. I managed to get "bumped" by a car crossing 5th Ave one day. The driver almost had a heart attack, left his car in the middle of 5th ave and walked with me all the way home. When I told my Mother that I crossed in the middle of the street she thanked the driver for bringing me home, assured him it was not his fault. Then she checked me over for cuts & bruises. There were none. Then I got bawled out for crossing where I did. Not like today when someone is looking to sue no matter who is at fault! Remember, the 5th Ave Trolley was running under the EL also. When you crossed you had to dodge Trolleys, trucks, and Cars. maybe a Horse & Wagon as well. :roll: :roll: