Category Archives: Bronx
Anybody here from the Bronx,…
I grew up on 181 St. and…
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I grew up on 181 St. and Creston Avenue, right across the street from PS/JHS 79 (Creston JHS). The Concourse was a block away, which meant the D train was a block away. Jerome Avenue and the #4 was all of 3 blocks away. Fordham Road was in walking distance. And the Paradise was simply heaven. The schoolyard was everyone’s main hangout, regardless of the season. Punchball, stickball (mostly fungo), softball, hoops and two-hand touch all year ’round. When we were just hanging out, we copped some time on the stoop across from the yard. When I was 15 my family moved to Decatur Avenue and Gun Hill Road. My mother worked at Montefiore Hospital, so this was a good move for her. Turned out to be a good one for me, as the guys I met there have become my friends for life. We hung out on the stoop of my friend Errol’s apartment building. It was the perfect place to check out what was going on on the block. Great memories, and two great places to grow up in. Steven Springer 2101 Creston Avenue 3539 Decatur Avenue
I just read today’s NY Daily…
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I just read today’s NY Daily News and the story about the push to re-name Stickball Blvd after my cousin, Steve. I just wanted to thank all of you from the league who are involved in this drive, as well as Joviana, and the Bronx Borough President. Whether the Parks & Recreation Dept sees fit to pass this bill or not, you should all be proud of your efforts to honor Steve. Although I’m 7 years older than he is, he is still my hero, and I thank you all. God Bless You.
Hi Jim, The game…
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Hi Jim, The game I’ve documented is based on 1970s vintage Bronx skully. It has definitely evolved through the years, and the memory of the way you played may be perfectly accurate (though not going backwards is like a day w/o sunshine IMHO–and I couldn’t imagine not hitting another player’s cap to get into the next box). For example, putting numbers in the trapezoids around the 13 box is definitely a Bronx/Harlem thing of the mid/late 60s, and never made it to Queens. And, believe it or not, if you played with 13 boxes, you definitely were higher up on the skully evolutionary cycle–we’ve seen pictures and talked to folk who played with only 9 boxes “back in the day.” There’s really no right answer about the rules–I know for a fact that we had rules on my block that kids 2 blocks away didn’t. Now that I think of it, the “bonus boxes” around “13” were introduced to my block by a kid who moved from another part of the Bronx! Please feel free to try the rules as we have here, or play the way you remember, or take a hybrid of both–just don’t change rules in the middle of the game! -Hugh McNally hmcnally [at] streetplay [dot] com
My husband Tim and I met…
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My husband Tim and I met Steve in 1987 at a company we all worked for named TIAA-CREF in Mid-town. Steve was one of the first few friends I made arriving in NY from PR, back when his hair was longer than mine. He was so thoughtful and so great to talk to. I remember the day I told him I was getting married and he was just full of advise, just like a Dad. Then a few years past and Steve called me to tell me that not only had he cut his hair short, had become a firefighter, but that he was also getting married. He was so happy and so excited about it all. Running into him in our neighborhood in the Bronx was always great. We would catch up about each others spouses, kids & jobs, all of which we were so happy about. Then in 1999 my husband Tim past away of natural causes and I decided to move back home to PR. Destiny would have Steve be the last person I ran into at our local YMCA. As I told him what had happened to Tim he was in shock and was again full of advise on how I should continue living a full life. Now I’m in shock, but I take this time to send the words Steve said to me on that day back to his wife, “Never let those kids forget the incredible, amazing man they had for a father”. Tim & Steve: I miss you both. Love, Judy
Wow….where do I begin?…
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Wow….where do I begin? I suppose by saying that I really miss seeing you around, Steve! Steve and I went to Norman Thomas High School together. We also grew up in the Bronx together (I still live in Pelham Parkway – He, in Castle Hill)…As things in life turn out…our paths crossed again as adults. Steve’s Firehouse was just two blocks away from my job! One day, as I was walking to lunch, I hear someone calling me..I didn’t recognize him but he began to talk about Norman Thomas to me..then I realized that Steve Mercado had gone from high school nerd to rugged firefighter! Thereafter, I’d see him often…in front of the Plaza Hotel..coming back from runs, doing inspections at my office building, etc. I felt honored to be his friend. I had planned to go to the high school reunion with him. He was kind enough to offer me a ride as I had no way of getting there, while he also stated that I’d have to find a way home with someone else as he planned to stay long at the reunion. He was a real family man to his wife and children. When the tragedy of 9/11 occurred I lost a fireman I was seeing as well as his brother and another close friend. I didn’t think anything would happen to Steve. He did, after all, work around Lincoln Center, and I assumed during those moments that those closest to WTC would perish (like my friends whose firehouse was in Brooklyn). I was shocked and saddened, therefore, to hear of Steve’s untimely death. Recently, several people from my job, and I went to his job and prayed. Afterwards some of his ‘brothers’ invited us in for coffee and desert and it was nice to share ‘Steve’ stories. My heart goes out to his parents, his wife and his children. Deb
I am a new Fire Fighter…
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I am a new Fire Fighter and I worked with Steve Mercado in Eng.40 in Manhattan for 14 weeks where I was doing my training. In that short time Steve took me in like his little brother. We were the only Puerto Ricans in the Firehouse at the time. and I worked in the same group as he did (16).So he instantly made me his assistant cook. Jo,I don’t know if you knew that your husband could cook a mean Spanish dinner, but he did. The only mistake he made was making him his assistant. He put me in charge of making the tostones and I over fried them, and To make a long story short, all the brothers in the firehouse made frequent visits to the bathroom all night. He immediately invited me to one of his stickball games in the Bronx and I was so impressed. It was my first time ever seeing a stickball game. I’m a handball player and like handball, stickball is generally a New York sport. But Steve had a passion and a vision for stickball and was determined to spread the game through out the U.S.A. and those that knew him know that I’m not exaggerating. I too, believe in his vision and in a small way became a part of it. He asked me to draw a logo for the kids stickball league his son was in. and it was my privilege. WHO IS STEVE MERCADO? An athlete, a Firefighter, a leader, a visionary, a proud father, a husband who loved his wife, a comedian and a brilliant man, a friend and most importantly he’s my role model, and a true Hero. Steve, I miss you and I’ll never forget you, My brother.
I knew Steve when we were…
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I knew Steve when we were kids growing up in Castle Hill in the Bronx. I also knew his parents and his brother. I say that I knew him because as is life, when we grow up sometimes we loose touch with the people we knew as kids. Steve was a great guy as a kid and from what I can see an even better adult. I can remember playing ball with him and all the great times we had. He also played little league ball with my brother Jimmy. Being that we lost touch, I didn’t even know he was a Firefighter and that he was tragically lost in the 9/11 attack. My mother told me when she saw his name on the news after his memorial service. I regret not having the honor to have stayed in touch with him and his family after all these years. My heart goes out to them. My faith tells me that Steve is with God now and hopefully looking down on us from a better place.
I can’t tell you what a…
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I can’t tell you what a joy this has been for me. NOONE ever knows what I am talking about when I mention skully – to see Yogi playing was great! I grew up in the Bronx during the 60s. We each have several skully caps – each for different purposes. We named them (I had one I called tony the tiger because it was brown and orange and sort of stripped). We had as much fun making our skully caps as we had playing. I remember the bully in our neighborhood used to love to drop our caps down into the holes of sewer caps. Thanks for the memories!