In the late 50s and early 60s: Imatra Hall on 40th street,where we could dance to Nils’ accordion and get the BEST hamburger from the older ladies in the kitchen! I’ll never forget being in a PACKED Loew’s Boro Park theatre to see PSYCHO! – Not a person left their seat for food or went to the rest rooms – nobody coughed or said a word during the entire movie-never forget the experience!
I remember growing up in Brooklyn before they had the net and public outcry against pedophiles. All the kids knew where the creeps were. You could always find some guy dressed up as a clown sitting in his car parked outside playground gates, offering children candy or balloons twisted into animal shapes. Invariably some idiot kid would be stupid enough to go to the car and the low-life would flash them. Then the bunch of us would assault the creep with rocks and glass until he drove off. The thought of calling the cops never crossed our minds back then. I guess that’s because it wasn’t talked about in public much. Later as a teen, I remember that the pedophiles were always the guys who wanted to offer you change to play video games when you ran out. And I also remember there was a short bald guy in Washington Square Park who used to try to offer young girls $50.00 to step on him with spike heels in some private place of their choosing. I’m sure their modus operandi has not changed much over the years. Accept they’re more daring and want to do alot more than flash you.
I grew up in the Brownsville-East New York areas in the 30s and 40s. Went to JHS 174 and later to Jefferson HS. As kids we played a number of games for small change including “pitching pennies” and a variation of boxball in which the object was to knock a penny or nickel into an opponents box by hitting it with a spaulding. Does anyone know of other children’s gambling games from those days or the 50s or even 60s if they still existed then?
I am from Brooklyn, NY- does anyone remember playing a game in the 50’s called skelzie? we drew a big box with little boxes in the corners, and used bottle caps filled with wax, orange peels,etc… and shot the bottle caps from box to box. If anyone remembers this game—-please let me know the rules, etc… I would like to pass this game on to my kids. thanks Sara P.
Here I am, Age 38, born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, only girl on the block–Still have my skate key–it’s on the same key ring with my Suburban keys. One of my fondest memories, my Dad taking me to Triangle on 5th Ave & 83rd Street for a pair of Chicago Rollers Shoe Skates–black, of course. Mom was pissed, so was my brother. But I played a mean roller derby. Hockey was my forte’. Now, had a great pair of roller blades, 11 year old son trashed them. Now, I am the Mom, and I am pissed.
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, my brother, Johnny, and I, would play Buck-Buck with the other 20 kids our age who lived on the block–but we weren’t allowed to play–cause as our Dad would say, “You know how Uncle Gerard hurt in his arm–he was playing Buck-Buck and landed wrong!!” He was my Dad’s uncle –our great-uncle, and I can remember his arm hanging uselessly on his side. Sorry to say–it never stopped us, and I just found out–it never stopped my Dad from playing when he was a kid.
Hey, seems like I am in good company with you guys…I am a displaced ex-tomboy from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn living in “Jersey”– my 11 year old son is hopelessly bored–so are his friends–Today I made a Skully Board in the street, melted crayons, and dazzled them with my skill—A guy in a truck came by and saw us–he screamed, “Skullies–you from Brooklyn?” Tomorrow, I look for a Spaldeen. The Stoop is going to be the hard part.
Growing up In Brooklyn and Manhattan, I’ve lived on the 6th floor, the 4th, and the 3rd. I remember the skill it took to throw the keys down to a visitor, or family. This doesn’t work too safely from floors higher than the 8th, but for the lower floors there was a definate art to it. I remember putting the keys into a raggedy (but clean) sock, so that they wouldn’t kill the visitor who invariably insisted on trying to catch it rather than let physics take it’s natural course. Small paper bags were a regular, too. Also the skill of not mis-targeting and landing your set of keys in the gutter grid, down with the NYC rats and their welcome committee. (I lost a handball down there once and was welcomed). Siblings always aimed for your head when you asked them to throw the keys down. The brass or steel they used back then must’ve been a heck of a lot stronger than they are now because they hardly ever broke; considering they were tossed out of the window onto concrete several times a day. Keys nowadays (especially my ignition keys) break after a few months. My folks have keys so old the print has worn off of them.
Does anyone remember a game, where you would line up in a row, and the first person on the line threw the ball against the wall and jumped over it. Everyone behind the leader had to jump over it when it came to them. If you touched the ball you were out and went to the back of the line. What was it called??? Bragg St between V & W (Brooklyn) in the 50s 7 60s Thanks.