Category Archives: Locales

Like many of you, this site…

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Like many of you, this site definitely brought back a lot of memories. I’m 41 and living in California these days but back in da day (’65-87), the Bronx was my world. I lived in the same apt on Stratford Ave for 21 years. My friends on the block all did too. As a child I remember it as a mostly jewish/italian community. As I grew up more latinos moved in but it was still a mix of Puerto Ricans, Ecuadorians, Dominicans, Costa Ricans, etc…The nice part was…we all got along. Don’t ever remember any racial tensions…not as a kid…maybe later in my teens years but nothing crazy. Yeah, we were poor as hell, but back then, we didn’t realize it. It’s was only after leaving that I realized, “man, I was poor!”. But I was rich when it came to what we made of it. I tell my family (raised in California) about my life in NY and they shake their heads sometimes, thinking, this guy is insane with all his stories…but they’re all true. It’s a different generation now. It makes me appreciate everything I have today. I wish my kids would understand that sometimes. We had no nintendo/xbox, cell phones, or 300 channels of HDTV. We had channels 2/4/5/7/9/11 and 13. That was it. That was enough for me back then. I was never home…I was always outside with all of my friends. Sometimes I wish I could just go back for just one day, to see all my friends, laughing, running around, playing. I’ll always cherish those years. Luckily most of my friends made it out alive and we still keep in touch. To those who didn’t, r.i.p. (Victor “Lil Vic” Maldonado, “Kendo”, Nelson “Lil Tito” Rivera, Frankie Vasquez, Tuto’s brother Johnny, “Kolo”, Darnell “Perk” Perkins-TC5). I always pour some beer out to these guys. peace, Pook

Pook, from 1154 Stratford…

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Pook, from 1154 Stratford Ave (bet Watson/Westchester) here. Born and raised in the Bronx, lived in the same apt until I was 21 and we moved to Puerto Rico (’65-’87). Son of Sam used to live on my block as a kid. The summers were the best…lots of good memories as a kid, playing all the street games there were. The old Ward Theatre was where we’d go watch all the Bruce Lee flicks (it later became Roller World skating rink then a furniture outlet of some type). Carvel and Hebrew National deli was down the block on Westchester across from the original Yankees Pizza. Man, a slice with extra cheese and a Carvel shake???!!! That was heaven. Went to JHS 123 (or as we called it, “The Rikers Island Annex” heh heh). We’d all go check out Bambaataa at the Zulu Nation jams in Bronx River projects. Hanging out in front of the stoop with all my friends, rapping to all the girls or snapping on each other. I’d bring my box and we’d chill out listening to 98.7 Kiss/92 KTU/BLS. Red Alert/Chuck Chillout/Mr Magic. Then we’d get 25 cents and get a “piragua” down the block (or a “coquito”). It was cool ’til the mid 80’s when crack took over and messed EVERYTHING up. Before that, it was a cool place to live and grow up. After I left, i lost a few friends who were killed in front of my old building. I went back in ’98 and ’04 but everyone I knew (except for a few old ladies like my boy Pedro’s grandmother) was gone. Although a mural of one of my boys that was killed is still there (on Stratford, near Westchester). Very sad going back to the block. Sandra, you said it right, those were the days…peace.

“Round Up” was a variation…

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“Round Up” was a variation of ringolevio that we played on our block in the Bronx (Soundview area); In Round Up, 1 person was “it” (the hunter)and everyone else was the hunted. Once you find/catch someone, that person is now a hunter and joins you in your search for the others. Like ringolevio, the game was pretty straighforward…as we got older, it became tougher as hiding spots would include building courtyards, roofs, and sometimes even the next block! I’m trying to contact some of my old friends to see if I’ve left anything out…it was a LONG time ago that I last played But it was one of the long list of games we’d play in the days before Nintendo and cable tv, when all the kids on the block were outside, having fun (sigh).

lower east side e.4th st.p.s….

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lower east side e.4th st.p.s. 25 schoolyard late ’40s early ’50s. johnny on the pony was a big favorite,but none of the girls would play (watta disappointment)it would have been alot more fun. when you were talking with your friends if your sister walked up and one guy cursed right away it was “hey watch ya language”. there was a little more respect in those days,but we had tons of fun. some guy on one of these sights said ” if i could go back,i’d go in a flash. i feel the same way. take care.

Grew up in Clason Point/Soundview…

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Grew up in Clason Point/Soundview section of South Bronx in the 60s’. Played stickball at P.S. 69 (Beat that P.S). We played stickball in the street, open fields, and fast pitched against the wall against a chalk filled-in box(No strike disputes “see the chalk on the ball.. shut up”)At old 69 we would “chip in” and get as many Spaldeens as we could to get up a good game. We would stick em in a fence and line em up, no more in the fence no more game. Pensie Pinkies were for girls, sorry. No self- respecting stickball player would be caught dead with a “pinkie”. We also played Ace King Queen, stoop-ball and box-ball(My house had the best stoop and wall on the block. Also played booties up, skully in the street or on the sidewalks. Crack top, Johnny on the Pony,Ringoleaveo…Wouldnt’trade those memories for anything…..

We had a basketball team…

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We had a basketball team in the early 60’s that played in the Saturday AM league (inside) at Feltonville Rec. We were “coerced and challanged to field a team by some of the girls we met that attended Dougherty and told us how great the b-ball players were from that area. We were called “Amber” (from Port Richmond area) and we tied the locals for 1st place but lost in the playoffs. Sometimes we had to thumb our way on Sat AM to get there, but it was a lot of fun. Had to pay for our own jerseys and ref fees too. One year when I was about 11, I played for a team at The Salvation Army on Allegheny Ave. We couldn’t afford jerseys so the Director went into the “Grab Bag” and pulled out 12 yellow, unmatching jerseys, but all yellow. Years later, when My daughter looked at the team picture, she commented, “Gee Dad, you made the All-Star Team!!” She still thinks her Dad was on the All Star Team but I wonder if she thought that every team in the league wore yellow jerseys (even though the pic was B/W)???

I played ball at Feltonville…

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I played ball at Feltonville Recreation Center-the “rec” until the age of 21. This was until 1972. I actually grew up across the street. We had very competitive teams which played within the rec., leagues in that part of the city and some in other sections of the city. Our girl teams were also excellent in softball and basketball. There were many street games of which were kick the wicket, steal the bacon, pig and 21. Is there anybody who played ball at Feltonville Recreation Center.

Does anyone remember “PUSH-O’S”?…

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Does anyone remember “PUSH-O’S”? A wooden milk crate with a 2X4 nailed as a “runner” with the front end of roller skates on the front and the back half was nailed to the rear of the 2X4. Then you would customize it by carefully nailing bottle caps that could spell your initials, or your street. Sometimes you could get the speed up and crawl inside the milk crate givig the imression that no one was on the PUSH-O. No brakes, no helmet, no elbow pads…just lotsa fun!!

Our wireball rules were a…

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Our wireball rules were a little different. Single, Double, etc were determined by the height of the wire hit either on the way up or on the way down. The highest wire being a home run. Same applied for halfies ansd hosies…you had to find a 4 story warehouse or school and then a aingle would be off (uncaught) the 1st floor and a double off the 2nd. Now a Homer got interesting because there were 4 stories, a ball could come down and get caught therby negating the HR…but naturally when you “roofed” it, it was “Outta’ Here”!!