In the late 50’s early 60’s hung out at Harry’s luncheonette, on Clarkson Ave. and East 95th St. in East Flatbush. We were known as the Clarkson Ave. Boys. We went to Somers and Winthrop.
Here’s a different version on D-I-S-H. I was born in chicago, I’m 40 now, living in Denver. Wish I be apart of the Double Dutch Divas’in New York, they’ve got it going on! We sang,”D-i-s-h, D-i-s-h, “D” is for double dutch, “I” is for irish, “S” is for single, and “H” is for hop. Which ever on you landed on is how you jumped next. If you stopped on “D” or double dutch, you jumped double dutch to whatever rhyme you wanted. “I” or Irish you jumped to whatever rhyme you wanted, but Irish was turned like double dutch, except you turned the rope under handed. “S” was just plain single which you turned with a single rope, and did red hot peas or something. “H” or Hop, you jumped double dutch, and you jumped high on both feet, or we also called them pop ups. Have fun.
I am the current President of The New York Emperor’s Stickball League, Inc. (NYESL) located in the Bronx. We have been in existence 16 years now where the Florida Kings with Barbara and the Pizzaroz boys; the San Diego Knights with Bobby and Paul Ortiz, Willie Blas, and Jim Strickland; the Puerto Rico Tainos with Pepin and Noble and the various other teams from the tri-state area have become and will always be considered extended family to me on a personal level and to the members of my organization on a competitive level. We are always trying to increase awareness of the game we have all grown to love so much. This summer, 2001, we will start, for the first time ever, the first organized children’s stickball league. With funding from the NYC Children’s Services and assistance from the Bronx YMCA and radio talk show host Curtis Sliwa and the volunteer efforts of the members of NYESL, the dream of reintroducing the game of stickball to a new generation will become a reality. Check out our website, www.nyesl.org, for updates on this and other events going on in the world of stickball.
I was happy to find this site. It brings back such wonderful memories! My best friend move to Miami from Brooklyn and she taught my friends and I to double dutch. I almost forgot about it until my daughter came home from school and told me they’re jumping rope in P.E. (We live in Nebraska now). I found a website that sells double dutch ropes with booklets as well as other types of jumping ropes for competition and pleasure. They’re very reasonable. I just ordered some and can’t wait to teach my 10 yr old daughter and her friends to DOUBLE DUTCH! The site is jumprope.com. What great memories! I’ve also recently reunited with that best friend after 21 years!!
Hey, CeeseV (re: dec 2000 message), lol, we had a different version (and you thought YOURS was bad!) Tra la la boom de ay, did you get yours today? I got mine yesterday from a boy across the way. He laid me on the couch and all I said was ouch. But boy was he surprised to see my belly rise! Here’s a couple more from Queens, NY: Milk milk, lemonade, around the corner fudge is made. (Point to the appropriate body part for each product.) Oh, I ran around the corner and I ran around the block and I ran right into a pastry shop and I picked up a donut and I wiped off the grease, and I handed the lady a five cent piece. Well, she looked at the nickle and she looked at me, and she said, “hey mister, can’t you pay your fee? There’s a hole in the nickle, there’s a hole right through!” And I said, “What do you know? There’s a hole in the donut too!” A couple of sixties songs: (Sung to the tune of the commercial jingle for the game “Fascination”) Suffocation, suffo-suffo-cation Suffocation the game we love to play. First you take a plastic bag, Then you put in on your head. Go to bed. Wake up dead. Drive your mother Sick in the head Whoa….. Suffocation, suffo-suffo-cation….(song can go on endlessly) All the girls in France do the hula hula dance And the way they shake It’s enough to kill a snake When the snake is dead, We’ll put tulips in his head When the tulips die We’ll put roses in his eye When the roses die It is 1965.
I grew up in Highbridge, 1944 -1966. Attended Sacred Heart, Manhattan prep and Fordham, then off to Vietnam and maturity!. It is impossible to explain to someone who didn’t exprience it what growing up in the 50’s – 60’s Bronx neighborhoods was like. I still remember the “checker” games we played on the sidewalk boards. Box ball and off the point with a pink “Spauldine” (25 cents!!) were simple games that I hope are recorded somewhere . George, 1210 Woodcrest 3C
Isn,t this a kick! We are one nostalgic family.I,m crusing for old friends and look what I find? My mom and then my brother. This is no fun,I just called you both. And Tony don,t get on mom what are you doing home… Anyone else out there familiar with Ollinville & Arnow circa 50s thru 80s league football, two hand touch in the street, BASKETBALL Saturday morning at Parkside or winter nights at Fordham college, and of course GIRLS… Clubs,in early 60s was the Monterey Club up by Edenwald Projects, then the Riviera lounge I believe in Yonkers, and by the late 60s it was Maxims on Jerome Ave. Lets hear it from the dancers!!
While we all played and had fun all year long, the Summer months usually brought special memeories. What are some of yours? I remember the distinct smell when it rained on a hot summers day – rain, and concrete and asphalt was a unique experience of the senses that one couldn’t experience anywhere else but in NYC. Remember the steam coming up from the streets? I also remember going to Yankee and Met games with the local PAL…I think we had to pay a buck which included transportation, lunch, and the ticket! I also remember the moths and bugs swirling around the street lights on a steamy, hot, Summer’s night…and Mr. Softee music and the light from its truck in the background. Banana boats were under a buck…wow! I also remember making genies by emptying the gunpowder from leftover firecrackers from the night before on the 4th of July…we called it the 4th. I also remember eating those freeze pops in the plasic sleeves…may favorite was blue ice, what was yours?….not to mention the chocolate eclair or creamsicles from the Good Humor man or Bungalow Bar. And what about jamming ourselves in the boys and girls entrances in the schoolyard until the rain was over….one last powerful Queens memory….going to Weiss’s and Lenny’s clam bar on the way back from Rockaway beach. Oh, Summer in NYC, I wish I could have just one day back again!
PS 66 in Richmond Hill Queens had everything from punchball, stickball, slapball (“Slap”). basketball, off the wall, asses up, ringelevio, coco-monster, chinese, handball, whiffleball, errors, 5 boxes, hit the penny, strikeouts, to softball. I even remember the “non athletic” kids playing checkers, chess, or cards off in some corner. Out in the street were skelly games, I Declare War, Tops, and kids doing unbelievable things with yo-yos. Soemtimes we would use nearby Forest park fo ringelevio…and of course one of the Queens meccas, Victory Field. What memories. This experience of playing led me to my wonderful profession – a Physical Educator.
How can you forget your first kiss? It was in my closet with Victoria, the girl next door. We where about in the fifth grade. Her younger brother and sister where on the other side of the door asking “What are you doing in there?” We kissed each other on the cheek a couple of times and then one of us said how about the lips this time? Pretty racey for ten year olds around 1957. Now I must talk of THE kiss. The one that lead to my first true love. We where walking home from our first date at the movies. It was a cold Bronx winter evening. I still remember the date 2/2/62. With snow on the ground. We stopped in a small playground near her building and leaning against this large cement turtle (sounds funny when I think of it) we embraced. Let me tell you, my feet where not cold anymore. Same for my nose, hands or anything else! We went on to become great friends over the decades but have lost touch. Jill, if your out there I hope all is well.