Category Archives: Reader Stories

Remember United Parcel trucks…

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Remember United Parcel trucks (Electrc powered) Milk wagons with rubber tires for wheels. Rent a bike ,without fenders l0 cents an hour with fenders twenty five cents. You had to bring your familys current Coned bill as an ID. Get into movie house with a pass and five cents see three westerns, three shorts, three cartoons, received a thin comic book a two cent soda and then got a pass to come the following week for five cents. This was the Upper Eastside of New York in the thirties

What about games with a…

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What about games with a penknife. I don’t see any category under this topic. We played “mumbly peg”(or “pull the peg”), which consisted of a series of knife throws into the ground. Another was called “land,” where you threw the knife into a box drawn into the ground. After your throw, you would draw a line that would define your “land.”

I just found this place…

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I just found this place & it awoke memories that I didn’t know that I had. I think I only played stickball less than a handfull of times. I lived in the Bronx ’til I was 6 & moved to Queens. The street games, OK the ball games didn’t exist in the new surroundings. There were pre made playgrounds & basketball hoops — never could get into that. After looking this site over, I remembered playing & I wanted to play again. I told my 13 & 16 year old daughters about stickball & they were exicted & wanted to play. They invited a friend over each and after going to the dollar store, got a broom (& promptly removed the stick) & a can of tennis balls (sorry, no spauldeens here in Central Connecticut). We played for a couple of hours and everybody, including this overweight 40+ kid, had a blast. Now, my kids want to teach me to play suicide. It sure as hell beats watching TV or watching someone else play video games. Thanks for waking up this kid! Scott Fisher

Sittin on stoop was a fine…

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Sittin on stoop was a fine pasttime. Living in a northern Virginia suburban townhouse today, I occasionaly sit outside on the front stairs (stoop) and take in the view. My wife, who grew up in the South, often remarks that I am the only person in the entire townhouse development who sits out front. Old habits die hard.

Great site. I’m amazed…

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Great site. I’m amazed at the Y2K price of a 2-bit Spaldeen ! Wonder if Toys R Us have them. I’m tempted to ask for one at what passes as a “candy store” these days but I don’t think the Indian or Pakistani gent would know what I’m talking about. Speaking of which, I did not see mention of the “Hindu”. This was when the ball took an ersatz bounce on an omni-present rock or broken bottle fragment. It resulted in a “do over” unless the offense could convince the defense that it was not a Hindu but a lack of fielding prowess that caused the fielding error. In the same vein was the “Windsie” (ball trajectory altered by elemental forces of nature) or “Interference” (ball hit tree limb, car antenna, passerby, etc.). Well, so long for now. I’m off to get a “for 2 cents, plain”. Rich Badagliacca

Wow… I just stumbled across…

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Wow… I just stumbled across this page! What a trip- back in time.. Yep.. I, too, grew up in Fresh Meadows… right near the old Food Fair… there sure were 3 ice cream trucks… Vito drove the Bungalow Bar truck… (tastes like tar, the more you eat it, the sicker you are!).. We liked Vito, he gave out ice cream sticks, the Good Humor guy didn’t! But, he had the ‘premium’ ice cream bars with the chocololate ‘bar’ in the middle! There was also the Chow Chow Cup, Mister Softee, later on Hoodie (late comer ice-cream!)… and, the knife sharpener… the rides… (whip!) and.. Thursdays,Ciro the Fish man… who, I found ten years later, repainted his truck to sell hot dogs by Francis Lewis HS! (ice got to his hands!!!)…. What else- egg creams.. well, you can’t really make ’em right unless you have Fox’s U-bet!Ahhhhhhh.. the school yard at PS26! Anyone here got a Pensy Pinky?

RE Finkelstein’s “Time”…

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RE Finkelstein’s “Time” post. I also remember playing a game called Time in the early 60’s in NE Philly. Very vague on the rules though. Sorta remember it had something to do with guessing a TV show, song, or movie. Not sure what the purpose was, but I remember counting the time . . .One O’clock, Two O’clock, Three O’clock etc. Does anyone else remember more about this game?

Around my neighborhood they…

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Around my neighborhood they would block off the streets and turn ON THE fire hydrants so we could all cool off. Way before Air Conditioners. They would put a hollowed out garbage can…bottom knocked out…over the hydrant and it would raise into a spray. They did this so the little kids wouldn’t be picked up by the water pressure and deposited on their heads. Guess this is my problem, since lots of times I hit the ground when I got too close to the mouth of the hydrant. Those were the good old days. Later on in the years that followed…this was not permitted by the Fire Department, and a permit was needed to turn on the water and then only a trickle would immerge. By that time, the good old days were over.