Category Archives: Street Lifestyle

Oh, the memories. Spaldeens…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by
Original author: Bob Anderson
 

Oh, the memories. Spaldeens ruled, anything else was second rate. I keep one in my car to this day. In the Dyker Heights section we used the Spaldeen for everything,slap ball, punch ball , handball, cather-flyers-up, stoop ball, box ball, stickball. Didn’t know pensies existed till we moved to Nassau County. We would use them if local candy store was out of spaldeens or we couldn’t put together the 25 cents for the real deal.

woops.got a few more, Airplanes…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by
Original author: 1952 KID
 

woops.got a few more, Airplanes with gas motors,you held with stings,they flew in a cirle around you,there were cars like that too! That was for all the big kids.Lawn darts,Moms pots on your head for a helmet. Garbage can lids for shields. Made in Japan toys,tin cars and tanks,some had friction power,some had the wire on them with batteries,early remote controll.Tons of army,cowboys and indian sets with horses wagons and forts.Colorforms was big then.Paint by number sets ,i still see these at flea markets from time to time.RatFink stuff,TROLLS,rabbitsfoot, real ones for good luck,i still have one.Monster and car,plane ,boat models,with the glue we all inhaled while spending hours glueing models,Testors model paint. Toys and sports and fads all had a season,i dont know who controlled it,or said ,ok its yoyo season,it just happened.Getting tropical fish back then was the new thing,i remember ED’S AQUARIUM. Green turtles,and baby alligators,parakettes too. Well……….SALOOGEEE!

Big cardboard boxes,from…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by
Original author: 1952 KID
 

Big cardboard boxes,from stoves or the best a refrigerator box! Rare items back then,the best for rolling down hills. Or cut windows out for a secret hideout. For boys it was,ball game stuff,guns,tops yoyos.Girls it was dolls and doll stuff,.thats about as simple as i remember it back then.We all had board games,and things like Fascination,REMCO Fascination,the game you love to play! I found one at a yard sale,box is dated 1961,and it still works! Original price;$4.12.Have a great day and…..SALOOGEEE!!

1954-65 Bellerose/glen oaks,queens….

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by
Original author: 1952 KID
 

1954-65 Bellerose/glen oaks,queens. Garden apartments are nice,we where spoiled,we had large grass courtyards,sidewalks,garages behind the apartments,apple trees everywhere.We kids sat on the stoops,some buildings had stoops some didnt.But all the adults sat on beach chairs in the courtyards,in the shade or the sun,with large silver tanning reflectors.The women played a game,mahjon,and always yelled at anyones kids if they where bad.I still have my moms old beach chairs.Everyone had a beach chair,they sold replacement weaving for them,so they all lasted for years.Seems like adults had more spare time for family and relaxing in those years.Now im lucky to see a beach chair at all even on the beach,i really miss those days,im getting that beach chair out,now!

Called a sliding pond in…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by
Original author: 1952 KID
 

Called a sliding pond in queens too.Also we had big kid swings, they had slippery stainless steel seats and no chains,just long bars with loops on them,hooked together,and these where really long swings ,very high. They were on cement,and remember kids slipping off them all the time. And kids walking past and getting clobbered when a swing came down on them. Monkey bars on cement too!Thank god city parks had first aid then.Cement pools with sprinklers in them,the pool never filled up,you ran into each other,everyone closed there eyes running into the strong water spraying.When the water wasnt on it was a dodgeball area,more first aid!!!!We all made it through these cement parks.