Here’s a rhyme I picked up somewhere: Blue bells, cockel shells, easy ivy over, I met by boyfriend at the candy store He bought me candy, he bought me cake, He brought me home with a tummy-ache… Mama, mama, I’m so sick, Call a doctor, quick quick quick! Doctor, Doctor, will I die? Count to five and you be all right. 1 2 3 4 5 I’m alive!
Reiner’s candy store on 46th Sreet near Fort Hamilton Parkway in Borough Park. One of our gang, Mickey, worked there part time as a soda-jerk. Somehow, our portions of malted-milks or ice cream sundaes were larger than others received. Outside the store, we would watch the girls sashay by. No wolf calls or whistles. Ah, those were the days of innocence.
If the SBHS web site wasn’t enough, this is the greatest. I grew up in Vanderveer Estates. Choy’s, Mano’s and Lenny’s Pizzerias [some of the first around], Mark’s Toy Corner, Carl and Mike’s candy store, Louie’s candy store near the library on Nostrand. Anyone hear from Teddy Friedman or Jackie Fagan? How about when JFK campaigned on the corner of Nostrand and Foster. I stuck my head in the car to shake Herbert Lehman’s hand and couldn’t believe it — an air conditioned car. Any grads of PS 269: Mr. Farb, Mr. Spiro, Mr. Shapiro, Mrs. Genge, Mrs. Ephraim, whom, I’m ashamed to say, Stewart Meyer and I gave an ulcer to. PS 89: Mr. Ezekiel, Mrs. Branhower. I still speak with Abe Schwarz and his sister Helen. We all lived at 1414 New York Avenue. Let me know.
I moved to Da Bronx in May of 1960 to get away from crime. I originally lived in Mount Vernon. I lived on Pelham Parkway North and the Allerton Avenue area. I hung out with friends from school on Cruger, Holland, Wallace, and the Parkside area. There were the projects, apt. buildings, and all the way up to Eastchester Road and Allerton Avenue. My parents didnot worry about me getting hurt or anything happening to me in those days. I remember the Mr. Softee trucks selling ice cream cones for a dime, one candy store that had ice cream pops for a nickel, spalding balls for .19, and also John’s Bargain store on Lydig avenue. We sometimes bought generic spauldings for 7 cents there ! Those were the good old days ! I still live in the area and what changes I have seen over the years and it’s not for the better.
In the North Bx.,E223St and Paulding Ave in the early thirties, we sat on the stoop of our two-family houses and sewed clothing for the little five-cent celluloid dolls, bought at Berkies candy store.We also made things out of peach pits by scraping them against the rough cement of the stoop .Remember, anyone? Annette