Long Island Savings Bank in Babylon (Greenwich, Mohawk: for sale, house, to buy)

[ClarkStreetKid]

For any of you Babylonians, is that beautiful old bank still around, the one with the giant map/mural of Long Island that was behind the tellers?

[nancy thereader]

Yes. It is The Astoria Federal Savings Bank now. It still has the beautiful map.

[ClarkStreetKid]

Thanks Nancy, that's good to hear. I need to get a picture of that. Next time I'm up I'll have to talk with the bank manager about it. Even when I was younger I loved that building. Beautiful wood work, art deco-ish design and of course that map.

[nancy thereader]

.... and still no screens and glass separators to "protect" the tellers from their customers. So many of the newer banks have these.

[ClarkStreetKid]

I love old banks and visit any I come across, but that one is my all time favorite.

These days I do most of my banking online or while visiting my favorite grocery store, Ukrops. I traded decor for discounts on my grocery bill.

Do you know whatever became of the movie theater in town? And I remember a little hole in the wall place I think was called B&B that had great oysters and clams. If I ever came back to the Babylon I'd love to live in town.

[nancy thereader]

Well, the movie theatre is still there, but it has expanded. It's still in the same old brick building w/ the original phone number (Mo-6- ) , though on its exterior .

And, the clam and oyster place might be the corner place on Cooper Street that used to be called The Clam House . Babylon now is famous for its restaurants and people travel to come here. Saturday night is like Greenwich Village or something.

[ClarkStreetKid]

Mohawk 6, Juniper 7, those old phone numbers had character.

Thanks for the info about the theater and restaurants Nancy, I'll have to make sure we eat in Babylon when we get back up this summer. What are the recommended eateries in town?

Is the drug store still there in town? There was a painting done by a guy I went to school with of someone caught mid-stride crossing the street in town by the drug store. Years after graduating I saw it hanging up for sale in a fancy club but didn't have the cash on hand to buy it. It would have looked good next to the painting I have hanging in my living room of a trail in Belmont Lake State Park. Does Babylon still have those cement street signs?

Sorry for all the Babylon questions but I always loved the town. I even babysat Steve Bellone once. LOL, now I feel real old.

[nancy thereader]

No. The drugstore is not there, but the building is. It was just sold and redone by totally retaining the old structure . The family of the owner finally sold it as it had been getting rundown (it has been there since The Civil War).
Babylon still has those wooden signs where the street names read vertically.
Wow! Steve Bellone .

[ClarkStreetKid]

I wonder if Steve will give me a nice parking space in town for old times sake?
I used to see Rich Schaffer (or as we knew him, Ricky) around a lot as my mom and his Aunt were very close. Didn't babysit him though.

Funny that Schaffer gets filtered to this, ********.