You Know You're From Long Island When... (Hempstead, Hicksville: flight path, barber)

[MikCanny]

I been there many times in the 70's.

[MikCanny]

Born in 1960 in Astoria Queens 6 years, then Bayside 3 years - PS-213 1st,2nd and 3rd grade, Glen Cove 3 years 4th,5th and 6th grade Then
Lake Ronkonkoma from 1972 on..

Remember Billy Blakes and Whites dept stores on Middle country road east of Corum. How about Islip Speedway? 5 Corners deli in ronkonkoma,
I worked as a bouncer in 1983 at Shadows/Spankys in Stony Brook formally Mad Hatter (same owner bill). How about The Huge Roller Skating Rink in Centereach, Hanging out at the Dune's at Lake Ronkonkoma or Brookhaven beach. my most favorite from the 1960's was Hi way Fishing Station in East Moriches owned by an old German family, there were times it got chilly out there and if they thought i wasn't warm enough to go out in the bay they would give me an extra coat to wear. They had the largest fleet of 14 and 16' wide wood rowboats and for $6.00 they would tow you out and drop u off where the flounder were biting and during the day they would come out and see if u needed more bait or if u wanted to move, also if you did want to move all u had to do is keep your "ore" raised and when they saw it they would come, for $6.00 more you could get a 8 horse motor(we couldn't afford that in the 60's,,lol.
How about The Pit which was across the street from west Hampton raceway in the woods it was a big pit that was being dug with a tractor and crane and they must of went to deep and all the fresh water rushed in and they couldn't get the crane or tractor out in time, it was bigger then a typical sump and the water was crystal clear right from an underwater spring (party and swimming hang-out).
how about the old molans lawn mower shop, fletchers hobby shop. The Smith Haven Mall before they added the food court so the front when u walked in had the movie theater on the right and a see thru elevater in the front that went to the 2nd floor to the "Ministries" a hippie hang-out.
Asian gifts in the mall,lol.. Before the Mall was built, across the street corner of moriches rd and middle country rd my uncle lived in a old small farm house and had a goat you could pet, there was nothing there but that house this was around 1967 maybe.
"Essence" was a great cover band that played at Tueys a lot, they could do "Yes" exactly! when the singer sang "heart of the Sunrise" it sounded just like John Anderson and keyboardist just like Rick wakeman.
The high School fraternities like: Omega Gamma Delta (yellow/black) Delta Phi Sigma (Black/Gray) and the Omicrons (black/Red). Then there was Alpha Sigma Phi (black/gray) they were big in Nassau County I started a chapter in 9th grade in Ronkonkoma (almost had a magor fight with one of the other fraternities when they found out I was starting one,my cousin in west hempsted almost came out with his chapter to help for a big showdown, ended peacefully before that happened, lol. Someone wanted to know what happened to the Fraternities - The "hell nights" where you pledged to get in were so severe some died and the last draw was when 2 were beating so bad they crawled to a house with fractured spines to get help not anything i would want to do to someone I was going to call a brother. after that anyone caught wearing "colors" immediate felony....

how about the "Plateau" at the top of blue point rd if u turned down this dead end rd you could drive on to this path which opened up to a big plateau where you could see all the way south and west, it would be packed up there for the Grucci's Fireworks.

They surely were good Ole days!!

[Chickenmumbo]

I used to hang out at Five Corners deli before junior high school and smoke and drink coffee. The owner was a nice old guy who let me and my friends stay warm inside when it was cold. We used to help him carry heavy stuff once in a while to pay back for all the free java refills. The "Frats" were pretty rough when I was in school. There were many rowdy members and if you fought one you had to contend with their "brothers". I was asked to pledge for a couple and turned them down. I don't remember any fractured spines but around 1974 one of the frats hell nites did send a couple of guys to the hospital with legs and buttocks so beaten that the bleeding bruised blood vessels almost crippled them. I saw one guy in gym and his back legs were grossly purple black from the knees up.

[Paynterock]

Remember the seven sisters.??????????

[Paynterock]

Originally Posted by jtees4

You are right. The funny thing is, I am from the Bronx and living in Selden almost 12 years now...but the same people who will kill you the road are some of the nicest people when they are not driving!

where can you get a buttered roll in florida ????

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by thebobs

Benkert's Bakery is still there and their cakes are still great. They just opened up a deli in the same building (expanded into the previous place that was there, though can't remember what it was.).

I believe that was a diner/restaurant next door -- closed up around a year or so ago.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by imissmyson

This was a nice memory. My daughter was conceived at Commack Motor Inn and I gave birth at Freeport. There was a girl in the labor room with me who came in after me and delievered first. I was so mad at her. I went to school with her at Southedge. Do you remember this Alice? Does anyone remember when Plainedge was Southedge. If you do, then like me you were the first graduating class. 1958. God are we old.

Southedge was a JHS by the time I attended: 76-77. Afterward the school was closed, sold, and razed by a developer who squeezed in a bunch of homes.

[joey desa]

Originally Posted by ClarkStreetKid

I lived in North Babylon for 28 years, with a brief foray out to California in the early 80's. Been a Damn Yankee for the last 20 years. What other stores were at Gardner Manor as I can only remember Sears and Gertz?

As a kid I was a big fan of TSS on Montauk Hwy in West Babylon with it's great record department. I know that the A&S is a BB&B but what's in the old TSS now?

they had captree corners orange julius and alot of other shps that escapes my old memory it was such a nice place in the 70s oh and i think korvettes was an anchor store there too alot of memories it was the place to go meet friends years ago iwas with my wife towards the end when the mall was closing and only a few shops were still open it was sad i still kick myself for not taking pictures ya know? you think things are never gonna change but they do unfortunatly but what are you gonna do ?? the old tss now is a k mart years ago it had a day care center on top of tss my wife went there as a kid

[joey desa]

Originally Posted by ipollack

I grew up in Queens.
Long Islanders do not consider Brooklyn and Queens to be "part of Long Island", although maps will dispute that.
My wife, children, and I moved to Massapequa Park in 1978. It was a nice place to live.
Queens changed. Nassau County changed (and not for the better).
However, I realized that childhoods are very special, and most of our fondest memories are from our childhood. Mine are from Queens. My children's are from Massapequa Park.
So, when we see change (in the old neighborhood), we become despondent, and think the "old neighborhood" has gone to the dogs.
Maybe it has. But if you look aroud, you'll see a new families, with children, who will have their own memories of growing up on Long Island. They will, as they grow up, long for their "good old days"also.
Me, I gave up over 5 years ago and moved to Las Vegas. It's not Long Island, but the Long Island I raised my family on no longer exists.
My children still live there (on LI). And it looks that I'll have to rent a second place, on LI, to be more involved in their lives. Probably, I'll end up moving back, as my wife "hates" it here. I admit it's a shlep to see our children! But, the cost of living here is bearable.
People ask (honestly) "Do they have grocery stores where you live?" Pretty much everything that's in NY, is here. I don't live on "The Strip". There are some very nice residential neighborhoods. And the people are, IMHO, nice. (well, nicer than on LI).
PS If you have a gambling problem, DO NOT move to Las Vegas!

thats the sad part when you said when you raised your family that part of longisland dosent exist anymore you could not be more correct true new families will be coming in and making there own memories but the good old days were indeed the good old days!!!! never been to las vegas have to put that on the travel list

[lisa g]

Wasn't 'Different Strokes' at the Gardner Manor Mall? If you listened to WBAB in the 70s-80s you heard that commercial about 10 times per hour.