You Know You're From Long Island When... (Hempstead, Smithtown: house, rent)

[Donna-50]

Originally Posted by 4StanleyCups

Okay, here's something I was reminded of today. I apologize if it comes across as being a "downer" but I don't mean it that way...

You know those "memorials" that people sometimes place at the site of where a loved one died in a car accident....we've all seen them.... Are they a uniquely Long Island thing? I seem to recall reading something a few years ago that said these aren't usually done in other areas, and that there's a tacit understanding that they aren't removed by whatever entity maintains our roadways.

It is true that I never noticed any of them when driving in CT, NJ, RI and Mass ... so now I wonder if they are indeed a "Long Island thing"?

Has anyone else seen 'memorials' at all, or with any regularity, elsewhere than on LI?

They have them in FL also.

[Donna-50]

I grew up in Suffolk County and left in late 83 because it was getting to expensive then for a single Mom working for the county. At times I still miss it. Now FL is getting expensive but where do you go?

Anyway thinks that I remember:

The drive-in movies in Bay Shore, the roller rink (use to go there almost every Sat. when I was real young). Remember going to Weston's after the mall in Bay Shore.
Gertz and Gimbals.
Korvettes...bought my first stero there and had it for years then passed it on to my brother
The flea market in Commack (I think), use to go there some times on my lunch hour (when there use to be a lunch hour)
A&S in the Bay Shore mall
Modells in Patchogue, that was my first job when in HS
TSS...use to hang out there when in Junior High (kna middle school)
Servie Merchandise...use to wait for hours at Christmas only to be told they didn't have most of what you wanted
Woolworth, Pergaments, Rickles
Loved Beef Steak Charlies
Mays...my grandmother use to love Mays and even tho she lived in Blue Point and I in Sayville she use to go about every six weeks and take us to McDonald's on the way home. I do remember that was such a treat because we hardly ever went to McDonald's.
Huntington Town House...I worked in the environmental health dept and remember that people use to get sick at weddings, proms, etc. because of mayo in the salads being out to long.
Jack-in-the-box...I remember my car got stuck on jack in the box when I first started driving and the guy behind my got it off.
Swezey's in Patchogue, sad to here that is gone

Just curious if anyone knows if the big clock in still in Sayville on Main St. Went back about 10 years ago and so much had changed but Sayville (town) still looked pretty much how I remembered it.

This thread has been fun and did bring back quite a few memories.

[TheJickler]

Originally Posted by Donna-50

Anyway thinks that I remember:

The drive-in movies in Bay Shore, the roller rink (use to go there almost every Sat. when I was real young). Remember going to Weston's after the mall in Bay Shore.
Gertz and Gimbals.

Oh yeah, we used to go to that roller skating rink when I was very young. It was great fun. I also used to get excited when we went to the mall (Gardiner's, I think) because it had that walkway bridge with giant windows. I thought that was very cool when I was 7. I still do!

[ClarkStreetKid]

You know you're from LI in the 60's if you remember and relate to this old Allan Sherman ditty...

Here's To The Crabgrass
(Parody of Percy Grainger's "Country Gardens")

Here's to the crabgrass,
Here's to the mortgage,
In fact, here's to Suburbia.

Lay down your briefcase,
Far from the rat race,
Where nothing can disturb ya.

Uncomplicated,
It's what we waited
For so long in this city.

Come let us go there,
Live like Thoreau there,
A life of sweet simplicity.

Did you set the thermostat?
No, I don't know where it's at.
Tuesday the Cub Scouts meet again.

Walk the dog and cut the grass,
Take the kids to dancing class,
Jim's Little League got beat again.

Can't keep a maid here,
No matter what they're paid here,
The place has bad publicity.

Why did we move here?
Don't you remember?
To live in sweet simplicity.

Here's to mosquitos,
Clam dip and Fritos,
To golf and bridge and scuba there.

Men wearing knee pants,
Women in Capri pants,
Discussing what's with Cuba there.

Each big appliance
Treats you with defiance,
Until it finally falls apart.

Call the repairman,
In a week he's there, man,
To knock your kitchen walls apart.

Tommy's got a bloody nose,
Gotta fix the garden hose.
Book Of The Month Club came today.

Didn't read the last one yet.
Yes you did, but you forget.
Oh well, they're all the same today.

Here's Mrs. Ritter,
She's the baby sitter.
Tonight we're going joyously

Back to the city,
Where life is gay and witty,
Back to the noise there,
That everyone enjoys there.
Back to the crush there,
Hurry let us rush there,
Back to the rat race,
Don't forget your briefcase,
Back in the groove there,
Say why don't we move there.
Away from all of this
Sweet simplicity.

[Ann1]

I thought Alan Sherman told it all in his songs,especially Camp Granada.

[41Willys]

Originally Posted by TheJickler

Oh yeah, we used to go to that roller skating rink when I was very young. It was great fun. I also used to get excited when we went to the mall (Gardiner's, I think) because it had that walkway bridge with giant windows. I thought that was very cool when I was 7. I still do!

Ah yes, the roller rink. My father was a narc there in the 70's.
Gardiner manor mall used to be outside with no encloser, not even on the bridge.
That came in the late 70's early 80's.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by Donna-50

They have them in FL also.

I've seen them in VT.

There is a website that is horrible -- some guy going around taking pics of the memorials with him flipping the bird beside it, and then dredging up details about the deceased and writing awful things.

[mishigas73]

Just last week, I was reminiscing about the first CD I ever bought. Cat Stevens Greatest Hits....and, where did I do the "unwrapping" of it, at the Wag's diner at the OLD Roosevelt Field Mall.

It was about 1986/87, when I was in my early teens. (And, I only remember the year because we came out to my mom's new car needing a jump....and we didn't have a cell phone. *gasp* )

I've seen this list multiple times, and have to laugh. Especially about the "getting the LIRR through Jamaica". GAHHHHH.....

[crusso]

Since this post has so many pages, I don't know if these were mentioned:

Big Bow Wow: was on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa Park, in front of Mays Dept. Store. Great charcoal grilled hot dogs/burgers.

White's Dept. Store: further east from Bow Wow, near where Sunrise Hwy. curves.

Uncle Mike Grimaldi's Massapequa Park Zoo: was behind White's

the trampoline park that was on Hempstead Tpke, Farmingdale. Later became Putt-Putt

Roast pork sandwiches on garlic bread!!!!!

[cbm01]

Originally Posted by momix5

overtaxed- by the way love your screen name! Yes there was an arcade in the back of the Nathans! i remember my Mom getting the chow mein yes chow mein on a bun at that Nathans, I remember the shrimp cocktails that came in little row boats! OMG what a simplier time! I feel that my children are missing out with none of that around! Anyone remember the OBI in Smithtown by St. John's Hospital!

yes, i remember the obi in smithtown, went there in the mid to late l970's-
do you remember uncle charlie's, david brown hardware, glenda lynn's,
rocky horror picture show at hauppauge movie theater,billy blake's,
hilltop diner,glamore ford,st james pubery,fravoli's restaurant,
fontana di trevi,skating at miller's pond,new york avenue junior high,oh and
King George on main st in smithtown-