The best things in life are free..... (Elizabeth: home, neighborhood)

[wileynj]

Originally Posted by DowntownJerseyCity

Some great and funny memories....

Learning to ride a bike in the parking lot of a lace doily factory while dodging 18 wheelers. (dangerous and free).

Going to Bethany Beach, DE for vacation.

Hanging out with my aunt and uncle in Rego Park, Queens then making friends whom I still keep in touch with 20 years later.

Stickball in Bensonhurst with guys named Vinny, Gino, and Angelo.

Chasing the Mister Softee truck all the way to the Boulevard.

Learning to drive a 5 speed VW and having 100 cars behind me laying on the horn as I stalled it out constantly.

Remembering my father giving me "the talk" on prom night. Awkward!

Kayaking down the Delaware.

Hot Dog Johnny's

Moving to SC and was floored that a state in America could possibly be that hot at 2AM.

It's still there

[EEEPNJ]

See this is what I mean! LOL Now, my best memories are some that involved cash, but my BEST memories did not. (OK, some of my best memories DID...)

Playing outside was the greatest, even growing up in the concrete jungle of Jersey City. Hopscotch, 1-2-3 Redlight, Mother May I, Jump Roping....I wonder how I was so thin...I spent like an entire summer jumping rope from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM. LOL Taking the bus or walking to Central Ave with $5 mom gave us for Ice Cream. Sometimes we'd forgo the ice cream to buy some trinkets at Cheap Sams. At night, the "old folks" would sit outside and we kids would put on "plays" or just continue playing the games we did during the day. Sometimes riding bikes, or the NOISY Big Wheel that the old ladies would yell at us for riding, or skating up and down the street all day. We might have taken in a stick ball game or maybe dodgeball. And when the kid who "owned" the ball went home for lunch it was always a bummer.

I loved my long walk to school w/ my sister.

I loved walking back home for lunch and having Grandma's specialties waiting for us - like grilled cheese & tomato soup or Chicken A La King.

I loved sitting in our house (at the bottom of a hill) and watching the cards skid in the snow with my grandpa. Until one of those cars hit our porch, that is. LOL

Nothing beat the holidays - and the gifts were great, but I'm hard pressed to remember too many of them - the best part was the family being together, the music, the food, and the silly things we did. Like singing "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" to my Grandma and her getting ALL steamed about it. Grandpa would lead us in song....holding his glass of Gallo Cream Sherry the entire time.
At 11:00 we'd walk to midnight mass....some of the adults completely lit at this point.... and the kids would sing Christmas Carols and be SO anxious to get home and open gifts after midnight (as was our tradition.) Oh, and decorating the tree... and sleeping by the tree as Mom cooked Christmas Dinner... so peaceful and just the most secure feeling in the world.

I also remember dressing up our Uncle who was teh COOLEST sport. We'd dress him as a girl, a monster, a bum.... and then take photos.... he was the best.

Now, I do remember our awesome trips to Great Adventure (NOT SIX FLAGS!) too. And I remember going to Fountain Spring Lake in Ringwood, but we'd pack a picnic and it was so much fun. And if you want to talk about that "look" in kids eyes, not much would compare to the look we had when we'd watch the Macy's fireworks (back then they were on the Hudson, not East River) from Boulevard East or Downtown JC with a picnic lunch Mom packed for us to enjoy. And then sleeping the whole way home because we were so tuckered out.

Come to think of it, I only went to Disney once as a child, in 6th grade, and it was nice....but honestly, it does not even come into my favorite childhood memories.

My point is, we tend to beat ourselves (as parents) up over not being able to give our kids x, y and z.... yet if you think back to what you loved most, chances are it was things like getting a refrigerator box and decorating it to be your clubhouse...then taking it outside and rolling around in it until it descintergrated.... that was a favorite too!

Like Calico said, when did parties become formal catered afairs only...I loved the old basement parties where the relatives would dwindle out and Uncle So and So always passed out after too much vino. LOL

[DowntownJerseyCity]

Originally Posted by wileynj

It's still there

If you ever want to meet up for some dogs and birch beer, let me know! The trip from Hudson County to Wilkes-Barre involves a nitrate fueled journey.

Rutt's Hut in Clifton, Hot Dog Johnny's then Abe's in Wilkes-Barre. I am blinded by all the nitrates and MSG during that trip.

[EB2]

Speaking of parties - what about sleep overs?

[wileynj]

Originally Posted by DowntownJerseyCity

If you ever want to meet up for some dogs and birch beer, let me know! The trip from Hudson County to Wilkes-Barre involves a nitrate fueled journey.

Rutt's Hut in Clifton, Hot Dog Johnny's then Abe's in Wilkes-Barre. I am blinded by all the nitrates and MSG during that trip.

You forgot Davey's
I'm doing weight watchers at the moment... hot dogs would eat up all my points and I need those for my beer on the weekends

[Calico696]

Originally Posted by EEEPNJ

Like Calico said, when did parties become formal catered afairs only...I loved the old basement parties where the relatives would dwindle out and Uncle So and So always passed out after too much vino. LOL

I remember all of the parties in my Grandparent's basement in North Newark. Grandpa made his own wine and had a room in the basement with a wine press. Grandma had a second kitchen down there (totally an Italian thing). I can still smell the meatballs cooking.

When I was in Sonoma a few years ago, we took a winery tour and as soon as I stepped into the room with all of the wine barrels, the smell hit me...... unbelievable, reminded me so of my grandparent's basement.

Anyway, I grew up on the south end of Bloomfield and I remember playing hopscotch on the slade sidewalks in our neighborhood and going to Watsessing Park. Both free.

[EEEPNJ]

Originally Posted by EB2

Speaking of parties - what about sleep overs?

I'm anti-sleep over - too many pedophile freaks in the world.

[EEEPNJ]

Originally Posted by Calico696

I remember all of the parties in my Grandparent's basement in North Newark. Grandpa made his own wine and had a room in the basement with a wine press. Grandma had a second kitchen down there (totally an Italian thing). I can still smell the meatballs cooking.

When I was in Sonoma a few years ago, we took a winery tour and as soon as I stepped into the room with all of the wine barrels, the smell hit me...... unbelievable, reminded me so of my grandparent's basement.

Anyway, I grew up on the south end of Bloomfield and I remember playing hopscotch on the slade sidewalks in our neighborhood and going to Watsessing Park. Both free.

The "Summer Kitchen" I did. LOL My friend did real estate in Staten Island for a while, he said you could not list a house w/o one. LOL

SLATE sidewalks ROCKED. I remember we'd alway find the neighobors w/ the slate to get out our chalk. LOL

[DowntownJerseyCity]

Originally Posted by Calico696

I remember all of the parties in my Grandparent's basement in North Newark. Grandpa made his own wine and had a room in the basement with a wine press. Grandma had a second kitchen down there (totally an Italian thing). I can still smell the meatballs cooking.

When I was in Sonoma a few years ago, we took a winery tour and as soon as I stepped into the room with all of the wine barrels, the smell hit me...... unbelievable, reminded me so of my grandparent's basement.

Anyway, I grew up on the south end of Bloomfield and I remember playing hopscotch on the slade sidewalks in our neighborhood and going to Watsessing Park. Both free.

Ahhhhh the wine press and a "summer kitchen". Both sets of my grandparents had one as well. Meatballs or sausage and peppers were always cooking.

[EB2]

Originally Posted by EEEPNJ

I'm anti-sleep over - too many pedophile freaks in the world.

True! But when I was a kid, it was innocent enough to have on or two of my best friends over.