Anyone From Rosedale, Queens? (Wantagh, Woodmere: snow, landfill, fish)
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How about the Mini Bikes and GoKarts on sundays in the Alexander upper parking lot during the mid to late 60's. Remember when stores were closed on Sundays.
who wrote this? I know all these people and that was my hood!
I know this post if from many years ago but wrote this? I know all those people and I was from Rosedale around that time too. 69-85
Quote:
Originally Posted by TEX HLDM
While driving home to Long Island (where most people from Rosedale migrated too!) from Atlantic City, I ran into a shut down east-bound Belt Parkway - right where it has that wicked curve that turns away from running into Sunrise Highway and goes under the LIRR tracks. It's 2:30 am on a Sunday Morning. I hopped off at the old Brookfield Blvd exit and found myself in more traffic. I cut over to the right and was able to make the right hand turn on to Brookfield Blvd. My shortcut ended up costing me an hour as I drove around the old neighborhood. I haven't been there in too many years.
Before I knew it, I'm passing the old Fire House in Brookfield Park. Hey - they put up a real nice playground over there. Another quick glance and I see that the old wooden bridges over the stream are still there. Weren't they rotting when I was a kid??? LOL Boat house is gone. Lake is still there.
Anyway, I hit 147th Ave. The old Sons of Italy building (yeah It used to be Pizza King!) is there, but now occupied by a bunch of medical offices. As I'm sitting at the light, I'm trying to figure out how they got all of those rides in that parking lot along with all of those tents (especially the Under/Over tent - 5 to 1 odds on the 7!). Always wondered why the Sons of Italy building was the only all-white painted building that never had a grafitti on it! One last glance to the park and I see that the old historical marker on the boulder is still on the corner of Brooklvile and 147th ave. It said that an American spy was hung by the British on the nearby tree during the Revolutionary War. Then I look further into the park and I see the old little league fields. Field #2 had trees in left field and field #3 had that large fence in left field. No kid ever carried that fence in a game. Field #4 looks like it still has no grass on it, but it looks like it still has that 220 foot fence.
I made the left on to 147th Ave and before I know it, I'm at Rosedale's five corners (243rd Street, 147th Ave & Huxley). Sure enough, I'm at that light and a city bus is turning on to 147th ave. LOL Just like old times!
Rather than get behind the bus, I shoot up Huxley going towards Craft Ave. I make the quick left at 148th Ave. Damn...overshot St.Pius! The old Convent is still there, and there is that beautiful round school that they closed. I graduated from that school. There's the church (it was always supposed to be the schools auditorium) but they ran out of money. That's why the church had the altar on the stage with the stage curtains flanking it. I made the right on to 147th Road and began to name off the old friend's houses...There's Claudio DeVellis' & Moss' house on the corner. Joe Kick's house. Then Anthony Rando's house. Cribby's place. Then the old Con Ed field we play touch football in. You still need to hop the fence to get in.
Weller Lane and I make a right. There's the place Mike Avolio moved into when he married JoEllen for 10 minutes. Another right onto 147th Drive. Ther'e Anthony Moeller's house. Marc Trama's place. Billy & Johnny Nick's old House. The Sena's. There's the DeSarno's house with the extended porch in front. Move up the block and there's the Shimel's house. I could almost here Nanny Shimel calling for Brent. There used to be a swamp here between 253rd and the St.Pius school yard, but it's all new houses. Another left on to 253rd and there's the Boris' house. Then a quick left on to 148th Ave and there's the Divino residence. Not frog season so Joe Divino can sleep well. Then there's Vito Ardito's house. Back up to Weller Lane and I got to go see 195! Pass the Rinks' and and Malenowski's and then there's PS 195. Just before I make that quick right I glance over and look at the Coletti's household. And I almost forgot how wide this street was (Jamie Cervo's block). I pull up near the school yard and it's not a school yard anymore. They extended the school over where home plate used to be. Oh well.. Then the famous handball courts. Where's Bill Venezia playing handball? Where Mike Kilbride? Or Richie DeCurtis? Where;s the guy doing a whellie from 253rd to Weller? Just before I make the left and circle around the school yard headed back towards Weller Lane, I say that this can't be 195 because the Ice Cream truck isn't parked on the corner. Now...Which house was Angelo Reda's?
I shoot back down Weller lane to 147th Ave and make the left onto 147th Ave going back where I came from...only because I got to swing by town to see what that looks like. A right and a quick left and I'm, headed up Mayda - Or was it Newhall? Maybe it was Caney? LOL Now there's town. No more Roman Carousel. No more Dance Street. No more Palermo's. Rosedale Pizza has a sign in the window selling Jerk Chicken. Good Grief. Hey - there's the old Bohacks/Key Food. I got to get out of here.
I'm headed back up to the traffic on Sunrise so I make the right on Memphis Ave. There's the old Lutheran Church. Got to go pass Rotella's so I shoot down to Francis Lewis Blvd. There's the old Jewish Center. Make the right onto Franny Lewis and head back toward's 147th Ave. I quickly make a left to drive down Hook Creek just to see if it's still full of potholes. What a disappointment - not a one. Perfectly paved. What a shame. I circle back around up to Francis Lewis and then back toward 147th Ave. I go through the light and now I'm at the confluence of 148th Ave, Hook Creek Blvd and Francis Lewis. Son of a gun...they put a red-light here?!?!?! The busses used to turn around over here and there was never an accident...why the light?
OK - Trips over...I'm going to cut through N.Woodmere and put Rosedale in the rearview mirror. Then I almost lock up the wheels at this funny looking eight-sided red stop sign at 148th Drive and the begining of Rosedale Road. They put up a Stop Sign here?!?!?! I blow right through it. Next thing I know, there's a NYC PD car pulling me over for failing to stop at that stop sign as I almost made it out of NYC. I'm on the corner of Rosedale Road and 262.
Me: "But officer, I grew up here. There was never a stop sign there."
Cop: "There's one there now, guy. What are you doing here?"
Me: "But you don't understand...I spent the first 22 years of my life here. I can drive around this neighborhood with my eyes closed and tell you everything about it."
Cop: "OK...let me ask you this...If you spent 22 years here, then why are you here now?"
Me: "Just driving around looking at the old 'hood"
Cop: "Really? How's it look?"
Me: "It's changed...but it's the same. Kind of. I mean Hook Creek Blvd is paved"
Cop: "Have a good night, Sir. Anyone who remembers Hook Creek Blvd like that lived here years ago"
Me: "What does that mean?"
Cop: "You don't live here. You have no reason to be here. You're not from here. But you are from here. You know what I mean?"
Me: "Yeah...I do. I really do. Hey...Thanks, eh? Have a good one"
Cop: "You too, Sir. No more sightseeing, OK? There isn't a Memory Lane here"
Me: "Hey...I got a question for you...What was Rosedale known as before it was Rosedale?"
Cop: "I don't know."
Me: "Cherry Valley Grove. Google that when you get home. 147th Ave was once Cherry Valley Lane".
Then I sped off up Rosedale Road and put the old 'Dale in my rearview mirror.
Radio is off. Names roll through my memory...Barbara Gorman, Linda Silverman, Mark Narduzzi, Yves Marie Desire, Fritzner Pierre, Ritchie Fabella, Jennifer Fiorello, Andrea Salreno, Mrs. Fata, Mr. Vallar, Mr. Russell, Sister Rosemund, Father Michael, Clare Morro, Frank Malcangi, Santo Fontana, Andrew Tolmeo, Chriss Poggi, Mark Trafficanda, Linda Carfora, Joe Iaccavelli, Ritchie Rizzo, Angelo Coscia, Tom Dinetti, Paul Buckley, Todd Gerbasio, and Dave Rando. Is it possible that we blinked and it was over?
Hey bb00NY I hung out on Edgewood at the corner near Debbie Sorrentino by the gully Do we know each other? Knew a lot of people there. I lived on 148th drive and Huxley
I hung out with her brother Mike. I lived in Rosedale until 73, when I joined the Navy. I remember your Javelin, Claude's 442, I think Louie had a 68/69 Charger, his brother had a blue 70, Vinny had a white Malibu, then a red Mustang (and the first Schwinn Apple Crate I ever saw), Joey Restivo's brother had a 69 Camaro (Motion?) that I loved - bought one myself in 75 in Ca. I can remember almost all the cars from those days. Worked in the NY airports for 32 years, now managing a property in The Bahamas. I drove through Rosedale a while ago, not as bad as I expected, but the streets seemed smaller - I guess even perspective changes with time!
bbd00ny your right about the streets being small! When I went there I thought the same thing and said to myself "man I pulled 4 gears down these streets"!! Restivo's brother Chase's Camaro I loved also but it was not a real Motion car and I raced him on Mentone and won, he was not happy. Louie had a 71 SS 454 Chevelle which was stolen along with his brother's blue charger. They almost got Claude's 442 and they got my Javelin but the police found it with a blown motor. That car won many races!! I rolled it in Florida in 1974 the year I left Rosedale. My e-mail is jcamaro@tampabay.rr.com drop me a line I would like to ask you some things. Debbie died and Mike retired from the fire dept. Vinny and Frankie LaBarbara are here in Florida.
Used to hang at Pete's also. They had the best egg creams,15 and 30 cent!! Knew Dennis Morgan, Crazy Mike, Dickie Glenderman, Jimmey Duffy, The Bruno brothers, Dickie G, I wonder where they all are. Great Times
I knew a guy they called Duffy...he was friends with Michael Murphy...everyone called him Buddy...he lived across the street fro St. Clares Church. I graduated Andrew Jackson in 1963...so I am not sure we are talking about the same time frame.
Anyone remember riding your bike behind the mosquito sprayer as it went down the block? Going 40mph on a Schwinn 10 spd with no helmet? Pipe bombs in the culvert at Francis Lewis and Hook Creek that went all the way to Green Acres? Crawling under the fence at the Bullova plant to fish in the drainage canals? Who knew they were making bomb fuses not watches. Hanging off the bumper behind the bus in the snow? Walking out on the swamp avoiding the muckholes between Rosedale and Woodmere? Underground forts in the empty lot at 148th Ave and 259th St? Treehouses in the same lot? Christmas tree bonfires in the same lot? Still alive with all apendages intact.
Anyone remember riding your bike behind the mosquito sprayer as it went down the block? Going 40mph on a Schwinn 10 spd with no helmet? Pipe bombs in the culvert at Francis Lewis and Hook Creek that went all the way to Green Acres? Crawling under the fence at the Bullova plant to fish in the drainage canals? Who knew they were making bomb fuses not watches. Hanging off the bumper behind the bus in the snow? Walking out on the swamp avoiding the muckholes between Rosedale and Woodmere? Underground forts in the empty lot at 148th Ave and 259th St? Treehouses in the same lot? Christmas tree bonfires in the same lot? Still alive with all apendages intact.
Rich
I remember riding down the hill across from St. Clares on my bike with my friends and racing across the Belt. How did we not get killed?
Did the same thing when it snowed...except we did not go across the Belt. We had to swerve to avoid the parkway.
I wonder how we got to be old. LOL
Then a four year jaunt at Andrew Jackson, another fun place to be. LOL
Anyway, it was all fun and I miss it.
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who wrote this? I know all these people and that was my hood!
