The Neigborhood
I remember as a child, back in Brooklyn, that our family attended the Clinton Avenue Congregational Church. I was baptized there by Dr. Stam and attended Sunday School (I still call myself a “back pew Congregationalist“).
Every June the church shools in the area got together and held a Sunday School parade day. They would gather us all together and march us up and down, what felt like EVERY street in Brooklyn. This was quite an event in the city as all the church groups made identifying banners for their schools and bands too!
Christmas eve in our neighborhood was another big event. Our neighborhood would form a group and we’d all go out and sing carols. We would knock on the doors of houses that had lit a candle, or placed a light, in the window – which told us we were welcome to serenade them. This was an nondenominational event as it didn’t’ matter what religion a family was, they always appeared to welcome us into their homes. Our local pharmacist, Mr. Freedman even opened his shop on Christmas even and gave all the carolers ice cream.
Even in the coldest weather, ice cream is a welcome treat for me (even now!).
Our neighborhood in Brooklyn was a great hotbed of activity. There were three locations. or street spots, for sports:
- bicycle racing – in and out of the alleys
- stoop ball - tossing a tennis ball against the edge of the steps on the brownstone homes
- roller skate hockey – where we used the sewer plates in the street as goal spots.
Adelphi Academy Years
Adelphi Academy was a strict but truly fine school. The dress code in those days was: Girls were to wear dresses, and boys were to wear suit coats and ties. At the noon lunch hour, they played phonographic music in the first floor hallway. Coats came off (as permitted) and everyone danced. Of course, there was also lunch in the dining hall too.
Sports, as previously mentioned played a big part in our young school lives. I still remember my school mates names. On the football team there was (ends) Bill Mogk and Kevin Conners, (tackles) were me and Ray Pisani, (guards) Bob Lpatt and Warren Alt, (center) Pierre (Pete) Renaud, (backfield) Ray Varippapa – Ray’s father was the world champion bowler at the time, and Al Guidet – Al became the US champion in track for the 100 and 200 year dashes. Dan griffin, was our BIG full back, and Jack Walsh our halfback (he was much older than the rest of us and a great fellow too).
As kids we used to go play in Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. We also used to listen to music, for light openers and concerts there.
Prospect park was a great place to enjoy and so green too. Cumberland offered the movie theater (5 cents a show!). And I also remember the trolley cars in town. Everyone used to “dodge them” which is how the Brooklyn Dodgers got their name.