My paternal grand parents displayed the most affection towards me more so than anyone ever did in my child hood. When I went to their railroad flat in Greenpoint Brooklyn I felt like I was in heaven. Every child’s dream would be to have grandparents like them they doted on me as if I was the only child and answered every wish before I could even think about what I wanted. These times stayed with me my whole life and made me feel so wanted whereas at home I felt like just another mouth to feed.
Greenpoint a Brooklyn hamlet known mostly for its Polish immigrant population was like a city unto itself back in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Equipped with two movie theaters, which showed two movies with cartoons in between on only one screen. The RKO Theater and the Meserole were like home to me on Saturday afternoons and at 4 bits (50 cents) the bargain couldn’t have been better. Candy was only a nickel then and my Grandparents made sure I had plenty stuffed in both my pockets as I watched movies to my hearts content.
Ah, Greenpoint my parents were brought up in Greenpoint. They both spoke Polish as a result of attending St. Stanislaus Elementary School. All of my parents siblings married people from the neighborhood. They lived on Humbolt Street. My Aunt's family owned the local bakery. She was German . The bread was to die for. My cousins father was Polish and her grand parents called he Clacha, not Mary Clare like the rest of us. I remember sitting on a very high stoop summer nights. I recall my parents talking in Polish when they didn't want us kids to understand. My Aunt also owned the Beauty Parlor, where we all went to have our hair cut, both men and women. Shades of nostalgia.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful thoughts indeed. Please send me more. Greenpoint had so many memories for me and I will continue along this vein at least for awhile. Maybe I will talk about Cheap Charlie's across the street or how I could see the Empire State and the Chrysler building from my Great Aunt that lived one floor above my Grandparents.
ReplyDeleteGreenpoint was where my parents grew up. Coincidentally my grandfather lived in Woodside. My maternal grandmother died when my mother was 10 months old. My grandfather remarried and moved to Woodside. He left his children with his mother. It seems that his wife didn't want the youngest of his six children, only the older girls. Nana insisted that all of the children stay together. She raised all six of them herself. Actually it was not alone her own single children became surrogate parents. Catholics to the core, they Nana especially spoke Polish with a brogue and prayed the rosary daily in English and/or Polish. Everyone knew Nana. A smart business woman she acquired several houses on the block. My father's family lived in one of the apartments.
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