THE BRONX

Kaitlyn Kiri '98

Somehow, I had it in my mind for quite awhile to write about the "old days". Times gone by that cannot be recaptured except by writing or photos. Being 76, I seem to have gathered a great many of these memories along the way, and to the best of my abilities will try to write them down.I have no great talent for writing, and hope you keep this in mind. If you find these paragraphs interesting, or if you have a helpful suggestion--- please use the guest book on the first page. I hope you enjoy reminiscing way back when!!

I'm going to start in the South Bronx where I spent my first twelve years----The Bronx, about 1925 was a facinating place! One of my first memories was of the Willis Ave. bridge and standing in the middle with my mother watching the tug boats scurry up and down the river. If we were lucky, a tug with tall rigging would whistle for the span to open. What a thrilling sight for a small child!

My childhood territory consisted of an area whose boundaries were between East 133rd St. and East 143rd St. and in the other direction St. Ann's Ave. to Alexander Ave. There were trolley cars on Willis Ave. and these went uptown. Since Mom and I always got off at E. 149th St. I have no idea if they went any further. Mom usually went shopping at Blumsteins or Adams Flanagan, two large dept. stores in that area.It was great fun to watch the clerks put the cash in cylinders which would travel on tracks near the ceiling and wind up in some mysterious place (to me) and return with change!

Actually, my life in The Bronx started at 347 E. 135th St.There we lived on the top floor in a railroad flat with a dumbwaiter by which we got large chunks of ice for the icebox.(which had a pan underneath, that had to be dumped every day!) This ice was put on the dumbwaiter at street level by Nick, the iceman, who came to the vicinity in his horse and wagon. As far as I can remember, Nick's horse and wagon was parked on our street most of the summer, which had its advantages. We kids loved to climb on the back (when Nick wasn't looking) and swipe small pieces of ice to suck on in the heat.It wasn't very sanitary--- but I'm still here!

I can't remember The Bronx without thinking back to Alexander Ave. To my childish mind, it was the widest street in my world! It was lined on both sides with brownstones and between E.137th and138th Streets stood the imposing edifice of St. Jeromes Church. After Mass, some of the young fellows would shoot "craps" (out of sight of the church) while the younger kids, (me included) would wait at a safe distance until the beat cop chased them, then we would gather up the dimes they left on the pavement and head for the candy store!!

Brook Ave., one block down the hill from Brown Pl.,was the home of a goodly number of our Jewish neighbors, with an open air pushcart market on 137th St. that sold all kinds of vegetables and fruits, and anything one could think of. My favorite was buying a large size Kosher dill pickle for 5 cents.(instead of a candy bar) The kids in the neighborhood would sleighride down the hill to Brook Ave. in the winter. We put ashes at the bottom to stop us, although we went like the wind, right through the ashes and onto the Ave.(not many cars in those days!!)

There seemed to be quite a few "bar & grills" along Willis Ave. in those days; actually, many Irish people had settled in that area.
Brown Place, between E.135th & 136th Streets was what was called a "play street" (no cars allowed) P.S.43 (my elementary school) took up the whole other side of the street from my home, which was again, a top floor railroad flat- 20 family- diversified tenantry, and Mom hung her wash on the roof!!

E. 134th St. housed the stables of Sheffield Farm's milk company horses.I think Bordens had stables in this vicinity too, but I'm not quite sure. I can remember looking in at these horses and marveling at their size.The corner grocer sold loose milk, which I carried home in a 2qt. milk pail.
On E.138th St. Mom went to The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. to grocery shop, and to Kruppenbacher's Meat Mkt., where I usually could rely on a generous slice of liverwurst from the butcher.

Does anyone remember the wonderful games of childhood on the streets of the Bronx? Lets start with "rope". We used rope for many things--- attached around the back of the neck and under the arms as reins, to play horse; to tie each other up in "cowboys and Indians"(Bobby Benson or Tom Mix); to jump rope singly or double Dutch. Most of the games had their own season. Tv hadn't even been an idea then, but we were never bored, and never lacked for things to do! There was "ring-a-leevio"(never did know how to spell that) stick-ball, roller skating,making wagons out of old crates from the market, hand-ball, hop-scotch, and many other games which elude me now.

It was about this time that all the buildings were taken down on East 133rd. St. and Southern Blvd.for the eventual erection of the Tri-Boro bridge span. There was empty space as far as the eye could see (awesome to city kids). We would build a fire in the empty lot in the evening and roast potatoes. When the span was finally opened to the public, I and a friend of mine walked all the way over to Long Island and back.We never left the bridge on the L.I. side as we were scared of the unknown!

The gathering place for the kids in the neighborhood was "the stoop". Most every building had one--- and also a super whose only duty (so it seemed to us) was to descend upon us and yell, "Get off the stoop !!!!" In the winter we hung in the vestibule with the same result !
We had the dubious honor of living in the very bldg. where the landlord was murdered in the cellar (by the super) for the rent money! This was 168 Brown PL. and in those days murders were an exception!
My friend, Louis, who lived a few floors down, was my constant companion in those times. The day we walked across the bridge, was the first time Louis wore long pants! Boys wore knickers until they were about twelve, then they proudly graduated into long trousers.(Rites of Passage)

I can't recall my Bronx childhood without remembering Bethany Presbyterian Church, located on E. 137th St. which played a large and enduring roll in my life. Sunday School with our teacher, Miss Gilsinger; Christian Endeavor with Ms's Hassan and Wittich; and my mentor, Mrs. Edgerly, who to my childish mind, was ancient at that time. This venerable lady taught us by rote! We inhaled many, many Bible verses and religious data that didn't make much sense to me then, but stayed always in my mind and made perfect sense as time went on! Today, I can rattle off the Books of the Bible as if they were a permanent part of me!