04/18/2021
I grew up in Brooklyn NYC The area code was (212) or (718) for every house/apartment. Cell phones did not exist and beepers came in the late 80s. On the streets, all you had was pay phones for $.10 a call.
We had designer clothes. Most came from Alexander’s, Sears, Mays. Gimbles, Korvettes, Macy's, Woolworth ect.... We wore what our parents bought us or we worked to get what we wanted.
Shopping - Jamaica Ave, Five Towns, Green Acres, 125th St, 34th Street, 14th Street, Canal Street, Delancey, the Bronx on 3rd Avenue and Fordham Road, Main Street and an occasion venture to Brooklyn on Pitkin, Fulton or Flatbush...The Village if you are trendy!
Bell bottom Lee jeans with the permanent crease sewn in...British Walkers...Kangols, Chinese slippers and "Jellies"!
$1.50 heros with salt, pepper, oil and vinegar with a $.25 cent tropical fantasy or a can of soda. There was nothing like a dirty dog with mustard, sauerkraut and relish...a hot pretzel with mustard and a knish with mustard too. Yes...we like mustard! You're bugging if you disagree 😁. The smell of roasted chestnuts in the city (Manhattan) during Christmas was the best...but true New Yorkers never ate those things! LOL!
$1 got you a bag of chips, Hostess cake of your choice, a tropical fantasy or a quarter-juice, some gum or a pack of sunflower seeds, and don’t forget the penny candy! All from a Bodega where every owner's name was "Popi"!
If you had $5, Yooooo you was lit! Get a slice for $1 or $1.50 if you want extra cheese or pepperoni. Beef patty w/ Coco bread for $2, or an order of chicken wings and french fries for $2.50. ..and you got 6 chicken wings too! Jamaica Ave had the best slice and the Italian icy was only 50 cents!
When you got home from school you took your book bag off, did your homework as soon as you walked in and went right back outside!
We played Handball, Paddleball, Stickball, punch ball, ManHunt, Tag, Freeze Tag, DodgeBall, Basketball, Football, Skullies, Kickball, Hopscotch and my favorite...Double Dutch
We were in the streets all day. Staying in the house was a punishment!! In the summer we cracked open the fire hydrants and in the winter we had snow ball fights.
TV was everything on Friday night and Saturday morning cartoons. We watched Sanford and Son, Chico and The Man, The Jefferson's, Good Times, Charlie’s Angels, Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, Like It is, Sonny & Cher, Flip Wilson, Dallas, Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo, Speed Racer, Felix The Cat, Gigantor, The Pink Panther, School House Rock, The Jackson Five Show, Soul Train, American Bandstand, Woody Woodpecker and Magilla Gorilla...
We didn’t need tv remotes. We were the tv remote controls! We got UP and turned the dial😆.
We had Block Parties on our own block and crashed others if we heard about it! House Parties and cookouts were the norm!
The internet came around, but we still were in the streets, but when AOL & Aim came up, it was a go ..... with 17 different screen names🤣🤣
Bored??? Ha! We rode anywhere in the city by train, bus, or bike. We were "big timers" if we took a cab...which is what folk today call "Uber"
Ya block stoop or ya building hallway was legendary in the whole hood. Many heads were cornrowed on a front stoop or a project bench! We weren't AFRAID OF ANYTHING!! If we had disagreements, we worked them out. The worst that would happen is a fist fight would break out. We made up...respect given...we moved on. No guns!
We played until the street lights came on or if you had a curfew.
School was mandatory and the cool teachers made it fun. We watched our mouths around our elders as best we could because everyone knew you and who your parents were. They would make sure to let your parents know they had to say something to you because you was out here wild n out. Our neighbors were our extended family. We did not know "time outs". If you were that bad, you got an ass whoopin. End of story. Sometimes two!😳
These were the good ole days.
I loved my childhood...!!!
Kids these days will never understand how we grew up!!!
❤️❤️❤️***Good Times*** ❤️❤️❤️
Copy & Paste if this is how you grew up!"
