Rockaway Memories

Dear Skip,

The youtube video clip brought back some subway memories. Steve Goldberg and I (we both graduated FRHS in 1962) were attending HI-LI in 1958. At that time we both had ambitions of attending Brooklyn Tech the following year. In order to qualify we had to pass the entrance exam which was held in Brooklyn. Coincidently, the exam was scheduled on the same day that the subway was opening in Far Rockaway. So, we took the day off from HI-LI and took the first A train out of Far Rockaway.

The only regrets I have of that day are that we boarded the train at the Wavecrest Station. Our parents mistakenly thought that the opening festivities at the Mott. Avenue Station might interfere with our ability to get on the train.

The other regret, I didn't make it into Brooklyn Tech. But, in retrospect I would not now have all these fond memories of Far Rockaway High School.

Attached is a pdf of the New York Times article with photo describing the Far Rockaway subway opening.

Marty Nislick

What I find fascinating is there is normally a rather large divide in perceptions between people that came of age in Rockaway in the late 50's-early 60's and the late 60's early 70's for example...Yet on your website that divide is not apparent...the common thread is true affection for a place and a time that transcends eras...if THAT makes sense....

I've always equated the appeal of your site as akin to the success of Barry Levenson's film Diner....I know when I saw Diner I saw the STATE diner...But while Levenson's vision turned out to be universal yours is very specific....

I know in my case my Mom started spending Summers, EVERY Summer, in the Bungalows beginning when she was 8.....that was 1933....Wavecrest was the gateway.. my Grandparents were the first tenants in 20-41 in 1951 and my parents followed them to 20-45 in 1953...And I think nearly EVERYONE I knew growing up had a similar story....Rockaway seemed to be a community where
the kids were 1st and 2nd generation Jewish Irish Italian....

To me one of the funniest stories, and I don't know how many people even know this...were our parents bought the American Dream....but part of the reality of the American dream was the breaking down of barriers...In the mid 60's between the dances at the Hartman Y, St Gertrude's, Bayswater Jewish Center and the high school there suddenly was an explosion of dating between the Jews, Irish and Italians....the parents were getting very concerned....and there actually was a summit meeting between the Rabbis
and the Priests to try and find a way to stop it...I only heard of it years later from my father....Obviously whatever they attempted failed!....

God Skip...this has opened the floodgates for me...I better get around to writing that novel!...

Dear Skip and Carol,

Thanks for writing about this whole web site "issue." I recall perhaps a year ago (maybe two?) getting e-mail indicating that the FRHS site was being moved to a (very) commercial host, I think "classmates.com," which sends endless solicitations for money and so on.

I have gotten to the point where I don't even open those e-mails, I just delete them. No matter what they "tease" you with or promise you can see, you'll have to pay a lot of money first.

I have much to say and write about thinking of Rockaway. I grew up in Arverne (the "forgotten community") and attended PS42, JHS198, and then "the rock." I've very slowly started to get all the many, many negatives I shot during those years (I did a lot of the candid photos for the '64 Dolphin) and one of these days, might actually make some digital scans and send them in. We'll see.

If anybody thinks of having a reunion of my class year, I'd love to know about it. There are a terrifying number of details about the school, the community, the stores along Central Avenue, the stores on Rockaway Beach Blvd., and so on, all of which fill my head and "leak out" from time to time. Somewhere, I have photos of the block I lived on when the ocean and the bay met during Hurricane Donna in September of 1960, with all the cars partly submerged in water that was sometimes 4-5 feet high. I'll try to find those pix one of these days.

I also recall seeing more than one airplane crash smoke plume while in the 5th and 6th grades at PS42- those high windows overlooked (then) Idlewild. One of the crashes was an early 707, if I recall. I also remember going with the family up to Cross Bay Boulevard to se a Riddle Cargo Airlines DC-6 that belly landed just on the side of the road, near the old version of the North Channel Bridge (wooden?).

I am now working in my 40th year "making stars" with no plans to quit soon (I'm a planetarium astronomer, working in two planetariums and two colleges) and am having other kinds of fun in spare time. A small, recent photo is attached.

A couple of years ago I ran into Steve Beck as a result of your site.

Enough for now- keep up the site, please. It is a great place to wander in, and to linger in, especially in the wee hours of "night thoughts."

Cordially,

Sam Storch Class of 1964 Email Address: samstorch@verizon.net

I've looked for a PS 39 site but have not found one. One of the teachers I remember from FRHS was Mr. Ottenstein. He had me do a report at the Queens Public Library and my love of public speaking continues. Does anyone remember the kindergarten teachers Ms. Morris and Ms Ring at PS 39 or Mrs. Burkander? If you remember any of the teachers from PS 39 from around 1945 to 55-57 do write me personally. I went there from kindergarten to 8th grade. I do believe we were the last class to graduate the 8th grade before it changed to a Jr high school formula . I lived right across from the school at 20 Mott Place behind the police station.

Why is it most everyone gets the Rockaways mixed up with our little town "Far Rockaway"? I know the Rockaways were part of the peninsular - but Far Rockaway was a very special little seaside town all in its own close to Atlantic Beach.. It had 3 movies (The RKO Strand was an old vaudeville house) two five and ten cent stores 3 bakeries a slew of clothing stores- libraries, banks, many many bars, schools, the fire department, telephone company, gas and electric company ......all within a mile radius of each other. Just about the whole town was built either on or centered around Central Avenue. It cannot be compared with Rockaway Beach - that was one long stretch of road.

Did anyone know that in the late 1800's, early 1900's trolley cars ran through the town of Far Rockaway down to the beach?. These tracks were later paved over....but if you dig deep enough they are still there..

The the whole place went to hell in a handbag.

Hello, I'm from class of 78. I was born and raised in Rockaway ! My dad had a car service (Rockaway Car Service) located between beach 44th and beach 45th street on Rockaway Beach Blvd. I remember a lot of the stores (or what was left of them in my years). Rockaway was a fun place to grow up, the beach, the boardwalk from 32nd street (Cinderella land, the pizza place and the chineese place where the plate was the noodles). I really miss those days !! I now live in Florida with my children.

My mother and grandmother owned a woman's clothing store in downtown Far Rockaway on Cornaga Ave. It was called "The Villager". I spent almost every Saturday in town.

The store was next to the back alley to the movie theatre and I spent many hour there throwing a ball ( pensey - pinky ? ) against the wall.

I always ate at the Pickwick. I felt like a big - shot ! I'd go in there order whatever I wanted and then I would sign the check and leave. The cook would throw some onions into the fryer while making my french fries. And always a chocolate malt shake !

I would then go across the street to the department store ( Grant's ? ) and get a big bag of popcorn. Then off to the movies ( one of the 3 theatres in town ) and watch 2 movies .

I remember the toy store ( Harvey's ) , the army - navy store ( Morton's ) , the A & W, the Chinese restaurant, the bowling alley upstairs, the jewlery store , and the slot car racing store.

We lived across from St. Josephs Hospital until we moved to the Five Towns.

My baby siter was Denise Winston, now a match maker in NYC.

Martin Steinberg Fort Lauderdale, FL Email Address: Shadybanks1501@aol.com

Rockaway Memories

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