You haven’t lived in Eastwood if you ….
Lonnie March 22nd, 2007
What do you remember or know about Eastwood that makes this place unique among all other neighborhoods in the world? Please use the comment function to add your thoughts to those you see here, sent from Karen who moved to Florida and writes to us in the Walkable Eastwood email group.
You haven’t lived in Eastwood if you…
Never got caught with your feet up on a seat in the Palace, and Frances shining her flashlight in your eye. Yelling “Feet down or get out”.
Never tried sneaking in the Palace from the side door emergency exits… Your friends would pay to get in then make a lot of noise in the girls room with flushing and running water. Frances would come in to yell, “That’s enough water! If you want a bath, go home!” While she was in there someone would open the side door and let you in……
Never hid in Cummings field after dark, used your parents camera flash to make street light shut off, then swung on parks swings till midnight…..
Never listened to the great Stan Collela Orchestra while “Dancin’ under the stars”
Never had to close your windows on a damp or humid day when the winds came out of the east……Penicillin and Bristol……
Never had a 10 cent cinnamon Hershey Popsicle at Chase’s cigar store…
Never met great men like the late Tom Shepardson…. A kind friendly comfort in your hour of need…..
Never saw the great parade of little hobgoblins march up Forest Hill Drive every year on Halloween from A.S Huntington School…..
Never knew the phone number of every payphone from Charney’s to Thompson Rd…..or who was calling and probably who they were looking for…
Never went for a walk after dark over Sunnycrest hill/Shotwell park watching all the lights of the cars going by on 690 , while the wind whispering in the trees was making creepy noises and scaring your pants off…..
Never bought “chum gum” for a penny at Mel and Vi Sayers’ market…..
Never ate awesome Fried Haddock at the Fish Cove in Shop City…(No haddock in Florida)…
Never smelled that crazy musty odor in McCrory’s while your Mom made you try on flip flops or bought toilet paper there…..
Never had fries and a burger at Grant’s dept store snack bar in Shop City….
Never spent all summer saving money to go to all the surrounding neighborhoods’ “field days”…..They used to do one in the “First Trust” bank parking lot (Key Bank corner of Collingwood /James)… How about the one in Lyncourt, down in the field where Court Street meets Teall just east of Syracuse China……..
Never had a “Elephant Ear ” or “hot cross bun” at Rasmussen’s bakery on James St.
Never had a headlight at Geddes Bakery…..
Never played pool at Cap’s…..
Never played the greased watermelon race at the pool days, outdoors at the Huntington pool……
Never made boondoggles, lemon ice or spin art with the rec dept at Huntington park….
Never wrote your initials on the wall outside Biasone’s bowling alley and got chased away…..
Never ate McDonald’s late night outside the Fotomat in Shop City…..
Never got to try nail polish on at the make-up counter in Mr. Wager’s pharmacy on James and North Ave….
Never walked down James St on a summer Sunday around 10:30 when the Catholics, Methodists and Baptists were all singing hymns with their doors open…..
Never took a cab ride with “Ace Eastwood Cab Company”… Louie Tenalglia, Louie Recaparo, Vic Bottina, Esther Blevins… To name of few of my cabby friends….
Never got out of BS school for lunch and had a RB on a Kaiser at Sid’s Steak and Sundae…
Never had a note along with 200 other kids for a “Dr appointment” on opening day at the Syracuse Chiefs…..
Never ran into Galloway’s Pharmacy to get out of the rain and grab a coke while doing your paper route on Paul, Peck, James, Teall and Rugby Rd….
Never got a really beautiful Christmas tree at the Evergreen Mart on Thompson Rd. Or beautiful annuals across the street at Barbagallo’s stand….
Never wondered if smelt were fish, why on earth did that factory on Thompson Rd smell like smoke and dirty metal?
Never were green with envy at the size of that awesome front yard at Shotwell and James St and GOBSMACKED how ya never saw any kids playing on it…..
and last but not least…
Never thought it was gonna be missed so very much when you left it behind…….
I left my heart in Eastwood….
To all
Peace
Karen
You haven’t lived in Eastwood if you…
never tried your darndest to make it down James St. without getting a red light.
Never had a great meal at Arturo’s,Eleanors or The TRI-R.
Never snuck candy from Galloways to the Shop City Cinema.
Never watched or participated in the Columbus day parade.
Never Had your hair done in one of the MANY beauty parlors. (marie’s was the BEST, she gave me my first Pixie cut)
Never Been to both Byrne Dairy’s on the same day.
Never purchased a 45rpm record from Fays or an Album from Music Center.
Coming from another Eastwood to Florida transplant, this post brought back a lot of memories ;-)
Hello, nice post. Bookmark it.
what about:
Never bought a greeting card from Mary at the Eastwood Bookstore.
Never went with your Dad to buy paint at Barney’s Paint store on James Street.
Never bought any craft supplies at “Crafty Lady”.
Never had pizza at Frank’s on North Ave.
Never bought a candy bar on the way home from Huntington at McDonald’s store on Woddbine Ave.
Never had to “stop for milk” at Kammar’s Silver Star on Sunnycrest.
[...] in from Florida and who now lives in Georgia. Her heart, nevertheless, is still in Eastwood. In a previous post, she shared with us many of the little details that made a childhood in Eastwood so special. Her [...]
Karen,
Don’t know where you live in FL, but we’ve found fried haddock at Red’s Breakfast and Lunch, Hernando (between Inverness and Ocala, just off Rt. 200 (Inverness side of bridge at Stumpknockers). Other than that, we’ve found only their idea of a fish fry involves pollock – not even close!
Hi, There is Haddock at a few places in Pinellas County (Clearwater/Largo Area). We also have Hoffman Hot dogs (Duneden and Largo). Steamed clams are shipped down also. Even with all the wonderful things here, also where I have been since I left Eastwood, and the fact that all My family is far from Eastwood, I still have wonderful memories and Eastwood will always be home. Mildred Ave, BS, St. Johns, Sunnycrest, Salem Hyde, Grant Village and Shotwell Park. We played ball with Kren baseball bats that had Our names burned in the barrel. Hunnington Pool, Shiller when Hunnington was closed. Lincoln Little League, My younger brothers played at Eastwood LL. Many of us took it for granted but, Eatswood was truly, heaven on earth.