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Re: Bushwick
PAT, SUMNER
That armory was built in 1897, or 98, I can't remember which, but close enough, right?
It has (had, as of 1990) an 8 lane bowling alley, in ground swimming pool, and a rifle range for target practice about 15 to 20 soldiers wide. All below ground level. In the back, going away from Sumner ave, there was horse stables, with another level above for the hay storage.
From the top of the (almost) accessible tower on the Putnam side, you can see the Triborough Bridge, to La Guardia airport, to the Towers on the Grand Central at the city line, to Idlewild, to Coney Island. I ventured up there a few times with a 300 mm lens. It was a very good location at that time in history. You can see for miles, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau Co. and the Bronx to this day. The view of Manhattan Island and lower Brooklyn are now obscured by the steel and glass skyscrapers of "The City." If they were not there, you could probably see across NJ to PA.
It was (is) an absolutely beautifull building.
Re: Bushwick
HI
WOW..THAT IS WONDERFUL..I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE AMORY I WENT TO...BUT IN SOMEWAY IT SOUNDS FAMILIAR...HAVE YOU FOUND ANYMORE BUILDINGS THAT ARE OF INTEREST...I AM PUTTING ON MY THINKING CAP ABOUT OTHER BUILDINGS THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU..THERE ARE MANY....WE ARE DEFINATELY GOING IN ON SATURDAY MORNING...I WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED
Re: Bushwick
PAT
The only other NYS armory in that area I can think of is Bedford armory, on the corner of Bedford and Atlantic ave's. The two of them, and one in Park Slope, and some location where Atlantic ave ends at the East River, are all connected by underground tunnels which I was told were still being used as of 2001 or 2002. Large enough for military vehicles.
I realize I was off by 10 years about Sumner. It was built in the late 1880's not late 1890's. Worth a drive by. (Putnam, Jefferson, Marcus Garvey blvd.)
Re: Bushwick
AMORY
IS THAT IN THE GREENPOINT SECTION? I WATCH A SHOW ON TV...I BELIEVE IT IS CHANNEL 15 OR 16 AND I AM NOT QUITE SURE WHEN IT IS ON...IT IS CALLED NY 360..IT IS GREAT...TELLS US ABOUT MANY THINGS GOING ON IN,AROUND AND UNDER THE CITY...THAT I WAS NEVER AWARE OF...I AM ENJOYING THIS AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING THROUHG SOME OLD OLD PHOTOS I HAVE FROM MY GRANDPARENTS AND PARENTS...THEY ALWAYS LIVED IN THE BORO'S..IF I CAME ACROSS ANYTHING OF INTEREST.. I WILL EMAIL IT TO YOU..
Re: Bushwick
PAT
Hi Pat.
I hope you read this before you go this morning. Sorry about the late reply.
I hope you have a great time reminiscing tomorrow. Try and bring back all your good memories, and more importantly, share your memories with you children, as you are remembering them.
Trust me, I have an aunt who took me to all of her ancestors towns in NYS as well as NYC when I was very young, and told me how she remembered them. I still remember (almost) all of them. She is now 80 or so, and I'm 50 or so. We talk on the phone often, and she is still telling me more family history! And I soak it up.
Once again, I hope you have a great time.
Re: Bushwick
thanks
I am actually waiting for my kids now...I am so excited...the ride is just 25 minutes...I could have done it anytime...but I was not ready to "see it" i guess...not ready for what it turned out to be compared to how it was when I grow up there...but I am ready now...I have a few other places I want to see that I have remembered since the time we have been communicating..thanks...you have given me the strength to go back...I will tell you aboutit later..have a great day
Re: Bushwick
BKLYN IN MY HEART AND CITYBOY
HI BKLYN IN MY HEART..YOU LIVED RIGHT DOWN THE BLOCK FROM ME..I WAS ON WOODBINE BETWEEN IRVING AND RIDGEWOOD PLACE..I WENT TO PS 106 FROM 57-62...HAD MRS WILSON FOR KINDERGARTEN...MRS LIBERTI FOR 1ST GRADE..MRS SCHWARTZ FOR 6TH...I KNEW SOMEONE ON YOUR BLOCK...BRENDA GRAHAM..THANKS TO CITYBOY..I WENT BACK FOR A VISIT SATURDAY...I WAS SHELL SHOCKED..BUT GLAD I WENT...DID NOT STAY LONG THE WEATHER DID NOT COOPERATE...GOING BACK HOPEFULLY THIS WEEKEND..THANKS TO CITYBOY..HE HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL HELP IN THE AREA...TELL US MORE...BKLYN..I WOULD LOVE TO COMPARE NOTES..I REMEBER THE PARK WAS ACROSS THE STREET FROM YOU..AND MY CHURCH WAS AROUND THE CORNER...MY GRANDMOTHER HAS A CANDY STORE ON GATES AND IRVING...DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE BIG MEMORIAL DAY PARADES THEY HAD...THE THAT RIDE..THE SWING I THINK IT WAS CALLED...SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME...(STILL DOES)...IT IS GREAT SHARING THESE MEMORIES..THANKS
Re: Bushwick
Brooklyn and Halsey Bops
Brooklyn will always remain in my heart too. Went to St. Martin of Tours and Bushwick High School and from 1958 to 1964 hung out in either Halsey Park or Putnam Park. Would like for anyone to either respond if you know the name or e-mail me at danddfiore1@Verizon.net
Re: Bushwick
PAT
Hi, Pat. I'm glad you went back and enjoyed yourself. I'm even happier to see that 'Brooklyn in My Heart' is from the same school, and the same year as you!!!
I'm not in Brooklyn for now, I'm in other bouroughs, but will keep reading this thread.
Glad to help out a little.
CB
Re: Bushwick
CITYBOY
I ENJOY READING ABOUT YOUR FINDS...WHAT BOROUGH ARE YOU IN...I FOUND MY GREAT GRANDFATHERS CITIZENSHIP PAPERS...IT IS BOUND IN A SMALL BOOK..HE RECVD IT ON AUG 9,1905..THE BOOK IS OVER 100 YEARS OLD...THIS IS FUN..NOW I HAVE A PHOTO ALBUM..WITH OLD PHOTOS.. I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SOME OF THE BUILDINGS ARE..THE PICTURES ARE OLD AND FADED..BUT I AM WORKING ON IT..PLEASE CONTINUE TO SHARE YOUR FINDS AND I WILL TOO..IF YOU DON'T MIND..AND I HOPE WE HEAR FROM BKLYN TOO..
Re: Bushwick
BKLYN
I am sitting here in tears..yes I remember the house in Mrs Wilson's class..as a matter of fact..do you remember reading time..when we would put our chairs in a circle..well I was so excited one day that I accidently hit the house with the chair..and Mrs. Wilson yelled at me for being in a hurry...I was so traumitized..and I had mrs domling too...I am 54..I am going to find my old class photos..yes..st pauls was my church..so I past your house all the time to go there...you remember all the same games...some of the trees are there and believe it or not...some of the houses are the same..do you remember the number of your house..I plan on going back to take more photos and I will send you some..and everyone...I also remember the stores.. my mom shopped there all the time...i remember the warm summer nights..everyone was sitting outside...trying to get a cool breeze..you can hear the ice cream trucks and you knew they were getting closer to your block and would run for money...I remember up the block was a lumber yard..on Ridgewood Place..I am not sure when it happened but it caught fire and burned for days..everyone would feed the firemen..they would come into our house..wash eat..take a nap and go back to the fire...I think it burned for 4 days...I remember buying big pieces of chalk and every kid on the block would make a hugh circle in the street..with a bank , police, school etc..and we would all put on our skates..the metal ones with the "skate key" and skate around pretending we were cars..stoop ball..I love it...still wish I could play with my spalding..pinky ...remember going to the store and buying a big pickle for 5 cents and eating it forever...and the snow..do you remember the snow?.. it seemed to that the snow was 6 feet high back then..we would be out all day...making forts and small hills to slide down..going home and putting our gloves, hat and boots but the old steam radiators in the hallway..hanging clothes out on "the line" in fact..my grandmother owned an apartment building..not sure where it was...but Jack Legs Diamond..a real gangster...he had an apartment in the building and his wife was murdered there..my grandparents found her because of the "smell" ..yuck...wow..my head is spinning...your turn...I am wiped out..I am going to look for that school photo now..it would be something if it turned out that between you, Donnie, Cityboy and I..and hopefully others will come on and share...tag your it
Re: Bushwick
PAT and old friends
WOAH!
I am not a former resident of Brooklyn. Born and raised in Queens. Person who happens to work in every neighborhood in NYC.
I'm happy to help, but I can only go by what I see today, all over the city. Thanks for including me in your road down memory lane, but I was not there at the time.
Brooklyn in my Heart, Donnie Fiorie, and of course, Pat: I'm glad to see you all get together, even if it's on the Internet. Imagine if we did not have this.
Love to All
CB
Re: Bushwick
WOW
This is great..hope you got the email nina...if it ever stops raining ...I will head into bklyn and take some photos...cityboy..I forgot to tell you...ps 106...I could not find the cornerstone at the school to find out what year it was built..but someone did say...1906..hmmmm..I feel sorry for the kids today...I think they are misses out on so much fun..not playing like we did...do you remember when the siren would go off and we hid under our desks or if we were outside..all cars had to pull over and you had to get off the streets...into a fallout shelter if possible....that was scary..and the library up the block from your house NIna...I better end now..I have to get to work...more later..as I remember
Re: Bushwick
bklyn
just read your post...is it possible the school was built around the civil war???? now i am curious and will do some research...cityboy..do you know of a website where we may be able to find this info..thanks
Re: Bushwick
Library
Pat, funny you mention the library, I kept meaning to bring that up myself. I loved that place, spent many hours there. Back then I don’t think too many kids bought books (at least we didn’t). I’ve always loved to read, so that library was my lifeline. Libraries out here are not as “regal” as those old buildings, with the big entryway stairs and big heavy doors (at least that’s how I remember it). I think you had to go upstairs for story time, it was such a cozy place to be on a rainy or snowy day, sitting surrounded by so many books. I was kind of hoping that would be one of the pictures you take, of the library. That’s if it ever stops raining long enough for you to get pictures! If what we hear about the weather back east out here is accurate, sounds some areas may need to start building arks pretty soon.
Re: Bushwick
Year makin me nuts!
oasisnyc.net has PS 106 listed as built in 1900. This particular 'built in' part of the info usually says "approx.," but this one did not. However, I found them all to be off by QUITE a few years anyway.
The NYC Department of Buildings site, I can't find a year on that either. I even clicked on "certificate of occupancy" and it said there was none on record. This is odd for an active school. But then again, maybe not. The NYC DOB does confirm that it is a city owned building. Block 3377 Lot 1.
The NYC Board of Ed site gave an address that's the parking lot across Wilson!
Many different addresses are listed for that building on Putnam, Wilson, and Cornelia.
One of those entrances, or corners, or somewhere around the bottom of the building should have a corner stone with a date. The other option is to get the Custodian's phone number, that person would most likely know. I tried on the board of ed site for that number, to no avail.
Someone here just said it might be from the civil war era, and that was my first thought when I drove by on 5/8/06.
I'm new to the Internet, but I usually find out this type of info easily. This is puzzling to me. There must be a way to find out, but I can't find it.
If I ever get to put my hands to work in that building, I will find out!
Re: Bushwick
ps 106
HI cityboy and Nina...
I just found this also "Climbing four flights of stairs to the library at PS 106, an elementary school in a tough neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, is well worth the effort. Unlike the rest of the 110-year-old school's structure -- a grand building well past its prime, with echoing halls of black floors and drab walls -- a renovated attic space announces itself with two bright yellow doors. Each is inset with large windows shaped like exclamation points -- one upside down, one right side up. It's as if the entrance dares onlookers to glimpse inside
boy ..this is fun...I am having a blast...still checking sites...
Re: Bushwick
To All
Thanks Nina. The point you bring up about it being built in phases might explain why I found so many different addresses.
I just looked at aerial photos, and the section on Putnam stood out as the oldest looking design. From there towards Cornelia, looked like they were added on over the years, like you said, and in a few stages, but still many years ago.
So the only question left (not really)! Is when was the 1328 Putnam part built?
I'm now convinced that was the original schoolhouse.
Maybe that part is from the 1860's.
Between all of us, we will find out.
Re: Bushwick
PAT
I didn't see your post before I posted. Where did you find that quote?
Re: Bushwick
Our Beloved Neighborhood
I just got an e-mail from cityboy about this site and just finished reading all your posts. It seems that everyone here has the same memories of Bushwick that us "older" guys do. Myself, I am 66 and graduated from PS 113 in 1952, PS 85 in 1955 and Bushwick in 1958. Halsey Park and Putnam Park were my haunts in the late 40s and early to mid 50s and I lived between 14 Holy Martys and St Martins, right across the street from PS 85 so each and every one of you that walked down Central Ave to go to school had to pass my house every day to turn on Eldert St and go to school.
I created a website about 4 years ago called "Bushwick Buddies" on MyFamily.com. This is a private website which is available by invitation only so that we can post pictures and memories only relevant to us. We currently have over 289 members, 1000s of photos of current Bushwick, old Bushwick (real old - 60), some of the middle years, other historical issues of Bushwick, and we've also added items on Ridgewood/Glendale and recently the Brownstones of Bed/Sty which are beautiful. We've got memories galore. We've reunited family members who haven't seen each other in 40+ years, friends who haven't seen each other in years and made new friends that we'll never forget.
If any of you would like to check us out, please send me an e-mail at eleanorctr@aol.com with your name, e-mail and where you lived (maiden name for the females and married name) and schools attended and I'll send you an invitation. I know you'll love what you'll see. You can add you're pictures and memories. We are really anxious to get information on the years of the late 60s, 70s and 80s when we were already gone.
Bushwick is a beautiful place once again. I visited there in April and I was thrilled. We have a photographer who goes there about every 2-3 weeks and takes pictures of old homesteads etc. He just posted a listing of what our old homes may have sold for in the last year.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Bushwickbuddy
Re: Bushwick
Thank You Cityboy
I just wanted to say thank you to Cityboy for helping so many of us old Brooklynites get back together by e-mailing the Bushwick Buddies website manager and getting us all invited in. Pat and I are now memebers and we are having a blast. I even found a long lost second cousin! Thanks Cityboy!
Re: Bushwick
CITYBOY
Hi ...Cityboy..I just emailed Nina and told her I have to thank you...You were instrumental in helping us with our memories...that is so special of you...I recently had surgery and have not been able to get into Brooklyn and the rain is not helping..but I am ready to go this weekend and so is my camera...Please keep in touch..hope you are well...again thanks.. Pat
Re: Bushwick
Pat, Nina, and bushwickbuddy
I am touched by your heartfelt thank you's. When I stumbled upon BB I thought you probably knew about it already. The post above from BushwickBuddy thanking me came as quite a surprise!
Thank you all for taking me in, even though I didn't grow up in Bushwick.
Re: Bushwick
Now I get it!
Eleanor, I just read your post above again, and paid attention to the dates this time, and now realize you didn't know about this thread.
Pat and Nina, now I think I understand what you were thanking me for! I must admit, I was a little puzzled.
I'll let you know the next time I visit your old neighborhood.
I'm going to a reunion party tomorrow with the people I went to elementary school with over 35 years ago in Elmhurst, Queens. Can you believe over 375 of us are getting together for a party in our old gym/auditorium?
I can hardly believe it myself.
Goodnight
CB
Re: Bushwick
Bushwick
Hi, I went to PS106 and graduated around 1957 and went to JHS85. Got out of Buswick HS in 63. I had Miss Wilson in Kindergarden, I remember Mrs. Steinline. How about Miss Pell. Older woman who walked with a limp. I had Mr. Wolf in the 6th grade.
Ps 106 was built in the late 1800's and then added on to. Thats why its in a U shape.
Do you remember the dirty old man prezels for 5 cents. They were the best. I baoght one going home for lunch. I lived at 1411 Jefferson Ave, between Irving and Knickerbocker. My name is Vic Cosentino
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