Monday, August 24, 2009

The East is up, and the Battery's down....



Sometimes I get a little nostalgic about the places I have lived, like Queens, New York where I was born, and lived until my mid twenties. My husband Ray and I moved to Florida with our two little kids about 25 years ago, and I have often wanted my daughters to experience some of the things I did by living in such an active city. Like....walking "around the corner" to get milk or bread. In Bayside, Flushing, College Point, Queen's Village (all areas I lived in) there was always a grocery store, pizza place, deli or bakery within a short walking distance. When I was a teenager, the thing to do after school was to go "up Bell" (Bell Blvd, an area with stores, pizza, candy stores, etc.) to get an italian ice or slice of Pizza before dinner! Or going to a corner candy store for a pretzel rod and an egg cream, or to Woolworths, where for a few dollars you could buy a grilled cheese AND a bottle of nail polish! Well, a year and a half ago, we moved to Alabama, and the funny thing is that even though Florida is filled with New York people, it is here in Gadsden that I feel more at home. The downtown area is just like Bell Blvd, with less stores of course, but it has an old variety store that is just like the Woolworths I remember and I feel endorphins released in my brain when I am in there! Sidewalks, and people talking to their neighbors and the change of seasons all bring back nice memories and familiar feelings! I hope you enjoy these great etsy finds with a New York City theme!

4 comments:

  1. I love your memories of the city, they are similar to mine (though mine are from Brooklyn). I really miss the whole atmosphere of that kind of life. Now I am stuck in Florida where the only time you see people walking in neighborhoods is early in the morning or late at night so they don't die of heatstroke.

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  2. Great memories - I grew up on LI- Nassau Co, Bklyn and Queens were the 'city!!! Italian ices, heros, a slice of pizza,cannolis, and great bagels!!!!Lived in Fla for a short time also - but Va is a happy medium for me - far, far, far from the city!!!!!

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