That is Governor's Island. Where I lived for 4 years when I was a kid (4-8 years old). I think it's by far the coolest place I've lived, and wish I could go back to visit because I have some great memories of there. It's now a national monument, but when I lived there it was a Coast Guard base. We were stationed there when my Dad was in the Coast Guard. As I mentioned in my previous post, my Dad was a career military man, with 9 years enlisted in the Navy and 11 years in the Coast Guard. He's been retired for quite some time now.We lived in one of those brick apartment buildings on the left side of the island. Building 855 to be exact. Apartment 4B. I even remember our phone number: 825-1421.
I remember having to go to bed in the springtime when the men were playing baseball under the lights on those fields in the middle of the island. My bedroom window faced the fields so I would peek under the shade at all those lucky people who got to stay up late.
I remember playing a made-up game with the kids in the neighboring buildings, called RCK, for Run, Catch, Kiss. The rules were pretty simple, the boys tried to run away (I don't think they ran that hard) and the girls tried to catch them. Once you caught a boy you went in this big cement pipe that was in the playground as play equipment (probably not up to code these days). The first time you caught the boy it was a kiss on the hand, the second time on the cheek, then after on the lips. I always went for Chad Sponder, who was in my grade, but about 2 feet shorter than I. I didn't care, he was cute.
Related to unique playground equipment, at the playground at the school (P.S. 26, Billiard school) there was an old wooden Coast Guard boat that we could play on. It was pretty cool. My friend Jolene and I would chase a boy named Bernard around and force him to the boat where we would kiss him. Hmmm. I'm seeing a pattern here. What a little hussy I was! Somehow, I don't think the boys minded that much.
Related to the school, I remember that the school had movable walls on 2 sides, and the 3rd side was open to the "hall". Let's just say some of the teachers used louder voices than they probably need to, so one day I heard "Heather, get up here" so I went to the teacher's desk. My teacher hadn't said anything. Turned out it was the teacher in the next "room". Of course I was sort of used to getting yelled at since I couldn't seem to curb my "non-productive talking, i.e. to her friends" as it said on my report card.
I remember being the only kid invited to spend the night at my friend Kirsten's birthday party. We stayed up late (probably like 11 o'clock) and we got to eat a special ice cream cake with Strawberry Shortcake decoration on the top. I can still almost taste that cake. It was good. I think that is my very favorite birthday party I've ever been to, simply because I felt so special.
I remember going to tea (and actually drinking tea) at my friend Michelle's house in Fog Horn Alley. So her Dad must have been a pretty high-ranking officer. Not that I cared or knew what anyone's Dad did.
I remember having babysitters at our apartment and having the best time. People like Lester who drew awesome cartoons of space ships and Martians on my brother's big green chalkboard, Frances, who gave my brother and I each a necklace the last time he babysat us before he was transferred somewhere else (I still have my little crystal heart necklace), and Juanita, who gave me one of her prized stuffed animals simply because I really liked it. It was a monkey who had a plastic banana in it's hand. You could stick the banana in the monkey's mouth. How cool is that? I still have that monkey somewhere too. I think we were so lucky to have such diverse babysitters, men, for one thing, and different ethnicities as well.
I remember roller skating on the big blacktop roller-skating ring that they had between the apartment buildings.
I remember sledding on the golf course, and almost sliding under a parked car.
I remember going to the commissary on my 5th birthday wearing my birthday "crown" from school, and the manager bringing me into the employee lounge because it was his birthday too. He shared his birthday cake with me.
I remember getting some stud earrings from my grandmother after I got my ears pierced in a shop under the World Trade Towers. I was afraid to wear those earrings into the city because I thought a mugger would think they were real diamonds and try to yank them out of my ears.
I remember LOVING the movie Annie, and getting to go see the play on Broadway. I believe Alison Smith played Annie when I saw it. She was later on that tv show Kate and Allie, if anyone remembers that.
I remember walking up all those spiraling steps to get to the crown of the Statue of Liberty...and then walking all the way back down...
...ice cream cones in Battery Park.
...Rockefeller Center at Christmas...need I say more?
...similarly, all the store windows at Christmas. Do the stores still do those fancy displays? They were so intricate!
...Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes. I wanted to be one so badly!
...Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We have a photo of Donnie Osmond on the Turkey.
...China Town. I used to get these great fabric baby doll shoes there all the time. I had usually black ones, but got a few red pairs as well. I also have a bunch of paper fans that I collected from there.
...I took ballet classes at my school and the teacher chose only 4 students to go see the Harlem dancers. Unfortunately the day we went, the Harlem dancers were not there...and we moved to MN before the teacher could reschedule the trip. I think now how brave my parents were to let this lady take their daughter into Harlem.
Ahhhh. So many memories...what a fun place to live. On the island we were able to see the city and go there via a short ferry ride, but we were so safe on the island. You had to show military ID to get on the ferry. Yes, I'll always remember Governor's Island fondly. I'll probably never make it back there, and that's probably better, as I'd be sad to see things in disrepair there.
...in my life...
0 people like me!:
Post a Comment