Fond memories of my childhood growing up
in the great city of Newark.
Originally I was from the Ironbound Section and attended Saint
Columbia. My parents decided to move on up so we rented an apartment
on 683 Broadway right next to Broadway Jr. High. That place was
a real dive so we really didn't stay there to long.
My parents had saved enough money to buy a nice little house on
Coeyman Street. There we would settle in for the next 30 years.
We loved that little house. We would walk around town with no shoes
on in the summer time.
We would go around the corner to Gambino’s bakery early in
the morning to get fresh Italian bread. I was good friends with
Louann Gambino and would go in her back yard and pick bing cherries
from the great big tree that was in the center of her yard. We also
would go over to the “lot” where all these really cute
guys would hang out including my brothers who didn’t want
me around.
I had some good friends that I wish I could find today. One girl
named Gracie Santistaban was my very best friend. She wore the coolest
clothes. She had a brother named Archie that I heard years later
died from Hodgkin’s disease. Gracie, if you’re out there,
Hello, How are you?
I went to Our Lady of Good Counsel through grade school and had
some great friends. There was Wands Rodriguez, Virginia, Kelly Carlucci,
Arlette Cascella, Hey Arlette What sup?
Of course wearing those really ugly uniforms was a drag. I had
to walk past Jenny’s on Summer Ave. every day coming home
from school and the guys from the wrong side of the tracks would
goof on me.
Some of those guys were really hot!! I ended up marrying one of
those guys. Tommy and I have two children and live in a nice house
in Nutley. My mom still lives in that cozy little house in Newark
to my dismay.
It is painful to see what has happened to that nice little neighborhood
where I used to walk barefoot. Although the memories always come
flooding back each and every time I go down there to visit. If anyone
from Summer Ave. comes across this memory and would like to type
a few words.
I had some really good times hanging out at Elliott Street School
playing wall ball or cars. My very best friend in the world Siobhan
Speck would find people to go and by some beer for us at the old
ladies liquor store on Summer Ave. We would use the bag from the
quart of beer to sit on so we wouldn’t dirty the seat of our
really tight pants.
Summer time on Summer Ave. was the greatest time of our lives.
We did some great stuff. We were quite resourceful. We went camping
at Camp Mohegan. We went to New York to Madison Square Garden at
least 20 times to see the Hottest Groups.
We rented in the Poconos, went down the shore and rented the…..
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