My family lived on Franklin Avenue next
to Kielb's bakery. We were right near where the Newark Subway used
to make its turn to go back to Downtown Newark (Franklin Avenue
station). I remember back in the 50's when the Subway had wicker
seats and the Driver use to have to turn the power wire around so
that they could go in the other direction, back then you could drive
the Subway car both ways from front and back.
I went to Abington Avenue grammar school, and then onto Webster
Jr, High for the 9th grade and then Barringer for High School. Many
of my friends were from the Davenport Avenue section of Newark,
but because I lived right near the Belleville city line, I usually
hung out in Steven Crane Village. Many memories there - playing
stickball from sunrise to sunset, pick-up ball games in Branch Book
Park at the baseball fields, playing ball against the teams from
Summer avenue, Archbishop Walsh projects and so on.
I used to take the #6 - Crosstown bus in the morning to Abington,
and then walk home in the afternoon coming right down 6th Street
from school. A vivid memory was going to my friends house to see
the end of the 7th game of the 1960 World Series at about 330 Pm
in the afternoon (NY Yankees vs. Pirates) and seeing Bill Mazeroski's
Series ending home run off of Ralph Terry flying over Yogi Berra's
head in Left field... we were crushed!!
Another great memory was riding the Subway with my Mom every Saturday to go shopping in Downtown Newark. Bambergers, Hahnes, Kliens, McCrorys and Woolworths all in a few hours. I remember Christmas shopping until after midnight many times, and then stopping to enjoy the "Manger scene" in Military park.
Many memories and a GREAT place to grow up!!
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