Just several weeks ago I was fortunate to have been sent some pictures of Wantagh, Long Island, New York; it's the town I was raised in. My memories of growing up here are wonderful and the pictures reminded me of a long ago time there. When traffic wasn't crazy, there was room to BREATHE, the doors weren't locked and all the neighbors not only knew each other, but got together once a week for card parties and barbeques!
I am only 15 minutes away from there now, but my mother still lives there in the same house. A house I believe she paid $12,200 for right after the war and she and my father decided to move away from their families in Brooklyn; today the taxes on the house are $12,000. Anyone growing up on Long Island might appreciate these pictures. Especially if you remember Wantagh or Levittown. We were allowed to walk to CherryWood Shopping Center and LIVED at Carvels in the summer. Carvels is long gone and you actually take your life in your hands if you even TRY to park in Cherrywood.
Today my mother is the only original person on the block. One by one all the neighbors left, some to move to warmer climates, some because they just couldn't afford Long Island any more. But here are some shots of what it was and how wonderful it was to be raised in:
The BEST ice cream in the World---Carvels, 1961
Cherrywood Shopping Center, 1961 -- Even back then parking was bad :) Gotta love the cars, though!
St. Francis Church, Wantagh, New York 1961 (Before it burned down and was replaced.
I LOVED getting these pictures. They brought me back to an easier Long Island when it wasn't overcrowded and people weren't rushing everywhere. But Spring is here, the BEST time to be on the Island...I hope some others remember these days as well.
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