The small bustling village of mid 1919 is not the Far Rockaway I remember. I was not yet born nor was I even a spirit (if you happen to believe in that kind of thing); my parents did not even meet until 1936. Had I the ability to somehow (by magic) go back in time, I somehow doubt I would be accepted by those individuals who then inhabited the era. Certainly I would have nothing in common with the children -- their pastimes were self-constructed and their games rudimentary. I would not recognize any of the merchandise for sale in the small unfamiliar shops lining the central avenue during the first quarter of the century. The landmarks I now know and revere had not yet (for the most part) been constructed or "invented" by the year 1919.

The Central Avenue we see in the "today" picture certainly is not the place I remember. My childhood friends are all adults now — most of them in retirement or nearing that age. Their pastimes amount to comparing photographs of grandchildren -- when they are not exchanging stores of recent medical procedures seemingly reveling in turning their own personal injuries into competitive events. The shops of my youth are all gone now -- having been replaced by others -- offering a variety of merchandise for which I have no possible use or desire to possess. Of course some landmarks have survived over the years and for that I am grateful -- for at this stage of my life, I need to see something I remember and then I am able to "take a step" backwards -- to recover and to regain my life's bearings.

Of course it is the very commercial hub of Far Rockaway depicted by our two comparison pictures. And even while this is true, it is the obvious changes having taken place over the past ninety years I sincerely lament. Often my friends remind me that with natural merchandising and over the passage of time, it was predictable and is unremarkable that smaller "mom and pop" stores and sole-proprietorship establishments would simply "give way" to large strip malls and shopping plazas. Certainly Far Rockaway was not unique in its inability to compete in shifting economic times -- especially in light of a drastic changeover in population. And further more, taking into consideration that the entire peninsula converted mid century from a resort community to a more steady and full-time occupancy -- any drastic change in appearance, tone, and atmosphere should be considered nothing more than a simple "historical inevitability."

Not in evidence in either of these two excellent photographs -- is the Far Rockaway village of the mid 1950s I loved and still revere. Not for the shops-- but for what the shops meant to me. Not for the people, but for those persons I knew and depended upon for my full support -- financially and emotionally -- as a living being. The familiar faces and voices -- the children I played with, walked with, went to school with, the merchants I came to recognize -- who supplied me with what I needed to survive and provided a line of goods giving me great joy and comfort as a child.

I so clearly remember standing on the southwest corner of that intersection at Cornaga and Central Avenues -- having "run ahead" of my parents, impatiently waiting for the light to change so I could scurry across the street -- in such a rush to look at all the toys on display in the large lighted glass display-case windows of the Central Stationary Store (second in from the corner drug store) -- in a building not yet constructed in 1919 -- a building torn down in 1977 -- a building not appearing in either of these color photos.

Central Stationary was the premier shop in town supplying business with commercial paper supplies. By the mid 1950s, the store was already rather "ratty" and shop-worn, mostly old-fashioned and rustic and there were so many "nooks and crannies" in which a child could "snoop." I always found something I wanted and the prices were usually reasonable. No longer the only stationary store in the small town (Neveloff's was a major contender), the store was "gutted out" before 1960 and Colony Card Shop took over at the location. This was just one in a series of quality shops lining the west side of Central Avenue during the 40s, 50s and 60s.

The Jennings Building located on the N.E. corner of Central and Cornaga Avenues, Circa, 1900. (click on image to enlarge)

The Jennings Building, October, 2009 (click on image to enlarge)

A major two-story building would eventually replace the Gotham Road House and the small grouping of wooden-frame buildings shown in the "before" photograph. The primary renter in this new facility would be a large W. T. Grant & Company "department" store and that 5 & 10 chain would occupy the same spot until the company went out of business in 1975. With a second-story of commercial rentals including a large bowling alley (Arcade) and a music (Lawrence) and dance studio, shortly before the end of the 70s the entire structure would also be torn to the ground. Today, a single-story library computer center (teens only) and a grocery store are located at those addresses.

Looking at the two photos — on the east side of Central (on the right) three original structures still occupy the northeast corner. The red brick "Jennings" building is probably the most recognizable -- but all three have survived well over 125 years; certainly a record for a small town. These structures were built long before the City of New York acquired the area from the Town ofHempstead in 1898. I wonder if David H. Jennings who paid to have his three-story (namesake) building built in 1885 knew his investment of $2500. would survive this long. Jennings was a pharmacist and he opened his shop on the first level -- but the druggist died before the turn of the century and by 1900 two brothers named "Lowe" had taken over the location and had re-named the practice. Shortly after this photo was taken, the brothers would move across the street into a newly built structure.

As a matter of personal enjoyment, I really enjoy viewing "before and after" photographs. I spend hours looking over volumes of materials -- mentally reliving some of the events of my past. I try to put the emphasis on those most favorable memories -- the people, places, and things I enjoyed best. In my mind's eye, I can see myself back on Central Avenue in the year 1955. I remember the way things looked, the way things sounded, the way things smelled. I remember feeling young -- and the world seemed young as well. Did I pass by you on the street? Did I stand next to you or behind you in line while waiting to pay for something? Did I sit next to you in the movie theater? Do I remember you? Do you remember me?

Stevie S. Stevens

email: steviesstevens@cs.com

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