Letters from Our Readers:

A letter to Rockaway Memories dated March 4, 2010

Hello Marty,

I can not tell you how much I enjoy your updates!

I grew up in Far Rockaway during the early '50s until 1967. I went to P.S. 215, Benjamin Cardozo and Far Rockaway High class of '67. I lived in one of the mansions on Grassmere Terrace that was mentioned in one of the articles. It was a wonderful old house broken up into several apartments with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. There were 3 of them on the street built around 1890. I know that it was the time spent living in that great house that gave me my love and appreciation for old style architecture and craftsmanship. Our house was the last of the three to go, torn down to make room for an apartment building. I then moved to Deerfield Road and Bch 27th street and a couple years later to Dickens Street in Bayswater.

Some of my favorite memories were of roaming the streets, playing with kids from one end of town to the other. Jack's candy store, Cozzie's Pizza (the best!), all the excellent ethnic food available on Central and Mott Avenues, Rockaway Playland, and a visit to town from Nelson Rockefeller. Going to the movies for $.35 and getting to see Chubby Checker and the 3 Stooges live on stage, wow! And who could forget the skeleton that came out from the curtain out over the audience during the showing of House on Haunted Hill!

I remember when a classmate accidentally burned down the library and our 5th grade teacher Mrs. McNeil was rumored to have bailed him out. She was the nicest teacher I have ever had so I believe she would have done exactly that! The library and the bank were two of the most impressive buildings in town back then.

Our group used to go to temple on Saturday, St Mary's early Sunday, and one of the Protestant churches later on Sunday morning so that we would be free to play after our religious obligations were met! It taught us respect and tolerance for each others beliefs and we are all better for it.

I remember as a young adult joining the protest on the subway against the double fare, I can still picture all those Wall Street types sitting on the train refusing to disembark chanting "Hell no, we won't go" and then jumping over the turnstiles at the end of the line.

It was a wonderful place to grow up, and I mourn that loss of innocence, and that my children never got to experience that life.

Thanks for the memories,

Lauren Prater Given