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  Pictures dated 1961 and 2007
Click images to enlarge Silver Towers
The view is from Kew Gardens Road looking down 83rd Avenue towards Queens Boulevard. Silver Towers, under construction in the 1961 photograph, is in the background of both photographs. The Court Plaza Apartments, built in 1974, are in the left foreground of the 2007 photograph. 1961 photograph courtesy of Roger Sabo.[Black and white images from the Queens Borough Public Library, Long Island Division, Kew Gardens Collection.] If you have pictures of yourself showing any Kew Gardens locale in the background, email me high resolution jpegs and I will post them here as space permits. To download a copy of the Queens Courier's Sept. 2003 article about Old Kew Gardens.com, click on one of the following links. Turn off your browser's auto-resize if the JPEG text appears too small to read. [JPEG - 240kb] [PDF - Hi Resolution, 379kb] [PDF - Low Resolution, 97kb ] |
May 2007 Guest Book
I lived in Kew Gardens from 1952 until I moved to Westchester County in 1971. My mother still resides there, in the building identified on the website as "Windsor Court" which, when I was a kid, was called the "Valencia." My understanding is that that building was erected in 1919 and until after World War II had many large apartments that were later broken into smaller units. It was a pleasure visited your website, and it brought back many good memories for me. I've been living in Tokyo, Japan since 1985, and haven't been back to Kew Gardens in about 12 years. I'm sure I'd hardly recognize it today.
When I was growing up, there were privates homes on 118th Street whose gardens abuted the rear of our building on 116th. ot's of greenery and a great view.
I attended P.S. 90 (Class of 1960) and then Richmond Hill High School (Class of 1964). During my RHHS years, I helped write, edit and publish the Richmond Hill Weekly, which some of you may remember.
Best Regards,
Joel Glasser
[To contact Joel Glasser, click here]
May 26, 2007
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May 26, 2007
I lived at 118-80 Metropolitan Ave in the late 30's, early 40's. Don't know if it had a name. My maiden name is Carol Binswanger. I went to PS 99. Moved to Wichita, Kansas in 1943.
Carol Binswanger Bowen
[To contact Carol Binswanger Bowen, click here]
May 26, 2007
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I enjoyed your recent slide show of Metropolitan Avenue. I lived at 122-13 Metropolitan Avenue during the late 60`s which was up the block from Bernieland. The picture that I have sent in is of my car in my driveway at 122-13. You can see Metropolitan Avenue as it was in 1968.
Regards
Roger Sabo
[To contact Roger Sabo, click here]
May 22, 2007
For Roger Sabot;
Hi Roger. You have not changed since I last saw you at Disney. Glad to see you are still into sports cars. Say hi to the children for me.
Linda Widder Wiesner
[To contact Linda Widder Wiesner, click here]
Cited in the Financial Times
May 21, 2007
Editor's Note: Old Kew Gardens [.com] and your faithful web master were cited to by none other than the Financial Times in its May 19, 2007 Weekend Edition. The reference is in the last few paragraphs of the article.
Click here to read the full story
Dr. Footsie (Part 7)
May 21, 2007
Hi Joe:
Kew Gardens, lst Stop uTOEpia - what a place to start a glorious journey - No matter where I would live - that will always be home. You build your house one brick at a time - what a foundation it has given me. The E and the F, (could have meant the trains that we rode into the city) I would like to think of the Everlasting Friendships that were formulated there.
Lenny I don't remember DOOKIE , but I do KOOKIE, KOOKIE, Roger lend me your comb - your not going to be using it unless your making Corvette tread marks in the sand or scratching the paint jobs on your competitors cars.
Does anyone recall the Chestnut Trees on either Abingdon or Beverly Roads. We use to throw sticks up at the trees to knock them down. They had a greenish fuzzy like shell which we had to break open to get to the brown chestnut. Now that we got to the chestnut - now what - they were'nt edible - next best idea - take your handy boy scout pocket knife and start make a hole in the center - Walla! - the next best thing to brass knuckles - Chestnut Rings - they worked just fine. As legend has it, or according to Anita Frye - she had a boat load (umbrella) full of the chestnuts in her closet. Now I know the guys saved trading cards, stamps, coins - the girls, dolls, and flowers neatly crushed in the pages of the romance books - but chestnuts - hey, maybe they had an intrinsic value that I did'nt know about. Squirrels save acorns for the winter.
Now that Winter has gone and Springer was from Kew Gardens - does anyone remember "SKITCHING" - A term we coined after the big snowstorms and the roads were compacted - to combine our new sport - Skiing and Hitching - where as a car, truck or bus came down on the street - we would dart out from behind the parked cars and grab on to the back of the bumpers, hold on tight and hope that the vehicles did'nt make an abrupt stop. Now whether it was the cold air and not wearing a hat, or the sudden stopping and the banging of our head under the tail end of the vehicle that caused our cerebral damage - who knows.
Take Care my firends.
Marty (HARPO) Marks
www.drfootsie.org
TOEmail - :
May 19, 2007
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Roger Sabo
[To contact Roger Sabo, click here]
May 15, 2007
Hi to everyone. My name is Debbie Norman. I was part of your class too. I was the black girl amongst all of you. Anyone remember? I remember all of my classmates: Richard Gertner, James (Lori's hus- band), Mark King, Laurie Klipper Hochberg, Gary Dyba, Lori Olf Curran, Karin Wolf, Margaret Cella Flefleh. Standing from left to right: Louie Flefleh, Peter Gusmorino, Peter Florance, Dan Diers, Peter Hess and Richard Demers, Evan Gussack. Some of you I remember from my sister Phyllis who played basketball for GOH.
and I remember the first set of pics too: From left to right: Lil Ussak, Ruthie Amarov, Ernie Tubbs, Howie Herschkow (peeking over the table), Ellen Wielen, Bobby Kane, and Diane Merchant. A lot of these friends were associated with my brother Andre. I remember the day that pic was taken at the park. Wow! What memories we all had huh!
Debbie Norman
[To contact Debbie Norman, click here]
May 12, 2007
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Regards
Roger Sabo
[To contact Roger Sabo, click here]
May 7, 2007
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO "DOOKIE" (DORRELL) GOODMAN? SHE WAS IN THE 7TH GRADE AT PS99 IN SEPT. 1953 TO JUNE 1954, DOOKIE HAD A SISTER NAMED HOLLIS AND THE GOODMAN FAMILY LIVED ON 82ND ROAD BETWEEN AUSTIN ST. AND KEW GARDENS ROAD.
LEN SCHNEIR
[To contact Len Schneir, click here]
Music and Poetry at Mood
Hi----just to let you know that the next live entertainment music show will take place on Thursday, May 24th at "Mood" restaurant, 120-29 83rd Ave. in Kew Gardens. It will begin at 7:30 P.M.
Aaron
[To contact Aaron Adler, click here]
May 6, 2007
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Jeff Saul
[To contact Jeff Saul, click here]
Dr. Footsie (Part 6)
May 6, 2007
Hi Joe:
Now that it is intermission, I can go to the refreshment stand and refuel up, while I await the 2nd showing of the Last Stop Kew Gardens Movie, as it will hopefully be coming to the Los Angeles area and the excitement of reconnecting with people (whether I knew them or not) to recharge my roots. Congratulations to STREET SENSE at Churchill Downs , something that I hoped I learned from growing up in Kew Gardens from family, friends and to Rabbi Faber, a kind, strong, compassionate man, that it was a MITZAH that I stayed on this side of the BARS.
For a sequel to the movie, I don't think it is necessary to do any more filming, we can go down to Roger Sabot's dark room and sort through the millions of pictures he must have, and can make a great presentation. Roger, I'm glad you were smart enough to have bought stock in Kodak.
Joe, I want again to acknowledge the time, the effort and the compassion that you have put into developing this website, and made the opportunity for me to rekindle old friendships. To my friend Frank (Moose) Spottke for finding the website and contacting me and jarring my memory of our childhood, and to your parents Frank and Madelyn for their guidance and their caring, and to your mother for explaining to me that the radiator in the apartment had only ONE function, and not to store the shells of sunflower seeds behind it. (It was too darn cold to look for an ash tray - nobody would notice) - Your mother knew every time that I came to visit you. I will see you in the fall as I go through the Rockies on the way to Minneapolis.
To Steve Haken it was great talking to you on the telephone. I did'nt know we had another thing in common - you mentioned that you delivered for a Butcher shop on Metropolitan Avenue and I had my first job delivering for Ben (think his last name was Goldman) the Butcher on Lefferts Blvd where the Bellaire Ice Cream Parlor/Luncheonette was or next to it. I rode on an old Schwinn bicylcle with a big basket in the front to carry the packages. I can't remember if I was paid by the hour ($1.25) or/and 0.25cents per package. I do remember that Mark Fried's mother was the big tipper. On the subject of Butchers - does anyone recollect the barber shop on Lefferts just south of Metropolitan Avenue on the same side of the street as Razler's. I think they went under the name S & W - (No, not the food company, maybe closer to Smith and Wesson) - these Butchers of Barcelona worked out of one-room of an apartment - Saul & Weidenbaum - evidently big fans of ZORRO, as they immortalized his calling card with the use of an electric razor, making a crop mark of a Z on the top of my head - in those days I hated to wear hats - but for 2 months donned a cap to school.
Take Care Kew Gardens
Marty (Harpo) Marks
www.drfootsie.org
May 5, 2007
Please send this along as an answer to the query about Tom Rotavera.
I spoke (via email) to Tom within the past two years so the Vietnam story is completely erroneous, thank goodness. Tom retired after a long career with IBM, I believe.
I reconnected with Tom for the first time since the 60�s by accident. A young Emergency Medical Worker responded to a 911 call and had �Rotavera� on his name tag. It, was, of course his son!
Tom, myself and Marc Kaufman briefly played together in a band that didn�t last too long. Tom was also in Boy Scout Troop 104 that my father, Jesse, served in as Scoutmaster for many years.
Andy Newman � Kew Gardens (1947-1973)
[To contact Andy Newman, click here]
May 5, 2007
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Regards
Roger Sabo
[To contact Roger Sabo, click here]
May 5, 2007
Hi Joe:
As you know I lived in both Silver Towers and Court Plaza. I lived in ST in the early 70's and my apartment (1521) was in fact in that "wing" that doesn't show. When Court Plaza was finished in 1974 I moved in as the first tenant on the 18 th floor. As a point of reference we had a mini blackout that summer and I had to walk up 18 floors to feed my cat and walk down 18 floors. I had a beautiful apartment in both buildings but ST was much more active as far as a social life. I also hung out in Part I which was in the street level of ST and access was thru the street from QB or thru the building (back door) via the professional offices entrance.
Does anyone remember Shelly Chevlow the bail bondsman or Morty the owner of Part I and the coffee shop on the corner. In the building we had many attorney offices including the infamous Mel Lebetkin and Marvin Kornberg. I have wonderful memories of my days in ST and Court Plaza.
Bonni from Forest Hills
PS My Reunion for FHHS Classes of the 60's is coming along great and if anyone graduated between 1960 and 1967 get in touch thru the links Joe has so graciously posted for me.
May 1, 2007
I graduated PS99 in 1958 and lived in Kew Gardens from birth until 26 years old. We lived on Metropolitan Avenue and later moved to Beverly Road. I attended the viewing of Robert Lieberman�s documentary and had a very different feeling about growing up in Kew Gardens. My parents were not Holocaust survivors or immigrants from Germany. Kew Gardens was a unique village and it replicated growing up in a small town. PS99 was like a private school where the teachers knew you and your extended families. Childhood in Kew Gardens was a special happy time where friendships were made that have lasted a lifetime.
Anyone who graduated PS99 in the class of 58 is welcome to contact me. Our class had a reunion in the city about two years ago. We had alumni from Arizona, California, Mass. Vermont, New Jersey, Philadelphia, NY. Attend. It was wonderful seeing childhood friends and neighbors again.
Linda Bein Savid
[To contact Linda Bein Savid, click here]
May 1, 2007
The Silver Towers pictures; to begin with when you look toward Queens Boulevard from Kew Gardens Road at 83rd. Avenue, aren't you looking 'down'?
Forget that because I'm very much more confused about the 1961 photo showing the super structure of the Silver Towers and what should have been nothing between that and the school yard!
To my memory the land between the 'old' school yard and the Silver Towers remained empty until Nat Kalikow built the Court Plaza with the new elevated school yard and additional class rooms for the school!
How could the Court Plaza super structure be in the '61' shot when it wasen't built until '74'?
I mean, something is really wrong here or I'm living in the Twilight Zone!
I'm sure there's a simple exlanation.
It might be that it's an optical illusion, and that what I think is another building is actually a wing to the Silver Towers - if that's the case I stand corrected.
A. Linsky
[To contact Al Linsky, click here]
Editor's Note: Al, your guess is correct. The foreground structure in the 1961 image is a wing of Silver Tower that is blocked from view in the 2007 photograph which was taken from further up the block. You are also correct that I should have said "down" rather than "up." I have already made the change.
May 1, 2007
For Gaby Libbey:
Such a joy to get your message in the guestbook, Gaby. The name of the lady who "manned" the switchboard at the Aufbau was Friedel Schwed 9 possibly a misspelling). The phone number was TR3-7400; I remember these numbers from decades ago but forget where I parked my car two hours ago! There were some fascinating personalities at Aufbau: did you know Tino von Eckart, Alfred Prager, Werner Wohl, Ludwig Wronkow, Ralph Cerini, Elsie Frank, etc? I hope that we can be in touch by phone and share in this public spotlight some riveting anecdotes.
Ron
[To contact Ron, click here]
May 1, 2007
Hello!
Fred. L. and Gloria Strauss
[To contact Fred. L. and Gloria Strauss, click here]
May 1, 2007
Hello,
I enjoyed your web site tremendously. I attended The Queens School for 1 year in 1957-58 (I was in the 3rd grade) and it was very memorable. Your site brought back memories. I remember well a friend in that class named Lois. Also remember going to the Y to swim once a week, and sledding in the park in the winter during recess, and learning about the 1957 Little Rock race riots. It was a great school which unfortunately I could not attend after that one year.
Jay Keller
Sunnyvale, California
[To contact Jay Keller, click here]
May 1, 2007
Someone once told me that Tommy Rotavera was killed in Nam. Can someone please clear up this information. If alive, what is he doing now?
Linda Widder Wiesner
[To contact Linda Widder Wiesner, click here]
Posting Messages Here
May 1, 2007
[Ed.'s Note: The reason each guest book posting does not appear here immediately is that I review each message individually before posting to eliminate spam or unwanted adult content. Email me if you want to make a correction to a message you have already posted or if you would like a message removed.]
How to contact Guestbook signers
Some Guestbook signers choose not to publish their email addresses. If you wish to contact one of them, send me an email identifying the guestbook signer you wish to contact and giving me the date his or her message was posted. Your email to me must contain your full name, and may also include anything else you wish to tell the signer. I will forward your email to the Guestbook signer you wish to contact, but with no cc or bcc to you. It will be the signer's decision whether or not to make contact with you. Any emails which contain spam, adult content, or appear suspect for any other reason will not be forwarded. ~The Editor.