Original Message:

From: cliff florowitz (bklynboy182@yahoo.com)
Date: 07/20/2007

Grew up on Vermont St between Dumont and Blake; moved to
Miller Ave between Dumont/Blake in 1958. Went to PS  182,
then JHS 149, then Stuyvesant, because Jefferson was really
going downhill by 1961. My wife was a Jefferson grad in'68,
though she lived in the Boulevard projects. Escaped from ENY
in Dec 63. Escaped is the right word, because by then  ENY
had become really crime-ridden; sad. I remember Mrs. Levy's,
and the various deli's around the neighborhood: Van Siclen
under the el; corner of Pennsylvania and Livonia; corner of
Penn. and Blake. Pushcarts on Blake Ave from Penn heading
west. Fortunoff's was under the el on Livonia, and the place
to buy toys, housewares, records, etc. Anyone remember the
Green Line bus to Rockaway? How about the vegetable farms on
Linden Blvd before the projects and the dairy farm on
Vermont St below Linden? There was also the Dutch Church on
New Lots. We can't leave out Mrs. Maxwell's bakery on
Atlantic Ave and Vermont. Anyone out there who remembers Mrs
Lopez (music/5th grade  teacher) from Ps 182? How about Mrs
Klein, kindergarten teacher at  182?

My father and uncle had a luncheonette on the corner of New
Lots and Alabama. It was called Richies. It was the
neighborhood hangout at night complete with juke box etc.
The music during the 50's and early 60's for the 'older
crowd' was the mambo and cha cha cha. The beverage of choice
was the egg cream and lime rickey. Those were good days in a
good neighborhood that went downhill very fast.

East New York turned into a slum in only a few years. In
1960 it was a good neighborhood, by 1966 it was one of the
worst areas in NYC.

Someone wrote a book about ENY's decline. The book is "How
East New York Became a Ghetto" by Walter Thabit. He is a
real left-winger but his description of the rapid decline of
ENY is scary. He blames everyone but the 'new" people who
moved in and destroyed their own neighborhood. How come when
the Italians and Jews lived there it was a safe
neighborhood?

http://www.villagevoice.com/books/0334,giuffo,46400,10.html

http://www.amazon.com/How-East-York-Became-Ghetto/dp/0814782663

I used to live on Pennsylvania ave between Liberty And
Glenmore from 1965 to 1972 I used to go to Maxwells bakery
all the time. I went to Thomas Jefferson High for 1 year
then transferred to Automotive High where I graduated from.

Born and raised in New Lots. Everything in the book is true.
 I lived in hell during the 70-80-and mid 90's before Rudy
came and saved the day.  Rudy is resposible for ENY coming
back.  Rudy came to New Lots, saw major problems and did
something about it. Not Dinkins, not Koch, nobody...