MORE BRUNSWICK AVE. MEMORIES

Good Tuesday Morning Guys and Dolls:

As I told you last week, my reader Skip filled my National Milk Chocolate and Brunswick Drugs post with other familiar places that surrounded our neighborhood mostly located on Brunswick Avenue. I’d like to thank Skip for filling in where my mind goes blank. Here’s a list of some of the places with a little JoeyZ comments:

Polonia Polish Restaurant – Not there when I was growing up but read reviews and the ratings are great.

Columbus School – We played baseball there in the summer too. Rubber or tennis balls only too many houses and windows.

Brunswick Sporting Goods – My Dad took me there to buy me my first fishing reel and pole, it was a bait caster and I could never get it to work right for me.

Stanley’s Tavern – Went there with my parents on hot summer nights, they drank beer and I polished off cokes and chips and played the juke box. Of course we had to sit in the ladies room in the back in those days. Came home on leave from the service and went to Stanley’s for those 10 cent beers every time. Long gone now.

D’Agostino’s Men’s Wear – It was originally a Buster Brown Shoe store and they had one of those foot x-ray machines to see how your toes fit inside the shoes. It later became Kushner’s Men’s Shop.

Servus Bakery – I spoke of those finger cakes filled with cream, but I don’t remember walnut lady fingers like Skip said, these were plain with powder sugar only and filled with cream. They also had great cakes, Danish and breads. I went to school with one of the sons.

Top Road Tavern – Great tomatoe pies and fish and chips. Cheap beer too.

Lisook’s Deli – Was the Jewish Deli owned by the two brothers I spoke of earlier, on Sundays they had bags of Kramer’s rolls and bagels in the window. You grabbed what you wanted and brought it to the counter. A hard fresh roll and butter with coffee after Mass could not beat it.

St. Michaels Church – Small but warm feeling Catholic Church.

Top Road Barber Shop – Use to get my hair cuts there, no longer exists now a Chinese restaurant and Realtors Association.

Mercer Savings and Loan – Just like Bailey’s in “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Roe and I got our mortgage there for our first house.

Ianni’s News Stand on Olden Ave. – Cigarettes, newspapers, Playboy magazines and other stuff. I was a frequent visitor as a youth.

Dominick’s Shoe Repair – Real nice elderly Italian guy fixed shoes like a pro and put those cleats in the heals so everyone heard you coming.

Schaffer’s Cleaners – The neighborhood pro’s at dry cleaning and altering. Had to take all of my uniforms there after basic training to get them refitted.

Reither Brother’s Garage on Spruce and Princeton Sts. – I started going there later, two brothers owned it after their father retired. Honest mechanics, don’t know if it’s there anymore.

Well there you go more Brunswick Ave. memories; fun to remember, write and read about. To those who lived there or knew of the area I hope you enjoy reading about the places and days gone by and maybe recall your own neighborhood memories.

Have a wonderful day Speakies.