Fall in the East Bay

steelisreal: 22nd Oct 2006 - 13:56 GMT

oh how i love the bay area.... *sigh* i miss it so much.

joey: 22nd Oct 2006 - 23:07 GMT

we just had our annual, autumn, 'red flag' fire warning days. a mixture of very low humidity, hot temps and gusty winds - lucky for us no fires this time. october 19th was the 15th anniversary of the deadly oakland hills fire storm.

scott hall : 17th Aug 2008 - 03:36 GMT

lil joey bridge do you remember me? hows your sisters i moved out in the 80s

joseph bridge: 19th Aug 2008 - 13:29 GMT

hey scott, i'm doing fine. man its been a long time..wow. my family is doing fine. we are all married w/kids except for denise. how are you doing. also where do you live now. it would be great to continue corresponding on this blog. i can't type for shit though.

scott hall : 19th Aug 2008 - 17:11 GMT

dam its been 26 years im not maried (was once wont do that again) i got 5 kids 4 girls and 1 boy ages from 2 to 17 ya you where the astroid king i live in central NY still man i have thought about shit we did for years halfys stick ball just hanging out what u up too ware u work and live i tried to find ure phone number i cant type or spell didnt go far in the school area

scott hall : 19th Aug 2008 - 22:11 GMT

roland lees hay do you have my colledge football sheets you would bring them to my house every week lived at 639 wishart you would brobly remember my bro Ed Hall one of terrors of the naborhood back then

E. Lees: 20th Aug 2008 - 21:59 GMT

Hi Janice Seifert. I remember your brother "Joey". He was younger than us, but we let him hang out. How's he doing?
I can't believe you still work in Kensington. The last time I was down there I went for a tour with Jack Miller...he took his police service revolver for protection. At least they cleaned the needles out of the park...that's the reason I left there in '73 for central PA. I had a one year old son at the time and I knew he wouldn't be growing up in the same type of neighborhood I remembered if we had stayed. It took a while for most of the essential Philly food to arrive out here. The last missing item was the pretzels (that I sold as a boy but for 1 cent each). Two Philly pretzel shops opened up about a hour from me last month!!!

Jackie Stanley: 23rd Aug 2008 - 13:45 GMT

"I lived in Kensington, in the 80's, On 3000 block of Rorer & Clearfielf, I can remember the nights there, where you couldn't hear a peep at night, you talk about quiet, it sure was. walking to the store on the corner which was Christie's was a pleasure, we use to sit out at all time of the night with my neighbors and just talked away. Now when I went down to kenso, I just can't believe my eyes, There are ppl getting shot, drugs, and anything else you want there. I was one of the lucky ones, sold my house just in time, before any of my family members got killed. When 1 night we were sitting out on the step my neighbor got shot in the side, that was it for me, I would really know why ppl comes into a neighborhood in this case was really nice at the time, comes in start selling drugs, ruining the houses, and anything else they can think of, when they are trying to improve there lives, but it goes down so fast. because of this. We loved it in Kensington, I was proud to live there. Not Now.Will never go there again.!!!!!!!

anon (c-68-42-16-229.hsd1.pa.comcast.net): 3rd Sep 2008 - 05:47 GMT

does anyone know the plotchers that lived on ormes street at tioga? I knew them when I was little.

rick: 3rd Sep 2008 - 19:06 GMT

i grew up in kensigton area as well on willard and frankford its a shame im 35 years old i moved away in 1984 i live at the shore with 2 kids i took them to my old neighborhood and they cant beleave i lived there .....ahhhhh the memories of willard st like many of us ...stick ball halfies to 3 telephone 2 hand touch football (middle pole 1 st down) wall ball .....lost for ever but not forgoton.........

Searching Kensington: 3rd Sep 2008 - 20:34 GMT

I never lived in Kensington but my father did live there on and off. I was told that he had an exwife and two children. I have been trying very hard to find anyone who may have known him. His name was Charles Wardino, most people called him Chickie..He was a disabled Army Vet. and would have been about 74. His children would probably be in their forties, I was born 1960. I would love to hear from anyone who knew him or knew of him. Thanks for your help.. I can be reached by email at roadkg97@yahoo.com Thanks again...Rich

C, B and Ontario: 3rd Sep 2008 - 22:53 GMT

It is great to read all of those who remember how we grew up and how things used to be. It brings back tons of great memories, I moved out of the area once I lost one of the best people I ever met Robbie Burns, I was just tired of loosing friends and I would not allow my children grow up in the turmoil in the neighborhood. I did come back a few years later to sell my parents house and I was told by one of the natives that was currently living there "you don't belong here you better get before it gets dark" I knew at this point I was no longer a part of what I was and use to be. It made me sick, now granted a few years back I would have knocked his teeth out, But I am much better than that now. I would not change anything from where we grew up except a few of the people in the neighborhood. I miss all my friends and the basics of the life we had and the relationships and confidence we had just by saying where we where from. I was fortunate by having friends in every nook of Kensington, either front and ontario, mcveigh, scanlon, mcphearson, cohox, amber, juniata, richmond, it was all cool and a great place to grow up.

Lynnette (Diaz) Madden: 29th Sep 2008 - 00:40 GMT

I had a dream about Webb's Bakery the other night. I woke up dying for one of their butter cookies with the chocolate center drop. I Googled Webb's and this is what I found! OMG--just listening to all of you brings back so many memories. Pimple ball and halfsies. Tossing the old sneakers on the telephone lines. Bottlecaps in the middle of Kip Street. Double Dutch in the St. Hugh playground. Skate hockey in the lower level of Cramp School across from St. Hugh.
* Joe the PretzelMan at Front and Westmoreland (the A&P)
* 24th and 25th Police District where we got our PAL cards--the sweat box that my brother was in once (that I know of)
* The funeral home on the opposite corner of the A&P
* Bill and Joe's groceries on Ontario between Ella and A Streets
* the barbershop on B St just above Ontario
* carnivals at Lighthouse Field
* the Harrowgate carnivals
* the bar at A and Tioga... the local friendly alcoholic was "Spider"
* State store on Front Street--Boone's Farm wine for $1 that included the tax!
* Kiddie City on Erie Avenue
* The Erie bowling alley right near Kiddie City
* Emil's record store on Front St
* Jerry's Shirt Shack on Front St (my uncle Joey worked there)
* The jewelry store on Front St
* Wishart Movies
* Kelly's Korner
* The hardware store on Front and Tioga
* the uniform store on Front St--remember the owner got robbed and she passed out? What were their names?
* Stetson Jr. High?
* Kensington Skate Rink?
* Walking to McPherson Square Library ALONE when in the third grade? When it was safe then.
* American Pants on Frankford Ave? not Kensington, but went there... Still have my Patchouli oil from the '70's!!!
* Levin's?
* Baker Shoe store?
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Names:
The Mike Kelly from Kutztown was a weird feeling. I used to date a Mike Kelly from Howard Street when I was in St Hugh. I know that was not him, as the author is just a kid.
Danny Hartnett from A just below Westmoreland
Greg Wyatt--- did you hang out with Joey Diaz? He lived right next to Mae's candy store across from Stetson.
The Sullivans from Front St.
Mary Graham-- I lived on the corner of Kip and Tioga, which I know is no longer standing. My parents had the dry cleaners. We lived next to the Beerhalter family. I used to play on that hill on B Street, too! It was behind the Gavin house!!! REmember Angel Bonta? She lived at the very corner of Kip and Venago.
I got together with many of the girls from there when we turned 40. That was over 8 years ago. Angel, Chrissy Ward, Chrissy Beerhalter, Sandy Neely, Theresa Buck, Terry Deeney, Barb Gallo, Pat Heaney.....we all used to hang out at Kip and Tioga.
My parents moved us in November of 1975. I went to Cramp for Kindergarten and then to St. Hugh. Two years at Little Flower and two months at Frankford before we moved.
I am so afraid to drive there. I think the only way I would ever attempt to see the old neighborhood is if one of my grandkids ever had to go to St. Christophers, which is now on Erie between B and Front.
My brother used to sell those FRESH PRETZELS, ALL READY PRETZELS!!! He used to deliver the Philadelphia Bulletin, too.
Remember anyone who shined shoes at the bars? My brother did that too!!
I recently came in contact with Kay Huckel, but she never replied to my e-mail. I hope to reconnect with her again. I keep in touch with Sandy Neely and Chrissy Beerhalter.
Many of us left for Jersey. I moved back to PA, but now in the Quakertown area.
I hope to put more on here, but need to run now. MUCHAS gracias for all the memories!!! Kensington was not a bad place to grow up.
buenos dias,
Lynnette

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