I live in this wonderful section of NE Philly that I swear time forgot.
Within this section, I live on a street that was created in 1940. It was in the middle of a corn farm. The previous owner told me she used to run out in the corn field as a little girl and pick corn and throw it in the corn pit they had dug in the backyard (nothing remains of that pit). No lie, this was the only strip of houses, aside from farm houses, up until the mid 1960's.
That's when houses starting popping up everywhere.
And our little strip of houses was in the middle. No sidewalks to speak of. If a car comes down our street, unless they live here, they are probably lost. It's nothing like the Philly people would picture in their minds at the mention of the city.
About two blocks over, our street continues; however, the two are not connected. And the other street is off of a main drag. Hence, whenever I mention my street name, inevitably someone from the area says, "Oh yeah, that's off such and such" to which I reply "No, that's the other street".
So there is my dilemma.
Anything that needs to be delivered or any servicing this house may need is a guarantee that the driver of whatever business will get lost. It happens every ... single ... friggin ... time.
I'm waiting for the phone to ring any second now.
5 comments:
Indeed it is!! This house always has cold pizzas delivered and servicing companies show up an hour late.
Another reason why I would love to move.
Sidenote: you being in Brazil has prompted me to look more into the culture of South America.
I also grew up Oxford Circle in the 50s and 60s and wouldn't change one thing about about - the friends, Tarken Playground, the birth of Roosevelt Mall, the Boulevard just 3 lanes wide in each direction, the neighborhood stores on Castor Avenue. My dad still lives in that same house and I cherish every moment I get to visit. Enjoy it!
Suck it up, sounds like you live in Parkwood. Great place before Franklin Mills. I grew up in Oxford Circle and my Grandparents both sets had houses in Parkwood/Englewood. The taste of a cold Schmidt's at Libery Bell Racetrack on a Summer Night and a Parkwood Bar Pizza. Thank Ed Bacon, for the design of the streets up there. On the good side, it makes it tough to find if you don't want to be found.
I grew up on (till i was 11) a street that towards the end of the street had a project for lack of a better word, we ourselves were not of this ilk, but no one and I do mean NO ONE would deliver to our home, if they'd deliver whatsoever, my mom would run out onto the main street a few houses down and wave the driver down. There were shootings and everything all the time down our street. When my parents bought their dream house, there was just 6 houses on the street (dead end) and it seemed the perfect place to raise a family. HA! It became all of our worst nightmares as the prodigy of the mother's in the bad way, would throw rocks at our windows, steal my dad's gas, throw diapers in our storm door or in the backseat of my dad's car (we didn't lock it in those days) and would beat the snot out of my sister and I because we were the haves and them the nots...they would never believe we owned our property ya see, they felt we must be blowing someone in parlament to acquire a fine house like ours and so, they would never get off our property or out of our garage.
neil16w - Oxford Circle. Some parts are still okay but some I wouldn't be around after the sun goes down. Do you recall the pool/small amusement park that was between Levick and Cottman?
anon- suck it up? Um, okay. Not sure why, but okay. Schmidt's? Liberty Bell Race? Holy cats!
Many a born and raised NE Philadelphian can smile at those words and think "Ohhhhh yeahhhhhhh!"
Rowan - Yikes! Lovely area you grew up in from the sounds of it. That might explain where you got a lot of your, for lack of a better word, spunk.
I grew up in a dead zone. Not rich and not poor and not even middle class.
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