Monday, August 18, 2008

Coney Island And Those Endless Summer Nights

My memories of growing up in the Coney Island Projects sit so clearly in my mind. Warm Summer days at the beach with a bunch of great friends, horsing around, getting thrown in the ocean, sitting and sunning with those visors of course and the baby oil with iodine....watching 'the guys' playing slapball, or basketball in the cheese box...handball courts...hanging on the swings...the sprinklers .....then at night we would all come down to the "big" park all showered nice and fresh ready for the night of hanging out sitting on our benches...or by the flagpole, everyone was there and everyone talked to everybody...among other things that I won't mention....Tuesday nights up on the boardwalk, go to Larry and Vinny's for a slice and a Mountain Dew...put a quarter (?) in the jukebox and sing along with the music....go out watch the best fireworks, more horsing around...hanging out...some serious talks too between friends...Lets not forget the 'Y'...Friday Night "lounge" listening to music, playing bumper pool, dancing, talking, live bands (if you want to call them that). The basketball games we went to, the bus rides to those basketball games.....great memories....Surprise Lake, Brickman Hotel....just to name a few. I have such great memories, didn't need to go far, we just had to walk down stairs, be a few feet away from the beach and the park where we all just hung out and needed nothing but our friends to have a good time. As the song goes...those were the best days of my life...back in the summer of "69....but before that as well...great, great unforgettable memories. You had to be there!!!!
Jodie Degen Capezza
08/18/2008

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