64th/ Amsterdam, Remember the stores? by Julio Rodriguez

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28-JUL-2001

64th/ Amsterdam, Remember the stores?

Per Rita Donaghy: 1. Lawler's Bar that then became Century Bar & Grill - 2. Cushman's Bakery which later became a Pizza Parlor. 3. Larry's Shoes 4. Fred and another man's name small convenience-type store (ice cream, penny candies, various food items) 5. Apartment building that Robert Bressan lived in 6. Rand's Supermarket that then became Pioneer Supermarket 7. Hand Wash - Dry Cleaner 8. Ederle's Butcher Shop
9. Coffee Shop

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westsidegirl		02-Nov-2003 16:28
These are great pics. I grew up in this area and lived at 174 West 65 Street all of my life until I got married in 1956. 174 was directly across the street from Ederle's ( relatives of Gertrude Ederle, first woman to swin the English Channel); Larry's Shoe Store, Fred's Grocery, the Roxy restaurant(on the corner of 65th and Amsterdam; Cushman's bakery, and Lawler's on the corner of 64th. The good pizza you're thinkg about was in LaGray's(spelling?). Johnny Bresson was a close friend of mine(Robert's older brother); they also had an older sister, Marie. Thanks for sharing.

Rita		05-Aug-2001 14:50
Hi Bonnie, I am certain that Larry's Shoe Store was after Cushman's. In my early years of grammar school I used to go in with a couple of girl friends and we would convince Larry that we had permission to be there and if we found high heels that we liked we would buy them. All we ever did was walk around the store in high heels and check them out in the floor mirrors which drove the man nuts. As for the barber shop, you are probably right.

Bonnie Englett		04-Aug-2001 04:31
My memories are essentially the same as yours, Rita, with just a few exceptions. Where you have Larry's Shoes, I remember a pharmacy. It may have changed to Larry's after I left NYC in Feb., 1963. Likewise, I remember a barber shop where you show the Coffee Shop. It probably also changed after I left NYC. My father and brother used to get their haircuts there and my brother, Richard, used to shine shoes there with his shoeshine kit, like Mary used to do at Lawler's. There used to be a combination butcher shop and fresh vegetable store to the left of Pioneer. The butcher's name was Frank, if I remember correctly. I can't remember the vegetable man's name. When Pioneer expanded, it took in the vegetable store, which became the produce section of Pioneer, and the vegetable man went to work for them. I can't remember if the butcher half of the store located to the left of the vegetable part was annexed or not, but I don't think so. Could the Ederle's Butcher Shop that you show in the number 8 position be the same one as I remember to the left of Pioneer? Does anyone remember the vegetable man's name? Also, if anyone is interested, the building where Robert Bressan and Isidore Patapis lived was 108 Amsterdam Ave. Thanks for remembering all the names of the stores etc. The only names I could remember were Cushman's and Pioneer. For some reason, I remember more about what the stores were rather than their names. I would love to see a list of the stores that used be on the east side of Amsterdam Ave. between 63rd and 64th Sts. across from where I lived. I know that a bar was on the corner (McGirr's) and next to it was a drugstore/fountain/newspaper stand where we used to buy comic books. Somewhere on the block was general food store and a bar that sold delicious pizza and some kind of fountain/food place was on the corner at 63rd. where you could buy sno-cones. If anyone has more memories would love to see them posted.---Bonnie

Julio Rodriguez		31-Jul-2001 01:38
Thank you Rita, I walked that street countless number of times, you bring back many memories with your remembrances.

Rita		30-Jul-2001 19:29
Ok. With a little help from my friends: Joe, Janet, Mary and Rafael, following are what we remember on the west side of Amsterdam Ave. from 64 to 65 Streets: 1. Lawler's Bar that then became Century Bar & Grill - NOTE: Mary started her first career there with a shoe shine box. She was an adorable 6 or 7 year-old and her spit shines were also very popular at McGirr's Bar & Grill diagonally across the street from Century. 2. Cushman's Bakery which later became a Pizza Parlor. 3. Larry's Shoes 4. Fred and another man's name small convenience-type store (ice cream, penny candies, various food items) 5. Apartment building that Robert Bressan lived in 6. Rand's Supermarket that then became Pioneer Supermarket 7. Hand Wash - Dry Cleaner 8. Ederle's Butcher Shop 9. Coffee Shop Nos. 7 and 8 may be in reverse order Are we correct?