You bring back so many memories of our twelve years on 57th Street in Sunset Park, just a few doors down from you. We moved there in 1981, when Jeffrey was an infant. The New York Times advertised a brownstone tour there, and a few weeks later we were in contract to buy our first house, for under $45,000! Sunset Park was less desirable than the neighborhoods it was sandwiched between, Park Slope and Bay Ridge, but was affordable. Neighbors were shocked to see open windows, telling us that they had never seen an open windows in the house before we arrived. There were roaches galore and mice feces in every corner.
On moving day we called an exterminator, who winced when he stepped inside, and said there was no way to do what needed to be done in one day. He advised against moving in with a baby, and suggested we tackle one room at a time and dig ourselves out. What to do? No family in town. I knocked on the door of our lovely neighbor, president of the block association, the only person I met before the move. I explained our situation and asked if we three could move into their house until the exterminator gave us the go-ahead. She didn't know what to say at first, but then welcomed us with open arms. We moved our queen size mattress under her dining room table, and slept there for days.
I joined the Brownstone Restoration Committee, and learned a lot about restoring brownstones, and sometimes neighbors assisted in some of the projects. After twelve years the house was exactly the way we wanted it to look, but it was also time to move on. We moved with our three boys back to the suburbs of Long Island, where we were raised. And where do the boys live with their families today? In NYC!!!
IMO there's no houses like an older house that might even be smaller...but huge with memories and love. I have lived in this house I am in right now for most of my life, living with and carrying for my elder parents. My sibling turned out to not be the loving daughter and sibling we thought. She hated all of us and moved to FL where she got divorced some 20 years ago. In the past couple years I lost both mom and dad who were 100+ and never expecting my sibling to be the way she apparently is the will was not updated to make sure the home became mine. I was even willing to share it with her which I'm sure gave her a good laugh. I hope to be able to afford somehow to stay here. I cherish the house even more now, and have contemplated painting the cabinetry as it was in mom and dad's first house...Pink. I hope to create an estate plan that allows for others, both human and canine to enjoy the house as I have.
Oh Robin, how heartbreaking! It's one of the hardest things to wrap your head around that families can be so loving and cruel at the same time! I hope you and the house with all it's memories stay together! Let me know
Very moving, Pat, as evidenced by the comments. I always dislike knowing that people can view something as personal as the rooms in your home on Zillow, but it's nice that you got another peek at your childhood desk. It must have been quite a surprise to see that!
I hear you. I feel like it's always seeing the house at it's worse instead of at its best filled with life. This has been a longer piece centered on my family's house and what it had looked and felt like to have grown up in it but it just wouldn't gel.
You bring back so many memories of our twelve years on 57th Street in Sunset Park, just a few doors down from you. We moved there in 1981, when Jeffrey was an infant. The New York Times advertised a brownstone tour there, and a few weeks later we were in contract to buy our first house, for under $45,000! Sunset Park was less desirable than the neighborhoods it was sandwiched between, Park Slope and Bay Ridge, but was affordable. Neighbors were shocked to see open windows, telling us that they had never seen an open windows in the house before we arrived. There were roaches galore and mice feces in every corner.
On moving day we called an exterminator, who winced when he stepped inside, and said there was no way to do what needed to be done in one day. He advised against moving in with a baby, and suggested we tackle one room at a time and dig ourselves out. What to do? No family in town. I knocked on the door of our lovely neighbor, president of the block association, the only person I met before the move. I explained our situation and asked if we three could move into their house until the exterminator gave us the go-ahead. She didn't know what to say at first, but then welcomed us with open arms. We moved our queen size mattress under her dining room table, and slept there for days.
I joined the Brownstone Restoration Committee, and learned a lot about restoring brownstones, and sometimes neighbors assisted in some of the projects. After twelve years the house was exactly the way we wanted it to look, but it was also time to move on. We moved with our three boys back to the suburbs of Long Island, where we were raised. And where do the boys live with their families today? In NYC!!!
I forgot about you moving in with the neighbors! Can you imagine that happening again? Our kids were so extremely lucky
IMO there's no houses like an older house that might even be smaller...but huge with memories and love. I have lived in this house I am in right now for most of my life, living with and carrying for my elder parents. My sibling turned out to not be the loving daughter and sibling we thought. She hated all of us and moved to FL where she got divorced some 20 years ago. In the past couple years I lost both mom and dad who were 100+ and never expecting my sibling to be the way she apparently is the will was not updated to make sure the home became mine. I was even willing to share it with her which I'm sure gave her a good laugh. I hope to be able to afford somehow to stay here. I cherish the house even more now, and have contemplated painting the cabinetry as it was in mom and dad's first house...Pink. I hope to create an estate plan that allows for others, both human and canine to enjoy the house as I have.
Oh Robin, how heartbreaking! It's one of the hardest things to wrap your head around that families can be so loving and cruel at the same time! I hope you and the house with all it's memories stay together! Let me know
Very moving, Pat, as evidenced by the comments. I always dislike knowing that people can view something as personal as the rooms in your home on Zillow, but it's nice that you got another peek at your childhood desk. It must have been quite a surprise to see that!
I hear you. I feel like it's always seeing the house at it's worse instead of at its best filled with life. This has been a longer piece centered on my family's house and what it had looked and felt like to have grown up in it but it just wouldn't gel.
This is such a sweet post, Pat. Got me a little misty 🥲 The line about keeping your sons safe from harm, beautiful. ❤️
They claim that time outs and groundings were so much better in it