Not long ago, I wrote about my memories of Bell Park Gardens, Bayside, NY, asking if anyone also lived there.
To my great surprise, someone replied, my age, who was in a different class in the same grade and school! We've been exchanging memories and brought up the question of what famous people were around with us.
The actress/comedian, Estelle (Gittleman) Getty, of "Golden Girls," was a neighbor, and my mother got her into the Fresh Meadows Community Theater, and the rest is history, as they say. Her son, Paul, was in my class, if I remember correctly.
Ever since Richard Dreyfuss's name entered the news, another much more famous actor, became well-known, I was sure that we grew up together. This was confirmed by Linda, but I can't find anything about his childhood on the internet. ***I just did, but it says that he was born in NY and then...
Born in Brooklyn, New York, he grew up in Beverly Hills, L.A., California from an early age.
even though Linda heard that he was in PS 46 where we studied. Does he skip over the BPG, Bayside part, not as exotic as Beverly Hills?
Another question. Is David Ansen, the "Newsweek" writer one of the very talented Ansen brothers who also grew up in BPG? I remember about three brothers, one was Mark, who ended up skipping two grades.
Bell Park? Is that on Hillside Avenue (around 220th)? I do believe my grandfather is the president of a conservative shul there.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are three "Bell Parks," one Gardens, another Manor and I forget the third name. They all look the same, or did in the 1950's and '60's. BPG is north of your grandfather's. If my memory is correct, it's surrounded by Bell Blvd., 67th Ave., Springfield Blvd. and 73rd, though I may be wrong with the Avenues.
ReplyDeleteAh - my grandparents live in Bell-something Manor. It's on Hillside, right off Springfield. I get where Bell Park is now.
ReplyDeleteI've been there. My father's cousin and family used to live there.
ReplyDeleteTHERE IS ONLY ONE BELL PARK GARDENS, THE OTHER AT HILLSIDE IS IS ACLLED BELL PARK MANOR AND TERRACE. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND RICHARD DREYFUSS DID GROW UP HERE AND TO THIS DAY ESTELLE GETTLEMANS APARTMENT REMAINS IN HER NAME,BUT IS UNOCCUPIED. I SHOULD KNOW,I'M HERE EVERY DAY
ReplyDeleteDo you live there? What's your connection?
ReplyDeleteI was born in bell park gardens. Just yesterday I got the urge to Google it and I came up with a great site that has pictures of the neighborhood from the air during its contruction. You can see bell Blvd before it was widened, and horace harding before it was an expressway. And it indeed shows richard dreyfuss at a PS46 reunion.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.primalux.com/topofthecourt/index.html
http://www.bpg.50megs.com/index.html
I must know you people from shul or somewhere. How do I email you?
When did you live there? I remember when the expressway was being constructed.
ReplyDeleteshilohmuse@yahoo.com
Steve, who are you? Did I know you, too?
ReplyDeleteWhy did you sign in to blogger as "bluff?"
A few facts. We lived in Bell Park Gardens from 1951-1956. We lived on 218th St. Near 73rd Avenue. My brother, Richard, and I went to PS 46. When we moved to California, I was 11, Richard was 8, and my sister, Cathy, was 4. You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about all of us, on the internet.
ReplyDeleteLorin Dreyfuss
Rancho Mirage, Ca.
lorindreyfuss@earthlink.net
Lorin, thanks
ReplyDeleteActually the BPG connection didn't google up, though I saw the pictures of your brother at the reunion with Fred who was in my class.
Your sister must the the same age as my brother.
I was looking for the phone nimber of friends of my parents. I was raised in Bell Park Gardens unitl I was 12 when we moved to the "Old Bayside'.
ReplyDeletePs 46 was my grade school. What I remember most is that Ilived next to a dentist's office. I can still image our apartment and the set up.
I have fond memories of that time. long ago as it was. My parents were one of the many first who lived there.
One of my best friends lived in Old Bayside; I knew her from OJC Hebrew School.
ReplyDeleteI lived a couple of doors away from a dentist named Dr Kurzius, in the 50s
ReplyDeleteI was there for all of the 1950's, from the end of '49 until summer of 1962.
ReplyDeleteI WENT TO PS 46 ABOUT 52-55 HAD MRS WAGENSTEIN AND MRS MARTIN AS TEACHERS I LIVED 224 TH AND 69TH AVENUE.
ReplyDeleteWINDSOR PARK CIRCLE REUNION ALL WO HUNG THERE 62 THRU 69 FRIENDS OF ROY HOIE GARY DONNIE MONA GLEN ANITA MARLENE TONY ETC ETC ETC
Enjoy, and please tell me all about it!
ReplyDeleteI currently live in Bell Park Gardens on 67th near Bell Blvd.
ReplyDeleteMy Grandmother still lives here since the late 50's.
If anyone wants a digital photo of a particular building or location to relive some memories, just post a request, i would be happy to do it while walking around the neighborhood.
-Scott
Thanks Scott,
ReplyDeleteI'll be in NY in a week and haven't stepped foot in BPG for decades, though I did drive by a few years ago. I wonder if I'll have a chance this time.
Hi. I grew up in Bell Park Manor Terrace, which was built 2 years after bell Park Gardens. They were both Post WW2 Veteran's Housing co-ops and I believe the same corporation. I dated a guy named Howie who lived in Bell Park Gardens, but for the life of me I can't remember his last name. If anyone knows him...he'd be about 53 how! He was tall and skinny and pretty cute! I met Richard Dreyfus once and wanted to ask him if he grew up in Bell Park Gardens and he actually said no, he grew up in LA; I was disappointed; one of his movies, Once Around, is one of my favorite movies. My parents who are both 88 still live in BPMT on Springfield between Hillside and Stronghurst Avenues. I live in San Francisco but I am out here for many weeks taking care of my family who is having an old-person crisis.If anyone want to see my web pages or blog which talks about Bell Park go to www.wordpress.auntviolet.com, or www.auntviolet.com. Thanks for posting this blog! Anyone know Howie? I think he was on Bell Blvd.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing. I can't help with re: Howie, sorry, but there's a BPG tab on my sidebar, and maybe you can find out more from clicking it.
ReplyDeleteRichard Dryfuss lived in Bell Park Gardens before moving to LA. His brother wrote to me to confirm it, and he was at a reunion a few years ago. I guess he's just a snob.
I grew up in Bell Park Gardens. building 11. We lived 218-10 68 Avenue where the flag pole was...down towards the circle. My dad was Hi-Joe the ice cream man. He will be celebrating his 95th this birthday June 14, in Hollywood Florida.
ReplyDeleteRichard Dreyfus was in my brother Jerry's boy scout troop and my dad was one of the troop leaders along with Charlie Amira. Those were the good old days for sure. I worked for many years as the school nurse in PS 46 and 5th grade math teacher, Mrs. Diaz subbed there once in a while.
Janis, I certainly remember you and your father!! Please send regards from me. My father passed away just a few months ago, and my mother almost three years ago. I was then Beth Spiegelman.
ReplyDeleteYes I too was at the reunion in which Richard Dreyfus did appear along with his wife at the time. I went to school with Estelle Getty"s son Carl Gettleman that's whee she took her stage name. Gentleman to Getty. The family lived in what was called the circle. It was a great place to grow up. My Aunt was their next door neighbor. I lived in a court on Springfield Blvd in a 41/2 and moved to the court opposite the lots (before house beautiful was built) into a 5 still same number of rooms but it was a duplex with a front and back door.I went to Francis Lewis, worked in colony on 73rd Ave. My middle sister was in the first graduating class at Cardozo. I remember sleigh riding on that land before Queens Community college and Cardozo were built. Lived trough at least two fires in Jahns and bought my airplane and car models at the Dugout. There was a toy store on the same side of the street as Oakland Stationery. Bar Mitzvahed at OJC there so many of us I didn't get a half torah more of a quarter Torah.
ReplyDeleteHi Fred. Remember you. We've been in many classes together
DeleteI hat mrs. Diaz in 4th anad 5th grade. Our room was the Library. Too many of us and not enough rooms. Mrs. Epsten in 6th grade. Entire class made SP. I reneger getting a kite as a prize from your dad Joe the ice-cream man. Her son became a tv reporter Arnold Diaz. Mr. Mcnally was the principal don't remember the AP but he would occasionally play the piano in the auditorium. The principal had a brother Steven Mcanlly who was an actor.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember being in the library, but I'm pretty sure I had Mrs Diaz. For 6th grade I had a Mrs Innerfield or some name like that. She was awful, gave me a zero on a book report because she claimed it was too hard for a 6th grader, so I must have cheated.
ReplyDeleteYou're Fred, aren't you?
Hello, I lived in BPGs as a child. I'm not exactly sure of the year we moved in but it is the first home I remember. I'm guessing that I was 2 or 3, so 1956 or 7. I, too, went to PS 46, for kindergarten and first grade. In 1960, at 7 years old, my parents bought a house in Elmont. I do recall that my mother remained friends with the Berman's. Frannie Berman and I were friends. Several years ago I googled BPGs and ran across a blog by Don Shulman. I click on his photos and was very surprised to see a picture of myself, on my very first day ever in school- kindergarten, 1958. And behind me was Fran Berman! My name then was Beth Friedman.
ReplyDeleteThat's when we lived in BPG. Did you have a brother born in 1949, my age?
ReplyDeletemy email is shilohmuse@gmail.com
Just to be clear. We did live there from about 1950-1956. Neither my brother, sister, parents or me could ever be described as "snobs" -- Sure, good things came our way...but none of us ever forgot those years in BPG.
ReplyDeleteLD
Just to be clear. We did live there from about 1950-1956. Neither my brother, sister, parents or me could ever be described as "snobs" -- Sure, good things came our way...but none of us ever forgot those years in BPG.
ReplyDeleteLD
(or is it "nor I?"
It's not mentioned in your brother's bio. But all the old-timers from the '50s know you guys lived in BPG.
ReplyDeleteI'm in touch with some of my old friends from those days, and we all remember our childhoods in Bell Park Gardens as heaven.
If you ever get to Israel, give me a call.
Hi, just discovered this post/blog. There were mentionings of Joe The Ice Cream Man in comments. I went to the Heller Hebrew Academy which was housed mainly in the Bayside Jewish Center (and originally, in part in the Young Israel of Windsor Park, which is extremely close to the area addressed in this post and in the comments). The were a super kind ice cream man named Joe who I remember coming to the Bayside Jewish Center building every day during recess. Was this the same Joe? He was so nice. I think he treated kids on their birthdays, I remember him treating me.
ReplyDeleteNeil, when did you live in that area? I lived in Bell Park Gardens from late 1949 to summer of 1962.
ReplyDeleteI thought that Bayside Jewish Center was in Old Bayside north of the expressway. Young Israel of Windsor Park's by the two family homes closer to Bell Blvd. And there was the Oakland Jewish Center, closer to Springfield Blvd. I know that the classrooms, originally built for the Hebrew School later on had been rented by a day school.
Joe Bovino was "Hi Joe!" I don't remember anything for free.
Hello! I am from Bayside also, but a little further north. 47th Avenue and 215th Street. I lived in Rocky Hill Terrace until I was 15. My dad had Rocky Hill Auto School. When I was 15 we moved and I was very close to Bayside HS.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you. What years did you live there? Did you know Louise and Amy Rosenstein?
ReplyDeleteI lived in Bayside on Bell Blvd. I went to P.S.46,
ReplyDeleteJunior HS 74 & Martin Van Buren HS
I grew up in BPG from 1949 until 1968. I was very friendly with Jerry Bovino, got ice cream from his father, Joe (who was a wonderful man) and had Mrs. Epstein for my sixth grade teacher, Class 6-2, in 1959. I was Bat Mitzvahed at OJC with Michael Stempler, whose parents owned the bakery at Springfield Blvd., Sherrie’s. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years as an attorney and had the pleasure of meeting Richard Dreyfus’s on several occasions. I am a few years older than him but we did reminisce about P.S. 46 (we had some teachers in common). He was absolutely delightful to speak with but would not introduce me to Steven Spielberg. I remember Janis Bovino (much younger) but I was in junior high (74) with Peter Anson. I think most people who participate in this group chat and those for BPG are younger than me (which, at this stage of life seems to be A LOT OF YOU) but it’s fun reading about where I grew up. One final note, does anyone know the whereabouts of Gail Stevens. She and I went to school together through Francis Lewis H.S., lived near one another forever and was absolutely gorgeous (so much so that I was always scared to death to speak to her).
ReplyDeleteJeff, nice to hear from you. You were a couple of years ahead of me. I'm only in touch with two friends from Bell Park Gardens, Lisa Elian and Margie Gruen who are my age. Lisa's brother Gil is a couple of years older than you.
ReplyDeleteDid you go to Francis Lewis? Did you know my brother Allen?
ReplyDeleteI moved away after the 7th grade, but I would have gone to Francis Lewis. My cousin Harriet did, after 74.
ReplyDelete