Growing Up In the 50's in Philly

Posted By
Eileenie, United States
I was born in Phila., PA, in 1944. We lived in a row house in West Oak Lane from the time I was 3 and Mom and Dad divorced. That house belonged to my maternal grandmother. Not many cars back then and so we kids (about 45 of us just on my block) use to play games in the street. My friend Debbie, directly across the street from me, was the first family to get a T.V. Many of us would go to Debbies to watch "Howdy Doody". As the years went on, we would gather at different houses to watch "Micky Mouse Club", and then some years later, "Bandstand". When living in a row house back then, Halloween was the best! Going Trick or Treating landed us at least a large bag of candy, just going to the many houses on my block. We all knew where to go for apple taffys. Until about the middle 60"s, the neighborhood was very safe. My paternal grandparents lived about 5 blocks away and I spent all weekends there as a baby and pre teen. Memories of being with my grandparents are the best memories. My grandfather sold meat from the factorys to the Mom and Pop stores. As a teenager, going to dances etc. We piled into my grandpops truck (much like the vans of today) and he took us to and from what ever event we went to. We sat amoung the hot dogs and salamis that we shared the truck with. Back then, it was great fun. We skated on roller skates (the key kind) and in winter we ice skated at a play ground near by. We all walked to grade school and went home for lunch and then back again. Although we walked almost everywhere, We used the trollys to go out of our immediate neighborhood. Such as the large movie theater. Many Saturday afternoons you would find us at the Renel movie theater. Phila. ice cream was the very best with many small ice cream stores about. While growing up, I was the only kid who had divorced parents. Trying to explain a half brother and step sister to my friends or kids who asked, was difficult to grasp back then because most never heard of such a thing. I am still friends with some of those kids. Debbie, from across the street, visited with me last summer. I have been away from Philly for 36 years now, but It is still my home.