It's been said that New York City is a changing scene...
Business establishments come and go, and so do buildings of all kinds. But one's memories can live on long after the old landmarks are gone.
In fact, one of my best memories of growing up in the Bronx is that of the old Whitestone Drive-In. This was a large outdoor drive-in movie theater which was located near the intersection of Bruckner Boulevard and Brush Avenue. Every evening at sundown people could drive their cars into the open lot, pull up by one of the many poles which had a speaker attached to it, take the speaker from its mount and place it inside the vehicle. You could also mount it on the driver's door after you roll down your window. This was how you could hear the movie.
I do not recall the drive-in as having any special features other than a no frills snack stand. The snack stand didn't offer much in the way of food. All I remember is the popcorn. My dad would bring back a bucket full of popcorn, but it was dry and bland and butterless. Nowadays, however, except for maybe in small Midwestern towns or down south, drive-in movie theaters are probably a thing of the past.
Anyhow, I recall how, as a kid, maybe twice each summer, my parents would take me to the drive-in to see a movie. We'd exit Bruckner Boulevard and enter the lot. It would be filling up with cars. My dad would hook up a speaker and set it along his door after he rolled down his window. Then we had to wait for it to get dark enough for the film to start.
The drive-in's screen was huge. And if anyone remembers, when you would travel along the southbound lanes of the Hutchinson River Parkway in the direction of the Whitestone Bridge, for a brief minute you could turn your head to the right and see the movie screen off in the distance. Motorists and their passengers could actually see a tiny portion of what was playing. It was a lot of fun as well to go to the drive-in and watch a movie in the privacy of your car. For me and my parents, as it was for many folks back then, going to the Whitestone Drive-In was a tradition. It was a landmark that's now gone.
In addition, after the movie was over, it was always a special treat to go to the Howard Johnson's restaurant, which was directly across Bruckner Boulevard from the drive-in. I understand that the Howard Johnson's restaurant is also long gone. But back in the early 1960s, my mom and dad would take me there for a late night ice cream sundae. My favorite was a couple of scoops of chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup covered in whipped cream with a cherry on top. My parents, however, almost always opted for a New York classic: Pie À la mode. This was simply a hefty wedge of fresh apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Howard Johnson's was famous for their ice cream, and their pies were considered top of the line.
Then, when it was time to return to our apartment, my parents and I hoped that our modest lone Fedder's air conditioner that was wedged in one of our windows, was able to cool off the apartment enough so that sleep was possible.
As with many New York City residents who lived in tenements, surviving the heat and humidity of summer was a big undertaking. Fans, cold showers and glasses of ice water helped. This would also include slow walks on sweltering evening to the local Carvel Ice Cream store or to the neighborhood soda fountain. And if you were fortunate, like I was, your family owned at least one small to medium size air conditioner. This was life in my New York.
D.B.
In fact, one of my best memories of growing up in the Bronx is that of the old Whitestone Drive-In. This was a large outdoor drive-in movie theater which was located near the intersection of Bruckner Boulevard and Brush Avenue. Every evening at sundown people could drive their cars into the open lot, pull up by one of the many poles which had a speaker attached to it, take the speaker from its mount and place it inside the vehicle. You could also mount it on the driver's door after you roll down your window. This was how you could hear the movie.
I do not recall the drive-in as having any special features other than a no frills snack stand. The snack stand didn't offer much in the way of food. All I remember is the popcorn. My dad would bring back a bucket full of popcorn, but it was dry and bland and butterless. Nowadays, however, except for maybe in small Midwestern towns or down south, drive-in movie theaters are probably a thing of the past.
Anyhow, I recall how, as a kid, maybe twice each summer, my parents would take me to the drive-in to see a movie. We'd exit Bruckner Boulevard and enter the lot. It would be filling up with cars. My dad would hook up a speaker and set it along his door after he rolled down his window. Then we had to wait for it to get dark enough for the film to start.
The drive-in's screen was huge. And if anyone remembers, when you would travel along the southbound lanes of the Hutchinson River Parkway in the direction of the Whitestone Bridge, for a brief minute you could turn your head to the right and see the movie screen off in the distance. Motorists and their passengers could actually see a tiny portion of what was playing. It was a lot of fun as well to go to the drive-in and watch a movie in the privacy of your car. For me and my parents, as it was for many folks back then, going to the Whitestone Drive-In was a tradition. It was a landmark that's now gone.
In addition, after the movie was over, it was always a special treat to go to the Howard Johnson's restaurant, which was directly across Bruckner Boulevard from the drive-in. I understand that the Howard Johnson's restaurant is also long gone. But back in the early 1960s, my mom and dad would take me there for a late night ice cream sundae. My favorite was a couple of scoops of chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup covered in whipped cream with a cherry on top. My parents, however, almost always opted for a New York classic: Pie À la mode. This was simply a hefty wedge of fresh apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Howard Johnson's was famous for their ice cream, and their pies were considered top of the line.
Then, when it was time to return to our apartment, my parents and I hoped that our modest lone Fedder's air conditioner that was wedged in one of our windows, was able to cool off the apartment enough so that sleep was possible.
As with many New York City residents who lived in tenements, surviving the heat and humidity of summer was a big undertaking. Fans, cold showers and glasses of ice water helped. This would also include slow walks on sweltering evening to the local Carvel Ice Cream store or to the neighborhood soda fountain. And if you were fortunate, like I was, your family owned at least one small to medium size air conditioner. This was life in my New York.
D.B.
