My youth was split between East New York in Brooklyn and Flushing, Queens. Depending on who I am talking to, I was raised in the Brooklyn projects or the busy streets of Flushing. It’s been many years now since I left my old Brooklyn ‘hood’, but I sometimes think about going back to Starrett City and seeing if the pizza is as delicious as I remember it. Pizza was quite a treat back then when my allowance was $3 a week and a plain slice of pizza cost $1. I hate to date myself, but that also came with a small soda. Ah, times have changed. I would actually love to go and visit one day, but only in the day time… with my husband in the car… with the engine running while I run in and got a slice… to go. I have grown quite soft over the years and my once ‘I ain’t skerred of nuthin’ attitude has been replaced with ‘I am a frightened by everything’ (notice the grammatical improvement with age).
Anyway, though a visit to Brooklyn may not be in the cards in the near future, a trip to my second childhood took place Thursday and what a treat! Flushing has changed SO much that I almost didn’t recognize where I was. First, the train station was so clean. Yes, clean. Upon existing on Roosevelt Avenue at roughly 5:40 PM, I was shocked at all the bright lights, neon store signs and new businesses. Hole in the wall mom and pop shops selling whatchamacallits are now replaced with bakeries, bubble tea shops, bakeries and bubble tea shops. Caldor is gone and now sits a 2 story Duane Reade and an Asian Mini Mall next to it. The building that housed The Gap – the one decent clothing store on that block when I was growing up is now demolished. Not sure what they are building there, but I am going to guess either a bakery or bubble tea shop.
I was so excited by my surroundings that I whipped out my camera and started taking random photos as if I was visiting some far off place I would not see again. Well, until I realized I was in FLUSHING and put my camera back safely in my bag. I have been pick pocketed on the very street I was standing on and I may not be the wisest person, but I am smart enough not to let that happen again.
(Roosevelt Avenue)
All in all, I had a lot of fun on Main Street and got little knick knacks at Busy Bee, drank me some bubble tea and had dinner Minnie’s Shabu Shabu with my dear friend Amy. I don’t know if our dinner or bubble tea was necessarily exceptional, but nostalgia and the company made the evening extra awesome.
