Visit the City of Memory
From our colleagues at City Lore & Place Matters:
As we celebrate the first month’s anniversary of our launch, we’ve come to think of cityofmemory.org almost as a giant brain, encompassing memory and humanity in ways that constantly surprise the visitor. Like synapses, the stories and memories are accessed instantly in multiple ways.
This month’s featured story highlights Abe Lass, the late piano player of the silent movies, who died several years ago at the age of 93. He had one of the great City Lore minds. A former principal of Abraham Lincoln High School in Brighton Beach, he shared with us many of his stories about “baking a mickey” in vacant lots in Brooklyn, and his taped collection of dirty Yiddish jokes. Starting his career at the age of 16, and living till 93, many considered him the last surviving silent movie piano player.
Our featured tour follows Rita Kagan, community organizer and overall maven of the Russian Jewish community of Brighton Beach, as she gives an insider’s tour of sites such as the Saint Petersburg Trade House, M & I International Foods, and the famous Brighton Beach Boardwalk, introducing us to a collection of eclectic Russian locals and traditions.
We want to thank all of you who have contributed stories to the site. Visitors to City of Memory can now access cherished reflections such as Valerie Leiman’s recollection of her time spent in the Queens movie houses. Along with the growing number of Manhattan’s shut-down establishments featured on Kathryn Adisman’s Going Going Gone tour, the theaters remain in the hearts of present New Yorkers. Several people, including Jackie Sheeler, have chosen to capture memory in poems. Eugene Schlanger, uses poetry to reflect on September 11th. While Michael Cirelli highlighted the Brooklyn Bridge as an extraordinary place, Linda Lerner emphasized the importance of The Gates art installation in Central Park. The theme of New York as home and heart endures throughout the rhymes of J.S., the lyric of a pre-school by Madeline Tiger, the childhood games of Lee Schwartz, and the lives of New York natives, such as Alicia Vasquez, whose lives have been shaped by their city pasts. After all, only through her childhood in New York City did Annie Lanzilottto come to learn “How to Catch a Flyball in Oncoming Traffic.”
Visitors to our site have truly made it a City of Memory, with stories of all kinds: coming-of-age tales such as Seena Liff’s, unexpected dances as experienced by Penny T. Lopez-Cordero, and expected dances as captured by Lonnetta M. Taylor-Gaines. Vera Keller recorded her memorable interactions on the train, while Eric Schwartzman thought back to a day in which he failed to make the Roosevelt Island Tram. City of Memory also features personal stories such as Stephen Garvey’s proposal to his wife and Rob’s experience of coming-out. Several entrances, on the other hand, touch upon shared events such as the city-wide blackout experienced by Phyllis Charney or the cross-cultural event facilitated by Lisa Lipkin and the Scandinavia House. Easter Bonnets, are celebrated by Elaine Norman, and Timo Riess succeeds in linking past and the present. Bill Carroll took special care to commemorate a sculpture studio long-gone but not forgotten. Unsurprisingly, the majority of stories, such as Amy Kargauer’s, serve as reflections upon lives that have slipped away into the past. Lives captured in City of Memory include the cherished childhood of Harry J. W, the schoolyard remembrances of Joe Favorito and friends, a thrilling experience of Stan Raffes’ at the Playland amusement park, Barry Schwartzberg’s reflections on THE PIT, sweet remembrances shared between Martin and Margaret Barker Weiss, Maria Vizzi’s first job, Phil Hoose’s introduction to a radically new style of sport, and Adabella Adon’s own understanding of 14th Street. City of Memory allows Joe Miller the opportunity to remember the very different conditions of the past, just as it allows Stan Solomon the chance to honor the sidewalks of his childhood, Christine to recall the thrilling music of the nineties, Janet Heettner to resurrect a familiar taste, Ruth Lubell to wonder at the delight financed by a pickle, and Janet Heettner to bring into focus the inspiring sights of her city playground – making this a true City of Memory.
We look forward to hearing more of your stories. Spread the word!
Steve Zeitlin
City Lore