***** BUNGALOW BAR–VS–GOOD HUMOR *****
***** BUNGALOW BAR–VS–GOOD HUMOR *****
As a kid growing up in Brooklyn (1950s-1960s) at 811 Cortelyou Road Apt. 6M—two ice cream “trucks” Bungalow Bar and Good Humor competed on a daily basis for “us” kids’ business. When I think back on those days, I can’t believe that ice cream bars were 5 & 10 cents, pizza was 15 cents a slice, a small coke was a nickel, a hamburger was 20 cents, french fries were a dime, a haircut was 50 cents, for 50 cents you got to watch two movies and three-four cartoon shorts and a gallon of gasoline was going for 20 cents a gallon…I also remember my mother “buying” me and my brother an encyclopedia–one book every week for $1 until the set was completed from the local Waldbaum’s Supermarket. Crazy as it may sound to “youngters” out there- but every couple of blocks, there was a candy store, local market, bar, bakery, diner…back then most families only had 1- car, there were no shopping malls and kids either walked to school or rode the public bus which was 15 cents and the bus driver made change for you. There was no Starbucks-Costcos-Walmarts-Targets-Wendys—but there were plenty of Chock Full O’ Nuts, Nedicks, Ebingers. There were no soda machines that let you mix 100 different Coke flavors, but all of the candy stores had soda fountains and ice coolers which you stuck your hand into- and searched the freezing cold water for the bottle you wanted.
This one is open to everyone.
Tell Jeff Eats of days long past.
Does anybody recall the mouth watering pastrami at the last great deli in Brooklyn: Grabstein’s on Rockaway Pkwy in Canarsie.
Just read your article and you hit the nail on the head with everything you said & appreciate your writing. Oh, and Yes a Coke was a Nickel, but don’t forget for a penny more you could have a cherry Coke…and if you felt rich that day, for quarter you would get your egg cream. đ
Grabsteins in Canarsie was a legendary place. Sadly as with most Jewish delis, they are long gone now
WOW….just found this web site.We weâre talking about bungalow bar and I forgot the shape of their trucks. Chocolate
Pops my fave…PUBLIX chocolate YOGURT frozen is close.
How about MEL O ROLL and those square cones to fit it.10cts
Spinning the stools at the corner luncheonette.not a favorite
with the owner!!STEINS, THEN KNEUKEMS âcandy storeâ in
Cambria Heights/ St.ALBANS QUEENS. A black and white
soda. A FRAPPE (sundae without whipped cream ) 15 cnts.BUS TOKENS. 15 cnts. That âTSSSSHHHâ sound of the
bus doors opening.AIR CONDITIONED BUSSES….ER…NO!!!
Those ice coolers at the candy store (outside) 5 cnts for a
HIRES ROOT BEER OR A NEDICKS,and your frozen hand as
you tried to get a COLD one down deep.
The jukeboxes SEEBURG and WURLITZER. 78 rpm 5 songs
For a qtr,or more. And when it got stuck and repeated the same words over and over the clerk had to come over and give the thing a GENTLE PUSH? What a laugh. And those oh so memorable songs, Little Cloud Johnny Wray,Ebb Tide And
Johnny Mathis and Elvis oh!!!!
ANDREW JACKSON H S. Class of 57. So long ago ….
The NEWS and MIRROR. 2 cnts daily..The candy store got
Hundreds of copies of each EVERY DAY.
People used to ask why those businesses survived. CASH!!!!
When the owners who lived behind and over the stores sent
their kids off to college some asked how come Johnny doesnât
want to take over your dry cleaner???ARE YOU KIDDING????
The kids were smart and the parents didnât want them to work
as hard,So DOCTOR LAWYER you name it.
Speaking of doctors…back in the great 50âs your Grandparents lived to be sixty if they were lucky, and NEVER
was the reason Unkle Murray died EVER DISCUSSED?
Foolish?you bet. Now because these Doctors and the ones
that came after changed all that, we can live longer and more
healthy lives,because we know our history. Back then a Heart
Attack could be a death sentence, now you have a BYPASS,
Get on a treadmill and live to be 90.GOD WILLING.
NOW air the medical staff canât FIX something completely,
they can do things that make your pain manageable , In this
respect the GOOD OLD DAYS werenât THAT GOOD AFTER ALL! Just my way of saying thanks for all the doctors do! !!
Best of all THANKS for this sounding board that we can go
back to times that were carefree and joyful,and THANKS to
all the folks that respond to your writings.I am only sorry I did
not see this YEARS AGO. Hope to hear from others.THANKS!!
Yeah, the ice cream wars. We sang… Bungalow Bar, tastes like tar. Wrap it up and there you are….. The Bungalow Bar driver we had on our block was a young guy. He’d let us hang off the sides of his truck (kids hanging off both sides) and he’d gun it into turns and our feet would fly out. Felt like he was doin’ 30mph but probably not. Still though, none of us kids ever fell off. Probably woulda killed us. That was in late 1950’s Bush Terminal, Brooklyn.