The Sunny Side of 135th Street, 511 to 535

When the "City Father's" laid out the block pattern of the Manhattan Island 135th Street landed up being a double wide street. 125th and 145th Streets were also double wides. They were very commercial areas whereas 135th Street was basically residential. Being that we were on a hill the north side of streets always had abundant sunshine and the south side was always in the shadows. 511 to 535 were on that sunny side of the street.
I'll start off with Jimmy Boylen's recollections of 513:
I would like to share the following memories regarding 513 W. 135st., the building I was literally born in on a cold Jan. night in 1940. Some of the wonderful families who resided there include the Cunningham's, Mr. &Mrs then their was Mary, Eleanor, Noreen and Robert. The Ferick's, Mr. &Mrs. and the three sisters, Margaret, Eileen and Kay. The Norton Family including Mary, Billy and Eddie. You had big John Sullivan and his mother & father. Then there was the Gills, and the two boys Francis and Peter.. Some other families would include the Pomero's, the Browser's and of course our memorable superintendent Bailey and his brother-in-law John and his two sons Moose & Goose. I remember well the fathers on a summer evening sitting on the front stoop smoking their pipes or cigarettes and talking about politics or the "old country."
To that I'll share an anecdote about John Sullivan. A couple of years ago my wife and I were at a fund raiser held at Monmouth Racetrack. I noticed this one tall fellow ambling across the room and I said to myself, I've only seen one person walk like that and it was Mrs. Sullivan from 135th Street. I went over to talk to the fellow and sure enough it was big John Sullivan. He walked just like his mother.  John reminded me that he went to All Hallows after Annunciation on a basketball scholarship and then to Tulane.
I believe that Jimmy Boylan's dad worked at the Manhattan Savings Bank on 47th and Madison. That bank used to install an ice skating rink in the window of the bank every Christmas and at lunch time would put on a show. I recall seeing Mr. Boylan there. No, he wasn't one of the skaters!
Jimmy didn't mention them but he had a brother, Hugh, and two sisters, Margaret and Eileen. He also didn't mention that the Boylen's had frequent visitors from Ireland. One of them, Alice Sherry, a cousin,  is one of my wife's closest girlfriends. What a small world!
Moving down the block I remember the Alfafaras. This is a copy of one of Odette Alfafara's letters:
We lived at 517 on 135th Street. My sister, Carmen, always lived there until she moved to Washington, D.C., for a short while, then married Bob Leach (from Kentucky) who has since passed away. They lived in the Bronx, then Medford, Long Island. Growing up, Carmen dated Tommy Rehill who had a brother, Vinny. Carmen now lives in Cape Carteret, North Carolina.
My oldest brother, Jerry, also lives in Buena Park, CA. He was friends with Sonny Grasso. Always have enjoyed the "French Connection" and "The Seven-Up" knowing Sonny Grasso was a part of all this.
Regarding, my sister, Angie, and Bill Devlin - sadly, Bill passed away April 2006. His younger brother, Jimmy, passed away approximately two years later. Bill's oldest brother Buddy passed away many years ago. The youngest,his sister, Mary, also lives in California. Angie still lives in Buena Park, California, which has been her home with Bill since 1963. She is familiar with more people from the neighborhood than I am. She is not on the computer. I have printed some of your blogs and have sent them to her.


 I don't remember anyone from 519 and perhaps, gladly so. The building burned down and has since been rebuilt. Interested in moving back to the old neighbor hood? Take a look at this: (I clipped it out of a New York Times real estate column a few  years ago. Unforutatlely, I can't get it to enlarge by clicking on it)


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521 was loaded with kids. The Magners were there, Mr.Matt and Mrs. Anne. There were four boys, Paddy, Gerry, Jimmy and Tommy. Sadly, Paddy and Gerry have passed. I still get together with Jimmy and I'm in trouble. I didn't take Jimmy's picture and the reunion. He wasn't the only one I missed and he is not the only one who reminded me of not gettting their picture. Paddy's widow, Kaye,  has since remarried to another Vinegar Hiller, Benny Beackom. She loves to tell the story of being somewhere and someone overheard her say that she was married to someone from Vinegar Hill. She told them she was married to two of them. Interestingly, Benny never knew Paddy. Oh yeah, I didn't get Kaye's picture either.
The Mitchels were there. I still remember Billy walking his dog. Come to think of it, I remember a lot of people  walking their dogs. Don't know why that has stuck in my memory.
I believe the Vicentes were on the second floor. Philip was in my crowd and he had a younger brother, Julian. He also had two older sisters and I believe they both went to St. Vincent's nursing school. If I remember correctly, Mr. Vicente was a waiter in one of those high class downtown restaurants. I think he was from Spain and Mrs. Vicente was from Scotland. Yes, we were a multi-national lot. Weren't we?
The Callahans were also there, Joe and his sister Peggy.  Joe was a very dapper dresser and he and his best friend, Cookie Bowe (from 134th St.) were probably the best dressed guys in the neighborhood.
I have no recollection of anyone from 523 down to 535 where the "Bard of Vinegar Hill', John Murry lived. I don't remember John but I do remember the Whites. George White worked for Annunciation and he had a son who could have been his clone. The son was a true chip off the old block. I have another remembrance of 535. The building had a nice stoop and across the top of the wall of the stoop was a row of small spikes. No doubt they were there to stop people from sitting on the stoop. One day, when I was five or six, I  was down that way with Brendan Dunican and I decided to climb up on the back side of the stoop. As I reached over the top of the stoop I planted my arm firmly on one of those spikes and from there I was on my way to Knickerboker for some stitches.
I didn't mention 511 and I am not positive but I think that is where the Considines lived. I remember their dad, Tom and there was Jimmy and his younger sister Margie. I mentioned Jimmy when I covered 509. He lives up in Westchester now. Awhile ago, at one of  the reunions, he told us that in addition to his duties at IBM, he is also the organist for his parish. He taught himself to play. We always said he's brilliant.
I don't remember what building they lived in but Dennis Flaherty and his sister lived on the sunny side. Dennis' dad was a terrific handball player. Dennis was too. Last I heard Dennis was living in Ohio. A number of guys would love to hear from him. The Halpin brothers were on the sunny side too. There was Jimmy and Harry. I recall that Jimmy was very active with the boy scouts.
I also recall a lady who lived on that side, her  name was Betty and she was handicapped from a stroke. She had a dog, Teddy, and her boyfriend was Tex. He always wore jeans and cowboy boots.
That's it for my memory of the sunny side of 135th Street.
I've got some additions to some of my previous posts. I think he lived in 504. His name was Ruben Gomez (Ruby). He was a very small fellow and I recall hearing that at one time he was the "War Lord" for a gang know as the Maharaja's. They from around 104th Street.
Another guy I overlooked was Tommy Burke and his brothers. They lived in 499 and Tommy was on the NYPD. Tommy has always been a faithful attendee to most of the reunion Masses.
Next up I plan to cover Amsterdam Ave. from 135th to 134th Street.
As always, comments, criticisms and suggestions are always welcome. Send them to tomyread@aol.com
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