Pittsburgh’s South Side Sally

One of my best friends, Noreen would have us come over.  Her mom and dad had a small rectangle pool in their back yard.  We were about 5 or 6 at that time.   We would love to get wet and stay cool.  We also used the hose tied to a close line to run through.  This was of course another way to beat the heat.  So… cool.

Summer’s here and that brings back memories of the pool at 22nd Street Ormsby Pool.  The rec center and pool are there now but look different.  The pool configuration has changed.  Back in my good old young days that pool was just a rectangle shape.  The deep end had a diving board,  the low water started about 3 feet.

One could see the dusty street.  No one could take towels out.  We were restricted to time for girls, time for boys, then they had family time and adult time swims in the evening.  We’d line up in mass, back then no one except the Arcade Theatre had air conditioning.   Pool Time was a premium.   We started going down to the pool when we were about 6 or 7 years old.   Several of us would walk down together.  Things were seemingly different then.  For the most part, they were safer.  Girls had to wear bathing caps.  What a pain to remember them.  If you wanted to swim, you had to have one.  Well, I really didn’t swim as much as doggy paddle.  Noreen was trying to teach me to swim, she could swim underwater.  Boy did I admire that.  She also like to stay out and lay in the sun.   I always got sun burnt.  I think I did this to be with my friends.

Another place our families went to often was a place called “Mineral Beach” .   Can’t quite remember where it was located, but did I love piling up in the car with suits, towels, grills and food for a day at the beach:  Ken, me, Mom, Dad and Rose in our car.  Jimmy, Noreen and her parents in their car.

Last month back, I visited the old stompin ground, and spent the night at Club Cafe on a Monday night.  This is the often home of the Acoustic Cafe.  What a wonderful concept.  Musicians playing with other listening.  Kind of an Open Mic for music performers, short 10 minute venues.  My friend another Sara, without an H played with Chuck’s group.  She has an awesome flute tone.  The other performers in his group and other groups sure did hold up their end for the night to make it truly memorable.  Next time I’ll have to write sooner with more details.  I need to go back again.  Too good for words.

Oh, oh, to be a kid on the Southside on October 31 in the 1950’s!!!!!!  What a kid delight.  Houses so close together, we went from one house to another for blocks.  Shopping bags full of candy.  Oh boy the loot we took in.  We even made drop offs at home and continued when the loot got too heavy.  Oh yes.  then the count:  How many Mars bar?  Big ones, regular sized and the minatures.  Then how many Almond Joys, how many Hersey’s, how many boxes of dots, Mike and Ikes,  It was like a contest,  how many did Ken get?  Rosemary was a little too young to compete in the heavy duty contests.  Then too my friends, cousins and neighbors,  we compared how many  various types of bars, boxes.  Apples and Oranges were not held in high regard, since Mom and Dad always had them around the house.

Getting dressed up too I guess was okay, but boy do I remember the door to door trick or treat. Too their was always a Halloween Parade on Carson Street.  Sometimes we would go and look.  Larkins Way…..I remember people coming and dropping their kids off by car.  I guess some neighborhoods were better than others for Trick or Treating.

South Side was always the BEST!

Happy Happy Halloween to Everyone.

South Side Sallhy

When I grew up on the South Side ladies went out for a night on the town, many found Bingo to be there entertainment.  Church after Church had seasonal games.  There were a few regular weekly places.  The Serbian Club on Sarah Street had a night, can’t remember which day of the week.  The Luthianian Hall on Jane Street had one.

I went to some of these with my mom or aunt.  Specials were held every 5 games.  You paid extra for each markable card.  The regular admission was for the 25 or 30 regular games, then they had a special every so often.  Food was available most times.  Hot dogs, chips, candy bars, and fountain drinks.

It was a big thrill for me to win once in a while.  I remember winning $40. on a special.  My mom really needed the money.  I kept $5. and gave her the rest .  This was one of those nights I went with my aunt.  My mom was happy we had the extra money.   I remember praying to win.  It was so neat coming home to think I could help out.  I was 12 years old at the time.

Trains  provided noise and rumble at night and hello’s during the day.  Late night trains rumbled atop the lane behind Jane Street and below Josephine Street.  The noise and rumble from the trains actually shook the house.  This I noticed very young, but apparently I got so familiar with it that as I grew older my brain blocked them out.  Around 5 pm every evening a train came by on the upper deck of the tracks.  I often walked or ran up to Jane Street and waved to the engineer on the red caboose…he always waved back.

THE MILL STORE
The Pittsburgh Mercantile in my memory was  the J&L mill store.  Here workers could purchase things and then have payments taken from their paychecks at the mill. One of my best friends Carol Ann told me about this.  Funny I remember in the late 1950’s she told me her dad said the mill would close in 20 years.  She said for me not to tell anyone.  Funny how some of these childhood items come true.

I remember you could buy anything at that store.  They had a very good grocery store on the first floor that bordered I believe South 26th Street.  The store had mink stoles, diamond rings, on the first floor. There was also a soda fountain counter on the first floor for great cherry cokes. On the second or third floor  a full shoe store complete with an x-ray machine.  I remember sticking my feet into that machine lots to look at the bones in my feet.  I hope I didn’t get too much radiation.  The department manager yelled at us, but my brother and I went back when he wasn’t around.  The furniture department, I think was on the sixth floor.  There was a neat brass doored elevator one could ride up, then run down the steps back down.  This was one of the things Ken and I did for fun.