Guest Blog by Caroline Ghertler
When you have grown up in New York City, and continue to live here in
your adulthood, it is hard not to be constantly reminded of the
geography of your memories. The"this is where that happened" syndrome,
or the "there used to be a… but now it’s gone" reverie.
changed. One day I was walking on Broadway and 76th street, and they
were removing a Duane Reade sign. Underneath it was the old signage
from the Gitlitz delicatessen. It was such a poignant moment to
remember the deli and the many meals I had shared there with my
family. It was where I was first introduced to an open faced turkey
sandwich with all the fixings. Gitlitz was one of many old Jewish
delicatessens that used to dot the Upper West Side.
I think
that much of my childhood was spent shopping so I have keen memories of
stores that used to exist. There was a little button store on broadway
that sold only buttons, thread and sewing supplies. That is no longer
there. There was the old Henri Bendels on 57th street that was chock
full of chic accessories and clothing. It is no longer there. There was
the old FAO Schwartz on the corner of 58th street and Fifth Avenue. Not
the glitzy, shopping mall it has become. I adored that store and often
fantasized running through it and grabbing as many toys as I possibly
could in an allotted period of time.
There was the original
Betsy, Bunky and Nini, a hip little shop in the east 60’s. I believe
Betsy Johnson was involved with it and it had the most glorious
selection of hippie-chic clothing, vintage garb and wonderful
jewelry. There was the store on the corner of Bank Street and West
4th that carried incredible tie dyed outfits made famous by Janis
Joplin in her heyday. That, needless to say is no longer there.
I was reminded of all this by the debut of David Duchovney’s new film " The House of D."
Although
I have not seen it yet, the title refers to the old Women’s House of Detention that was in what is now a public garden between 8th and 9th Streets and 6th avenue in Manhattan. I used to pass it on a weekly basis
when visiting my grandmother who lived nearby. You could hear
incarcerated women yelling out the window to their loved ones looking
up from the street. I was always a little afraid of these women
bellowing out of that prison. And I think I was relieved when they tore
it down.
I moved to Park Slope only 5 years ago. it has been a
kind of joy to have no memories of the streets and stores here. I have
begun to create my own history – this is where I shop, this is where I
have my cup of coffee – no past memories invading the present. It’s a
relief to not be stepping over my past all the time as I do so often in Manhattan.
And yet, soon, this too will be a place of memory. Sooner than I might
think
Caroline Ghertler is Louise G. Crawford’s twin sister and also lives in park slope.
Gitlitz is never very far from my mind, so happy to read that so many people have such happy memories too. Every Sunday my dad took me there after Temple and I miss them both very much.
i’m in desperate need of sewing supplies and “inexpensive” material to decorate a bedroom. a place that has a variety of material would be fantastic,specifically in brooklyn. could someone please help??
or, it could have been her husband’s families…abelow. or not.
i’ve been told some stories of Gitlitz deli by my grandmother, who was the daughter of the owner. she used to work at the counter with her hair piled up high. her maiden name was abromowitz. she left brooklyn for south jersey pretty young. she always told me it was her family’s deli, although i could never confirm or deny that it really was.
she did used to try to feed me chopped liver on a bagel for breakfast though when i was growing up.
My first time in Manhattan is fixed in memory by my surprise at how Jewish everything was. I thought: This is how Europe might have been, if not for AH.
My most recent time in Manhattan, I thought: This is what Madrid might have been, if not for the Inquisition and Franco.
My own cities (Toronto, London, Stuttgart) are changing too, but not at the same frantic pace.
That was a very nice article.
The piece was written by Caroline Ghertler, Louise Crawford’s sister – Thank you for your comment, Elsewhere.
I’m always amazed at how much New York changes between my visits. And always kind of saddened; so much of my life and youth is invested in places that don’t exist any more. But nothing stays the same, anywhere.
This is a lovely piece. Who are you?