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Archiver > BronxRoots > 1998-04 > 0891541798


From: MARLENE NUWESRA <>
Subject: Where are you? (and Memories of Orchard)
Date: Thu, 02 Apr 1998 11:29:58 -0700


Haven't seen or heard from anyone today. Are we on vacation?

The great weather we've been having here reminded me a lot of those
good ole days when we all used to hang at Orchard Beach. First, I
remember my parents always taking me there when I was a little girl,
and then I grew into a big girl and was taking myself there! I thought I
was the luckiest person to be living in the Bronx because I was right
near a beach and water. The grounds were absolutely beautiful and
the beach was spotless. My parents didn't own a car, so the beach
was like a godsend to us because we could get there by bus and it
wasn't a long trip.

I used to hang out at the end section of the beach near the rocks (may
be it was Section 17, I forget). I vividly recall how the guys would come
by in their boats and then we'd swim out and take rides with them. One
day, I had my dad's portable radio with me. Well, my friend and I got
into this boat, however, the intentions of the owners were not that
good, so we had to jump off and swim back to shore. There I was with
my dad's radio in the water with me. I would push it a few feet and
then swim and catch up with it, until I made it back. Needless to say,
that was the end of that radio (and I'm also glad I was able to swim!!)

It was no big deal either to hitch rides to the beach -- we used to do it
all the time and never gave it a second thought.

When I had my son, he too became a regular member of Orchard Beach
as a young child. Somewhere down the line, the beach deteriorated
alot, and it was no longer that beautiful spotless beach that I
remembered. I stopped going there, but I heard a while back that the
beach was cleaned up and was really nice. That was quite a few
years back, I wonder how it is now.

Well, I don't live in the Bronx anymore and now make it out to the
beaches and ocean out on Long Island, but Orchard Beach was a
great part of my life growing up, and one that I have great memories of.

Marlene

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