BronxRoots-L Archives
Archiver > BronxRoots > 2002-09 > 1033419653
From:
Subject: Re: Shorehaven Beach Club
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 17:00:53 EDT
<A HREF="http://www.bronx.com/8_97historyarch.html">http://www.bronx.com/8_97historyarch.html</A>;
> By Professor LLOYD ULTAN, Bronx County Historian
Shorehaven
8/7/97
Many Bronxites seeking to escape the torrid heat of the Bronx summer joined
the Shorehaven Beach Club, often called Simply Shorehaven. Located at the
eastern end of Soundview Avenue, it was owned by a Doctor Goodstein and his
family and operated as a private club for the benefit of its members. In the
1940's and 1950's, when most Bronxites used public transportation to travel,
Dr. Goodstein made a deal with the bus company to operate three special bus
lines from the far reaches of the borough to Shorehaven during the summer
season. Every one of them stopped at Parkchester, however, since the largest
number of members came from there.The spotlessly clean grounds were scattered
with patches of green and bright-colored plants. At the far end, the club
overlooked the water, which everyone believed was Long Island Sound, but
which really was the upper reaches of the East River. On entering, the
ladies' locker rooms, conveniently indoors, were to the right, while the
men's facility, all outdoors, was behind a wall to the left. The grounds
contained courts for shuffleboard, tennis, volleyball, ping pong, paddleball
and handball, and during the season, the management put on tournaments in
those sports. There was even a place where teams could play baseball.There
were two amenities that made Shorehaven unique. Dominating the grounds was
the cross-shaped and largest salt-water pool in the East. In the middle was a
round island with a diving tower. The thousands of members who used the pool
regularly washed the salt off with fresh cold water from showerheads located
at the fringe of the pool area, operated by pulling a string.The second
amenity was the entertainment. A stage for performers faced rows of benches.
There, a band played twice a day, putting on a different show each time. The
last show on Saturdays featured some high-priced talent, such as Myron Cohen
or Buddy Hackett. Wednesday night, the space was used for square dancing. The
highlight of the season, however, came at the end: the Miss Shorehaven
contest. Shapely teenage girls vied for the title, while wide-eyed teenage
boys, and not a few older ones, ogled them. For all members, it was a perfect
end to the summer.
This thread: