Community Chat

[smoochy]

In 1957, my parents bought their first home for $8000 A small two bedroom bungalow in suburban Indianapolis.I was six years old. It had a breezeway that had been closed off. My folks turned it into a playroom for my little sister and me. There, we played dollhouse, used our ez bake oven, my wood burning set, did paint by numbers kits, played with chatty cathy dolls and later, the first Barbies. We had a large fenced back yard with a small creek behind it. Huge black walnut and sycamore trees. In 2012, my daughter and I drove to Indy to watch her alma mater Michigan State play in the Sweet 16. I took her on a driving tour of my childhood. We went to that house, gosh it looked tiny! Still nicely maintained. Still had the limestone front and wood frame. Knocked on the door and were met by an obviously sick young man- congested, looked peaked and feverish. He declined to let us in for a quick look around. But no matter. It was so fun to show my daughter a small piece of my early life where I have many great memories. 

I love this question and the responses. ❤️

[ninjawife]

Our family moved from an apartment in the city to a single family home in the suburbs just before I turned 2.  My father lived in that house until my mother died and then he moved in with my family.  We remodeled some and sold the house to my aunt for 1$.  She only lived there for a few years then sold it.  I have no interest in seeing it now. 

[songbird]

I came to the U.S. when my father got a job teaching.  We had an apartment for a while in L.A.  Then we moved to a home in Maryland. It was also the first place I ever had central air conditioning.  It was quite a novelty to me.  It was almost unknown in Italy. But we lived quite close to the sea with lots of windows.  And the heat (for the most time) was tolerable there.

[qualitygal]

@Mombo1   How lucky you are to do that!!  I loved reading your post.

[ALRATIBA]

The house I grew up in was built shortly after WWI.  Big two-family house in Queens, NY.  Grandparents lived upstairs, we lived downstairs.

Mid 1960s ... the local hospital expanded and bought up a couple of blocks of houses.  Ours was one of them.  Family elocated.

When I came back to NY in 1989 - me, my mother and my aunt took a drive through the neighborhood.

I didn't recognize the place at all.  Demographics changed ... totally different place.

[Imaoldhippie]

When I was 6 ys old dad took a job with a construction company, he bought a trailer it was 8ft wide and 35ft long with no  bathroom.  At that time trailer parks had restrooms and showers and a laundry.  We moved from state to state, where ever the company sent dad.  That continued until I was in the 10th grade.  Dad was injured and could not climb due to vertigo.  We moved back to our small farm community in Ohio and lived in a house with a bathroom. 

I finished the last 3 years of high school.  The longest I was ever in any school.

No I would not live in either home.  

[Puzzle Piece]

Because I so loved my grandparents, I loved the home that was on their property that I lived on.  Wouldn't visit now as the neighborhood turned so badly with certain immigrants coming in and trashing everything.  

[Mombo1]

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@qualitygal wrote:

@Mombo1   How lucky you are to do that!!  I loved reading your post.

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@qualitygal    Thank you.  I think my brother and I are "old souls".  We are also planning a trip to Donora Pa.next year.  My grandparents lived there and there is so much history in the town.  A few years ago we did the walking tour of the neighborhood.  We actually got to see my grandparents homes.  We also visited the historical museums where they talk about the smog that crippled the town in1948 and how that experience created the Clean Air Act .  There is a Stan Musial (the famous baseball player) exhibit too.  My mom actually graduated from high school with him.   I do feel very lucky to be able to see the places where my family began and all the history that goes with it.    I hope to take my grandkids one day as well.