Growing Up In Lindenhurst Long Island New York
We moved to
Lindenhurst in 1975. My parents bought their first home on 753 S. Pecan Street which is down the block from
E.W. Bower Elementary School.
I have very fond memories from attending Bower Elementary School. Days of playing dodge ball during lunch time, playing on the swings, handball, jump rope, and hopscotch. I also remember my teacher, Mrs. Healy. She was a good teacher, but tough. You learned in her classroom. She had the unfortunate task of having to leave me back in 6th grade. As devastating as it was to me at the time, I realized the following year she did the right thing by me. On the last day of school, I didn't want to go because I was so embarrassed. Mrs. Healy called my home and convinced me to come and I did. She is one of the few teachers I will never forget!
I was excited to start Junior High School! Some students were nervous but I couldn't wait. It was a time of new beginnings and making new friends. I remember the clothing styles all too well!
Jordache jeans,
Sassoon jeans burnout hats, India shirts,
capezio shoes,
leg warmers, and
toe socks, lol. I loved those toe socks!
I also remember the amount of fights the kids would get into with each other. So different and better today. I remember the Principal,
Mr. Neil Lederer all too well. Almost every day that man would break up fist fights in the hallways. I remember on one occasion he broke up a fight and had a fist planted into his left cheek. He always managed to successfully break things up. He became the Superintendent of the Lindenhurst School District and retired in June of 2009.
Back then, Friendly's ice cream store was the place to be. It was located on S. Wellwood Avenue. It was a great place to hang out and catch up with friends. Now 7-11 is there and I guess the new generation will remember that spot in the future when they reminisce about their Middle School days! How times have changed!
Lindenhurst Movie Theater 
I remember seeing Rocky I at this theater. What a great time we all had that night! Sadly, it is now closed.
This theater opened on December 25, 1948. It had 625 seats on the main floor and 140 upstairs. This popular movie house served the area for 54 years and closed Thursday, July 18 with "The Sum Of All Fears". It was taken over by UA Theaters in 1968 and was a first run house during this time. In the 1980's and 1990's, its price policy was as a reduced price theater. In 1998, UA sold the theater to 5 Star Cinemas which did some repairs but not to the falling apart seats and failed to keep the theater clean. If they only kept up the maintenance, it would still be there, or at least I would like to think so! Now it's home a new boat showroom.
Remember clamming? Since we lived across the street from the Shore Road canal, so many people had clamming boats like this one:
I remember some of my neighbors making a living from this now non-existant trade. Those boats had character. Those were fun Summers learning how to clam!
High School is the best time of your life! I graduated from Lindy High in 1984. My son now attends and I can't get over how much has changed. This school has a pool and because of that, it's part of the gym curicculum. We would have pool every semester and no matter what time your pool class was, you never got enough time to dry your hair! You could be sitting in class in the middle of winter with a wet head! They now also have more classes to choose from for the students then they did back then.
I used to love going out during lunch time with friends. We would all flock to the little deli that was just up the block. We would get a bagel with cream cheese and put Doritos inside and of course a large iced tea! Life was good :) That deli made a killing back then. Now, the students are not allowed out for lunch. It's ashame. Just goes to show you how times really have changed.
Growing up in Lindenhurst back then was easier than today. We didn't have road rage, cell phones and email. Kids would be out all day during the Summer, come home for lunch and go right back out on our bikes. We were always told to be back home when it gets dark. And that is just what we did! Parents would watch out for us even when we weren't their kids. Stay-At-Home parents wasn't a choice. It's what they did. Now, most households have to have 2 incomes.
History
Pat Benatar graduated from the Lindenhurst High School in 1971
Nazism - Nazism Nazi sympathizers of the German Bund were centralized in Lindenhurst. In the mid-to-late 1930s, the German American Bund made its appearance and many of its Lindenhurst members were tried and convicted for treason. By 1937, up to 40,000 bundists would arrive on Sundays to celebrate Nazism in America, while young Siegfrieders lined up to greet them as the train pulled into Yaphank. A large contingent of Nazis also marched through the village of Lindenhurst that year. Carl Bergler became treasurer of the Lindenhurst Unit of the Bund in 1938 and funds were deposited in the First National Bank of Lindenhurst for the account of Efdende. This was the phonetic spelling of the Friends of the New Germany, the predecessor of the German-American Bund. Bregler became leader of the Lindenhurst Unit and he continued in that capacity until the Bund was dissolved.
Notable People In Lindenhurst - Dan Lauria, who played the role of the father from The Wonder Years also resided in Lindenhurst. Joy Behar of The View was once a teacher at Lindenhurst High School and taught while Pat Benatar attended. Hal Hartley, a film director, also is a Lindenhurst native. Top international model Linda Morand was born in Lindenhurst. Famous game show host Jack Barry grew up in Lindenhurst and was valedictorian at Lindenhurst High School.
The Lindenhurst community was named for the linden trees growing in the area.
Former and merged names include: Breslau
16% of Lindenhurst residents report German ancestry, and 21% report Irish.
Lindenhurst used to be famous for having so many bars in 1 square mile. I forgot how many, but it was a lot!
I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it!
