Growing up in Coney Island and Gravesend in the 1990s and 2000s
Eric Sanchez was born in 1987 when his family lived in Coney Island. He later moved to 2121 Shore Parkway, a building in Gravesend which had a great view of Coney Island, Cropsey and Bay 49th, and Neptune Avenue and West 15th Street. As a teen, ...
Content type: Oral History Item
Growing up in Gravesend and going to Coney Island in the 1960s and living there today
Maria Schwab (née Delgado) grew up in Gravesend in her grandmother's house, where she lives with her family today. She shares stories of growing up in Gravesend in the 1960s, when the neighborhood was predominantly Italian and the streets were quiet...
Content type: Oral History Item
Growing up in Gravesend and going to Coney Island in the 1940s and living there today
Esther Delgado (née Scarlino), 88, recalls living in a bungalow on West Eighth Street in Gravesend when she was a child in the 1940s. In 1929 her maternal grandparents first rented the bungalow for $33 a month because they thought they could walk...
Content type: Oral History Item
Living in Gravesend, artist from China's Mount Lu feels closest to home at Coney Island Creek
Yi Xin Tong is an artist from Mount Lu in China, where he grew up learning calligraphy, poetry and fishing from his grandfather. At Coney Island Creek, which he describes as "the place that I can feel closest to home in New York," Yi Xin spends his...
Content type: Oral History Item
Living in Gravesend, artist from China's Mount Lushan feels closest to home at Coney Island Creek
This interview was conducted and recorded in Mandarin Chinese. Read Jiangxin Jin's transcript and English translation below.
Yi Xin Tong is an artist from Mount Lushan, China, where he grew up learning calligraphy, poetry and fishing from his...
Content type: Oral History Item
Reflections on the history of horse racing in Coney Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
A resident of Brooklyn and a high school English teacher, Teresa Genaro grew up in Saratoga Springs, New York, where her family raced horses and going to the racetrack was an intrinsic part of her childhood. The interview was recorded on the ten...
Content type: Oral History Item
Owner of Octopus Garden in Gravesend
Vincent Cutrone owns and operates Octopus Garden, which sells tenderized octopus and cuttlefish to restaurants in New York City and distributes the product across the country. Located on Avenue U in Gravesend, the shop was originally a mom-and-pop...
Content type: Oral History Item
Ecuadorian-born Gravesend resident is among NYC's fastest long-distance runners in his age category
This interview was conducted and recorded in Spanish. Read Leslee Dean's transcript and translation below.
Julio Sauce, 44, is a resident of Gravesend who has been running marathons, including the Coney Island 5K, Brooklyn Half Marathon and New...
Content type: Oral History Item
Organist and grandson of B&B Carousell organ doctor
Ed Radonic is a professional musician who plays the organ at Our Lady of Grace in Gravesend, just blocks from Coney Island. His grandfather, Dominick Brugnolotti installed and maintained the mechanical organ at the B&B Carousell for decades. Ed...
Content type: Oral History Item