Poe Park, South Bronx. 1980.

In the early years of my life, on Beck Street, I was a shabbos goy for the Jewish family next door, not doing much of anything as I recall, to be honest. When we moved to 181 and Mapes, I got to know what survivors were after meeting an elderly German Jewish couple who lived next door to us. She reminded me of Aunt Bea from the “Andy Griffith Show,” but with a delightful German accent. There were others on our block too, which also featured Irish and Sicilian immigrants too.

By the time we reached Kingsbridge, Co-Op City had opened and the White exodus began. But there were always signs of the old neighborhood at Poe Park, which was apparently the place to go for a certain generation.

I wonder about the people in this image. Where did they come from? Where did they go after the Bronx? Will this be my generation in our dotage?