In 58 years I have seen little to compare with growing up in Binghamton and enjoying the wonderful parks and Merry go rounds. An avid sports fan, I can remember watching Binghamton Central High School baseball games while riding the carousel in recreation park. I would hope to see the next pitch with each revolution. The park was a great place for any kid to spend time with great tennis courts, basketball courts, picinic areas, band stand, sports fields of all types, and wonderful ice skating and sleding in the winter months. The triple cities and southern tier were a great place to grow up. I would still live there if not for the brutal winter months and poor economic status with the demise of EJ and IBM.
Patricia H. Grigor Fabricius
07-Jul-2008 02:51
How to write just a comment about such a wonderful childhood memory as the free Caroursel rides growing up in the "fifties and sixties" in the Triple Cities -
Binghamton, Johnson City, Endicott. Impossible. I should write a book instead. I grew up on Laurel Avenue in Binghamton, NY. From my kindergarten days at Horace Mann School until my preteen years, summer days were spent at Recreation Park enjoying the breeze and allowing my imagination to take me to far away places in my imagination. Always with a friend, so often my dearest "Bunny" or maybe "Tootsie" or maybe even with just my sister...we rode ride after ride after ride...not exactly free mind you, for wisely the "entrance ticket" was a piece of litter to be disposed of in a large garbage can at the entrance to the gate that let us onto the horses. We would search for that dropped popsicle stick or gum wrapper...there was not much litter around that park as we kept it clean providing ourselves with our entrance to such happiness. Oh, if we couldn't find any litter of course they let us on! The pounding of the big base drum and organ music added to the excitement as the operator would blow his whistle loudly to make sure we were all seated on our horses properly. Throughout the ride he would walk around the carousel as it was moving checking to be sure we were sitting properly and not side-saddle, backwards or not holding on to the gold pole our horse were attached to. On summer evenings after supper if one of our parents would walk us up to the park (daytime we could safely go alone!) it was such fun...seeing our parents visit with others while we rode ride after ride and if a parent would actually get on the carousel or "merry-go-round" as we called it, the pride and excitement would almost make us, at least me, burst I was so happy. After moving to Johnson City how blessed I was once again to live near a "merry-go-round" at CFJ Park and as a teenager spent many days taking my young brother to the park, i.e., THE MERRY-GO-ROUND, and in the evening would go back with a couple of my girlfriends where we would ride and catch the eye of a fellow or two...who would be sitting on the benches all around the side of the carousel. We met many a "date" there, it was such an innocent time, good, clean fun. Well, for "my crowd" anyhow! Interesting to know is I was second generation to enjoy the generosity of Mr. Johnson who provided the parks and such joy for us. My mother was afforded the same as a young lady, at least I know as a teenager she "hung out" at the wonderful park and when I had my own children and grandchildren, the first summer pleasure I'd think of beyond that ice-cream cone would be either Recreation Park or CFJ Park for the carousel rides to begin! Those were the two parks I was familiar with and always have, and still occasionally return to. I wonder how many others have the same fond memories I do, I hope more will post their thought so I and other readers of this site can enjoy their stories.
