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| Old Timers Tavern 1962 |
Today, Dad would have been been 84. If he was still here I'd be whining about what a gigantic pain in the ass he is. This being true, it's strange how much the man is on my mind 11 years after he died. Each day, I miss his curiosity, talent, and love.
I'm thinking of what he'd like to do on his birthday and I'm sure he'd say let's visit York Avenue and say hi to Walter. (Walt, his best friend, is still here at 88, 89 in August). They enjoyed standing in front of their old Yorkville hang-out spots and talking about the bar, diner or restaurant that used to be there. And the conversation about place would lead to stories about the characters inhabiting those holy shrines. One thing that would drive Dad crazy today is the parking meters are gone.
Where would he lean his elbow on while watching the world walk by?
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| Saloon 1584 York Ave May 2013 |
Here are two sets of "Now and Thens" of 1584 York Avenue from 1962 when it was the Old Timers Tavern and today the same space known as The Saloon.
Below the Old Timers photos are April 1944 photographs of the same spot on York Avenue looking north towards 84th Street on the day my Uncle Tom returned from WWII.
Others in photos: my grandmother, Anne Pryor (later Rode), with her sister, Mary, and two shots of my father on the same day, he is about to turn 15. A 1960 shot of me, Rory and my cousin, Bobby on Christmas Day 1960.
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| Old Timers 1962 |
Last photo below gets back to my father being a pain in the ass. As you see from my crying reaction on my mother's lap and my grandfather's perp walk reaction to the flash bulb going off, Dad's indoor picture making caught us by surprise and it didn't matter, those flash bulbs were horrible whether you were ready or not.
When I grew up, Mom told me a story about this photo. Nan walked through the doorway into the kitchen just as Dad was taking this picture. Temporarily blinded, Nan stumbled across the linoleum into the glass front of the China Closet giving her heirlooms a good smash. Several things fell, nothing was broken, but my father still got a smack from his mother. Mom always told me this story with a big smile.
Happy Birthday, Dad!
This coming Thursday, May 23rd @ 7pm @ KGB's on East 4th Street I'm telling at Sideshow Goshko Storytelling Series w/ CREWS, PRYOR, NOVICK, & SOLOMON! Please come down it's a Yorkville yarn.
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| 1584 York Ave The Saloon |
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| Thomas E. Pryor, April 1944 York Ave |
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| Mary & Anne on York Ave in April 1944 |
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| Robert Pryor on York Ave in April 1944 |
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| Bob, Tom & Rory Pryor on York Ave Xmas Day 1960 |
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| Patricia & Tom Pryor & John Rode on Easter 1955 |
5 comments:
My aunt Mattie (Kroetz) lived at 1548 York Avenue for many, many years. She died when a fire broke out in the restaurant on the first floor (it was the Gordian Knot then). The smoke was sucked right up the air column into the pullman apartments. Her neighbors were an elderly couple from Ireland they also died. Do you have any photos of when the Gordian Knot was there? This was in the late 1960's.
Hi Elizabeth, the elderly couple who died with your aunt were the Sweeneys. They lived at 1584, and had previously lived right next door in 1582 for years. Joe & and his wife were wonderful people they lived in 2N with their two kids and my father's family lived in 2S from 1933 to 1988. They shared the common toilet in the hall until 1946 when the landlord split it into two telephone booth sized toilets inside each apt.
The fire happened Easter Saturday night 1966 or 1967. I saw the aftermath on Easter Sunday after coming home from a boy scout trip with St. Stephen's Troop 654. I cannot remember your aunt, but I'll bet I knew her. Parkers Grocery and Spotless Cleaners were right next to the bar that was formerly called Old Timers Tavern.
If you ever want to talk about old Yorkville you can email me anytime at tommy.pryor@gmail.com.
be well, Tommy
Yes, the Sweeneys! I knew they were Irish. And my aunt lived at 1584, not 1548, my number dyslexia reversed the number. My aunt was actually talking on the phone at the time, she told the person she was talking to she smelled smoke, she went to investigate.
I'll email you a photo of Aunt Mattie. She was a very stately looking woman, never a hair out of place. She worked for Elizabeth Arden.
Peace,
Elizabeth
My Grandfather owned the bar. It was my playground as a youth in the back room playing tabletop shuffleboard. However, the name of the bar was Old Time, not timers.
Hi,I am the son of Murray Parker Parker's Grocery 1582 York Ave I remember Old Timer's They had the deer heads along the ceiling I can still remember the smell of beer Anne Rode use to invite me over for dinner with her grandson She was a power house in the Democratic Party My grandfather opened the store in 1937 You took a pic of my Dad in Feb 1966 Put a tear into my eye Thanks a lot Allan
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