A Lost Hope Remembered

54 years ago, my father took this photo of RFK with my grandmother, Ann Pryor Rode, on the right smiling looking down at me, 10 years old, in the crowd at his rally for NY Senator on the s/w corner of 78 St. & First Avenue in 1964. My grandmother, Yorkville's Democratic District Leader, worked hard for Bobby in his 1964 senator run and again in 1968 in his campaign for President. In 1967, RFK sent Nan a congratulatory letter signing it, "Bob." Tomorrow's a sad day for our fractured country marking what might have been.

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly on 78th Street

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, one of my favorite film theme songs. I still own the 45.

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly lurk on East 78th Street.

The Good: a yellow clown circus car with the license plate “Parkable.” Saw this shrimp parked catty corner off York Avenue across from P.S. 158 exactly 15 feet off the hydrant and an inch off the crossing line. As a former alternate side victim I paid my respects.

You can still get a $12 haircut on the block.

Two windows gussied up with red flowers.

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The Bad: Another tenement bites the dust right off 78th Street on the west side of First Avenue. Robert Kennedy stumped for the U.S. Senate on this corner in September 1964.

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The Ugly: in front of 409 is a three foot high, one foot thick, concrete planter painted forest green with 500 pounds of dirt in it and a small embarrassed something. Following a nuclear attack on New York City this will be one of the few things that remain standing.