Memoir Captures Timeless Forest Hills & Rego Park Tales: Author Susan Leiderman Altman Spotlights “The Children of Queens Boulevard”
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Cover of Susan Leiderman Altman’s memoir, “Here I Come! the Children of Queens Blvd.”
By Michael Perlman
Relatively few memoirs focus on Queens, despite being the second most populated borough. Along thoroughfares and behind historic facades, as well as within mom and pop shops, the surfaces that we walk upon are breeding grounds for personal experiences, shared with family, friends, and neighbors. Residents, whether former or current, become preservationists through the power of the pen by revitalizing memories, granting dimension to the built environment, and educating future generations. “Walls can talk” thanks to author Susan Leiderman Altman, a Forest Hills native, who currently resides on the Upper East Side and has a weekend house in Newport, RI. Born on October 22, 1945, she resided at The Carolina at 98-76 Queens Boulevard, an Art Moderne building designed by Manoug Exerjian of The Carolina and The Virginia twin duo.
“Ready or Not, Here I Come! The Children of Queens Blvd,” Altman’s distinctive seven-chapter, 71-page book, was published in 2022, and offers a sentimental adventure that reflects upon her personal interactions and influences, as well as the ambiance while growing up. This was also a time of exhibiting resiliency during the cultural and political shifts of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Baby Boomers are especially taken on a journey back to simpler times, when a neighborhood represented their entire world.
Writing her memoir was nearly a year in the making. Altman was with her sister, Annette, and a friend in Newport, RI, when they began reminiscing. She explained, “My sister and I focused on ‘whatever happened to’… and ‘Do you remember?’ Names were brought up, which led me to think about their impact in such varying professions. We had Simon and Garfunkel, but also more niche notables like Kenny Barber (bowling), Bob Batscha (Museum of Television & Radio), Meredith Monk (avant-garde artist), and Jack Bonus (San Francisco scene, circa 1968 singer-songwriter). What was in the water, so to speak? It made me think of the cultural and historical influences, and how life changed so rapidly during our years. Even us non-notables navigated the changes to mostly successful lives, and it led me to infer that our common background instilled traits that prepared us for whatever came next. There was something special about growing up in Forest Hills that I wanted to explore.”
Altman began writing her book by taking photos of sentimental places, and in 2021, revisited The Carolina, which went co-op and had some renovations since she was a resident. She explained, “My first hurdle came when I couldn’t enter the building because they had a code pad. I had to confront a resident who didn’t speak English, and convince her that I lived there and was writing a book about the place. I was of course nostalgic, but the main feeling was that I was so happy that the building was cared for, and although the neighborhood had changed, it was still dynamic.”
While conducting interviews and research, Altman discovered outstanding facts. “As I researched the community’s origins, I learned more about the early settlers. Who knew that Chinese farmers grew their fruits and vegetables in Rego Park to sell in the city?” Her research connected her to several friends from long ago, and some of their stories appear in her memoir.
Altman graduated from P.S. 139, Russell Sage JHS 190, and Forest Hills High School (Class of 1963). She earned a Bachelor’s in Education and a minor in English from American University in 1967. Her success continued with a Master’s from Hunter College with a major in Diagnostic and Remedial Reading, which set her on an over 40-year career path, teaching for The Department of Education and Fashion Institute of Technology. “I have always tried to nurture my creative side, fueling it with voracious reading, attending theater, traveling, dabbling in art, and most recently writing,” said Altman.
Sometimes a reader can judge a book by its cover. The whimsical cover features a cityscape with a girl in a dress flying above, as she holds a balloon, and brilliantly pertains to the title and stories within. Altman indeed had a vision. “In my book, I reference the Queensboro Bridge, and how F. Scott Fitzgerald described it as crossing the Rubicon. Going out into the world and making a successful life was the aspiration of parents who fought in WWII, and returned to a life of new appliances and hopeful dreams for their children. Forest Hills had the best public schools, and education was the gateway to a successful life. These children were meant to soar.” She self- published this book, but needed a formatter for Amazon. After researching graphic artists, Tammi Boyce was appointed, and they worked virtually during the pandemic, and also since she was out of town.
Special memories in front of The Carolina shops, 1946. Susan Leiderman, Annette Leiderman, and an unidentified resident.
Each page makes one wonder what the journey will offer next. Altman captured the ambiance of shops, including those that hold a special place in her heart. “Some shops were there for my childhood and years after, adding to a real community feeling. Now stores go in and out of business in a wink,” she explained.
An excerpt reads, “My favorite store was found around the corner (from The Carolina), and a few steps down, where you entered the magical world of Ben and Betty’s candy store. This was Disneyland before there was Disneyland, and much more than a candy store. We would be sent there with coins in our pocket. Ben or Betty could be found behind the counter putting together lunch, or mixing egg creams among other amazing fountain drinks.” She later went on to say, “And then there were racks of newspapers, magazines, and comic books. Comic books were much anticipated reading. They came out monthly, and we would look forward to the new edition of the ten cents and the twenty-five cents sized favorites. The girls followed the escapades of Archie and his gang: Betty, Veronica, Reggie, and Jughead.” Also among the best foods were the pretzel rods for two cents.
Another much-missed cornerstone is Jay Dee Bakery. “Aside from its iconic (neon) sign and interior, it held personal stories for me. It was one of the first places I was allowed to go to alone, and I remember the counter with the bread behind it. I had to jump up to yell ‘seeded rye sliced.’ I also remember the Charlotte Russes and pushing the cake up from the bottom of the container.”
The famed Jay Dee Bakery which featured a pinkish-red neon sign, 98-92 Queens Blvd, Courtesy of James & Karla Murray, 2004.
Today, The Carolina and The Virginia can be considered historic based on its architectural design, their significant architect, being home to notables, and its development after the 1936 IND subway’s completion and in anticipation of the 1939 – 1940 World’s Fair. Altman explained the glory of her building and nearby from when she was young, despite people tending to interpret their surroundings differently as decades progress. “I always liked the architectural design of The Carolina and The Virginia. I found the split entrance and open lobby to be graceful then and now. I still remember the prewar apartment interiors. The rooms were enormous by today’s standards. I had a walk-in closet that would be the size of a small NYC bedroom. I loved that I could look out of the gently curved casement windows in the living room, and have a clear view of Queens Boulevard and the Trylon Theater across the way. I learned to read by sounding out the movie marquee’s titles. I also recognized the Art Deco beauty of it then, and feel bad that it is no longer there.”
As we reminisce, a “Back To The Future” episode is bound to surface. There are many possessions and traditions that generations of today may be unacquainted with, and history repeats itself at times, perhaps in a modified form. Altman pinpointed having free time without the watchful eye of adults, and feeling safe to explore their surroundings and creativity. “I consider it a gift that I had long summers without activities. I picked out library books, I built forts with the building kids, and I wrote and acted in building Broadway revues. My children grew up much more regulated, attending camps and sports clubs,” she explained.
An excerpt of Altman’s chapter “Thanks For The Memories” features a recollection of some children wearing silver name tags on chains around their neck, which she compares to already being soldiers at war. She wrote, “As a five-year-old, I wore a sterling silver identification bracelet, not to allay my parents’ fear of getting lost, but rather for identification in case of a nuclear attack. I was keenly aware of the fragility of life at an early age, and believe this colored a lot of my attitude of living each day to the fullest, and of plowing ahead on this timetable. It was a foreshadowing of the ethos of the 1960s, when some of the same children remembered taking cover all too vividly, turned fiercely anti-war and embraced a culture promoting love and peace.”
In her chapter, “Who’s That Knocking At My Door?,” an excerpt reads, “Kenny (Barber), the wild child, was never going to conform to the rules of the school. Luckily, he found his life’s occupation at Hollywood Bowling Alley. Kenny went on to become a champion bowler, owner of pro shops, stand-up comedian, manufacturer of the Strike K bowling glove, and in the last years of his life, a poker player.”
Another excerpt references The Carolina’s frontage featuring a circular picture window, topped by large terraces. Altman wrote, “The families who lived in two second-floor apartments were the lucky owners of these terraces. On a warm day, you could hear the sounds of Charlie Barber, a talented musician in the 1950s who played with Arthur Godfrey, Tommy Dorsey, and Fred Waring, practicing his bass or tuba outside on his terrace. I loved hearing the impromptu shows, but I imagine there was a more practical reason for these outdoor practice sessions. The apartments had limited space, and his instruments were huge.”
In her chapter, “If I Had a Hammer,” Altman featured a highlight from her sophomore year at Forest Hills High School. In an excerpt, she wrote, “It was 1960, and I was pledging my sorority. One of the sisters had given me a list of things to do for her on a Saturday afternoon. For sure, I didn’t want to get demerits, and following rules was in my nature. But that afternoon was different. It fell in the middle of a presidential campaign. Somehow, I learned that John Fitzgerald Kennedy was going to have a rally at The Boulevard nightclub parking lot on Queens Boulevard. I had watched the House Un-American Activities hearings and developed crushes on the Kennedy Brothers. So given the chance to see John in person, I ditched the rules and went to hear him instead.”
Dedicating years toward raising a family and working, now she is able to set aside time to reflect, and she feels that being raised in Forest Hills is part of her DNA. She explained, “I went to sleep to the music of traffic on Queens Boulevard. The neighborhood and the schools shaped me. I am most comfortable in an urban setting, and find that my thirty-one story Upper East Side building holds the same community feeling I grew up with. My new neighborhood has the doormen and muffin cart man taking the place of the local vendors from my youth.”
Furthermore, her home in Newport, RI, which was erected in 1836, bears similar sentiment. “I researched its history; who built it, and the succession of families who lived in it and brought it forward. Newport is very proud of its history and the stories the houses tell,” said Altman, who realized that the houses remain while times evolve, bridging the past to the present.
Altman has much to be grateful for. “I am grateful that I still have a curiosity for life, and my health allows me to pursue things that keep me moving forward. I am grateful for my children, my sister, and the friends who are and were part of my life,” she said.
Altman receives feedback from readers, where a majority identify with the historical and cultural touchstones of the times, and its impact upon their lives. “We all remember the Cold War and hiding under our desks. People from Brooklyn, the Midwest, and Paris played the same street games we did, even if they were in a grassy field instead of a paved street. I guess the universality of growing up in a specific time period united us more than I would have thought. Also, the aspect of growing up in a neighborhood where we knew the shopkeepers and neighbors seemed to resonate with others.” She continued, “I am open to any questions or further explanations. Of course, if anyone wants to share their memories, I would love to hear them.”
To discover more intriguing details about Altman and purchase her books, including her second, “Tattoo Chronicles: History Written in Ink,” visit www.susanaltmanbooks.com
