Pioneers share their Levittown house memories

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Continuing on the theme of our previous blog entry by Marilyn Monsrud Frese, here are some additional memories of living in Levitt houses in the early days.

By Marilyn Monsrud Frese 1963
The cape code model that we lived in was at 45 Cornflower Road (see photo above). And Cornflower, back then, was a pretty big main drag. The buses used Cornflower as an entrance from Jerusalem Avenue My grandma, on my mother's side, would come out from Brooklyn by bus quite often.

My other grandparents, also in Brooklyn next door to the other set of grandparents, made visiting for both on the same weekend very easy. They owned a car and would drive out to Levittown. So we had Bus Grandma and Car Grandma. That's what we called them when we were little. In the early 1960s both sets of grandparents ended up moving to Levittown because their homes were torn down to make way for the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

By Tim Lavey 1963
I have vivid recollections of the radiant heating in the floors of the Levitt homes. I grew up with many cats and a few dogs. The cats absolutely adored the heating system. You could always tell where the hot spots were in the flooring during the cold months because they were continually occupied by our furry friends. It was only later when I was older that I was told that radiant heating was a unique feature of Levitt homes introduced by Levitt & Sons.

By Dorothy Caggiano-Pribish 1960
The unique cut-out design in the staircase was always a bit of interest. I recall my brother, Michael, and I sneaking a peek through these cut-outs at Christmas and so many other times to see what the grownups were up to. Every Christmas we had our pictures taken with us looking through these unique holes.

We moved in very early in Levittown's history to 7 Green Lane soon after my father returned from WWII. We began kindergarten through fourth grade while living at that address. The sidewalks were not all in yet, and the trees were just being planted. I recall we had an influx of Japanese beetles on all the trees. The boys would run up while we girls were under the newly planted saplings, and they would shake the tree so hard that it disturbed a dark cloud of beetles, and of course we girls screamed and ran away.

I also remember that since all the house occupants were about the same age with children around our age, even the grownups went sledding down the hills with us, and had block parties.

After moving away for two years, we returned to the apartment house next door to Division Avenue High School for a few years before moving into another cape nearby. Everything was within walking distance. Three village greens with playgrounds, shops, and best of all the fantastic free pools. What fun that was growing up and hanging out with our friends each summer day from sixth grade to graduation.

I fondly remember when I was new to Division Avenue and was extremely shy. I was in Mr. Dunlop's sixth grade and was seated behind Pete Cybriwsky, thank heavens. Every time Mr. Dunlop was looking for an answer I could duck behind Pete's wide shoulders or hide under my desk pretending to tie my shoe. Enough now. I could go on and on.