Harbor Deli's

Man, I was just remembering a time up until about 1980, that if you wanted a six pack of beer after 10pm you had to drive all the way to 7-11 in Southampton. You could pay bar prices and get it at the Black Buoy, but the local deli's were all closed by 10pm.
I got to thinking about the old deli's in Sag Harbor in the 1960's. Distefano's on Main Street opposite Glover Street. The place had been there as long as I can remember. It later became the Cove Deli and was open every night till 10pm. There were several near Pierson High School. Cleveland's was on the corner of Division and Henry Streets. It was operated by Arthur and Theresa Cleveland and they lived in the attached house. I remember Arthur got his own gas pump in his yard in 1965, and that was a big deal as everyone else had to go to the gas station. There was also Tony's on the corner of Rt 114 and Elizabeth Street. He also wrote the Secret Sam stories for the Sag Harbor Express. Another was Field's Store on the corner of Rt 114 and Jermain Ave. Topping it off in that area was the Neighbor Store on Jermain Street and Madison St, but that was gone by 1964. Another popular deli was Korsak's on the corner of Division Street and Union Street. They use to get up by 4am daily and make salads, among others potato and famous baked beans. Up until about 1965, the local A&P was a small store on Main Street where the Shopping Cove is today. Also down the street was Schiavoni's, and across the street from that was Ralstons. Eventually most have disappeared and become art galleries among other things. But in their day, these little grocery stores actually served the different neighborhoods in Sag Harbor. The Harbor Deli came to Main Street around 1970

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Man, I just realized it will be Christmas in a few days and got to thinking about Christmas programming back in the late 50's and early 60's on our TV. Usually regular weekly programs had a Christmas episode, but there was not too much in the way of Christmas specials that I remember except one. It was produced by Bell Telephone and came on every year before Christmas. It was puppets acting out the Night Before Christmas and the Nativity. It featured the Mabel Blanton Marionettes. For some reason this half hour program stuck in my mind all these years, even though it left TV by the mid 60's. If your under 50, you won't know what I am talking about, but to those of you who do, click here This is my Christmas present to you.
Twas Night Before Christmas Puppets, 50 years later

On The Waterfront

Man, as I mentioned previously in another post, my cousin Steve use to spend the summers of the 60's in Sag Harbor. After a day at left Sagg or Long Beach, we would head downstreet for the evening. There was not to much to do in those days, so we would hang around A dock on West Water Street. Next to A dock was a small marina owned by a man named Jacobs I believe. The lot next door was the Whaler's Motel. The building housing where 7-11 is today was not there yet. It was an empty lot. About 1966 it would be the A&P, that moved there from Main Street. The Seaside was where the Harbor Professional building is now. The restaurant was operated by the Remkus family. They also has a small fishing station where they rented boats next to the bridge. For fun we use to walk on the rocks under the bridge. This brings us to Long Wharf, where you could catch 25 blow fish on a Saturday morning, fishing off the end. The windmill was not built till 68 for the Whaler's Festival. Agawam Aircraft factory was where Malloy's building and marina is now. There use to be a guard who sat on the porch of the three story building. Next was the Yacht Club, about the same today. The oil tanks were next to the Yacht Club, where a oil tanker would come in once a week or so to fill them. This was for home heating oil, etc. The boatyard is still on Bay Street where it once was. Sometimes we would walk on the breakwater rocks in front of Cora Maria. And finally Tides beach, known today as Haven's Beach. After spending every evening around the waterfront and downstreet, we would get a dime can of soda at the soda machine at Remkus' Fishing Station and a 15 cent ice cream cone at Race's Drug store, now the bike shop. Man for 25 cents you could get all that in those days. Oh, by the way, the waterfront was almost completely abandoned in those days, not the zoo it is nowadays. Remkus Fishing Station

Light up Time

Man, I just dropped the kids off for Sag Harbor's annual light up time this afternoon. Reminds me of years past. In the 60's, light up time was held on a Friday night in early December at 7PM. The cops put up a snow fence from Bohack's, now the pizza place, up to Christy's Liquor store. The crowd would line the sidewalk in this location. Santa would arrive, have a countdown and put on the lights and give out candy. This all took place in front of the Gingerbread House. Sag Harbor Electronics would provide the public address sound. The lights were all multi colored as they are now, not snob white as they were for several years here. Yea, the Christmas tree was lit on the little barge in Otter Pond as it is now. People in control of the village now, remember this as kids and it's good to see it's returned. I also remember the Lyon's Club, for years, had a large lighted box in the park as you came into the village depicting a boy pulling a Christmas tree on a sled. Nice to see if that scene could be reproduced. For several years, the village had lit Christmas trees in the center of Main Street in the business district with lights strung across the road. As they do now, the Lyon's Club sold Christmas trees. I remember the cost of being about $2.50 a tree.Santa I.F.O. the Gingerbread House with boxes of candy

Old Time Bus Service

Man, if you wanted to get around in the 60's you either had a car, walked or took a bus in Sag Harbor. Most families in Sag Harbor had only one car. Many women did not drive. So if I wanted to get to Riverhead for example, you boarded a Sunrise bus in front of the movie theater. It cost $1.35 to Riverhead and took an hour. The bus rolled through Sag Harbor 4 times a day. Today it's a $1.50 anywhere because the county took over the S-92 route. It's a real bargain and and only 15 cents more than 40 years ago. You could get on and off the bus anywhere, and the first westbound bus arrived in Sag Harbor at 7:50 am. Several Bulova workers from East Hampton took this early bus to Sag Harbor. I have not been on this bus in over 30 years, but plan on doing it again for the experience and will write about it in this blog. I suspect the clientele has changed as shown in the photo below.
People waiting to Board the Sunrise Bus