On Sunday afternoon, member of the graduating class of 1960 from St. Thomas the Apostle gathered at Mike's Pub on Jamaica Avenue for an informal reunion. It began when one of the alumni who now lives in California was going to have an 8-hour layover in NYC on her way to Europe. This alumni, Patricia Edge, e-mailed some old friends, and they e-mailed some old friends, and so on. And the idea of a reunion really picked up speed when another of the alumni, Jim Beck, sent out an announcement to his mailing list -- and the wheels were now in motion.
It was real nice seeing people who hadn't seen each other in years, hugging each other and reminiscing over old times. A lot of old stories were shared, there was a lot of good laughs, and there were a few sad moments, as well, as those who are no longer with us were remembered.
Old photographs of St. Thomas, and of Woodhaven, were shared and discussed. If you're the type of person that loves hearing about Woodhaven, this was a great afternoon. We learned a lot of interesting things -- Perry Como was a barber in Woodhaven, there was a record store at the corner where Msgr. Mulz Hall now sits, and students were warned to stay away from Rubie's (because of false rumors).
We brought along our 1941 Tax Photos of Jamaica Avenue. (Note: Click here for a sample of one of our 1941 tours of Woodhaven.) Though the early 40's were before these folks time, some of those stores were still around when they were teens.
We were very happy that these folks decided to have their Woodhaven reunion right here in Woodhaven instead of in Glendale, or Rego Park. And Mike's Pub was a nice place to have it. Before she flew in, Pat Edge sent us along some photos from the late 60's - early 70's and one of them was of Mike's which was frequently referred to as "The 80th Street Bar." We put that photo together with one of the same location in 1941 (when it was "The Forest Cafe") and one of how it looks today. Three looks at the corner of 80th Street and Jamaica -- 1940's, 1960's, and 2009. And before we knew it, the time had come to say goodbye again. There were some tearful goodbyes and a promise to get together again very soon. Some even suggested they try and turn it into a yearly event. We look forward to seeing them get together again next year. Many thanks to all for letting us be part of it -- it was greatly appreciated. Here's a brief video of the reunion -- 
Here are some more photographs courtesy of Patricia Edge. The Post Office on Forest Parkway:
Kofler's Market on Jamaica Avenue. Not sure what street this is -- I'll find out and update this page.
79th Street, just off Jamaica Avenue. These houses are visible at the start of the video clip above.
Dick's Deli - between 79th and 80th (you can see the corner bar in the distance).
The park at 79th Street and Park Lane South.
Here's a picture of the same park that someone shared on Project Woodhaven's Facebook Page, and they have graciously allowed up to use it here. It's from the same era, different season though -- summer instead of winter.
Note: For our younger readers, a double-feature was when a movie theater showed two movies for the price of one :-)
And finally, a wonderful picture of "The Haven." And judging from the films playing -- Hearts of the West and The Wind and the Lion -- this picture was taken in 1975. Great double-feature, by the way.
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