Apparently there was a time in our neighborhood when ball playing was so scandalous that people had metal signs made to warn against it.
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cheryl September 14th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
My father used to play hand ball in the neighborhood all the time when he was a kid. They got in a lot of trouble because they would break windows.
I’m assuming the were afraid of property damage.
Nice picture, though
Jasmin September 14th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
LOL…this definitely brings back memories. When I was a kid in Bushwick, people played handball against just about ANY wall. These signs were definitely needed back then. I’m surprised their still up though!
11222 September 14th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Yeah, this is about broken windows. Because kids would play stickball anywhere and everywhere in Brooklyn.
Jeremy September 14th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Yeah, I know it’s because of windows, I still think it’s funny. Jasmin, they survived the “we don’t need these anymore” period — now they’re “vintage”!
jay September 14th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Me thinks they break windows regardless of ball activity.
bushwicknative September 17th, 2007 at 8:58 am
The sign does bring back memories for me as well.. we played handball against any wall that stood more than 20 feet tall .. if the wall were brickface (not flat) you got to know every bounce off the wall and indeed owners did not like broken windows. We would also play a game called ” ace king queen” a version of box ball against a churchyard wall on Harman Street (Ridgewood Pentecostal) I believe and were asked to leave very often by the “church lady” .
BornOnWyckoffAve September 17th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Ha! I used to live right up the street from that sign. That’s actually Ridgewood, not Bushwick.
Even in the ’70s, kids still bounced Spaldeens off walls, stoops, whatever was available. I guess street games like handball, stoopball and stickball are passe’ these days–but for my part, I’m glad I grew up in the pre-video game era.
Chris September 17th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
That photo is taken I believe at on Forest Ave and Palmetto St in Ridgewood.
Amazing how such little info in the photo can make me place that. Those are orange and yellow bricks from Ridgewood style Mathews flats buildings.
Chris September 17th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Ahhh, well I was close….it’s the other side of the building at Forest and Palmetto…at the Gates and Grandview side, lol.
Great sign, I have seen them in lots of other locations in Ridgewood and Bushwick.