Amsterdam places are remembered

By Bob Cudmore

Laurie Resila of Rotterdam has contributed memories from the Rockton Y and Reid Hill neighborhoods in Amsterdam, remembering businesses including City Cycle, Sincerely Yours and Reid Hill Liquors.

The Rockton Y is the intersection of Clizbe Avenue, Lyon Street, Hewitt Street and Northern Boulevard.  Amsterdam firefighter Robert Resila, his wife Violet and their sons, Dennis and Bobby, operated City Cycle Shop on Northern Boulevard near the Rockton Y from the mid 1960s until 2004.  The family believes the building that housed City Cycle on Northern Boulevard used to be known as the We Blew Inn.

Their business previously was located on Edson Street on Reid Hill. 

Laurie Resila’s husband Jim, now an Albany attorney, is the youngest of eight Resila children.   She said her husband grew up near City Cycle in the Northern Boulevard days and worked there during his college summers:   “Every spring, Jim remembers the creek behind City Cycle would overflow, and he and his friends and siblings would play in the creek, walk on the rocks and look for crayfish and salamanders.  He remembers fishing in the ‘Penny Pool’ off Hewitt Street.  Jim doesn't remember if that's the real name or not, but that's what the kids then called it.”

Other Rockton Y memories were of Marczyk’s store on either Second or Third Street where Mrs. Marczyk provided bones for the family dog.  Tuman’s on Forest Avenue was a favorite for lunch, where the Mohasco mill crowd and neighbors enjoyed steak sandwiches served by Bill and Nadio Tuman and Bill’s father, Bill.  And Resila said, “Crystal Bar (on Lyon Street) served the best pizza!”

Laurie Graff Resila, now a schoolteacher in Altamont, grew up on Northern Boulevard in Hagaman, not far from her future husband’s home.  She said, “I went to St. Stanislaus Catholic School and then Amsterdam High.  Jim and I rode the same school bus together all those years but never knew each other.  He remembers me sitting in the front of the bus wearing the plaid Catholic school uniform.  We never officially met until I moved down to the state of Florida during my high school years, came back to visit my grandmother over the summer between my junior and senior year, and we met on a blind date.  We dated for five years through college at Syracuse University, then got married.”

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25-CENT HAIRCUTS

            Laurie Resila’s great-grandfather, Michael Burowic, owned Mike’s Barbershop on Reid Hill where he gave haircuts for 25 cents a head.  

“Just around the time he retired, haircuts went up to $1.00,” Resila said.  “His shop was across Reid Street from what is now Kiddo's Tavern.”

Resila’s grandfather, John Polochacz, worked for Sears Roebuck on East Main Street in Amsterdam for 33 years, where he was the hardware manager.  Resila said, “Some people referred to him as Hardware John."  

Resila’s father, John Graff, owned Reid Hill Liquors in the 1960s and 1970s and his brother Joe Graff operated Joe’s Barber Shop on the other side of Reid Street. 

Laurie Resila said, “I fondly remember going to St. Stanislaus School, walking to Sincerely Yours with Kay Skrzynecki as the crossing guard.  She always had a friendly smile and took such good care of us to make sure we got across the street safely.  Then we would walk to my dad's liquor store and go to Brownies on Reid Street for some great hot-dogs.  Fred's Flowers is still there!

"Sincerely Yours was a stationery and card store which was across the street from the old Brownie's hot dog restaurant.  My husband remembers Sincerely Yours being a favorite spot to get baseball cards and those gummy cinnamon coins.”

Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18, 2022-From the Archives-January 7, 2022-Episode 404-Evacuation Day was November 25, 1783, the day the British left New York City finally ending the American Revolution.  Attorney and historian Jim Kaplan discusses the significance of Evacuation Day and how the day has been commemorated through the years.

Thursday, May 19, 2022- From the Archives of the Daily Gazette-George Tralka’s recollections of war. 

Friday, May 20, 2022-Episode 423-Charles Gehring’s life work has been to translate Old Dutch language documents from the 17th century New Netherland colony in New York, New Jersey and Delaware.  Gehring is Director of the New Netherland Research Center at the New York State Education Department in Albany.  His work has been used by many historians, including Russell Shorto whose book “The Island at the Center of the World” is a history of New York City dating back to colonial Dutch times.

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