You’re from Flatbush if
1. You know who the Mango Man is.
2. You remember the crazy lady who used to talk to herself on Church Avenue.
3. You might of went to Erasmus High School.
4. You might of went to Walt Whitman Junior High School I.S. 246.
5. You take the Q or B train to Church Avenue.
6. You used to buy your video games from Lee on Church Avenue.
7. You take the dollar vans.
8. You take the B41 bus.
9. You hear the Gospels once in a while on Church Avenue.
10. The black Jews preach to you.

11. You shop @ VIM, Jimmy Jazz, Ragga Muffin or Doctor Jays.
12. You already know before Carnival Day.
13. Your parents love to shop @ Bobby’s.
14. You get away with buying dutches, if your under age.
15. You used to play in the ball pit at McDonald’s before the fire.
16. You used to go bowling at the Diplomat.
17. You used to go to Prospect Park for……
18. You remember taking the D or Q train.
19. You remember the Q line circle used to be an orange diamond.
20. You go shopping to Kings Plaza/ You go to the movies at King Plaza
21. You remember the cheap theatre on Church Avenue, the Kenmore Theater, where children paid $1.50 and adults paid $3.00. But then the shootout over a seat occurred and then was transformed into a Modells.
22.You already know Juvie night.
23. You remember when the Burger King used to be a Wendy’s.
24. You used to go to the library on Linden St.
25. You remember walking on Flatbush Avenue and the dancers would bust their moves with Dancehall Reggae blasting out.
26. You remember when some little church truck goes around Flatbush and sometimes was stationed @ Church & Flatbush. If often plays “Hear my Cry O’ Lord”
27. You go to Blockbuster’s on Caton & Flatbush.
28. Some of you may have gone to P.S. 207 near Marine Park.
29. Some of you may have gone to Marine Park High School.
30. You remember the Caldor that used to exist on Tilden.
31. You remember the Woolworth that used to exist on Flatbush and Tilden.
32. You passed by the burned down Johnson theater on Flatbush. What’s the deal with that?
33. You had your prom at Afrika House on Snyder and Bedford.
34. You used to get your school supplies for real cheap at Greyshells on Flatbush and Beverly. You would also go there for them big boards for them science projects.
35. You remember the White Castle on Church. They then opened a Veggie Burger.
36. You remember that before Cookies, it was called Sunshine.
37. You used to eat from Jimbo beans.
38. You used to use food stamps at the Chinese Restaurants that would take them. Then they went digital on the EBT card and we got screwed.
39. You know what the term “Goonies” means.
40. You might of called Converse shoes, “Skippies”.
41. Whenever you were in the mood for some good Spanish food, you went to La Cabana or El Castillo de Jaguar.
42. You remember how delicious that pizza was from Flatbush Avenue and Tilden Street.
43. Your mother, sister, cousin, aunt, sister-in law, mother-in law, grandmother, step mother, shorty, girlfriend, and/or wife loves to shop at Rainbow.
44. When you were little and you went in to the Korean/Chinese toy shops, you were used to getting grilled at and being told, “Don’t Touch!”.
45. You might remember that a bus line used to run on Ocean Avenue… Way back…
46. You remember the Golden Krust that was on Flatbush by Snyder. a few shops from McDonalds.
47. You vote at P.S. 6
48. You refer to dollar vans as “Death Traps”.
49. If you ever problems, issues, or things of the sort… The 70th NYPD Precinct is there to help.
50. You might remember an old man who used to sit outside of Rite Aid on Flatbush and used to sell paintings, some of which portrayed Jesus as black and with dread locks.
51. You might remember a homeless man who used to wear a raggedy black jacket during the blazing summer heat. Dr. Jays donated a brand new jacket to him.
52. Before Stop & Shop, it was an Edwards Supermarket.
53. You take the B49 bus.
54. You take the B44 bus.
55. You take the B12 bus.
56. You take the B23 bus.
57. When riding a Limited B41 bus, you know to get off at Church Avenue.
58. You remember the 7 Store next to Erasmus High School. It was closed and became a Northfolk Bank and now a Capital One.
59. You remember the good old days when you used to get snow cones from that huge ice cube, and then your syrup of choice was added in and gave colors to your drink.
60. You probably have passed by the Astoria Federal Savings Bank and have wondered whats in there as you never ever entered there.
61. You probably get your haircut at Leeroys’s on Church Avenue.
62. You may have gotten your haircut at Angelo’s on Flatbush.
63. You remember the salon that used to exist on Flatbush Avenue by Snyder. It was next to McDonalds, it was green inside.
64. On Christmas, the loud speakers used to play Christmas melodies.
65. You might know Thomas, you sits on the corner of Flatbush Ave. and Albemarle Rd. in front of the Deli. He knows almost everyone on the block.
66. You remember before the Caldors, there was a Macy’s.
67. You remember the Beef Patty Shop next to Macy’s.
68. You use Jamaican terms such as; Wah Gwan, Yah Mon, Wah Ya Talk Bout’ etc…
69. You had your baby pictures taken at Sears.
70. You may have went to P.S. 139
71. You know about Newkirk Plaza
72. You remember the Flatbush Frolic.
73. You may have remembered these people from I.S. 246, Walt Whitmas JHS.
- Ms. Klotzkin, math teacher
- Mr. Downer, literature teacher
- Mr. Ricks, gym teacher,
- Mr. Harris, school principal
- Mr. Harris, science teacher
- Mr. Edelman, literature teacher
- Mr. Foster, media teacher
- Ms. Alleyou, science teacher
- Ms. Obana, social studies teacher
- Mr. Cohen, social studies teacher
- Ms. Olibrisse, teacher
- Mr. McCloud, school safety,
- Ms. March, teacher
- Ms. Kennedy, teacher and lab instructor
- The lab instructor with the bangs… Lab room filled with macs.

Now this is for the old timers…
Before Kings Plaza, all shopping was done (on Saturdays with your family) on Flatbush Ave, Fulton St. downtown or Pitkin Ave.
Subway: Before the “D” and way before the “B” there were the “Q” Bway Exp and the “QT” & “QB” Bway locals, and the “SS-Franklin” ran express on weekends from Coney Island to Franklin/Fulton..before 1967. Trains lines strictly separated by “divisions” back in the day. ” BMT” Brooklyn Manhattan Transit, “IND”Independent Transit and “IRT” Interboro Rapid Transit Co.
Buses: B35 Church Ave: ran between 1st Ave/39th St and Pitkin Ave B23 Cortelyou Rd: ran between Flatbush and 60th St.
B16 Ft. Hamilton Pky.: ran between Flatbush/Cortelyou and Shore Rd/95 St.
B49 Ocean Ave.: ran between Bergen/Rogers and Oriental Blvd.
B44 Nostrand Ave.: ran between Williamsburg Br Plz and Emmons Ave. B12 East NY Ave. (via Clarkson/Albany) ran between Parkside/Ocean and Euclid Ave
B33 Hamilton Ave. (no longer running): ran from Flatbush/Ocean/ P’Park to Buttemilk Channel-Furman Street.
Rogers & Nostrand Avenues were 2 way streets (as were most “avenues”) in NYC before 1964.
Stores: Freidman’s Sports, (across from Erasmus, next to the Dutch church). Best prices on Converse-All Stars ice skates and Spauldings balls (Spall’deens).
Thom McCan Shoes: on Flatbush corner of Snyder. Best shoes back then ..everybody had at least 1 pair of Thom McCans.
YMCA on Bedford Ave & Snyder (on the back side of Erasmus).
Barbara Streisand graduated from Erasmus.
Ebinger’s Bakery: on Bedford & Albemarle Rd. (The best “chocolate/blackout cake” in the world !).
Sutter’s French Confectioners & Bakery: corner of Caton & Flatbush. The best “European” style pastries ever !
Bond’s Bread Factory: on Flatbush between Empire & Lefferts. Yes, an actual bread baking factory ! UMMM ! the smell was fantastic when the wind was blowing just right…all the way down Flatbush Ave!
There was never any “double or triple” parking on streets before 1973.
You remember Jahns.