Someone mentioned Harry & Benny's grocery the other day, and it made me think of this 1961 photo from the NPL's Berg Collection. Those two were a couple of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet. I remember Benny frequently schlepping stuff back to his store from the A&P to fill orders. I guess they'd add a few cents to the prices.
What great guys they were... Always a smile, even for a little kid like me.
I was "forced" to go there because their price on a bottle of Coke was a penny less than Ratner's. (Sorry Rochelle, but it's true.) Ratner's was thirteen cents and H&B was 12 cents, so in order to get a soda from Ratner's I would have to find one additional empty to return for the deposit.
My grandmother sent me there often because it was the only place that sold yogurt.
One time I went there to buy a few things for my Mom, but it was more than my little arms could carry, so Harry himself delivered it to our third story apartment around the block.
My mom alway went to H&B's.It was right around the corner whether we went by way of West Mkt St or Myrtle Ave.One time when I was about 7yrs old, I'm embarrassed to admit, I was leaving the store with a candy bar inconspicuously placed down my sweater. However, I was foiled in the attempt when the candy bar fell out onto the floor. (I never could get away with anything)But the guys in the store were cool. They didn't make a big deal out of it. Unlike my mother if she found out about it.
This is a great picture. I lived in the apartment building right there at the corner of Humboldt & Orange St. (I thinks years later it became the home for the nuns of St. Rose) We were frequent visitors of Harry & Bennys.
My parents,Willie and Vera , my brothers Terry and Kevin, and myself, lived over Katz' cleaners, right next to H&B. They had no competition when it came to the BEST baloney (bologna) sandwiches on hard roll. What a feast when paired with a nice cold coke, and a devil dog!!!
That was my first job,I worked there in 67, driving that bike with that big basket.Going over the curb with a full basket was life threathing at 10 years old lol
Yes, what a great picture! I really remember us hanging there & smoking looking so cool we thought. we (devils) Roseanne, Ro Perone, Pomp & Denise & myself & Patti McCormick?, hung there after school & thought we were "safe" because we couldn't smoke on the sraa property. we weren't; we were "across the street"! we sat on the stoop there. i remember we bought lots of goodies in there as afterschool snacks & if you didn't have money, God forgive us, we "lifted" it from those nice men. I know i am going to hell. will look for jimmy when i get there.
