Richmond Hill (Images of America: New York)

Rating:
Summary: Just as decent a place to live as when TR saluted it
Review: Having signed this book out of my Queens branch library, I am eagerly waiting for my personal copy from Amazon.com.

This book contains 230 photographs of Richmond Hill, Queens, many dating to its roots when it was a still quiet Long Island farm community in the late 1800s. While I wished the authors had provided a more richly contexted introduction, it is basically a picture book, and as such, deserves to be enjoyed on its own terms. (It should be noted, however, that each picture has a generous caption.) Sure to be of interest to people interested in the history of New York City's "other borroughs" and of Long Island, Victorian architecture, and Americana in general. The chapters on "A Common Faith and Temples of Education" and "The Celebrated of Richmond Hill" were my personal favorites. Former residents include, photojournalist/reformer Jacob Riis, Phil Rizutto, composer Morton Gould, Ernest Ball (composer of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"), and the Marx Brothers (their home still exists and bears a commemorative plaque). Babe Ruth and Mae West were known to dine at the Triangle Hoffbrau restaurant (though I presume never together). The book includes the full text of Teddy Roosevelt's 1903 whistle stop campaign speech. Besides a longer introduction, I wish the book had a "then-and-now" map. When the village was first laid out streets were given names (like Elm Street, Oak Street, etc.); after the village was incorporated into Greater New York along with the rest of Queens, streets were stripped of these picturesque monikers and came to be identified by numbers (even with this innovation, any motorist without satellite navigation will tell you it's nearly impossible to find one's way around Queens...and for those of us who live here, that's just fine).

Overall, I would say Ballenas and Cataldi have produced a nice piece of nostalgia which serves as a good starting point for anyone interested in learning more about this part of Queens.

Rating:
Summary: Thank you!!
Review: I was born and raised in Richmond Hill.
I left 10 years ago but I still visit some family left behind.
I purchased this book because the remainder of my family is leaving Queens and I thought it would be a nice reminder of our life here. Obviously, most of these photos are before our time, but you have included our church, our schools and streets surrounding our house where many of these homes still stand.
I miss the Richmond Hill of even my childhood as it has changed so drastically, but this book will always serve as a reminder of the good times we had there. I highly recommend it and Thank you for writing it.