I have my own personal NYC living stories, over a decade of people, lives, blocks, and streets: my home. NYC is and always will be the one place in the world where I really felt at home and always will. This is why I always jump on other people’s NYC stories and memoirs, because everyone has their own NYC, this city that changes constantly, and houses the most interesting people and lives (as well as the most everyday people and lives and everything in between). Donna Florio grew up on Bank Street through the middle of the 20th century, and has lived there on and off all of her life. Over the years she has collected the stories of many of her neighbors, some of them huge celebrities, others not, and Growing Up Bank Street is a collection of vignettes detailing the lives of these Bank St occupants.

I personally loved the stories of those who were not hugely famous, I often felt like I was coming back home again when I read about people arriving from here and there and making the street into their home, building friendships that would last beyond life itself. I lived on Sixth Ave between Houston and Bleecker for a while, right next door to the Little Red School House, and it was lovely to revisit that area in earlier times, because that corner, that block, has seen so many changes over the years, even between the 10 plus years when I lived there and now. I was less interested in some of the stories, and more interested in others, and I wish that the author had been able to speak more on how AIDS really devastated the community in the 80’s, and also how 9/11 changed so much, but I am also acutely aware of how traumatic both times were for her, and I’m sure not easy to talk about in detail. I also would have loved to see more pictures of the street itself over time.

In any case this is a great read for anyone interested in the West Village, NYC in general, individual NYC stories, and a good dose of old times nostalgia. Thanks to Donna Florio for giving us a peek into what Bank St in New York used to be!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.