Growing Up Bank Street is like reading a genealogy report for a short Greenwich Village street. The author, Donna Florio, does an amazing job of telling its history, and she does so well that you’ll feel like you grew up on Bank St., too.
For being such a tucked away street, Bank seems to have collected a literal Who’s Who of the New York elite. John and Yoko lived on Bank before moving to the infamous Dakota uptown. Sid Vicious died on Bank St. The real Auntie Mame, and newsman Charles Kuralt also called Bank St. home.
Florio tells heartwarming stories of the Bank St. residents she came to know and love, whether famous or blue collar. Her stories were a constant reminder to me that “it takes a village” to raise a child, and what a lucky kid to be raised by this Greenwich Village community. I especially liked the stories about singing at the Met as a child; it’s a dream I’ve always had.
If you’ve ever wondered how a neighborhood would write a memoir, pick this one up! While it wasn’t a very quick read for me, the deep dives into the Bank St residents’ lives were entertaining enough to keep going.
For being such a tucked away street, Bank seems to have collected a literal Who’s Who of the New York elite. John and Yoko lived on Bank before moving to the infamous Dakota uptown. Sid Vicious died on Bank St. The real Auntie Mame, and newsman Charles Kuralt also called Bank St. home.
Florio tells heartwarming stories of the Bank St. residents she came to know and love, whether famous or blue collar. Her stories were a constant reminder to me that “it takes a village” to raise a child, and what a lucky kid to be raised by this Greenwich Village community. I especially liked the stories about singing at the Met as a child; it’s a dream I’ve always had.
If you’ve ever wondered how a neighborhood would write a memoir, pick this one up! While it wasn’t a very quick read for me, the deep dives into the Bank St residents’ lives were entertaining enough to keep going.