I am, however, very familiar with a city called Rye. It’s a suburb of NYC, and my hometown. By the beach in Rye, you’ll find a 90-year-old amusement park called Playland, which includes an ice rink. The rink is the home of my high school’s hockey team, and was the New York Rangers’ practice facility.
I came across a picture the other day of Lou Gehrig on skates at Playland in 1931. As a Yankee fan, I thought it was the coolest thing. I posted it on a Facebook group page for people from Rye, and it got an enormous response – hundreds of likes and comments. All of us spent our childhoods there. (One older woman took lessons as a kid along with a girl who grew up to become Olympian Dorothy Hamill.)
I consider myself a Californian now, but I realize that Rye made me who I am. And memories need to be shared.
