The Original English Village

                                                                            by Susan Vladeck

​

​

          Built in the design of an English village in part motivated by Louis Mumford, Sunnyside Gardens became home in 1945.  We first lived in a single house on 47th street and then moved to the corner of 47th and 39th avenue where our architect father converted a two-family unit into a single family house. 

​

          Stickball on the street, building igloos in the snow, it was a community where everyone’s parents kept an eye out and welcomed you in.  School buddies were street buddies.  And a big group of us were together from PS 150, and 125 to Music and Art.  I always credited 5th grade teacher Fannie Malden for jogging the creative sparks in us. 

​

          Fast forward to the early 80s: we took three kids on a house exchange to Cambridge, England.   When we entered the house, it was yes, exactly like our first Sunnyside house.  My kids were surprised that I knew where everything was. Voila, here was the original English village and townhouse replicated in the Sunnyside gardens.