MBL
Registered
Howdy all. My name is Tim, and I’m new to the forum, so I figured I’d introduce myself. Such is usually customary on many boards.
It’s been a loooong time since I’ve played a game of pool, but by most measures, I grew up in a pool hall. From about age 11 or 12, I was most often found at Baldwin Billiards in Baldwin NY. When I first visited, it was a room as you might expect to see in a movie about pool. A long bench across the front of the establishment where folks could sit and watch “important” games at the head table, and then there was the rest of the room ,vacant but for two vending machines selling stale Whatchamacallits. Of course, there were the tables, Brunswick Gold Crowns that had been there since the place opened, which I think was in 1962 or 64.
In the early years (prior to being 16) several of the mainstays would say they were my uncle so I could remain playing there without being kicked out by the cops. I remember there was Frank “the teacher” and Lester, that would do that for me. And so I learned to play decent enough to be known as someone that played a lot of pool, but certainly not good enough to be a threat to anyone that could actually play. And…that room had many great players.
Somewhere in about 1992 or 93, someone bought the pool hall and “improved” it. Ripped the soul from the room and tried to make it a family-friendly place. Almost all of the regulars disappeared from the golden era and dispearsed to other rooms closer to where they lived.
Myself, I moved to FLA for school and wound up staying. I returned a few times, stepped into the hall but couldn’t stay for more than about 2 minutes.
Well, I decided it has been too long since I grabbed my cue, and am going to start playing again. We’ll see how that goes.
I would, however, like to see if anyone might remember the old days of Baldwin Billiards…I’d like to see if anyone had pics of the place back then, for memories sake.
Tim
MBL
It’s been a loooong time since I’ve played a game of pool, but by most measures, I grew up in a pool hall. From about age 11 or 12, I was most often found at Baldwin Billiards in Baldwin NY. When I first visited, it was a room as you might expect to see in a movie about pool. A long bench across the front of the establishment where folks could sit and watch “important” games at the head table, and then there was the rest of the room ,vacant but for two vending machines selling stale Whatchamacallits. Of course, there were the tables, Brunswick Gold Crowns that had been there since the place opened, which I think was in 1962 or 64.
In the early years (prior to being 16) several of the mainstays would say they were my uncle so I could remain playing there without being kicked out by the cops. I remember there was Frank “the teacher” and Lester, that would do that for me. And so I learned to play decent enough to be known as someone that played a lot of pool, but certainly not good enough to be a threat to anyone that could actually play. And…that room had many great players.
Somewhere in about 1992 or 93, someone bought the pool hall and “improved” it. Ripped the soul from the room and tried to make it a family-friendly place. Almost all of the regulars disappeared from the golden era and dispearsed to other rooms closer to where they lived.
Myself, I moved to FLA for school and wound up staying. I returned a few times, stepped into the hall but couldn’t stay for more than about 2 minutes.
Well, I decided it has been too long since I grabbed my cue, and am going to start playing again. We’ll see how that goes.
I would, however, like to see if anyone might remember the old days of Baldwin Billiards…I’d like to see if anyone had pics of the place back then, for memories sake.
Tim
MBL