This is the 3 story, six family apartment that I grew up in from age 3 to 13. It still looks the same, but that red leaved maple tree in the front "yard" is probably more than twice as large as then. It used to only be up near to the second floor. On the right side we had a flower bed with peonies, Iris, Lily of the Valley. This is where I first started gardening adding annuals to the garden and tending it. I may be the only one who knows it had a name, Venice Gardens, besides the builder, and everyone always just referred to it as 97 Croton Ave. My folks tended to the apartment building, the furnace, hot water heater, garbage(we had a dumb waiter) and cleaning the halls. We didn't get paid, paid same rent as others, but had an additional two bedrooms in the back. It was a nice apatrtment - also 90 degrees most of the time in order for the folks on the top floor to enjoy 60 degree temperatures. Apparently no insulation in building. We had stuccoed walls inside which must have just been plastered onto the outside brick. Across the street was a large lot with an empty colonial mansion. It turned out to be the place where all the kids from surrounding area played. There were basball, football fields and basketball courts. The outbuidings served as Club houses. My brother, Herb, and his buddies were the prime ones to develop the place and it became known as the Bannister's Boys Club , named for the last family that lived in the back part of the mansion as caretakers. They welcomed the kids and the bank that subsequently owned the property didn't care because the property was cared for so didn't have to be concerned with maintenance. All through the war years the entire property was for sale for $17,000 - WOW! The mansion was finally dismantled and property sold after we moved to Fuller Gardens. They excavated all the property to level it and built a Grand Union Shopping Center - it is still a shopping center with a Baskin Robins/Donuts so I had my treat there.