For many Long Islanders, it just doesn’t seem like summer until they hear the familiar jingle of the Mr. Softee ice cream trucks. It’s a sound locals have listened to for over half a century, a Pavlovian indicator that some superb soft serve is roaming the nearby neighborhood. … read more
There were few greater moments in childhood than that glorious day in June when you walked from your school for the final time and stepped into summer vacation. The warden had granted his scholastic reprieve for a handful of weeks and it was up to you to make the best of them, to cram every bit of fun you could muster into those dog days of summer. … read more
If you were a big fan of soda back in the day (and really, what kid wasn’t?), you might have stumbled across a short-lived chain of stores called The Pop Shoppe. Offering a seemingly endless array of flavors, once you finished drinking your hand-picked supply of soft drinks, you could head back, return your bottles, and start all over again. … read more
Hello, friends. Thanks for stopping by my site.
My name is Eric and I’m the creator of Long Island 70s Kid. I launched this place back in 2013 to pay tribute to all of the places, foods, events and other items that made a childhood on Long Island in the 70s so special. It’s a snapshot of an era, from a (former) kid’s perspective. … read more
Just about every kid in the 70s, at one time or another, either owned or wanted a Lite-Brite. And if you didn’t have one, you played with one belonging to someone else. The opportunity to create one’s own pictures from a palette of colorful pegs, was just too enticing to pass up. … read more
Yeah, the Kenner Easy-Bake Oven was marked towards girls, and it was unlikly that most boys were going to add it to their Santa wishlist. But once the yummy treats started emerging from oven, ready to be gobbled up, gender took a backseat to appetite, making the Easy-Bake popular with anyone within close proximity. … read more
Once a popular fast food chain, with locations scattered across Long Island during the 70s, Roy Rogers had a little something for everyone on the menu, but its days were numbered. Today, although the franchise survives in other parts of the country, local fans of the restaurant can no longer get their fix on the island. … read more
Long before the arrival of iTunes and playlists, there was really only two ways to accumulate your favorite songs in the 70s. Either purchase the entire (read: expensive) album, or buy just the song you wanted on 45 records. Millions of 70s kids opted for the latter, and amassed a beloved collection that they can remember to this day. … read more
The Old Bethpage Village Restoration might seem a topic more appropriate for an 1870s website than a 1970s one, if it weren’t for the fact that so many of us visited this historic “living museum” as schoolchildren during the decade. … read more
With its bright orange wrapper, emblazoned with the image of future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, it was hard to miss the Reggie! bar in the candy aisles. Making its major league debut in 1978, the Reggie! bar didn’t enjoy the same longevity of its namesake, but it was a fine confection, fondly remembered by many to this day. … read more
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