Where Childhood Dreams Were Made

Photo: Charlie Crowell

For the first 5 years of my life I grew up in Waterbury, Connecticut. One of my fondest memories was going to Frankies for a hotdog and onion rings and then going next door to Carvel for ice cream. I look at this picture and I can see in my mind's eye, my nana and poppie smiling. I can feel the warm breeze over my hot skin from being out in the sun all day. I can smell the scents of summer.

Carvel and Frankies aren't there any more. It's sad. I drive by there when I'm home to visit family, and to me, it's worse to see the development of an area when you haven't been there for a while. When you live in a town and see change, it's almost like a fresh start. When you go back home and see an important part of your childhood gone, it feels like someone is trying to erase time. My nana and poppie are now gone, so is the Carvel/Frankies building. I know change happens, but this is where my childhood dreams were made. Now I just have memories.

Where was your favorite childhood place to visit?