WHERE AM I?

by Kevin Walsh

I’m at a longtime NYC high school that was an all-boys school until it moved to Queens, accepted girls, and the world turned color.

26 comments

Adam December 18, 2011 - 11:19 am

st. francis prep?

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chris December 18, 2011 - 12:14 pm

St Francis Prep 186 North 6th Street Brooklyn NY 11211, now Boricua College.

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John Schorn December 18, 2011 - 2:52 pm

Looks like you’re on N. 6th Street in Williamsburg, outside the former home of St. Francis Prep.

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Charlie Class of '58 December 18, 2011 - 6:11 pm

St. Francis Prep!

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Tony Davenport December 18, 2011 - 6:42 pm

That’s the old St. Francis Prep (now a college) on North 6th between Driggs and Bedford. Was there for two years before making the move to Fresh Meadows

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Paddy December 18, 2011 - 6:55 pm

This is the former location for St Francis Prep when they were located in Brooklyn. I attended classes there in the early ’70s.

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chris December 19, 2011 - 2:27 pm

Boricua College?Where you get a degree in PuertoRicology?

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Thomas December 20, 2011 - 3:27 pm

On Red and Blue.

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Howie Weber December 20, 2011 - 5:23 pm

St. Francis Prep . My alma mater Class of 1968
“On for Old St. Francis”

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mike sadler September 13, 2017 - 12:32 pm

Mike Sadler On for Old St. Francis Class of 1968

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Dennis December 21, 2011 - 2:23 pm

SFP, class of 1969. At one time this was a typical Brooklyn working class neighborhood, with a large Polish community. It is now more like an extention of the East Village with some of the best beer bars in the city.

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Howie December 29, 2011 - 3:44 pm

Dennis you are absolutely correct in your review of the neighborhood. I still go back to visit some of the beer bars.

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JOE December 22, 2011 - 10:14 pm

F F RAN
C C CIS
F-R-A-N-C-I-S
F-R-A-N-C-I-S
FRANCIS, FRANCIS
GOOOOOOOOOO

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jerry connors January 27, 2013 - 11:14 am

Remember St. Francis Prep well at that location. Took the entrance exam in 1957 there after going over to Bedford Ave on the Canarsie line from East New York. Attending Molloy I went to a couple of Friday night basketball games down there. Several friends graduated from Prep. Even commuted in on the LIRR from Long Beach every day.

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Patrick O'B October 23, 2017 - 2:35 pm

you mean 1967? Franciscan Brothers, Prep & College were still on Butler Street in 1957. Prep than moved to North 6th (old St Vincent de Paul Parochial School), College and Brothers Friary to Remsen Street, than 1974 Prep moved to Bishop Reilly, Fresh Meadows. I was 3 years North 6th, in the 1st graduating class from (Reilly bldg.) in 1975 (graduated Saint Francis College 1979).

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DON DUFFY January 19, 2018 - 6:31 pm

WENT TO THE PREP 1960/61 …..WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BR. ANDREW

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Tony March 19, 2018 - 9:59 pm

I was a Rockaway resident who took a class in Summer session taught by Brother Timothy in 1960 or 61. St. Francis Prep, in those years, offered Summer School classes to Catholic Boys high school students from Brooklyn and Queens. He was a good teacher who used a highly energetic style in class. Although he spared the Rockawayites none of his great sarcasm and wit, I believe we all enjoyed the classes. He would say in jest ( I think) that we were in Summer school because the salt air at the beach rotted our brains. That was just one of his barbs, obviously he taught decades before the era of political correctness. Anyone remember Brother Timothy or St.Francis Summer school?

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Rich Corno class of 64 December 23, 2018 - 10:50 am

Entered St. Francis in 1960. Brother Timothy was the principal. Great school, great spirit, great times.

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Gary CALEGA March 12, 2019 - 5:11 pm

Graduated in 1960. I’ll never forget Bro Timothy. He offered me a principal’s partial scholarship to SFC. Could not have afforded college otherwise.

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Patrick O'Beirne '75 July 3, 2019 - 11:56 am

to think, Boricua vacated (difficult for students to commute with the year-long disruption of ‘L’ train service, partially), the original school building, newer gym building, former convent bldg. (facing North 5th), went for over 31 MILLION DOLLARS to a developer, so far plans on adding three more floors to the original 186 building (St Vincent de Paul Grammar School) for a 60-unit condo — just like they did to my St. Vincent’s-twin-brother- school, Saint Paul’s Grammar School, Warren Street, Brooklyn 40 years ago (ironically where the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn STARTED in Brooklyn, N.Y.!!!!!!)

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TONY December 25, 2019 - 4:13 pm

The neighborhood beer bars were probably Italian bakeries of the 50s and 60s. Their “pizza bread” was great
company for the walk back from school to the train…Myrtle Ave el? The It was simply but tasty, served unheated off the counters. Don’t think it was called focaccia back then.

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Tony Angerame March 28, 2020 - 3:30 pm

On for Old S Francis
On Red and Blue
Fight for our colors!
Rush right in and fight for Old St Francis colors
Da da da da dah

1962 Band third trumpet
Tony

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Joseph E. Gasperetti April 5, 2020 - 5:45 pm

I attended St. Francis in that building between 1969 to 1973.

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TONY April 17, 2020 - 4:42 pm

Having a lot of downtime lately, like most of
us, I’ve been thinking of how fortunate we are to have had a great education at St Francis
Prep or one of the other fine Diocesan prep
schools in NYC.
Personally, I believe they were the most
important years of my life.
Thank You Brothers and Lay Teachers for
all your sacrifices.

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TONY September 15, 2020 - 3:34 pm

Hopefully our children and grandchildren
can experience the quality of education that
we were fortunate to receive and also all the
friendships and fun. Best years of my life.

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brian neville February 18, 2022 - 11:38 am

My favorite was Brother Benignus.. who didn’t appear to be benign but actually was. A great education

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