••• An 85-year-old reader, who prefers to remain anonymous, sent in a terrific reminiscence.

Just found your website and thought I’d write and tell you a little bit about the Tribeca I knew. I was born and lived on Varick St. as did several of my immediate family. It was not so trendy then. Cold water flats, kerosene stoves for heating and toilets in the hallway. We went to St. Alphonsus School on Thompson St. The school and church are long gone. My father was a policeman with the first ESU stationed right up the block in what was then the 4th Precinct. I have very happy memories of the area and laugh when I read about all the celebrities that now call the area home.

I thanked her and begged for anything else she might want to share.

I also had relatives living on N. Moore St. which was part of the same structure. However, while the apartments on Varick St. we’re box shaped the ones on N. Moore St. were what were called railroad flats. There were three apartments on each floor, 2 were 4 rooms at either end and a 2 room flat in the middle. We had 2 toilets on each floor that were used for all three apartments. Just water closets. No tubs or sinks. We also had a combination stove that was half coal burning and gas for cooking and keeping warm. I also remember a diner on the corner of Beach and Varick Sts.

••• A comment from Gen about my penny drive notion: “Every November/December my girls’ school does a penny drive for charity—the drive was initiated by Dalton and a lot of the private schools take part. So if you can bear looking at your pennies for another four months, my girls will take them off your hands. They’ll come to you or to all do-gooders, come drop them at Mulberry & Vine.” I’m in.

••• A. noticed that Plein Sud was closed, and when I called the restaurant and the phone rang and rang. That usually means the party is over, but when I called the Smyth hotel, I was told that the pretty Provençal restaurant is getting refurbished and will open Sept. 3. No word on whether the downstairs Toro Lounge is affected.

••• Congratulations to Karen for correctly identifying last week’s Where in Tribeca…? (the one with the knockers).

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