Ridgewood NYC is the Best: A Tour of my Home Neighborhood

[@Gl6619]

If you’re ever in NYC, do yourself a favor and hire Tom for a private tour...he’s extremely informative, funny and very down to earth...he will also take you to places off the beaten path and give you a taste of the real NY which has disappearing in certain ares because of gentrification..plus you get a nice work out

[@tomdnyc1]

Thanks, Greg! Hope you're well!

[@Gl6619]

@@tomdnyc1 I’m good...I’m Minneapolis now...I’ll be heading back your way next spring...We’ll have a beer at Mc Sorleys....

[@TrainsFerriesFeet]

@@tomdnyc1 Do you still do tours?

[@jessedylan6162]

@@Gl6619 McSorley's beer tastes like piss water but the venue is classic.

[@patricksanders858]

​@@tomdnyc1 Hi Tom! Where can I go to book a tour?

[@johnmaldonado3932]

I miss Ridgewood i miss seeing all the old grandparents sweep all the stoops every Saturday mornings they kept it very beautiful

[@AL-grhvc]

Finally a channel that doesn't make a show of how dope NYC is with that corner shop bagel and 20th floor 200 square feet extortionate manhattan apartment with no sunlight in. No stupid superficial wanna-be New Yorker thing here. This is the REAL NYC channel that tells what the city is all about since the dawn of history and thank you for another great video Tom ⭐️

[@miguelmejia4656]

get real. queens is a joke.

[@AL-grhvc]

@@miguelmejia4656 I didn't praise Queens anywhere, never been there,so no comment..what I said was about the informative content of these videos.

[@greg28]

@@miguelmejia4656 shut up. Queens is the most diverse area on THE FUCKING PLANET THERE ARE OVER 400 LANGUAGES SPOKEN THERE. ANYWAYS WHY THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT IN A REPLY TO AN UNRELATED COMMENT. Smh

[@benquacker392]

@@miguelmejia4656 guy lives in bushwick

[@MOTIVATIONBYDAR]

@@miguelmejia4656 You are a joke, Queens is where everyone is moving and the melting pot where you could meet people from all over the world without leaving your neighborhood.

[@xan8185]

I grew up in Ridgewood and moved out about a decade ago. It makes me sad to see some of the changes there when I go back. Growing up on the weekends the elders would be out cleaning the streets and us kids would help and then play on the sidewalk until the sun went down. We didn't have any of those ugly big buildings that are popping up on random blocks. No corner bars. It was a great family neighborhood, safe and clean.

[@DR-xt9ux]

POGO ONE

[@PatriciaKunis-v7o]

yes ... sweet Ridgewood memories

[@jaworskibart]

A lot of the little garages that you see in the neighborhood were formerly horse stables. You can't unsee it once you see it.

[@edwardgurewicz4610]

Born and raised in buswick(harman and irving). Went to ps86k. JHS162 and grover Cleveland HS class of 84. Different world back then.

[@richalex8489]

This is the other side of queens. Ridge wood , middle village , Glendale , maspeth Atlas park mall is a nice hidden gem

[@jenniferrivera8627]

I was about to say. I live in ridgewood n this def ain't it. Great video though. You never see anything about ridgewood so its dope to see this

[@xmuta]

Juniper Park is really nice.

[@OALM1991]

I agree. I stumbled upon Atlas Park mall and I was flabbergasted that I’d never been before then.

[@leeannlack6521]

I grew up here. Miss it. Hope you love it

[@amandeepv]

Great Tom you’re the most enjoyable of all the New York bloggers

[@ernestshekldon4060]

True

[@JulianSteve]

Absolutely. He is one of the best⭐️

[@nasdaqua]

I'm for Actionkid #1.

[@froter1]

He definitely is , without a doubt .. his videos are very entertaining and educational..just a very good vibe too 👍

[@phongphong4640]

I live in NYC for over two decades. I am very interested in Tom's outstanding contents. They are not for shallow-minded people. I really want to see Tom's channel grow 10 times bigger. But Tom's delivery and media "persona" are not working for his commercial advantage. He acts and looks like an unsettling homeless guy on some sort of drugs. ( Please don't be mad at my honest feedback.) We certainly need someone doing what Tom is doing to learn more about the history and culture of our fantastic city. Can Tom's delivery and persona become more "user-friendly"? Such as talking in a calmer tone and more pleasant cadence and polish his appearance a bit to look more like a professional and respectable character?

[@dewanfaisalkabir468]

Why would someone give a dislike , I mean cmon people, don’t take these videos for granted, a lot of work went into making these.

[@JulianSteve]

Exactly. There will always be a hater (or haters LOL)😂‼️This is normal on KZbin.

[@AL-grhvc]

@@JulianSteve there are always idiots in this case more like.

[@saskiapanter]

My thoughts exactly

[@chloekit4861]

People dislike everything I did a couple cat videos and have dislikes

[@superbadmofo1]

Dude I've myself have pondered the same thing...and concluded that those poor souls can't help it....A hater must be a hater. They can not go against their nature..

[@RobertoLopezstudyis]

I love those old apartment buildings in Ridgewood Queens.

[@PatriciaKunis-v7o]

they're the best, aren't they?

[@donnahuber7296]

I was born in Ridgewood. My Father’s family were Germans who immigrated to the US in the late 1950’s and Landed eventually in Ridgewood. My parents got married in St. Matthias (Ma-thy-us) church. I went to kindergarten there too. We moved when I was 6 but had relatives that remained there. All the roads you mentioned I walked with my parents because the street I lived on was off of Myrtle Avenue. This is a great video.

[@chloekit4861]

What was it like in the 50’s was it weird after ww2 toward Germans ?

[@ilahildasissac1943]

Did you study German in school, or are you German regarding ancestry.

[@CarolLustgarten]

Very cool. Thank you for the great interesting informative tour. Lived in forest hills for 9 years. Moved in 2021. Have never been to Ridgewood or Bushwick. Great tour.😊😊

[@cathpeterson1944]

awesome tour of Ridgewood, I luv how it’s not so crazy busy like most of NY is, quieter slower pace and love Highland Park

[@MrSamosisimo]

When I graduated from High School in 1972 (Bushwick HS), we had our graduation ceremony at the RKO Theater on Myrtle!

[@bighuge1060]

This was my home town from age 1 to 8. I went to Our Medal of Miraculous Medal school, lived off of Linden Street, went to the old Oasis Theatre, and loved life here. We moved in 1969 to Northern NJ and stayed there for 52 years but would travel to my grandparents' house in Glendale -- one town over and where I was born -- ever holiday. Almost all of my mother's family and relatives lived on the same bloc in Glendale. The last time I was there was in the early 2000s and much has changed. There is no Woolworths near the subway station, no Oasis, no Chinese restaurant or German bakery nearby or gym or pet (that always gave out goldfish on Halloween) store, or Bohack grocery store on Fresh Pond Road. Karl Ehmer is no longer there. So much has changed. Still, I have wonderful memories of our railroad apartment and life in this neighborhood.

[@eschaefer6512]

Went to OLMM class of ‘64. All those old now gone places. Kindergarten at St. Mathias.

[@bighuge1060]

@@eschaefer6512 I did a little backwards mathematics and I think 1967 was the year I attended 1st grade there. 1969 I left mid 3rd grade.

[@IngefromGraz]

Tom, can you do a walking tour of Glendale also! This was very educational for people who need to know a little history of where the live.

[@msladym7240]

I'm from Ridgewood too. Thanks for the tour.

[@NYwriter-kt4jh]

That Ridgewood reservoir was the reason for the dozens of Bushwick breweries that opened mid-19th century. It was said that water was perfect for brewing beer.

[@PatriciaKunis-v7o]

Ha! My father worked at Schlitz. Take Care.

[@MelGibsonFan]

I grew up in Ridgewood, but definitely took a lot of it for granted, now that I’ve been priced out, I have this immense nostalgia for it but I know I’ll never be able to afford it again. Lol. Feels bad man.

[@fehyndana7725]

Ridgewood is being gentrified? 😳 since when? And where did you move where it’s cheaper?

[@MelGibsonFan]

@@fehyndana7725 I could probably just point to the increase in housing prices first, but if you were in Ridgewood as long as I was (20+ years) then the change should be obvious. Actually moving about 15 blocks down into Glendale got me a $400 a month decrease in my rent. Although, with the way landlords are exploiting the inflation to raise rents... It's unlikely Glendale will remain a better option.

[@nattymawnstah]

@@MelGibsonFan My uncle bought a house in Glendale 20+ years ago for 200k, now worth millionsss

[@LuciePohl1]

Tom is the King of Queens!

[@sharrie-huang]

I grew up in Ridgewood all my life and there's so much I don't know about my own neighborhood. Thanks for sharing!

[@SunnnyDay]

My Grandmothers family settled in that area, originally from Sicily, around 1912. My Grandmother lived on St. Nicholas Ave. until the early 90's. I walked many of those streets Tom was on, 1/2 a century ago. Nice memories....

[@ElizabethGollisz]

Ditto!😊

[@Puddycat00]

That house on Onderdonk St is beautiful and big . I have walked the entire Ridgewood with my Rottweiler in past 10 yrs . I remember craving Kinder Schokobonz during a snow blizzard and had to take my dog out to pee anyway soo we walked all over in knee high snow til I found my chocolates . And after walking for hours, I finally found a store that had a few bags left, you’d have thought I struck gold, I was so happy I took my dog to the huge pet store and let him pick out whatever treats and toys he wanted. And he did. I was sooooo happy coz I am VERY VERY VERY picky about what chocolate I eat. I refuse to eat any American made garbage chocolate . Now I have a good friend in Germany who has a store that carries my favorite chocolate and I found out the Kinder made in Germany tastes ALOT better so I pay her to mail me the chocolates. A months supply at a time. I’m a lil weird. But who cares. I am what I am .

[@richardarthur-nycstories]

Such a great presentation style, certainly something to aspire to, you did well covering Ridgewood in one video. At 25:26 I thought that you might have talked about the movie "The Irishman", several scenes in the film were shot between that corner and St. Matthias. The reservoir is a great place to film migrating birds in May, it is a great little stopover for them.

[@johnpap7415]

I actually lived in the corner building (Onderdonk & 69th) in my youth. It was surreal seeing it in the movie!

[@MelGibsonFan]

Another unknown film location, Freshpond road, in the sopranos when the Shah’s spot gets bombed.

[@mariacatalano5252]

I grew up in Bushwick (Stockholm Street) and Ridgewood (Greene Ave). Loved Rudy's bakery. I never knew there was a Ridgewood Reservoir!!

[@indigoroots]

I worked at Saint Aloysius as a sixth grade teacher for one year, 1999 to 2000. I had Polish, Filipino and Ecuadorian students.

[@gardengirl9569]

My aunt taught there. My fathers family grew up there. We used to visit their railroad style apartment from the 50's thru 70's . I know they all lived there from the turn of the century, and they had nothing, esp in the Depression. Wish I could remember more, oh and Grandpa worked in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, sick plug!

[@christianhansen3292]

cool lucille ball and 3 stooges performed at that madison theater!

[@ny4i]

Nice job. Most people do not talk about the ZIP code change after the riots. I grew up on Wyckoff Avenue which in the 70s was known as part of Ridgewood even though it is in Brooklyn. Now I think most people just call the Brooklyn part Bushwick and anything past the border on Cypress Avenue as Ridgewood. I still describe Ridgewood as straddling the border though.

[@NYCgirl927]

I lived in Bushwick in the 1960s. Now my son works out of the 104 pct ready to retire. Thank God. It was beautiful back in the 60-70s. Still safe.

[@RahulKumar-ul3ne]

Sir you're walking tours are amazing. I love NYC as it is prominent in so many shows and movies . I've been wanting to go there. I shall as soon I finish my education here my country India. Bouncing through different videos realting NYC I found your channel and I must say I'm very grateful.

[@stephaniebloom4220]

Okay, Tom. You are hilarious! I loved the Ridgewood vid because it is your hood and that made it special. My visiting family was watching over my shoulder and said, “Ahh, he is exactly our kind of weird.” That is a HUGE compliment. 😆

[@tomdnyc1]

I'll take that compliment!

[@CarolLustgarten]

How about the history and a video on forest hills. I 🤔 think paul Simon went to forest hills high school. And the Ramones went to that high school too. There is a street named for them. I went to the naming ceremony with council woman Karen k. And the brother of one of the Ramones.

[@christinefay1761]

Lived in Ridgewood for a spell during the eighties. Remember the yellow brick. Thanks so much.

[@JimmyLem]

Ridgewood Reservoir was fed by multiple man-made ponds on the south shore of Long Island. Wantagh was once called Ridgewood for this reason. Also look into Lynbrook (Brooklyn backwards).

[@frankmarcia5956]

i don't know if you have ever done a tour of EastNew York but if not it is a very interesting area with a rich history. i was born and raised there in the late 1940s and through the 1950s and some of the 1960s. go to Highland Park it's beautiful.

[@cadwg77]

Love NY city and surroundings but also love the history of it so I’m glad i’ve found this Chanel that tells all of these great “from-the-street” rich stories ... another sub here. Thanks!

[@JnTmarie]

Funny one Tom. So adorable. Learning so much from your videos. Your parents should be proud 😊

[@mario-bensaens9019]

My favorite historian, he does like he is talking to you, very cool.

[@aileencreates]

I grew up on Woobine right above Vendetti Square , i was a kid when that happened and i remember they never cleaned up the blood in the area that it happened , i also worked in the liberty building when it was Busy bee a mini- mall . and the Ridgewood theater , which was in pretty bad shape already in the early nineties .

[@ActionKid]

Wow! I never knew there was a Ridgewood Reservoir! I never visited the Arbitration Rock before.

[@rdgwd237]

Maybe do a video there Actionkid?

[@vegetaleoriginale]

we need another ridgewood video from the action kid

[@numerologicatarot3333]

I lived over there for a few years. It wa spear full and I often spent nights just walking.

[@mostolaza74]

Thanks for a great history lesson. I grew up in Ridgwood. Lived in Gates Avenue and Then Catalpa before moving to Florida in 89. Best place to grow up

[@johnmaldonado3932]

After I got married in 77 I lived in Ridgewood for 10 years 714 fairview AV. It was a very good place

[@carolfrost2097]

My grandmother lived on 554 Fairview

[@IngefromGraz]

Thanks for the tour of Ridgewood, the town I grew up in.

[@povertyisapolicyfailure6130]

I miss living in ridgewood. As a teenager I would walk around with my friends all over ridgewood! This really is suck a good place to be around.

[@manny10491]

Please do forest hills! Queens

[@mo5407]

Yay! I grew up in Ridgewood and Maspeth!

[@chloekit4861]

Where what street

[@NotAlrightSpider]

@9:24 There was a mafia hit right about in that spot in the 80s. I remember seeing the blood on the concrete.

[@NotAlrightSpider]

As I kept watching, I saw you covered it.

[@kabirpour]

You are thre best with that brain and mind of yours which goes back to the beginning of all which you explain so well, not just touching on the surface like most!

[@thescottlaudati]

just walked through ridewood for the first time, your video answered every question i had. awesome series!

[@ЕвгенийДимитров-х9к]

Great to see ya and hang out ur neighborhood!!! It looks kinda cool with the first sight!!!

[@Realworldnews247]

Ah the NYC undercover cop look, you wear it well Tom!

[@nanwilder2853]

On the contrary, it’s a “look” that he’s too OLD for, by quite a few years!

[@Framos16]

Awesome! Grew up in Ridgewood and Bushwick from1970-2000❤

[@santo_man]

Thanks again Tom! Good stuff. Ridgewood looks beautiful

[@LeanBeanss]

Hey my Ridgewood neighbor! Moved here from Crown Heights, and I love it!

[@JPM2k22]

Love Phil's excitement lol

[@SomeRandomBod]

If I ever get the US I'll definitely be looking Tom up for a NY tour, OMG I love these videos....as the kids say.

[@viktorianagy964]

I've been here since you had 10k followers on youtube. Love your videos! Congrats on your success! :)

[@conniedelio]

Fantastic work, Tom! This is a great part of Queens! Poor Middle Village...can never be the star of its own video.

[@freddvboy61]

used to live on Catalpa in the late 50's

[@carolfrost2097]

I was born on Catalpa. Moved to Long Island when I was 2

[@georgehenderson7783]

You're no spring chicken then! 😅 Still in NYC these days?

[@freddvboy61]

@@georgehenderson7783 I'm more of an old rooster and live on Long Island for the past 56 years.

[@verajaglal5139]

a simple, humble and intelligent. being 🙂🌇

[@franklinmiranda8835]

I’m so glad I came across your channel a few days ago. I must of crammed 2 months off vids in one week 😆. I grew up in ridgewood and graduated from St.Matthias. I have fond memories of running laps around the reservoir with my father when he was still around. Thank you for the trip down memory lane 😊

[@peekablue7472]

I loved this! I've lived here for a while now, maybe you'll do a part 2 on Fresh Pond if you haven't already. That section is much different from the Myrtle section!

[@prsoul1965]

Love what your doing with these really informative historical videos. So with that said how about East Williamsburg? It would be a really interesting to hear about the history of that section of Brooklyn. Thanks again for what your doing.

[@barbarawillis5187]

Great tour of Ridgewood, Queens and the surprising reservoir and park. I love the family type neighborhood feel of Ridgewood and there doesn't seem to be too much traffic.

[@elenapalau2964]

Wish you would have covered Grover Cleveland High School, it was just before fresh pond road. Lots if famous people went to that school

[@MyKeeP81]

right on the border of bushwick bk. ridgewood is amazing

[@hewo8164]

Beautiful i was living in summerfield area

[@russelldilligard4312]

Cool video and very informative.

[@chrisrodgers429]

Love the videos

[@bundles549]

Great talk! I've lived in Ridgewood since 2005 and I am still learning about it!

[@latexsolarbeef4990]

......use to live on the Ridgewood side of Cypress....on Starr st.....I really miss NYC....

[@kennethlippertshauser3376]

Thanks for bringing back some memories I grew up right on Myrtle Avenue

[@martobatista9964]

Cool video you passed by my old block lol awesome, party in Bushwick and chill in Ridgewood lol

[@landocalrisian2014]

I swear when I lived in Laurelton Queens back in the 80s the bank my mom used was Ridgewood Savings bank off Merrick Blvd.

[@travisgrant5608]

1min. 20sec. into this vid and already luv this tour guide! Dude you rock! 👍😃

[@mocknburd23]

Dude, you are my brother! I spent so much time in RIdegwood/Bushwick!

[@froter1]

I wish we could see a new Tom video every day !

[@marysalmon2367]

wonderful, thank you, you are so great at this. And your research is amazing. And Phil is also wonderfu.

[@sjmazzoli]

Tom & Phil...another classic

[@erichvonmolder9310]

Anything about Queens is a Thumbs Up.

[@billrom795]

Many years ago my grandfather lived at 1055 Seneca Ave

[@diannemarshall4078]

I so enjoyed this walk with you. Many of my family members lived in these various communities as for me I'm a Bklyn Girl and love Greenpoint been here since a young girl. 70 now so I have seen many changes as a matter of fact I live in a building with the beautiful brick that you mentioned. Love my block and my stoop! Thanks you made my day happy.

[@TheLouDynamite]

Love seeing people giving the "yellow brick road" its roses .... grew up there and still live there. A lot of the reason Stockholm st stood the same was bc towards the late 80's and 90's there was a block association developed. They fought to keep it looking the same, kept it with a queens zip code and it eventually became a landmark. They also named the block after the block association president Pauline (who passed away). She made my childhood terrible but kept the block beautiful for the most part. She also was a major racist lol.

[@wanderlovesus7777]

I’m sorry to hear that, I also have some good and horrible memories about this area..

[@yogeshrana2100]

My neighborhood. love you guys

[@KimEB-m84]

Thanks for the tour of Ridgewood Tom. Informative as always.

[@barbararazza4583]

Grew up in Ridgewood. Himrod street than palmetto. Thanks

[@Ant-fm9ps]

Damn that’s crazy my old stomping grounds Madison and Woodward

[@kennethlippertshauser3376]

Hey buddy I just did a marathon of all your tours on KZbin what a great job I just wanted to let you know thanks for everything by the way I'm from Ridgewood 2 now I'm living in Lindenhurst Long Island rock on brother great job

[@ЕвгенийДимитров-х9к]

Wow! That yard gorgeous and it got incredible architecture

[@IsabelinNYC]

Wow I grew up here in late 90’s

[@luleeladivina1508]

I love Queens & live not far from you. Can't wait until you do a Corona Queens vd. I just came across your channel, love it. Thanks for such explorations and explanations of our City!

[@robyn7862]

You are THE BEST New York City walking tours on the net....wonderful history lessons are fascinating......from a Bronx girl....a big thank you

[@JoeHernandez1210]

This was awesome, informative and entertaining. You are a great vlogger. I lived in Ridgewood on Catalpa and Seneca. When i was married. That was the only reason i didn't like the area. Lol

[@hewo8164]

I was living in ridgewood ❤

[@Irishmist1000]

Fantastic, informitive tour. Thank you Tom! 👍

[@OALM1991]

Great vid! I’m thinking to move to Ridgewood and I came to KZbin to find something and you popped up. Loved it 🙌🏾

[@alexherr466]

Excellent video! Your deliverance is great! Keep up the great work!

[@geetamoonesar249]

Hello Tom & Phil.. thank you for the many informative and enjoyable tours.. Can you do a tour of Richmond Hills Queens?

[@Gl6619]

Great video Tom...this is Greg from the tour a couple of weeks ago