Growing Up Bank Street: A Greenwich Village Memoir by Donna Florio is a captivating read for anyone who loves stories of self-discovery, cultural heritage, and the power of community, as it weaves a vibrant tapestry of coming-of-age tales against the iconic backdrop of New York City's Greenwich Village.

I found this slow to start with, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. It was fascinating to read about New York and Bank Street in particular with so many weird and wonderful and famous characters. I loved finding out about Donna's life and neighbours at Bank Street. A fascinating and interesting read.

I was provided with a copy of Growing Up Bank Street during covid lockdowns but sadly I don’t feel I am the target audience.

As a British reader I have no point of reference and unfortunately have no want to continue reading.

A lovely drift across one of New York City’s more charming neighborhoods. From the characters that make daily life more interesting, to the unique architecture, and the culture and way of life experienced by the denizens of Greenwich Village during the 20th century, this book offers a personal glimpse into a world all but vanished. Part memoir, part social history, this account is an enjoyable read with plenty of detail for anyone interested in this storied city. The tone is conversational, a guided tour of the neighborhood from someone who wasn’t just a lifelong resident, but an imbedded member of the community who understands that places are made by the people who live there. Make a cup of tea and spend an afternoon wandering through this fascinating enclave in the heart of America’s greatest city. #GrowingUpBankStreet #NetGalley

Growing Up Bank Street is a recollection of a period in New York City life that does not exist today. The artists - celebrities or not - were commonplace in the area and helped to add glamour and shine to Greenwhich Village.
A delicate and good-humored memoir, that provides good entertainment and knowledge regarding the American culture.
I downloaded a free copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

As someone who has never lived in NYC, I'm always intrigued by stories set in this amazing city.

I was excited to read Growing Up Bank Streed: a Greenwich Village Memoir to get more flavor and stories. It did not disappoint.

Bank Street is a 6 block area in Greenwich Village located by the Hudson River. In Growing Up Bank Street, the author discusses all her memories of different residents of this area of the span of many years.

The quirkiness, the love, the helpfulness of neighbors was so interesting to read about. There wasn't a lot of time spent on negative attributes or experiences so I think we are getting only a partial look, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Thank you to #NYUPress and #NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

A memoir which brought me back to my childhood, although I lived in a different country and lacked the diversity of the people I could relate to the neighbours ‘looking out for each other.’ and how individual families were so entertaining in their varied lifestyles.

The author spoke from first hand knowledge as she lived at 63 Bank Street most of her life. Her neighbours in a 6 block stretch included immigrants, famous people, artists and working class people, so her collection of stories involves people of all walks of life. I enjoyed some of the stories more than others and wished at times she had gone into more detail……..a very good read.

A fantastic read and memoir that transports you to Bank Street and provides a unique glimpse into the rich memories, rich characters and unique moments. Loved the historical tidbits and found myself fascinated and keen to spend time in the Village and reminsce.

An incredibly informative book that will open your eyes to all the famous people that have lived on Bank Street. Bank Street is a six block long strip in Manhattan's Greenwhich Village. This book tells you a small amount of the stories that the street holds. A great balanced book with a fair amount of detail and interesting information that will keep you wanting more.

The author was born and raised on Bank St New York City. Her unconventional childhood in the 1960s living in an apartment exposed her to all sorts of diversity. This memoir takes us back to the many characters that lived in the same building or surrounding area. The neighbors created a family neighborhood. They looked out for one another. There was much sadness due to the death of friends and family from AIDS in early 1980’s. There was a lot going on on Bank St from starving actors to everyday individuals.
I didn’t relate much to this story and struggled to stay engaged however the book was really well written

This is my honest review. Thank you Netgalley for an E-book copy!

I really wanted to like this book! I made it about 25% into the novel, and the storytelling just felt repetitive. The characters were hard to keep track of.

I had no idea the history of Bank Street prior to diving into this book, this book was so rich with detail and description, it was a fun and easy read.

'Growing Up Bank Street': 3 ⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you @netgalley, @nyupress and @donnaflorio for allowing me to read this eArc in exchange of a review).

I'm not very strong on memoirs - I haven't read many throughout my readers' life. However, this book touched me and the synopsis was so intriguing I couldn't say no.
Seeing NYC in a whole new perspective made me realize how little we know about each other: when one thinks they know a place, they haven't seen it through other people's eyes.
Donna really nailed the writing and narration of this book. She is a strong willed writer and we appreciate how fantastic she is!

I loved this book. The author's love of her New York neighborhood shines through on every page. I am New Yorker who grew up in one of the unsophisticated "outer boroughs" but went to the same high school as the author. It opened my eyes to a very different New York and I was forever in awe and envious of the people in that other New York. I was able to appreciate so many of her stories having had similar experiences and spent time in many of the same places. I also love that she is very aware of, and grateful for, her privileges, even while pointing out her childhood struggles and occasional dangers.

It takes a while to sync with the writing's pace; the sudden introduction of so many locations and character names at once can be a bit overwhelming. But, after that, it is a truly captivating read that pokes at the bright and sometimes not so bright side of human nature.

Through her memoir, Florio manages not only to paint a vivid picture of New York and Bank Street as it surrenders to the passage of time but to capture all her neighbors in a warm, affectionate and caring tone. Their profiles reminded me ever so slightly of Carter's 'Wise Children.'

I would heartily recommend it.

I could not access this title so I could not give a review.............................................................................................................................

Thank you to NYU Press for providing me with a copy of Donna Florio’s memoir, Growing up Bank Street, in exchange for an honest review.

In the mid-1950’s, Donna Florio’s theatrical, opera singing parents moved into a small apartment on Bank Street in New York City. Shortly after, Florio was born, and spent her childhood performing opera and navigating her diverse neighborhood.

In Growing up Bank Street Florio details the colorful characters who have lived in her neighborhood. Her exploration goes back to the turn of the century with the early families of Bank Street continuing to the present day. Florio herself spent her entire childhood on Bank Street, and after spending years abroad, returned to live in her neighborhood as an adult. Bank Street has been home to people of all economic walks of life, from street vendors and factory workers, to John Lennon and disgraced movie mogul, Harvey Weinstein. Florio was babysat by the real-life Auntie Mame, and was neighbors with the girlfriend of punk rocker Sid Vicious. Florio was even a neighbor interviewed by the press, making headline news, when Vicious overdosed in their building.

Celebrity aside, Florio spends much of her memoir talking about the normal neighbors on Bank Street who lived extraordinary lives. One of the most memorable was a friend who fearlessly helped other during the early days of the Aids crisis, a time when how the virus was transmitted was still unknown. Florio admits that his actions gave her courage to reach out to friends who were dying. Their neighborhood had always been welcoming towards the gay community, and the Aids epidemic hit Bank Street particularly hard.

Bank Street could be a rough and dangerous neighborhood, but I also took away the feeling that it was populated with neighbors who looked after each other. Later, when she was an adult, Florio learned that the seemingly well-timed intrusions from her neighbors, were actually planned to rescue Florio from her parent’s intense fighting. The neighbors could hear the arguments through the thin walls, and they would make an excuse to take Florio to their house, yet do it in a way that as a child, Florio did not realize the true reason and her parents were allowed to escape embarrassment. Growing up Bank Street is filled with examples of community pride, kindness, and neighbors helping neighbors. In some small way, it reminded me of my own childhood townhouse complex.

If you love New York, quirky characters, and fascinating history, you should definitely add Growing up Bank Street to your TBR list.

This is a fascinating read, following the author through Bank street where she grew up. It is in fact, a love letter to New York, and a mini-history of a certain neighbourhood. It is a little slow to start with, but then it picks up and becomes immensely enjoyable. Highly recommended !

This book offered a lot of fascinating history of Greenwich Village. I went to NYC for the first time in November 2019 and did not make it to Greenwich, but it's on my itinerary for my next trip there. This book helped me add a lot of stops to my agenda. I had no idea Bank Street had such a history of famous people living there. The storytelling was vivid and I felt like I was there on the street and in the apartments.

Growing Up Bank Street by Donna Florio

A vivid memoir of life in one of New York City’s most dynamic neighborhoods

It was interesting to read about earlier years in the Greenwich Village Section of Manhattan. But there was no plot or mystery. Just many life stories.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.