Italian Trees in Arizona

Unless you know your Italian-American history lets face it, Arizona does not conjure up images of Italian refugees, escaping the shanty hillside towns of Italy in search of a new beginning and a new life in America, particularly in the dry, unforgiving desert of Arizona.  But that’s exactly what happened over a century ago!

After the Italians colonized the obvious places such as New York, Chicago, Boston and other cities, they also came to Globe, Arizona, a town located about 75 miles east of Phoenix and to a place that was probably not even on any US geological maps back in 1913, one full year after Arizona itself got its statehood.

Globe features a wide array of heart stopping, culturally sound entertainment options. From the local Pizza Hut, Italian influence I think, to Taco Bell, a true reflection of the Spanish-American lineage that dates back to the time of the early Spanish explorers.

Of course I kid, but what Globe Arizona does have, in its blunt and bittersweet way, is a rich and vibrant past and a dismal, if often anonymous, present.

Considered one of the most important mining towns of the 20th century in Arizona, Globe became a bonanza for mining copper, coal, and raising cattle, sitting at an altitude of about 3,500 ft, the town gets its name from the Apache Indians, meaning “place of metals”.

As it often happens however, boom times went bust and by the 1970’s, the town’s decline was well underway.  Most of the coal and other natural resources had been mined and businesses, along with patrons began to look elsewhere for their daily needs.

Nowadays, retirees and staunch hold over’s colonize the place and of course, Italians, which accounts for the amazing amount of beautiful Italian Cyprus trees that dot sections of town and completely stand out as visitors from another planet among the natural landscape of the high Arizona desert.

With some of their roots measuring 5-6 ft in diameter, these trees grow in some areas to over 75 ft in height and in some cases, are as old as Arizona itself.  It’s a beautiful touch of the Mediterranean in the desert and a nostalgic declaration from the Italian community, showing their love of Italy and their desire to make a home for themselves in Arizona, complete with accents from the old country.

Some dreams have lived and some have died over the years in Globe, but I have always appreciated the landscape, the rolling hills, the Italian Cyprus and the history that surrounds the now sleepy town of only 7,500.  Highway 60 only shows a fraction of the trees that are planted all over town so I would suggest getting off the main highway and either by car or preferably foot, climb the hills of town and appreciate and see Globe Arizona for what it really is.

Many of these “Arizona mining towns” had their heyday years ago, but Globe to me is one of the best examples of a place that can still roll with the changes of time and still assert itself with pride and beauty and merge together the natural landscape of the desert with the hopes, culture and dreams of its current residents.

—Josh

The Sacking of Nathans in Yonkers

This article will probably have the tone and feel of a eulogy because in essence, that’s what it is.

The recent loss of Nathan’s on Central Ave. in Yonkers, a staple of not only the local landscape, but of innumerable childhoods such as my own has bit the dust and has literally been turned to dust, thanks to a myriad of forces beyond the battle scared veteran of delicious frankfuter’s control.

Sure, perhaps the residents of Yonkers and or City Officials could have rose up against the development of the area and in fact, the demise of Nathans was set in motion long ago, with rumblings year in and year out on the development of the area and finally, in what was a mere few weeks notice, the place of childhood dreams was taken from the very people who spent hours pumping quarters into games and indulging in the culinary art of meat in tube form.

Thankfully though, Nathans will survive, nearing their 100th anniversary in a few years, you can still go out to Coney Island or to your grocer’s freezer and find the good stuff that so many of us grew up on.  But the shuttering of the Nathans on Central Ave. is a loss that cannot be rectified by mere hot dogs and crinkle cut fries, the place was and always will remain, something special for all Yonkers residents and residents throughout Westchester.

Many have told me that I’m way too sentimental and that me being torn up about the closing of Nathans is like being torn up about the loss of the original Pizza N Brew, or Tower Records, or the original traffic pattern along Central Ave. near the Ground Round…or even, The Ground Round itself.  To them I say, yes, call me old-fashioned, call me sentimental, call me closed-minded and habitual, I could care less.

I took some time a few days before Nathans served up their final Hotdog to marvel at the history of the place.  For better or for worse, it hasn’t changed much since I was was a kid and probably way before that as well.  The stains on the ceilings and walls have not changed, the Fun Chicken has not changed, the condiments stand has not changed and perhaps most importantly, the people have not changed as well.

Sitting there, in the same booth where I enjoyed my 5th birthday, I was surrounded by one story after another, from patrons who also were trying to grapple with and put into context, the permanent loss that they were only days away from experiencing.

Some cool old signage could still be found on the upper parts of the walls of the arcade.

It really was freakin sad to be honest, we were all in a purgatory state, eating our Hotdogs with mustard and sauerkraut and taking an extra few seconds between bites, to somehow burn our last few images of the Yonkers icon into our subconscious, to hopefully be stored away forever.  Walking into the arcade, despite the changes in some of the games and newer lighting, I could always be easily transported back to my youth, whether it was pinball, street fighter II, Afterburner, WWF, baseball, car racing, basketball, whatever.

The sacking of Nathans however is perhaps, a right of passage for me.  Being in my 30’s, I’ve only experienced a few losses so far in my life, be it people, places or otherwise.  In life as I have come to find out, we all lose bits and pieces of our past and the more time that goes by, the more we cannot hold onto.

Perhaps it’s good that the new CVS/Nathans/whatever else they build will be unrecognizable and will help in the healing process. Even now as I drive past Charlie Brown’s on Central Ave. I feel a sense of sadness for the loss of another childhood landmark as it now sits as a dormant, hollow shell of what it once was; so perhaps, cold turkey is best.

Still though, I feel angry that it’s gone and that anger cannot be quelled by simply heading to Brooklyn.  I suppose time will heal this wound as well and as with any loss, my mind will find a way to make peace with the past, as I hope yours will too.

To my old friend that I spent hundreds of quality hours with as a kid and adult, I bid you adieu.

–Joshman