This long standing building holds vast memories for thousands of children who have passed through its doors and athletic fields. My era was the late 70s. My initial introduction to the rec was through swimming. There was what we called the "kiddie" pool that maxed out at about 2ft. The other was the regular pool and if my memory serves me correct, maxed out at 5ft. This is the pool where your so called friends would teach you how to swim by throwing you in the deepest part of the pool. You usually came up coughing, choking and cursing but survived.

The rec is located on Towanda Ave, a long stretched street running from near Mondawmin Mall/Liberty Heights Avenue to almost Coldspring Lane. It divided the 2800 block of Rockrose from the 2900 block. Growing up I would see kids walking pass my house wearing blue and white baseball uniforms with the word Astros blazed across it. On the back would be the sponsor, Chesapeake or Chessie Railroad.

Inspired by what I saw, I eventually signed up and played for the Towanda Rec Astros, learning teamwork, discipline and focus. Those traits led to a little league championship in the summer of 1979 - August 3rd to be exact.

While baseball as well as summer camp, held down the athletic fields in the summer, football would do the same when school reopened in September of each year. Inside the rec, one could hear the sounds of bouncing basketballs and see neighborhood children with endless energy engaged in various recreational activities.