Few visit Archie Bunker's home Anymore - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Mr. Television · 06-04-2013, 11:03 AM

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/ny...y-tv-home.html

Stifled by Time’s Passage, Fewer Fans Visit the Bunkers’ TV Home
By VIVIAN YEE

Published: June 2, 2013

Years ago, they came in droves: the fans who knocked on the door, begged to be shown around the living room, and snapped photos in front of the little row house in Queens that, on their television screens, anyway, belonged to Archie Bunker and his wife, Edith.

But when the news arrived on Saturday that Jean Stapleton — best known for playing the sweet, daffy Edith to Carroll O’Connor’s cranky, bigoted Archie on “All in the Family” for most of the 1970s — had died, only a few gawkers and a lone television news crew came out to reminisce over 89-70 Cooper Avenue, a little blue house across from St. John’s Cemetery with a shiny flagpole, a floral wreath on the door and a tidy front garden of pansies and potted plants.

“There used to be a lot,” as many as 20 a month, said Peter Alcuri, 75, whose back porch faces Cooper Avenue. “No more.”

After all, it has been decades since the everyday dramas of Edith and Archie were played out weekly in millions of American living rooms, as Edith tried to broker peace between Archie and his black neighbor, George Jefferson, and he would constantly refer to her as a dingbat.

“I don’t think the women today would like that,” Mr. Alcuri mused.

It has been years since the nearly all-white, blue-collar neighborhood of the show matched reality in Glendale, where the Cooper Avenue house sits, or Astoria, where the show was set. When the show was running, recalled Mr. Alcuri, who has lived in the neighborhood for 54 years, the block was full of older residents of German, Irish and Italian descent, whose children later sold the houses. “Now it’s all mixed,” he said, with more Asian and Hispanic families.

In the next yard stood Gustavo Recalde, 41, a five-year resident of the block who said he had never heard of “All in the Family.”

“I don’t know about it,” he said.

In 2000, when Jeff Myhre, 51, moved in a few doors down from 89-70 Cooper, the mover was delighted to inform him that he was living on “the Archie Bunker block.” That struck a chord with Mr. Myhre, who grew up in suburban Denver watching “All in the Family,” just because “it was on,” and earnestly discussing the latest plot turns on the playground the next Monday, he said.

It did not resonate so much with Mr. Myhre’s wife, who hails from Alabama and is black. (She is more of a “Sanford and Son” fan.)

“Archie’s block has changed a little,” Mr. Myhre, who is white, said, chuckling.

But Archie’s son-in-law, Michael Stivic, would be glad to know that the block still has at least one die-hard liberal in Mr. Myhre, whose wife often compares him to Meathead, as Archie nicknamed Michael.

Michael may have been at odds with Archie, but he has his devotees on the block. Stan Podolsky, a fan of the show who has lived in the house attached to the Bunker residence for 15 years, said he identifies with Michael because they both are Polish.

(Lest anyone misinterpret the fictional geography of the block, he clarified that he does not live in the Jeffersons’ house. Rather, in his own parlance, “I’m that Italian family,” the Lorenzos, who lived next door to the Bunkers.)

Mr. Podolsky, too, mused that only a handful of people came by to see the house each year.

“Life goes on, I guess,” he said. But he noted that the show lives on in reruns on cable channels like Nick at Nite and TV Land.

Does he ever watch them?

“Of course! I’m old!”

It is probably just as well that the tourists have thinned. On Sunday, when the woman who now lives in the house heard the screechy strains of the show’s theme song, “Those Were the Days,” outside, she slammed the door. Neighbors said she was closely related to Dorothy Brandow, who lived in the house from 1924, when her parents bought it, until at least 2001. Ms. Brandow died in 2006, leaving the house to its current owner.

Ms. Brandow may have liked the attention no better than the house’s current occupant. When a reporter called after Mr. O’Connor died in 2001, her response was swift.

“Oh, good grief,” she said.

McGillicuddy · 06-05-2013, 07:16 PM

There were several times castmembers were seen on a front porch. The house spoken of in the article didn't have a front porch. I never understood that.

Retro4Life · 06-05-2013, 08:02 PM

Neat article, Sonny. Takes me back to a simpler time. I always wished we could have seen something of the outside of the house, but we never saw the family in the yard, just on the porch.

TVFactFan · 06-19-2013, 04:16 PM

You would never know that Bunker house is across the street from a graveyard lol

gilligan fanatic · 06-19-2013, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

You would never know that Bunker house is across the street from a graveyard lol

That is what surprised me most too!

Interesting article, maybe people just have more privacy now then they use to too. Even though I love AITF I don't think I'd have the nerve to ask them to go in there house and take a look around. It would make a great facebook picture in the front yard though

TVFactFan · 06-19-2013, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gilligan fanatic

That is what surprised me most too!

Interesting article, maybe people just have more privacy now then they use to too. Even though I love AITF I don't think I'd have the nerve to ask them to go in there house and take a look around. It would make a great facebook picture in the front yard though

But the inside of that house probably looks nothing like the AITF living room which would make someone odd to even ask to look inside like Archie and Edith were real people LOL

Mr. Television · 06-19-2013, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

But the inside of that house probably looks nothing like the AITF living room which would make someone odd to even ask to look inside like Archie and Edith were real people LOL

I know. The show was filmed on a soundstage. lol

gilligan fanatic · 06-20-2013, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

But the inside of that house probably looks nothing like the AITF living room which would make someone odd to even ask to look inside like Archie and Edith were real people LOL

I bet it is super modern looking inside-lol Some dummy goes in and says where is Archie's chair

McGillicuddy · 06-20-2013, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gilligan fanatic

I bet it is super modern looking inside-lol Some dummy goes in and says where is Archie's chair

Archie's and Edith's chairs are in The Smithsonian in Washington.

Mr. Television · 06-20-2013, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McGillicuddy

Archie's and Edith's chairs are in The Smithsonian in Washington.

Yea I saw them when I was up there many years ago.

gilligan fanatic · 06-26-2013, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

Yea I saw them when I was up there many years ago.

Same display as Joe Friday's badge and I believe Fonzie's jacket, I saw it maybe 7 years ago.

ThomasE · 11-25-2013, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

You would never know that Bunker house is across the street from a graveyard lol

I actually live about less than a mile away from the house that provided the exterior for the show. I thought that was so cool to find out.

TVFactFan · 11-25-2013, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasE

I actually live about less than a mile away from the house that provided the exterior for the show. I thought that was so cool to find out.

And I now live 5 mins away from the church featured on AMEN lol

But that's cool to live so close to the block featured on AITF

ThomasE · 11-25-2013, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

And I now live 5 mins away from the church featured on AMEN lol

But that's cool to live so close to the block featured on AITF

Cool! If you can, go find out when Reuben and Thelma's son is graduating from College. LOL.

TVFactFan · 11-25-2013, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasE

Cool! If you can, go find out when Reuben and Thelma's son is graduating from College. LOL.

I will never forget that day at age of 11 years old with everyone screaming

"george jefferson is around the corner"

06-04-2013, 11:03 AM	#1
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	Few visit Archie Bunker's home Anymore http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/ny...y-tv-home.html Stifled by Time’s Passage, Fewer Fans Visit the Bunkers’ TV Home By VIVIAN YEE Published: June 2, 2013 Years ago, they came in droves: the fans who knocked on the door, begged to be shown around the living room, and snapped photos in front of the little row house in Queens that, on their television screens, anyway, belonged to Archie Bunker and his wife, Edith. But when the news arrived on Saturday that Jean Stapleton — best known for playing the sweet, daffy Edith to Carroll O’Connor’s cranky, bigoted Archie on “All in the Family” for most of the 1970s — had died, only a few gawkers and a lone television news crew came out to reminisce over 89-70 Cooper Avenue, a little blue house across from St. John’s Cemetery with a shiny flagpole, a floral wreath on the door and a tidy front garden of pansies and potted plants. “There used to be a lot,” as many as 20 a month, said Peter Alcuri, 75, whose back porch faces Cooper Avenue. “No more.” After all, it has been decades since the everyday dramas of Edith and Archie were played out weekly in millions of American living rooms, as Edith tried to broker peace between Archie and his black neighbor, George Jefferson, and he would constantly refer to her as a dingbat. “I don’t think the women today would like that,” Mr. Alcuri mused. It has been years since the nearly all-white, blue-collar neighborhood of the show matched reality in Glendale, where the Cooper Avenue house sits, or Astoria, where the show was set. When the show was running, recalled Mr. Alcuri, who has lived in the neighborhood for 54 years, the block was full of older residents of German, Irish and Italian descent, whose children later sold the houses. “Now it’s all mixed,” he said, with more Asian and Hispanic families. In the next yard stood Gustavo Recalde, 41, a five-year resident of the block who said he had never heard of “All in the Family.” “I don’t know about it,” he said. In 2000, when Jeff Myhre, 51, moved in a few doors down from 89-70 Cooper, the mover was delighted to inform him that he was living on “the Archie Bunker block.” That struck a chord with Mr. Myhre, who grew up in suburban Denver watching “All in the Family,” just because “it was on,” and earnestly discussing the latest plot turns on the playground the next Monday, he said. It did not resonate so much with Mr. Myhre’s wife, who hails from Alabama and is black. (She is more of a “Sanford and Son” fan.) “Archie’s block has changed a little,” Mr. Myhre, who is white, said, chuckling. But Archie’s son-in-law, Michael Stivic, would be glad to know that the block still has at least one die-hard liberal in Mr. Myhre, whose wife often compares him to Meathead, as Archie nicknamed Michael. Michael may have been at odds with Archie, but he has his devotees on the block. Stan Podolsky, a fan of the show who has lived in the house attached to the Bunker residence for 15 years, said he identifies with Michael because they both are Polish. (Lest anyone misinterpret the fictional geography of the block, he clarified that he does not live in the Jeffersons’ house. Rather, in his own parlance, “I’m that Italian family,” the Lorenzos, who lived next door to the Bunkers.) Mr. Podolsky, too, mused that only a handful of people came by to see the house each year. “Life goes on, I guess,” he said. But he noted that the show lives on in reruns on cable channels like Nick at Nite and TV Land. Does he ever watch them? “Of course! I’m old!” It is probably just as well that the tourists have thinned. On Sunday, when the woman who now lives in the house heard the screechy strains of the show’s theme song, “Those Were the Days,” outside, she slammed the door. Neighbors said she was closely related to Dorothy Brandow, who lived in the house from 1924, when her parents bought it, until at least 2001. Ms. Brandow died in 2006, leaving the house to its current owner. Ms. Brandow may have liked the attention no better than the house’s current occupant. When a reporter called after Mr. O’Connor died in 2001, her response was swift. “Oh, good grief,” she said.
	__________________ Sonny

06-05-2013, 08:02 PM	#3
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Neat article, Sonny. Takes me back to a simpler time. I always wished we could have seen something of the outside of the house, but we never saw the family in the yard, just on the porch.
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

06-05-2013, 07:16 PM	#2
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	There were several times castmembers were seen on a front porch. The house spoken of in the article didn't have a front porch. I never understood that.

06-19-2013, 04:16 PM	#4
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 99,046	You would never know that Bunker house is across the street from a graveyard lol