The Story
Trinity Boxing Club · Duane Street · Est. 1905
If you were privileged enough to grow up in New York when and where I did, you'd know the sense of pride we have in how we talk, how we walk and what we do. New York was your race, religion and cultural identity.
New York has changed a lot over the years but not New Yorkers. You don't have to be from New York to be a New Yorker, you just have to speak the language. Fast. Punctuation is for people with too much time on their hands.
Take a sentence and turn it into one word. Youknowhatimtalkinabout?
The formal education I received in school would be worthless without the informal one I got in the schoolyard. You're only as smart as you are tough. You're only as good as you are brave. You're only you as you are unique.
"Can you tell the difference between an Israeli and Palestinian, Russian or Ukrainian? Me neither."
Stop fighting, start boxing.
We're back on Duane to the delight of the landlord, neighbors and passersby. I'll spare you the details of how it came about, but I will say this — to anyone looking to open a business in NYC, don't do it right below the apartment of a crazy old lady who lives with her son who once upon a time was married to your old girlfriend.
At the very least it can cost you a lot of time, money and aggravation, especially if they have nothing better to do all day than file complaints. Now that we resolved that issue we're back with the old crew and we're dedicating to the gym to teaching kids how to be tough and teaching adults how to be kids.
Growing up in Brooklyn was a privilege that not everyone got to experience but anyone can now if you visit us down on Duane Street. The world is caught up in a giant turf war over ego, not identity.
I loved being a kid. It was easy. I realize everybody didn't have the same experience I did but it made me who I am today. I walk around my neighborhood, whether it's New York or LA and everybody says hi. It wasn't always that way.
Brooklyn is not Manhattan and LA was another planet. I found however when you start speaking Brooklyn to people, with a little practice they start speaking Brooklyn back. Before long those places changed. People started saying hello to each other, holding doors, and throwing footballs around. It was working.
If you can't bring the Dodgers back to Brooklyn, then bring Brooklyn back to the Dodgers.
Brooklyn Again."