St. Albans book highlights the nabe’s history with vintage photos
BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
Back in the early ‘60s, popular
composer/bandleader William
“Count” Basie and his
contemporary Edward “Duke”
Ellington, enjoyed hanging out
and jamming together in St.
Albans, the legendary home
of A-list jazz icons such as Fats
Waller, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena
Horne, and John Coltrane,
who resided in its ritzy enclave
Addisleigh Park.
In fact, Basie and his wife
Catherine lived there since the
mid-1940s, as did Ellington’s
composer/arranger son Mercer
Ellington. And Yankees
slugger Babe Ruth spent so
much time at the St. Albans
Golf and Country Club that
many area residents thought
he lived there.
Pick up a copy of “St. Albans”
(Arcadia Publishing)
and take a trip back in time to
that exciting era. Queens native
Claire Serant’s new “time
capsule” book — due for release
on Jan. 27 — is chock full
of 200 vintage photos and fun
historical facts. She highlights
the neighborhood’s famous
and not-so-famous people and
places, courtesy of current
and former residents, Queens
Library, the Library of Congress,
and the Press of Southeast
Queens.
You’ll learn about St. Albans’
evolution from a 19th
century farming community to
a working-class/middle-class
community with European
roots in the 1920s and ‘30s to a
predominately African American
and Caribbean American
community that continues to
embrace its ambitious past
through strong connections to
business, civic, political, and
religious groups.
Serant, a former New York
City journalist who teaches at
Brooklyn College and Medgar
Evers College, decided to pen
her book because she was looking
for a “fun” writing project.
“As a college professor, I’m
always reading students’ work.
I wanted to do what I love — research,
writing, looking at historical
photos and interviewing
people,” she explained. “At
the same time, a former student,
Nicholas Hirshon, wrote
‘Forest Hills’ and ‘Nassau Coliseum’
for Arcadia. Another
TIMESLEDGER | Q 32 NS.COM | DEC. 20-26, 2019
acquaintance, Carl Ballenas,
wrote ‘Jamaica,’ ‘Jamaica Estates,’
‘Maple Grove Cemetery,’
‘Kew Gardens’ and ‘Richmond
Hill’ for Arcadia. When I frequented
Barnes and Noble
stores, I saw many of the other
sepia-toned Arcadia books and
thought, ‘Why not write about
St. Albans?’”
Serant said the neighborhood
was always very special
to her because she worshipped
at St. Albans Congregational
Church on Linden Boulevard
and knew people from St. Albans
from school, work or social
events.
“When I covered Queens
as a general assignment reporter
for the New York Daily
News 14 years, I wrote about
St. Albans civic and business
leaders, so it was nice to speak
with many longtime residents
and new acquaintances,” she
said.
The author scored many
cool pics from locals, as well as
places like the Jamaica NAACP
branch, which provided a photo
of early members, including
sociologist/journalist and former
Addisleigh Park resident
W.E.B. Du Bois, and American
diplomat Ralph Bunche,
who won a Nobel Peace Prize.
Serant also took a few photos
herself, but daughter Blair
Garrett, was her main photographer.
One slice-of-life shot shows
brothers Reuben “Ruby” and
Jacob “Jinx” Kaplan, co-owners
of popular jazz spot Club Ruby
(located on Baisley Blvd. and
120th Ave. from early 1950s to
mid-1960s), serving and serenading
customers. It featured musicians,
like trumpeter Freddie
Hubbard and tenor saxophonist
Joe Henderson.
Serant, who hails from
Springfield Gardens and now
lives in Nassau County, said
the timing was right for her
book project.
Serant will appear at a book
signing event from 6 to 8 p.m.
on Jan. 30 at Black Spectrum
Theatre Company, located
at Roy Wilkins Park at 177th
Street and Baisley Boulevard.
Two brothers — Ruebin “Ruby” (l.) and Jacob “Jinx” Kaplan (r.) —
co-owned Club Ruby, a jazz club in St. Albans, from the early 1950s
to the mid-1960s. Courtesy of Charles Kaplan
Tues. & Wed. $1895
1 1/4 lb. Lobster, Clams, and Mussels
Served with Corn on the Cob
and Baked Potato
with Purchase of 2 Cocktails,
2 Wines or 2 Beers
/NS.COM
