1938
Stokes family moves to Outhwaite Homes.
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Carl,
Louis and their mother Louise lived in a dilapidated two-family home
at 2234 East 69th Street. Carl characterized that home as a “poor
excuse for a shelter.” As bad as the house may have been, it was
located in a vibrant area of working-class families and small shops—a
real neighborhood.
In 1938, the family’s fortunes changed when they moved into the Outhwaite Homes on East 55th Street. Unlike their old home on East 69th, their new apartment had hot and cold running water, a heating system that worked, and a refrigerator. More importantly for the young boys, there was a recreation center with a pool and gymnasium. The courtyard around the Stokes’s apartment became a community where people socialized and helped one another.