Elisa Liggins Interview 08/08/2026
Photo by Mattie Branson-Meyer
Elisa Liggins Interview Transcript:
MATTIE: Awesome, we're recording. Hello, I am Mattie Branson-Meyer and I am here with:
ELISA: Elisa Liggins
MATTIE: At the Park Slope Old Timers Reunion on 4th street and 5th Avenue on Saturday, August 8, 2026. Can you spell your name for me, please?
ELISA: It's E-L-I-S-A L-I-G-G-I-N-S.
MATTIE: Awesome, thank you. What is your relationship to Park Slope or to Brooklyn?
ELISA: Well, I grew up on Second Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue, practically my whole life. I lived there until I was the age of 17 years old. So, I was born and raised there. Loved it, still love it to this day. I wouldn't change my childhood life for anything else.
MATTIE: Amazing
ELISA: Yes. It's amazing, yes.
MATTIE: Do you have a particularly powerful or important memory of Park Slope or Brooklyn that you'd like to share?
ELISA: Well, I love the fact that everybody was family oriented. Everybody took care of everybody else's children. If you did something wrong, they was come– the other parent was coming to get you, no matter what. And then when you got home, you got an extra spanking by your parents. So that's the type of neighborhood that we grew up in, and I believe that if the world was a lot different like it was back then, the world would be a different place because everybody cared about one another. Everybody took care of everyone else's children. Everybody else fed each other. You know, it was that type of just plain and simple living the way you're supposed to live life. Just look out for your neighbor, look out for your other neighbor, just do well for each other. That's how I remember Park Slope, and the block parties, OMG.
MATTIE: I've heard about the block parties.
ELISA: OMG it’s so awesome, yes.
MATTIE: Do you want to tell me a little about the block parties?
ELISA: The block parties were amazing. So, the night before, I remember my mom preparing mea– uh food because everyone, like I said, we were all a family oriented, everybody. We all came together to make dishes of food. Amazing food. Different culture of different foods. My mom was an excellent cook, okay? And everybody came together and everybody shared their food together. And then early in that morning, we decorated the block with paper streamers and all kind of balloons and confetti and oh my gosh, it was amazing. Okay? Amazing. If you had a fire escape to your apartment, which I did, we decorated our fire escape and we actually had a contest of who decorated their building the best. And there was a prize, you’d get something. I forget what it was, but it was amazing, amazing. Everybody played games. The kids, double dutch and hopscotch and skelly, all of those games that we played growing up. Amazing. Park Slope was amazing. It still is, but it's not the same when I grew up. Yes, yes.
MATTIE: I’ve been hearing that.
ELISA: Yes.
MATTIE: That sounds incredible.
ELISA: It was, my childhood life I wouldn't trade it for nothing in the world. Yes.
MATTIE: Why– well, speaking to that, maybe, why did you decide to come to the Park Slope Old Timers Reunion today?
ELISA: Well, I've been coming for the last four years of it, so. And we– the first, very first one we had was by, that was given by Beverly.
MATTIE: Oh yeah!
ELISA: So I love, I love her. She’s amazing, oh my gosh. So when they had it over there on my actual block I grew up on, it was so beautiful, it was so amazing. And then they decided to switch it over here. I don't know what the reason was for, but I'm glad they continue to have it. So that's why I've been coming. Yes, yes. [Wind blows interview papers] Oh, let me get it, let me get it.
MATTIE: Thank you.
ELISA: I hope nobody's seen my bottom.
MATTIE: I guarantee not.
ELISA: No, it's okay, it's a good bottom.
MATTIE: That's true. What are some things you think more people should know about Park Slope or Brooklyn based on your own experiences?
ELISA: Because it's a great place to raise children, even today. Because the people here are– it's actually gentrified now. And there's nothing wrong with that, I don't have nothing wrong with it. And when I come back, I'm amazed of how everything has grown since I lived and was raised here. And, so it's very beautiful. I've been here, out here several times to come to have dinner with my husband, so it makes me feel a little melancholy when I come because I remember all the memories when I come through this neighborhood. And I was, I went to Catholic school. Yeah, I didn't go to public school. I went to Catholic school, which I was jealous I didn't go to public school, because everybody got to get new clothes. Anyway, it didn't matter. I learned. And, it's amazing, it's amazing. Like I said, I wouldn't change anything in the world, but my childhood life that I had here, it's amazing. I had two great parents. I didn't have a want for nothing in the world. I had the bestest friends next door. Well, I had a lot of best friends, but the ones that lived next door were the Italians. And their mom always made the best Italian food. We used to have five course meals. Yes.
MATTIE: Incredible.
ELISA: She lived right next to there and she would make food, and my mom was an excellent cook, so we would– they would swap food.
MATTIE: Amazing, the dream.
ELISA: Yeah, it's amazing, Italian. I ate good, I lived good, I was happy. Yes.
MATTIE: What are your hopes for the future of the neighborhood and Brooklyn?
ELISA: Well, all around, I just– I would wish everyone– well, I wouldn't wish– I'm praying that everyone would learn to get along together, respect each other and help one another, even when it comes to homeless people, help them too. No matter what they did to get the way they are, they're still human beings. So, at the end of the day, Park Slope taught me to think of people like that because that's the way I was raised up in the neighborhood of Park Slope: to be nice, to be good to other people, to help people. And that's the way I was raised, and it's a beautiful thing, yes, yes. So, I appreciate being raised here. The best place ever.
MATTIE: Honestly, it so sounds like it.
ELISA: It was, it was amazing. Yes, yes.
MATTIE: It sounds incredible.
ELISA: Because in the summertime, we had the best time in the summer. We used to run down to the corner– to where they had the pennies, the penny candy store. And you'd get a little paper bag and you have it filled to the top with penny candy, and my mom would give me two quarters. So I got– I was able to get 50 pieces of candy, and back then they was humongous, so.
MATTIE: It wouldn't be like that now.
ELISA: No, never, never. And then they had Ray’s Bakery which was on the corner, where my mom and dad used to let us stay out late because they were outside. And they would go– we would go down to the bakery because they make the fresh bread every night, where they would– it would come out the oven, you go to the side door and they would put the butter on it while it was hot. This is one of the favorite– I mean amongst a whole many other memories– but those were good memories. Yes.
MATTIE: Amazing.
ELISA: The candy store and Ray's bakery.
MATTIE: I mean that’s the dream right there.
ELISA: It was so beautiful. And then the, the– like I said, it was Italians, Blacks, I think there was some Jews, but I didn't remember too much of Jewish people. But I knew of them because my mom and dad kept us with being in a different– admiring everybody else's culture and all, and their food. Yes. So there's nothing I don't like to eat this today.
MATTIE: Me too.
ELISA: I like everything. I'm a foodie. Yes, yes.
MATTIE: Is there anything else you'd like to share?
ELISA: I just, I just appreciate this interview so much. And I appreciate you, Mattie.
MATTIE: I appreciate you.
ELISA: Yes.
MATTIE: This is amazing.
ELISA: And yeah, and yeah you're– [aside, likely a dog] Oh he's so cute. Your name– That's a lady– Because I'm a nurse, so the lady that I just finished taking care of, after five years, she moved to Florida. So, her sister’s name was Maddie.
MATTIE: Spelled with– spelled how?
ELISA: M-A-I-D-Y
MATTIE: Ooh fun!
ELISA: Yeah, yeah.
MATTIE: Mine’s with T’s which is kind of fun.
ELISA: With what?
MATTIE: M-A-T-T-I-E
ELISA: Oh, really? Oh, wow, that's cute. Wow. Your mom was interesting, or still is interesting. Yeah, I'm sure she is because look who her daughter is. Yeah, unfortunately, my mom and dad passed on.
MATTIE: Oh, I’m sorry.
ELISA: Yes, yes, yes. Yeah. Other than that, my life has been great. I married a man that I been– well, I was married twice. My second marriage is 36 years. I have six children and twent five grandchildren and one great grand.
MATTIE: Congratulations, oh my gosh!
ELISA: Thank you so much.Yes, yes. So I love my family. I'm happy. I wouldn't trade nothing for it in the world. And I'm so grateful to meet you, Mattie.
MATTIE: I’m so grateful to meet you too!
ELISA: You're so wonderful.
MATTIE: This has been fantastic.
ELISA: I know, this is awesome!
MATTIE: Thank you.
ELISA: You're welcome.
MATTIE: Let me just stop this.