Klick on a Brick Story
When I was born, my family managed an SRO hotel called the French Hotel, which was the little sister of the International Hotel—2 blocks away. At the same time, my father Esteban Monteclaro owned the P.I. Cafe which was a diner that served Filipino food, all the exotic dancers from Broadway Street ate breakfast and lunch there. I met Carol Doda through my father when I worked there as a cashier. I was 4 years old. Finally went to kindergarten two blocks away at Jean Parker Elementary School, a block before the Broadway tunnel. My parents sent us to Catechism at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church on Vallejo Street and Columbus Avenue. I still hang out with my catechism classmates, with friends I’ve had for over 50 years. Even to this day, I hang out with another friend of 55 years, a gal who lived at the Chinatown projects and I still have friends from the North Beach projects as well.
manilatown.org 