Wednesday 18 January 2012

Ironbound in the 1970s

Pardon me, this is not exactly Newark in the 1970s but judging by the looks of the cars it must be Newark in the 1950s. This is the post-card I sent my folks back-home in Brazil when I went to live in Newark in 1971. I remember distinctly well that there was no Woolworth's on Broad Street then. Newark was a city in a very rapidly stage of decay then.
Market Street in 1982
Broad Street 1953 (or 1945?) showing S. Klein Store and the new Art Moderne façade on McCrory's.
Kresge Deptment Store closed its doors 1964.
'Two Guys from Harrison' opened its doors in the Fall of 1967, where Kresge had been since the 1920s.
This is the infamous 'Sing Sing' apartment building on Lexington Avenue in Newark. I took this picture in 2001 but apart from the few cars parked by the curb it looks exactly like it was in the 1960s and 1970s. Nowadays the streets surrounding the complex is much cleaner than it used to be in the 70s when it was a health hazard to stroll down the sidewalk because people used to throw stuff from their windows into the street. Times have changed a bit in the Ironbound, Newark, N.J.
Elm Street in the summer of 2001. Except for the cars' models it might as well be the summer of 1972.
Synthetic Plastics Co. on Francis Street; a factory where I worked making 45 rpm vynil records in 1972 and 1973.
Same factory, different angle... photo was taken in 2001 but it might as well be 1971.
'Brazilian Go-Go Bar' at the corner of Wilson Avenue & Barbara Street. I lived on the 2nd floor just above the juke-box where they blasted Diana Ross's 'There ain't no mountain high enough' and Rod Stewart's 'Maggie Mae' many-a time.
A diner near 'Sing Sing' where I heard Led Zeppelin's 'Black dog' for the 1st time.
Saint Stephen's on Ferry Street; on the right is Wilson Avenue which up to the Great War was called Hamburg Place.

St. Stephen's Church is an Ironbound landmark. Built in 1874 for a German-speaking congregation, which it remained until the 1930s, the church is still Lutheran but uses Spanish and Portuguese in its services. The architect was George Staehlin and the interior has some of the most ornate woodwork in Newark. The church is shown as the first alien spawning point in Steven Spielberg's 'War of the Worlds'. Locals call this site "As Cinco Esquinas/Five Corners."

Wilson Avenue 

Walking up Ferry Street and Wilson Avenue was a particular pleasure when I was new in the neighbourhood. After paying a visit to Tia's newsagency on 112 Ferry Street I would hang around the vicinity chatting to Brazilian fellows that one was bound to meet. At the corner of Ferry & Wilson there was a Greek restaurant called Andros that kept its door open 24 hours a day. 

On its first block there was Wilson Avenue Public School which sometimes could be noisy with students. On the right-hand side a little further up there was a house in which 3 Brazilian young men from Franco da Rocha lived. Luiz aka Dentinho worked with me at the record factory on Francis Street - he was a 'paste man' who delivered the hot vynil paste to all of us machine operators who then cut it in a few measured pieced that would make two 45 rpm singles at a go. Luiz wore an overall which were really popular among youth in the early 1970s. He shared this flat on the 2nd floor with Alfredo and an older fellow I can't recall the name. This particular fellow sported long straight hair and he had a Mustang. Owning a 2nd-had Mustang was 'must' among Brazilian young males. I remember visiting them one night after I had been to Manhattan and bought the 'West Side Story' sound-track album. They had a record player and put the record on. As they were too young to know anything about a 1961 musical flick and listening to Marnie Nixon's soprano voice they looked at each other, sniggered and thought I was an 'old man' or completely bonkers. It must have been mid-November 1971. At this point on Wilson Avenue the 3 boys could hear the bells from Saint Stephen's Lutheran Church. They told me that particular night they usually got really sad near Christmas when they heard the bells tolling for they remembered their family left in Brazil. They must have been in the USA for at least 2 years to have this feeling of despondence. The fellow who had a Mustang must have been in the US longer than 2 years. 

The travel agency on the same side as Alfredo's flat and so was the washing machine place I used to do my laundry. 

As we got nearer Lafayette Street there was Pathmark, the biggest supermarket in the Ironbound. I was impressed with almost everything in that supermarket especially the huge sizes of one-gallon milk cartons. 

There was a musical instrument store on the left-handd side of Wilson Avenue a few houses up from the Pathmark. It usually had nobody inside. I went in a few times and once I bought me a guitar-capo made by Dunlop. 

Express bus from Broad Street in Newark to Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8th Ave with 41s Street in New York City circa 1958 or 1959. See the new Prudential Bldg on the left and Kresge Department Stores which would turn into Two Guys in 1967, on the right. 
Broad Street looking towards the new Prudential Bldg in 1969. 
Ferry Street in the Ironbound in 1972. One can see a record shop; I wonder whether this is the record store which had a Sarita Montiel album cover on its window when I arrived in town on 2nd October 1971; further down one can see Lo Biondo's Market (shop & eat) and further still Lisbon Liquors.

John M Abeigon HD wrote: that's Ferry Street between Congress St. & Jefferson St. I lived on the  second door from right.

Frank Vieira wrote: I see Lo Biondo's;  we used to get our lunch there, also the Cubin record store had many exotic instruments. The bakery was on the corner where a stinky BBQ place is now. I was around 13 years old. This is when Ferry Street had some great stores, not like today, nothing but cell phone stores and 99 cent junk stores.

Rosa Cunha Henriques wote (from Portugal); If I remember well this should be between Jefferson St. & Madison St. 

Wynona Russell wrote: I lived down Neck in the 1960s. Does anyone remember Mr Frankie Rose's store? He sold candy, ice-cream & sandwiches; he sold just about everything in his little store. It was next to Jefferson Street. He was the sweetest old man; he always gave my Mom credit. He was down there for many years; since the 40s, 50s & 60s. He reminded me of Jimmy Durante, that funny piano man on TV. He always wore a Durante hat. Maybe someone knows my brother Rollen F. Burns; he graduated from Lafayette Street School and went to Eastside High School and graduated from there in 1969 or 1970. 
Lafayette Street School kids anticipating 1956 Christmas; Dyamond Vasquez, Elaine Amador; Pau Eng-Wong & Joseph Evangelista. 
Delancey St. & Jefferson St. in 1961
The 2-story-house on the corner of Wilson Avenue and Barbara Street where I started living on 2nd October 1971. It used to be the colour of red brick...apart from that it looks almost the same of 51 years back. 

11 comments:

  1. Hello! I am designing a book cover and need a vintage image of Newark, NJ. I think the one above "Elm Street in the summer of 2001..." would be great. Do you have terms for its use? You mail email me: annegiangiulio@gmail.com. Thank you.

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  2. Hello Anne... 'Elm Street in the summer of 2001'is one of the photos I took myself... Feel free to USE IT anyway you want it. I could even send you a better copy if you really need it... I only wish you would show me the results later on.

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  3. Thank you Lulu. I'm fron the South Ward., but my entire Family grew up on Hawkins St, so it's spiritual looking at these pictures �� thank you

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  4. Thank you Lulu. I'm fron the South Ward., but my entire Family grew up on Hawkins St, so it's spiritual looking at these pictures �� thank you

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    1. dear Brother Hood, it's my pleasure... thanks for the visit.

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  5. please use Newark resources to obtain pictures, history, entertainment spots. when I ask my students to research 1970's Newark we want to see the good the progression the Jewish sections, the parks, and the history. city hall, the Peppermint lounge, Symphony hall, the Robert Treat Hotel. interview people that lived in the area they might still have pictures.

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    1. That's a good idea... but I live abroad... that means I do NOT live in the USA... so it is really hard for me to get in contact with 'real' people there... but thanks, anyway... the only thing I can do about Newark is to post the photos I took when I lived there in the 1970s...

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  6. Thank you, My father grew up in the 1970s in Newark. It is going to be such a treat for him to see these.

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    1. Thanks for the visit. Was your father born in the USA?

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  7. It was great seeing those nostalgic photos. I'm from the Roseville Section originally, N. 9th St.& 6th Ave. W. In the 60's and 70's. I have many pictures to this day. A lot are 50+ years old. I was born in Columbus Hospital in 1964.

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    1. Thanks for the comments and the visit. In 1964 I was 15 years old...as I was born in 1949...Would you like to share your photos?

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