I took a ride over on Elizabeth Avenue
this morning heading to Weequahic Park to see if the Divident Hill
Monument is still there. I haven't been over that way in over 30
years. Here's what it looks like today.
Of course the area has changed a lot. However, it is not as bad
as I had expected to find. Coming up from the intersection of Clinton
Avenue and Elizabeth Avenue the first thing that caught my eyesight
was the green facade of the old Sears building. It is still standing,
closed up, but looks to be in pretty good shape after all these
years. Next block on the right is a small park with a flag pole
and a monument to the Veterans which was placed there by the Jewish
War Veterans sometime in the past. There is some graffiti on it
and I will contact the city to have it taken off. Further down I
spotted a closed up building which looked like it was some sort
of a restaurant. It is at #306 Elizabeth Ave. When I got home and
checked the phone book I found out that it is the old Weequahic
Diner. Building still is in pretty good shape but closed up. Next
I got to the park. Drove all around it. It is still in very good
shape. You can tell that the city has been keeping it up. Found
the gazebo on Divident Hill. From the distance it looks great, but
when you get up close it is full of graffiti. I took some photo's
of it, as well as the other buildings I just mentioned. If anyone
wants copies of any of these let me know. Divident Hill was extremely
important during the early history of Newark. It was there in 1667
that the founders of Newark, and some of the settlers in Elizabethtown
drew up the boundary between Newark and Elizabethtown. This beautiful
Greco-Roman pavilion was dedicated in 1916 - the 250 anniversary
of the settlement of Newark. The hill it is located on is 80 feet
above sea level and the first highest point from Newark Bay. It
is on the Upper Road (Elizabeth Avenue) and opposite the road to
Lyons's Farms (Lyons Avenue). Didn't have time to drive up and down
the side streets (but I will in the future) but all of the streets
and houses looked to have been kept up in their very beautiful conditions.
I was happy to see that.
The one building I missed not seeing was the old TAVERN RESTAURANT
on the corner of Elizabeth Avenue and Meeker Street. There is an
apartment building there now. I didn't have time to drive up and
down the side streets today, but I will in the future. Looking up
and down the side streets I could see that almost all of the beautiful
homes seen to have been well maintained. The area seems to be doing
OK. Let's hear some comments from those of you who used to live
in this area.
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