Hi, nice site !
I lived in Orange but when I got my license and starting driving
my own car (50 Mercury) I'd pick up my friend's and go cruising
around , we'd most likely end up in Newark, either Ting A Ling's
on Bloomfield avenue or through Branch Brook park or the Portuguese
neighborhood.
Newark was so cool then, I remember going to a wedding reception
at Biaggi's on Bloomfield Ave in the mid 60's and another one in
1966 at the then classy Robert Treat hotel.
North Newark was our primary hang out, the world's best pizza was
there and so were the pretty Italian girl's. I remember the legend
of "The lady in white" in Branch Brook park, supposedly she was
killed in a car wreck and her ghost was seen in the park. We went
there one night with paint and brush and painted the outline of
a lady with white paint on a huge tree. In the 90's I was in Orange
for a funeral, someone suggested we go to a Portuguese restaurant
for dinner. I drove down Bloomfield ave cut through the park amazingly
the painting was still on the tree 30 year's later.
How about shopping in Newark, Bamberger's, Ohrbach's and so on.
I was 21 in 1967 when Newark went up in flame's. It was sad to see
so many people lose fortune's on property value's and ruined business's
, newark died over night. The elegant mansion's of the Branch Brook
section selling for ten cent's on the dollar.
In 1970 I was at the Hugh Addinizio campaign headquarter's on
Bloomfield Ave the night his election bid was lost to the black
candidate Ken Gibson. Women were weeping and rage filled the room,
the final nail was put in the casket that was once Newark.
In a cocktail lounge in Las Vegas a few year's back a discussion
about American politic's was brought up. I commented I was afraid
the country was going the way of " Newark " a couple from Kansas
asked why the comparison, they had no knowledge of Newark. Telling
the story they shook their head's and remarked how amazing that
the decline of "Newark" could happen in the USA.
Bill in Las Vegas Nevada
PS vote and pay attention to local and especially national politic's!
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