I worked at the National Newark and Essex
Bank from 1967 to 1970, in the "securities cage" which
was part of the Trust Department. We handled all of the actual stocks
and bonds that the customers had delivered to the bank. We had our
own private elevator which was located on the side, underneath the
main escalator. I remember the restaurant well. The name of it was
HUYLER'S. I definitely remember that coffee cart with the large
coffee urn and assortment of pastries that made the rounds in the
building. There were many great smaller shops in the lobby of that
building. That building also housed many law firms - which it still
does. The entire building underwent a multi-million dollar renovation
about three years ago.
The Raymond Commerce building is being turned into very expensive
condo's some of which have already been sold and are being lived
in.
Do you remember the Colonnade Restaurant on Clinton Street just
behind the 744 Broad Street building? You had to go down a few steps
to enter it, but what a wonderful restaurant it was. Also, a little
further down Clinton was a wonderful restaurant named "Arnolds."
They had one of those old-fashioned waiters with white shirt and
black vest and pants and black bow tie who always carried a white
towel over his arm and who knew almost every customer by name. A
real classy place.
Here are the names of some of the other famous Men's clothing stores
in that same stretch of Broad Street: Bonds at 729; Browning Fifth
Ave at 756; Crawford Clothes at 158 Market St; The Custom Shirt
Shop at 786 Broad Street; Hart Schaffner & Marx at 750; Howard
Clothes at 128 Market St; Larkey's at 140 Market; Wallach's at 750;
and Webber & Heilbroner at 776. And also some of the great Men's
shoe stores in that area: Florsheim at 823 Broad; Bostonian at 825
Broad; Flagg Brothers on Market; Hanover Shoes at 142 Market; Johnston
& Murphy at 38 Commerce; and John Ward's at 760 Broad Street.
And for the women there was Bonds, Orbachs, and Janet Shops over
on Halsey plus so many other smaller women's clothing and shoe stores.
There was also a "private" Bankers and Lawyers Club in
the building at 744 Broad Street and another one over in the Bamberger's
building, both of which I had gone to many times.
Downtown Newark was also the Financial Capital of New Jersey with
all of it's Banking Headquarters, Brokerage Firms, and Insurance
Companies. Not to mention all of the other great restaurants and
bars located there.
Yes, downtown Newark had everything and every type of store that
anyone could want and it is all gone today. How sad
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