Regretfully another Newark icon meets its
demise. The Valley Fair, for almost fifty years a fixture in the
old Gould and Eberhardt Foundry Building, closes its doors in 2008.
This store had such a variety of items, that it was pretty much
a 'one stop' shopping experience. It was a fun place to go to hunt
for bargains, which ranged from top of the line sportswear to designer
shoes with everything else in between. Happy the shopper who had
time to browse and come away feeling elated at having scored success
in their purchases.
The staff was incredible. They managed to keep the store neat
and organized. They took a lot of pride in how their departments
looked and even during a sale, items were categorized neatly by
size.
Of course, having grown up just a block or two away on Schley
Street, I remember going there on foot when Valley Fair first opened.
Across from Dairyland, and also the first true supermarket Pic'N
Pay on Chancellor Avenue. Pic'N Pay early on made way for Route
#78 which bisected the Weequahic section. Dairyland is still there
though, and serving up a mean ice cream cone in a variety of flavors.
Even though my family moved from Schley Street in the early 1960's,
I would periodically go back to hunt the bargains, and most times
found them.
Another landmark of Weequahic fades into memory!
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