I don’t have much to say today except to say my explorations of Newark, NJ have been shamefully few over the years, paling, for example, next to Jersey City or Hoboken, and I haven’t been to places like Union City (except to ride through it on a bus). I keep saying I’ll rectify the situation but who knows? (I tend to take guff from readers when I post items outside the five boroughs.)
Until about a decade ago Market Street featured these intricately scrolled castirons. Only a few (and not in this style) survive by 2024. However, the downtown area along Broad and Market (Newark has two main streets with the same names as Philadelphia’s) have featured retro versions of these lamps but the exact scrollwork hasn’t been matched. However, they get the gist, as they say in Brooklyn.
Actually I have a batch of unused photos from a foray on Newark’s City Subway from a few years back I haven’t used yet, so we’ll see what happens.
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1/28/24
11 comments
Newark’s Broad and Market Streets are also have the same directions as Philadelphia’s in that both Broad Streets are north-south and both Market Streets are east-west.
Good morning Kevin. Ignore the critics. An occasional foray outside the five boroughs is not sacrilege – in fact it’s good to expand one’s horizons and compare NYC to its neighbors. Newark is full of interesting stuff, starting with the City Subway. I’m quite familiar with Newark, as I visited there regularly for a job I had from 1974-82. The ride on PATH from Manhattan to Newark is well worth the time and has lots of good viewing once the train comes outdoors in Jersey City . Plus, my wife was born in Newark, although she spent most of her childhood in NYC. Reach out if you’d like to discuss further.
from 1967 to 1970 while working for the PRR my territory was the PATH from Newark to Jersey City.
I worked in Newark for a few years, and I have a relative soft spot for the city. Once upon a time, it was even a major league city (if you count the Federal League as a major league). There’s a lot of interesting things about the city (like, for example, the whole history of Ballantine), and I for one encourage a digression there.
Here’s your Ballantine digression, Eric:
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=ballantine+beer+%26+ale%2fthree+ring+pete&&mid=1C969C5C0B71C92148CA1C969C5C0B71C92148CA&&FORM=VRDGAR
Thanks for posting the links to Ballantine commercials. Remember well. Ballantine was the NY Yankees radio and TV sponsor for about 20 years from 1947 onward. Mel Allen would often do a Ballantine plug between innings. I remember being at a game in person around 1960 when for some reason the vendors were selling Schaefer, and people sitting near me said “someone better tell Mel Allen.”
Andy: Someone should have told “Three Ring Pete”
The lampost in the second photo looks ridiculous.Like the front half of a current Toyota or other
late model attached to the back half of a Model T.The word “bastardized” comes to mind.
I’ve commuted to Newark for 16 years now on the PATH. The most memorable thing that ever happened was with the now-retired cars, where one could sit in the front car in the seat opposite the train driver’s cubicle and see the same view he had. One day pigeons were on the tracks in the open area where the CSX intermodal yard is and flew off at the last second. So? Well this one and only time one pigeon was too late and got killed with a loud bloody thump against the front window inches from my head, me being in the lucky seat. I’m kind of glad the new cars don’t have that seat anymore.
In a somewhat general opinion, it seems that in the 60’s or 70’s all public works started to be built without any consideration of design, appearance or beauty. All metal was a straight tube or pipe, all
concrete flat, no ornamentation as if the extra cost wasn’t worth it. Total utilitarian work.
I haven’t been to Newark since I last saw a Nets game at the Prudential Center, though I still feel that they shouldn’t have been moved to Brooklyn.