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Well, for starters, anyone who was not Bayonne born and bred was considered to be an "outsider" who could simply not be an integral part of the community. By contrast, our neighbors in Bay Ridge were far more open-minded and accepting of newcomers than the folks in Bayonne.
I can also recall my mother asking folks, "What is that smell?", when the inevitable stench of the Baker Castor Oil factory or countless other industrial facilities would waft over us. The consistent response was, "What smell? I don't smell anything!" Yes, they could have become inured to industrial pollution after a period of many years, or...more likely...they were just in denial about the horrible smells that afficted Bayonne in those days.
One of the things that absolutely astounded my young mind when we moved to Bayonne was that most of the elementary school kids (my peers) had... never been on a train (this was in the '50s before train travel had dwindled) never been to NYC--which was all of 25 minutes away by bus never been outside of NJ
I can recall also being astounded by the competition among my peers each evening to be "first one to see the street lights come on".
Really? You consider this to be a major accomplishment? I mean, they do light up each night...
And then, there was the annual "parade of the garbage trucks". Yes, once each year, there would be a parade to display the city's garbage trucks. If you can explain this one to me...please do.
Incidentally, I should point out that the city's garbage trucks were essentially open dump trucks. One man would stand in the load area of the truck, and would catch the garbage cans that were tossed up by another DPW employee would walked along the curb. (Imagine being the guy who got to stand in the bed of the dump truck as it filled ever-higher with waste!) This was their system while most of the civilized world used automated trucks that fed garbage into a closed container upon someone moving a lever. But, the city fathers of Bayonne were so damn proud of their open dump/garbage trucks that they saw fit to parade them once each year. Can you explain this phenomenon for me?
I don't know about your definition of provincial (or even "Provinical" [sic]), but the above-noted observations certainly fit my definition of that term.
I am laughing out loud here. They really had a parade of garbage trucks?
I am laughing out loud here. They really had a parade of garbage trucks?
Did they throw candy?
Yes, MQ, back in the mid-late '50s, Bayonne had an annual parade of the garbage trucks. They were repainted--in white--each year, just prior to the parade, so that they looked spiffy for their admirers.
No, nobody threw candy as I recall. However, some crowds of these incredibly provincial folks did turn out to glow with pride at the sight of a cordon of the city's outdated, open dump trucks that were used for garbage collection.
The Commissioner of Public Works, Thomas DiDomenico, was apparently the one who came up with this annual "festival". He was later elected Mayor of Bayonne, but whether his garbage truck parade was a factor in his election (or whether it was the city's traditional "voting by dead people"), I can't say.
By the '60s, the annual garbage truck parade had been disbanded, but it still took a few years before Bayonne joined the rest of the civilized world and used actual garbage trucks, rather than open dump trucks, for garbage collection.
There really should be a "like" button..this is so funny! and I totally agree with you. When we first moved to South Plainfield, we were initially taken aback by the overall warmness of people, since we werent used to it.
There really should be a "like" button..this is so funny! and I totally agree with you. When we first moved to South Plainfield, we were initially taken aback by the overall warmness of people, since we werent used to it.
I came from Edison to South Plainfield, SP definitely has a more towney feel. We like it. Crime level is a lot higher than where we were in Edison though.
I don't think Woodbridge "proper" is much better than any other part of Woodbridge Township. I used to live in Fords, and it was pretty nice there with great access to the pkwy, 287, and rte 1.
I am looking for an apartment in the Scotch Plains area and am willing to fan out especially if I can get near transportation to NYC. I saw the Woodbridge Village Apts online. The address is 305 Village Drive in Avenel. They look nice but reading this thread, I'm not sure if it's in an iffy area. I am moving from Jersey City (a beautiful building in a crappy neighborhood) and want to get away from this...not jump into another version. Any suggestions... I want to do it relatively soon. Tx for any help
I am looking for an apartment in the Scotch Plains area and am willing to fan out especially if I can get near transportation to NYC. I saw the Woodbridge Village Apts online. The address is 305 Village Drive in Avenel. They look nice but reading this thread, I'm not sure if it's in an iffy area. I am moving from Jersey City (a beautiful building in a crappy neighborhood) and want to get away from this...not jump into another version. Any suggestions... I want to do it relatively soon. Tx for any help
You're going from one crappy area to another. While that part of Avenel isn't the worst place you could be, it's also not exactly an upper-end area. I think I'd keep looking if I were you. I grew up in Avenel, and it's changed for the worse over the years.
I am looking for an apartment in the Scotch Plains area and am willing to fan out especially if I can get near transportation to NYC. I saw the Woodbridge Village Apts online. The address is 305 Village Drive in Avenel. They look nice but reading this thread, I'm not sure if it's in an iffy area. I am moving from Jersey City (a beautiful building in a crappy neighborhood) and want to get away from this...not jump into another version. Any suggestions... I want to do it relatively soon. Tx for any help
The Beacon?
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Avenel?
Tx!
