This handsome station and plaza are a common sight for commuters. One needs to walk a few blocks away to see some exciting things happening. This monument on the Plaza recognizes Nikola Tesla. Apparently he had an important role bringing electricity to Rahway. It would be interesting to know more about this story, perhaps through an interpretive sign panel The
It’s not every day that I get chance to take multiple trains from my home in Metuchen to just across the state line into New York. When visiting for a few short minutes I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Suffern is a town with Revolutionary War ties and today has the character of a commuter town with a
This cast concrete block building on the edge of town makes use of this distinctive building material. Upon entering town this skinny vernacular cottage caught our attention for the detailed spindle work. The town of Occoquan originated in 1758 when John Ballentine built his home Rockledge. Grist mills, a foundry, and tobacco warehouses predominates. During the Civil War, Gen Wade
The entrance into Atlantic City gives a nice sense of arrival with these vertical pylons with stylized letters. A cluster of national chain stores makes it clear this is a shopping destination. The Nike store has pride of place while turning the corner towards the major resorts on the shore. Coach is located in the Tanger Outlets development, basically turning
Cleveland Plaza is a level of architectural intervention unusual for an older building. The canopy on steel and reinforced concrete armature gives a neat hat to this building. i was fortunate to get a peak into St. Michaels church down the block. The stained glass, while narrow and compact had themes and coloration that made them stand out. Religious statuary
Toms River proudly displays how they are one of approximately two dozen Main Street New Jersey communities in the state on the entry signage to their downtown. As the county seat for Ocean County there is a preponderance of offices here for the county, the Municipality, various organizations, and many lawyers. A small entertainment and restaurant scene is here also
We drove from New Jersey for a chance to see one of the three Great American Main Street Award winners for that year. My colleague Hannah Davis joined me to give a tour of Florence to me and my two kids who were travelling with me. Right away we were struck by the presence of large institutions like this one,
Millburn has an ideal location, close to New York City and at the foot of the South Mountain Reservation. There are many assets here including the Paper Mill Playhouse and the Greenwood Gardens not too far away from the downtown. Here are a few highlights from a recent visit. Fantastical Garden, 2022 This sculpture by Dan Fenelon has signature vivid
Northshire Bookstore is one of the best merchandized book stores I’ve seen. The store is arranged as a series of rooms to conform with the irregular floor plan of the building. Still it manages to have ample open spaces for displays. Makes it very easy to bump into the perfect book or gift item. Merchandizing with clear product groupings and