Last days of the Devils in the Meadowlands

The Meadowlands Arena has always left a lot to be desired.

The building's exterior is dull, the interior cavernous.Its' very name has changed several times throughout the years, as if management isn't quite sure what it wants to be called. First it was the Brendon Byrne Arena, then it became Continental Airlines Arena, now it's called the Izod center. Certainly naming rights will change again once a sponsor with even more money to spend comes long.

The location is lackluster as well. There's no "there" there: the arena is not attached to any larger community. Rather it's plopped inside what is effectively a swamp, surrounded by parking lots the size of several football fields. There's no excitement similar to what fans might find at Yawkey Way before a Red Sox game.

When the Devils won their first Stanley cup in 1995, it became quite apparent there was no location for a ticker tape style victory parade, similar to what teams like the New York Rangers would have earned. Instead, the Devils settled for a spin around the arena parking lot. 

Eventually its' professional sports tenants moved out: the Devils to the Prudential Center in Newark, and the Nets to Brooklyn at the Barclays Center.

Here are some pics from one of the Devils last games at the then Continental Airlines Arena, versus the Philadelphia Flyers:

Ridgewood Library

In a day when other libraries are struggling, the Ridgewood Public Library is thriving. The library underwent major renovations several years ago. A recent visit found comfortable furnishings, flat screen computer monitors, automated doors, display cases for collections, a young adult center, and the convenience of wi-fi access through out the building. The library even features a small cafe, reminiscent what you might find inside a big box retailers like Barnes & Noble.

 

 

 

 

 

The Women's Club of Ridgewood

The Women's Club of Ridgewood was formed on March 7, 1914 to enrich the lives of women and children in the greater Ridgewood area. It still operates as a registered non-profit organization today, supporting charities in Bergen County and the surrounding area.

The organization's headquarters is located in a Dutch Colonial style house sitting on the corner of West Ridgewood Avenue and Monroe Street. The building features a weathered sand-stone facade and a gabled roof. It was constructed as a club house for the Women's Club in 1928 by New York architect George Koyl. Today the facility hosts a variety of events, included class reunions, weddings, and other parties.

Ridgewood Elementary Schools

Education is key to Ridgewood's identity. District schools frequently rank among the best in state rankings. Neighborhoods are often referred to by the local elementary school. Here is a look at the village's 7 elementary schools.

First is Glen School. It serves the one section of Ridgewood physically separated from the rest of the village by Route 17:

 

 

Ira W. Travell School serves the north- central part of Ridgewood, near the Valley Hospital.

 

Somerville Elementary School serves students in the central section of Ridgewood.

Hawes Elementary School serves the southern section of Ridgewood, bordering the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and the Saddle River. This part of town is also referred to as "The Lawns".

Now here's a look at schools serving the part of Ridgewood west of the NJ Transit rail tracks. 

The first is Orchard Elementary School. It sits quite close to the Glen Rock border.

Ridge Elementary School sits on an extensive property on the Midland Park border:

There are many playgrounds located on Ridge's extensive property:

Last but not least is Willard Elementary School, one of the oldest school buildings in the district. It serves the village's "Upper Ridgewood" section.

Radburn

Radburn is a planned community in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Not planned in the sense of mass produced developments featuring McMansions with "great rooms" and 3 car garages. Not planned in the sense of "communities" with faux chic names spelled with and extra "E" (i.e Pointe) or that pay homage to the landscape and wildlife they destroyed ( i.e. "Colt's Run").

Rather, Radburn was developed with the idea of maximizing green space, back in a day and age where housing was often crowded, and open space an afterthought. Neighbors and houses were linked by pedestrian paths, rather than roadways. Radburn is within walking distance to the a train station on NJ Transit's Bergen Line. Stores are with in walking distance too, although since it's inception, major retailers have moved further out towards the strip malls on soulless stretches like Fair Lawn's Broadway (also known as Route 4).

While it was developed in 1929 as a "town for the motor age", the auto crazed suburbanite of today would be sadly disappointed in Radburn. While cul-de-sacs are an integral part of Radubrns' design, they are on a much smaller scale than today's typical suburb. Trucks will not be turning around in Radburn's cul-de-sacs, as would be the case in most of white American suburbia.

The Radburn Plaza Building

New Jersey Transit's Radburn Station

Radburn's Walking Paths

Garden Apartments

Modern Houses

El Dorado Village

Typical Radburn houses

Newark City Subway

Not many people realize Newark has its own subway system. Built in the 1930's, at its peak there were several lines running across the city. The main line serves the North Ward, running along Branch Brook Park. Likely it survived because it served a part of the city that didn't experience urban decay to the extent of other parts of Newark.

The line underwent a major upgrade in August 2001. The original President's Conference Committee Cars were replaced with sleek new modern cars, similar to those used on the nearby Hudson Bergen Light Rail. Two new stations were opened, pushing the modernized "Newark Light Rail" into Belleville and Bloomfield.

NJ Transit celebrated the transition with a party. A swing band performed, city officials made appearances,  and train aficionados were offered free rides on the outgoing PCC cars. These photos are from that last night. 

 Band performing in Newark Penn Station

 Statue of subway rider and vintage ticket booth in Newark Penn Station

Standing outside a vintage Presidents' Committee Conference Car

Subway conductor

Interior of PCC car

Mural at the Washington Street Station