“Edgewater, Now and Then”

When I was a kid growing up in Hudson County, Bergen County was light-years away for me and my friends: another world, where kids lived whose families had money. I envied those kids, who according to legend received brand new cars from their parents when they graduated high school. When we were old enough to drive, we bought old Chevys and fixed them up, which provided a temporary escape from our environs and permitted us to venture up into Bergen County on “road trips”. I would quickly get disoriented on these forays by all the trees, not knowing what town we were in at any given moment.

But I knew Edgewater, which always seemed to bear the flavor of a frontier town for me. That impression was underscored by the appearance of the old abandoned Clahan’s General Store, Hotel & Burlesque Theatre (where the River Gorge Cafe stands today), which always reminded me of a wild west saloon.

My friend Dave-O had a girl in Edgewater, and she had friends, and so we’d drive in along River Road in our beat-up, early-1960s Impalas. Along the way, we’d pass abandoned, crumbling old factories and warehouses, our view of the river and the city blocked by dense overgrown weeds and the winding turns of what is now “Old” River Road. I misspent many nights in the Boro Tavern (“BT”), but don’t ask me how young I was when I was getting served there (nascent facial hair made me look older than I was). We’d park in Veterans’ Park and, well, do the things that teenage kids do. Suffice it to say that our evenings were filled with the sounds of our guitars as we sang everything from the lilting harmonies of the Everly Brothers to Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”. Ah, youth....

I’ve changed a lot since then, and so has Edgewater. Most of my friends who’ve moved out of the area wouldn’t recognize it today. No one can argue that the borough’s economy hasn’t improved dramatically. However, people are concerned about the cost of that economic rejuvenation, the price to be paid. Concerns about traffic, parking, New York scenic views, and the ability to provide services for an ever-expanding population, weigh heavily on the minds of many residents.

Whether you consider yourself a long-time “river rat” or a more recent condo-dweller, Edgewater’s continuing growth impacts your life. Here at the Edgewater Beacon, we’d like to hear how you feel about it. Our online newspaper features a “Letters to the Editor” section, where you can share your views and opinions. You can either mail or e-mail your letter, which must of course provide identifying information for verification. No anonymous submissions will be accepted. Come let your neighbors know what you think about what’s going on in Edgewater.

2/22/00

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