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Wednesday, August 01, 2012

2012: DIANE ALSO REMEMBERS "THE TRENTON THAT WAS

Thanks for this email, Diane. Downtown Trenton also had the State and the Stacy. I will leave it to my many old time Trentonians to fill in the info regarding the theaters. My wife Judy Britton worked at yards in the late 40's and early 50's in "Infants' Wear." Thanks for visiting my website. I hope you return often. Diane wrote:

Dear Tom:
I came across your web site and I thank you for it. It brought back a lot of wonderful memories.
I was raised in North Trenton, left in 1966 when I married and last August, 2011, I moved back to North Trenton, a mile from where I grew up. Unfortunately my old street has fallen to ruin, some of the houses are boarded up. I'm now on Ohio Avenue, a predominately Polish neighborhood. Never did I think I'd end up back "home."
I used to work at Yard's Department Store. I thought there were five movie theaters: The Lincoln: Mayfair: Capitol: Trent: and I can't remember the name of the fifth one. Do you happen to remember or were there just four? I remember a lot of the businesses in downtown Trenton from the late 50's to the early 70's.
I attempted to sign your guest book but I was unable to access it.
Diane H. Witkowski
Trenton Central High School
Class of '61 - Black Team

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Diane:

In downtown Trenton the first run movie houses were as you noted; The Lincoln, the Trent ( next to the Lincoln)the Mayfair,and the Capital. In addition there were a number of 2nd run theaters; The State, Stacy, Palace, the Garden ( where no respectable girl would be caught dead) At the monument, there was the Rialto, Top road had the Brunswick, East Trenton had the Princess on Meade and No. Clinton, Wilbur had the "Gaity )later known as the Olden)and the Greenwood (run by late buddy Eggs Levy) Inn the Burg was the Park, the Bijou, and long long ago, the Victory. South Trenton had the Broad, and White City had the Hamilton. West Trenton had the Strand. Might have left one or two out, so plug it in where there is a void.

Hope this helps

Mike Kuzma

Anonymous said...

The Center was on Center St. Mike, what was the location of the Garden? The Rialto, I thought, was just south of Perry St, on Broad, An alley ran next to it. I can't picture the Garden.

Anonymous said...

I was never in there and it was "low key" as an adult theater but I believe The Garden was on Broad and Perry. In the shadow of the Cathedral, I doubt if it ever showed a film that had "The Monitor's" stamp of approval.

I drove through the old neighborhood the other day and for the most part, even the "new Polish comeback" of North Trenton is dead. Very sad indeed. I get my haircuts from a (prior), Pine Street fellow by the name of Witkowski.

Ed Millerick

Anonymous said...

Pretty sure the Garden was on Broad across from Academy but before Perry. Around the corner was the late nite "Texas Wiener" place that was simply a chili dog with onions. Like Kramer's bagels, it was the way a teen could have an excuse to have the family car for a "late evening" venture and coming home with a bag of Texas Weiners or hot bagles was a true Trenton rite of passage.

Ed M