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Saturday, November 14, 2009

1933: GIMBELS: A TRENTON CLASSIC

Downtown Trenton: How I miss it! This ad was published 2 weeks to the day before my September 29th birthday. As can be seen by the NRA (National Recovery Act) logo in the upper left, we were in the heart of what became known as "The Great Depression." Gimbels will always hold a special place in my memory. It was here that I worked part time in the "Mens' Wear" department back in the early 1950's. Gimbels, along with Swern's, Goldberg's, Yard's, Nevius Voorhees, Hurley Tobin, Dunham's, and too many other first class stores fled the city as the first half of the 20th century came to an end. Instead of crowded buses and difficult automobile parking, the merchants decided to flee to the suburban malls, and the wonderful years many of us spent visiting downtown Trenton are only pleasant memories.

1 comment:

Ralph Lucarella said...

Hi Tom: I recall all those stores you mentioned. Most of the time we shopped at Goldberg's basement where the bargins were. You worked next door at Gimbal's. When I was looking for something special I usually went to Swern's. I thought Swern's and Dunham's were among the best. It's hard to believe what a big change has come to downtown Trenton. Regards, Ralph.