Behind the Facade

My neighbor and I took a walk to North Avenue to visualize the proposed construction on East Second Street. More later on that. The stretch of historic buildings between Gavett Place and Watchung Avenue is supposed to be stabilized as part of redevelopment of the North Avenue Historic District. But one of the most interesting buildings is in very bad shape. Note the daylight coming through the roof.

We went down an alley on Watchung Avenue to see the rear of the building. The gray building here is the rear of Romond's Garage.

The rear of the North Avenue building is strewn with trash, as is most of the alleyway. Obviously it is a dumping ground.

Here's one way people get inside the building.

Here's another way. There are people living in nearby buildings and several businesses are operating with this alleyway as their back yard. Out of sight, out of mind? Has anybody from City Hall taken a walk down the alley lately? I found out about it years ago when I was still working and had to report to a crime scene back there.

On our walk we found other messy scenes in the interiors of blocks near the train station. All the trees and bushes that were cut down on an embankment near a Watchung Avenue tavern are still piled up in the rear. A city-owned parking lot on Cleveland Avenue had an unsecured door in a little building on the lot.

On the other side of the ledger, we paid a visit to E & A Restaurant Supply and were dazzled by the marvelous array of equipment for cooking and serving food. It was a good antidote to our upsetting discoveries.

I am still going over my Planning Board notes. The meeting was very convivial but lots of side issues got into the mix with all the friendly chatting.

--Bernice Paglia