New Jersey Avenue, south of Atlantic Avenue

 

Visit Zone 1 to see New Jersey Avenue north of Atlantic Avenue.
New Jersey Avenue,north towards Atlantic, 1940s
We had the details of this image incorrect, but Tony "Mat" Pomila came to our rescue. I've embedded the key directly into the picture. The shot on the right comes from Dan Bivona, the corner of New Jersey and Liberty Ave. in 1963. They are sitting in his pal Dominic Piazza's 1955 Oldsmobile. Joe Czajkawski is seated next to Dan in the front, behind the driver Nino Sciarrino with Dominic, and standing outside the car, Vita Sciarrino and Sal Amereco
Cool cars, New Jersey Avenue
Tony Pomila sends in not 1 but 2 cool car shots in the same location (New Jersey Avenue off Atlantic). The first was taken during the war years (hard to see but there's a gas rationing sticker in the window). It's a '34 Ford. Tony is the small boy in the front. On the right, taken in 1955, is a 1954 Ford Crown Victoria.
St. John's Lutheran Church, New Jersey Ave. near Liberty
Maker: Brooklyn Eagle Postcard Co. Dated : Unk Status: Need
One of East New York's earliest congregations (1847), this building was constructed in 1898. This was my mother's family church. Visit the St. John's page for more images and history.
Judy Zimmer has sent in some great shots, and this darling photo features her and a neighbor friend Larry Heintz, circa 1950. They are pictured in front of her grandparents house on 275 New Jersey Avenue. She reconnected with Larry after all these years through the website making for a nice story. That's some contraption Judy is riding, and my aunt provided me with some background
Mike Shulman sent in this shot of his father's grocery store on the corner of New Jersey and Glenmore Avenues. He believe it is circa 1952. Note the Trommer's and R&H beer ads in the window. R&H used to have the beer concession at Dexter Park and old-timers used to say R&H stood for "Rotten and Horrible". For the answer to the trivia question as to what R&H really stood for, click on the beer coaster picture.
New Jersey and Pitkin Avenues, ca. 1948
This is a bit of a funky view; though the Pennsylvania Avenue station of the old Fulton Street elevated is in view, we are looking southwest toward the corner of New Jersey and Pitkin Avenues.
Playground,New Jersey and Pitkin Avenues, 1940
Now if you stood on the elevated line in the above picture and turned southeast, you would see this playground constructed sometime in the 1930s. It exists today as part of Grace Playground but I couldn't find any names for it back then.
St. John Cantius, New Jersey and Blake
Peter Koch and a current local resident both reminded me of this Polish church. Started as a mission in 1892 at Pitkin and Wyona, the church is formed in 1901 and named St. John of Kenty, changing to St. John Cantius in 1905. The building was constructed in 1903. Father Misicki founded the church for the growing Polish population in Brooklyn, but in fact the area around the church filled up with mostly Jewish residents and the parish struggled. A school was opened in 1921 and can be seen behind the church in the local live image. The school was closed in 2005 by the diocese. A more complete history can be found at the Brooklyn Genealogy site. We now have a full St. John Cantius Page.
William Stachurski Funeral Home
St. John's Cantius anchored a Polish community in this section of East New York. The Stachurski Funeral Home was located catty-corner from St. John Cantius on the northwest corner of New Jersey and Blake Avenues. These great shots come courtesy of Stephanie Johnsen, granddaughter of William Stachurski. Judging from the cars, I placed these shots in the 1930s.
William Stachurski Funeral Home
Also from Stephanie, a shot I placed in the late 1940s-early 1950s (any car buffs out there?). The business was sold to Vance Jorsling in 1973, and continues at this location today, seen in the Google image on the right.
William Stachurski
Stephanie provided these shots as well. William Stachurski is on the right, seated with 2 friends in front of the home on the Blake Avenue side, with the south side of Blake Avenue in the background. As was typical in that era, Stachurski was a community leader, he was Grand Marshal in the Pulaski Day parade, he was involved with the United Polish Communities of East New York among other commitments. I was intrigued by the unusual building on the right which is also partially visible in the shot Stephanie sent from the 1960s. Technically the building faces Pennsylvania Avenue but has this large arched entrance on the Blake Avenue side. Stephanie told me it opened to a courtyard and led to a doctor's office. Still standing today, it is now a church.
Block Party, New Jersey Avenue, 1940s
Two views of New Jersey Avenue, decorated for a block party. In the second image, the view is southeast and we can see Thomas Jefferson High School in the distance.
L & M Card Shop, 1955
It was George Kowalczyk who first sent me a lot of background on the number of Polish-owned businesses in this area, and he sent me the card on the right issued by the funeral home. He also sent in a 1964 class picture from St. John Cantius (seen on that page)- and in a nice bit of irony, Stephanie is in that picture! One last view from Stephanie is seen on the left. The L & M Card Shop was located directly across Blake Avenue from St. John Cantius. The L & M stood for Leszczynski and Meyer (her uncle). That is her sister and cousins in front of the store in 1955. The buildings on that side of the block have all been replaced.
Peretto's ride, "The Merry go Round"
Thanks to Jim Peretto who sent this image of his uncle's kiddy ride truck in the 1950s. The sign on the truck door gives the location of the business as 676 New Jersey Avenue, just north of New Lots Avenue. There are a number of buildings on that block with the brick architecture seen in the image, but I could not find an exact match.
Kahn's Grocery, 408 New Lots Avenue
Mitch Kahn sent over these shots of his grandfather's grocery at 408 New Lots Avenue, just off New Jersey Avenue. The view on the left with his grandparents is from the 1950's while the storefront view on the right dates from the 1960s. Note the advertisement for Rev. Miletsky's Cantor services in the window on the left.
P.S. 213, 580 Hegeman Avenue, 1951
Thanks to Evelyn Israel for helping us add this school to the site. P.S. 213 has a unique place in ENY history; due to demographics, the Depression, and WWII, it was the only elementary school built in the area from 1930 to 1952. Located between Vermont Street and New Jersey Avenue, Evelyn supplied an East New York Savings Thrift class picture from 1951.
Farming, New Jersey Avenue, 1934
This 1934 Sperr image was taken looking north toward Wortman Avenue from between Pennsylvania and New Jersey Avenues.