Perth Amboy, NJ
I want put entrance to Bayview Park as an intro photo
International Park
An annual Catholic event in Perth Amboy, Corpus Christi, bringing in people from different ethnic backgrounds.
Intro
History
segway...
this town became diverse, working class..
History
segway...
this town became diverse, working class..
History this is part of
Ethnic Diversity
Neighborhoods.
1. waterfront
water
bayview park
prop house
high street water street
City Hall
Raritan Yacht Club
water
bayview park
prop house
high street water street
City Hall
Raritan Yacht Club
2. downtown
Note to self Thomas Mundy Peterson school and include a history of him.
Note to self Thomas Mundy Peterson school and include a history of him.
3. gateway neighborhood
Intro Perth Amboy Bayview Park!
As a Perth Amboy resident, I am proud of our progressive history. The Bill of Rights was signed here first. (12) Perth Amboy was once home to Thomas Mundy Peterson, the first African American under the 15th Amendment(13) Eagleswood Miliary Academy was a gathering place for revolutionary ideas at the time, including abolitionism and women's suffrage. The Academy even had a key stop in the Underground Railroad during the days of slavery. (14) Henry Thoreau, George Inness, and Ralph Waldo Emerson have visited or given lectures here. In the 1920s, thousands of Italians, Poles, pop Jews, and African Americans made it known that the Ku Klux Klan was not welcome here. These organizers drove the Klan out when they had a meeting here on Smith Street.
progressive (still)
This is evidenced by the fact that when people make bigoted and xenophobic comments, Perth Amboy residents, whether they are white, Hispanic, or black , will be the first to call it out.
History
The City by the Bay was founded in 1651 by August Herman who bought it from the Lenni Lenape Indians Perth Amboy. English merchants, as well as Scottish dissenters and French Huguenots who were looking for freedom soon arrived.
Perth Amboy is a very beautiful city situated on the Raritan Bay, where the Raritan River and the Arthur Kill intersect. Perth Amboy’s name was derived from the James, the Earl of Perth which is why we have the name "Perth." Amboy meant Ompoge which meant "the elbow of land" to the Leni Lenape Indians.
William Penn explored this city and led twenty four Proprietors. He described Perth Amboy as the "garden on earth most like to paradise." (16) Today this quote still holds a lot of truth. The city is very beautiful especially with the revitalization that has taken place in the recent years.
As a major transportation hub, Perth Amboy is close to two major shopping malls and serves as a very good transportation hub. With very close access to major highways, like Rt. 440/287, the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, Perth Amboy has earned its place as very convenient in terms of location and transportation.
Intro New condominium developments have now been built, especially along the water, attracting many families and singles that commute to New York.
City Layout
The first inhabitants of the city described it as a "sweet, wholesome, and delightful place." (15)
Although Perth Amboy is a very small town of only 4.7 square miles, the many neighborhoods still do vary. Some are historic; others have a busy city like environment where activity is always running and moving from 8 am to 8 pm.
Some neighborhoods are very suburban-like with nice split levels and can be easily mistaken for nearby suburban townships like Woodbridge and Edison. Some neighborhoods are hilly, others are flat.
Spa Springs - one of the city's post World War II cookie cutter suburban neighborhoods.
This neighborhood is on the edge of town bordering Woodbridge Township.
Yet, most people in Perth Amboy live in more dense neighborhoods. These are places where families live in multifamily house neighborhoods, where families sit on porches on the weekends or during the summer, where children play with their friends an go to the local bodegas and get their snacks.
This neighborhood is on the edge of town bordering Woodbridge Township.
Yet, most people in Perth Amboy live in more dense neighborhoods. These are places where families live in multifamily house neighborhoods, where families sit on porches on the weekends or during the summer, where children play with their friends an go to the local bodegas and get their snacks.
The City was then founded by Scottish dissenters, French Huguenots, and English merchants. These settlers wanted to make full use of the harbor. (5) Reality really never matched the expectations because the East Jersey Proprietors, "the city’s founding fathers" so to speak, wanted to make this another London. Still the city managed and to have a long and very interesting history.
Eagleswood
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, George Inness, (7)
King Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales at the time (7)
Proprietary House
Perth Amboy was once the capital of East Jersey when William Franklin, son of Benjamin Franklin, was royal governor. (6)
However when the Loyalists fled the town after the Revolutionary War, the town no longer became the city used to be. After that the town had fallen prey to thieves on the American side as prominent Loyalist families had to sell off chairs, tables, and other items they once had in their grand homes. (8)
Beach
"Gateway to the Jersey Shore."
But then there came a period when white collar workers came here to Perth Amboy to relax in its amazing beaches. They came to this place on the Jersey Shore from the northern cities of New York and Newark just to frolic along our waters. Perth Amboy was really the first point in the "Jersey Shore" in the north and earned its reputation as the
Since the 1990s, the city has witnessed a rebirth. The crime rate has significantly plummeted, new houses are now built, the waterfront saw a rebirth, and over a hundred new mom and pop shops have opened up.
The waterfront is noted for its two century old, grand Victorians and beautiful scenery of the Raritan Bay and Arthur Kill. Perth Amboy's historic waterfront was rated by the American Planning Association-New Jersey Chapter as one of the best places in New Jersey for public spaces. (18)
Industrial past
Once a hard edged industrial city. Factories taking advantage of the large amounts of clay, including Terra Cotta and close proximity to the water quickly nestled along Perth Amboy, especially near the Arthur Kill. (9) Oil refineries still exist in the northern parts of town as well as near the border by Keasbey.
Ethnic diversity
St. John (Russian) the Baptist Orthodox Church..
Today, Perth Amboy is over 80 percent Latino. Some Hispanics here have been here for two and three generations.
Although this may seem like a homogeneous community, historically this town has always been diverse. Poles, Danes, Italians, and Greeks would all have their own ethnic neighborhoods and worship in their own houses of worship where fellow parishioners would worship in the same church or temple as them.
St. John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Church.
Enclaves like Budapest and Dublin would soon emerge. Hungarians would live in Budapest, Ukrainians lived on State Street, Italians would live near Amboy Avenue (this is where the former site of Sciortino's was), and the Jews would live by the waterfront.
Poles were the largest group and were more scattered throughout the city, there was really no "Polish neighborhood" in Amboy.
Perth Amboy passes on its progressive torch to this very day!
Many cities have adopted what is known as the "broken down theory" when it came to policing. However, Perth Amboy tried something different by ensuring the police and the community would not be odds with one another. This town now has the best relations between the auxiliary police department and the community, in this state.
The Civic Trustees, a nonprofit grassroots organization, that allows citizens to voice their concerns was started by Harry Poczyki, a Perth Amboy native.
passed a legisltation for landlords
Waterfront Perth Amboy instagram
also include the Vas Resdience
Located by t the intersection of Raritan Bay and the Arthur Kill lies Perth Amboy's Waterfront section, the Waterfront is one of the most attractive sections of Perth Amboy.
In fact, one thinks of Perth Amboy, the first thing that conjures in their mind is our waterfront with our sweeping views of the water, our beautiful Victorian houses, and our great dining institutions like the Barge and Seabra's Armory.
The promenade with its redbrick sidewalk and beautiful acorn shaped street lights, well-painted blue rails, and Victorian style benches is packed with people, many from out of town, even food stands have popped up. The walkway also provides a good escape for romantic couples. On weekday mornings, it is not uncommon to see joggers.
Fishing is permitted and during the day you’ll find many fishermen along the marina and the piers near the water. However eating anything from the waters is illegal.
Views of the Raritan Bay from the Sadowski Parkway.
????
Sadowski Parkway
The Perth Amboy Arts Gallery does its annual arts festival here
The Town Marina
A view of Seabra's Armory from the town marina.
Bayview Park
With the help of FEMA funds, the city has done a great job in refurbishing one of Perth Amboy's most popular parks-Bayview Park.
The Homes.
Stately Victorians with window shutters, small steeples, and steep well-trimmed lawn slopes with coarse leaves populate the tree-lined streets. These trees create avenues of tall oaks whose branches form arches over the roadways of this historic neighborhood. High Street, a wide boulevard and Perth Amboy's most elegant residential thoroughfare, passes through our town's waterfont.
Today, newer housing developments have been built adding to a nice scene, when you look
High Street
The former Vas residence
This looks like a Spanish manor. I really love the tiles on the roof.
Water Street
Some argue that High Street is the most prestigious residential street in town. However, I think Water Street is a close competitor because it is close to the water. Not every street in Amboy is close to the water.
Institutions in the Waterfront!
City Hall 260 High Street (Appendix E City Hall)
City Hall, although having gone through so many renovations and even fires, is still one of the most historical buildings in the country. City Hall was where the Bill of Rights was signed. And this magnificent centuries-old artwork of white brick, two story architecture is the oldest functioning city hall in the United States!
City Hall is built on the site of a former jail and courthouse, ordered built in 1713. the pulpit from where George Whitefield, who was the Billy Graham of his day, preached. (20)
For much of the 1800s until 1870, City Hall Courthouse housed the public school classes. In 1870 Perth Amboy’s first public school opened on this site. (21)
City Hall was also where Thomas Mundy Peterson, the first African American to vote in the United States on March 30, 1870, worked as a custodian. (22)
In front of City Hall is a nice traffic circle, or an oval shaped park with an notable red brick arch. The area was once a market place also known as "Market Square". An arch is dedicated for the signing of the Bill of Rights. In the past during the colonial days, The park offers benches, a sight of greenery, and an exact replica of the Liberty Bell.
Market Square was even reported to have an active slave trade where slave auctions were held here. (23)
Next to it is a statue of George Washington built by the Scandinavian immigrants in the early 20th Century. The statue was a gift accrediting to their assimilation and "Americanization" as foreign born immigrants. (24)
When New Jersey was split into West and East Jersey long before the birth of the United States from 1730 to 1790, Perth Amboy was the capital of East Jersey with Burlington being the capital of West Jersey. (25)
City Hall Park
Statue of George Washington in front of City Hall Park
Statue of George Washington in City Hall Park
Established in 1882, The Raritan Yacht Club is a prestigious yacht club. Because of the large manufacturing base in Perth Amboy, men from all over the country came here to yacht during their spare time. does not follow yachts are for the rich! New Yorkers brought their best entertainers as the club was thriving with members. The original building was built where the marina is today but it caught fire sixty years after it was built. During the bicentennial, the Raritan Yacht Club displayed their humongous ship the "Danmark." During the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986 they had kept the crew of the large ship,
"Gloria" of Columbia, entertained. (19)
St. Peter's Episcopalian Church
St Peter’s Episcopalian Church (Appendix G St Peter’s Episcopalian Church) on 179 Rector Street is the oldest Episcopalian church in New Jersey. Many people who arrived to Perth Amboy including the Scots and the French were looking for religious freedom, which was not found in their previous homelands. (31) Of important note the top of the church tower served as a "lookout" for the Loyalists.
The church was honored on April 29, 2006 in the state‘s annual Historic Preservation Awards. (32) In front of the church is a cemetery where William Dunlap, the first American playwright was buried and John Watson also one of the first artists in America. Dunlap was also an accomplished painter, historian of the arts, and painted George Washington when the first president was on one of his last expeditions during the Revolutionary War to the headquarters located in Rockingham. The Dunlap Homes, a housing development owned by the Housing Authority of Perth Amboy is named after
him. John Watson, another distinguished artist who became known as the first portrait painter in the United States and Thomas Mundy Peterson are also buried in this Cemetery.
The Proprietary House - 149 Kearny Avenue
The Proprietary House (Appendix F Proprietary House), on 149 Kearny Avenue was the Governor’s Mansion, where the royal governor, William Franklin, had lived.
William Franklin was the son of Benjamin Franklin who disobeyed his father’s wishes to secede from British rule.
Although a bright child, William never followed through with his father’s wishes to fight for the American side.
William thought he had everything as the royal governor. He was a very wealthy man with great connections to influential people such as John Adams.
When Benjamin Franklin insisted that he fight for the Americans in the Revolutionary War, he still refused. Franklin was still a Loyalist even during the war. He even went to New York to find a good Loyalist stronghold to attack the Americans.
However the Loyalists were getting so attacked in New York that they refused.
When the Americans finally won the war, Captain Nathaniel Heard from Woodbridge, occupied the House in June 1776. He was arrested on July 11th 1776. Soon then, the Colonials established Revolutionary headquarters but told Franklin he could still be safe in Connecticut as long as followed the "house arrest" rules there. He disobeyed the law so they sent him to jail there.
When he was out of jail, Franklin fled to Britain where he had gone to school as a child.
But in England, they did not accept him as "fully British." After disobeying his father, he realized he was not welcome anywhere, not even with the people he fought for.
William Franklin went to Benjamin Franklin in order to "pardon" with his father.
But to that Benjamin answered "I have no son."
A father and son bond that was so strong in William’s childhood that they even played kites with each other now ended after the war ended. ?
Wars not only tear countries but even families. (26)
After the Revolution the house was neglected. Then it was sold, resold, and had survived two fires.
After the Revolutionary War, the House was rebuilt as the Brighton House in 1809. The house was a luxurious hotel and became the social center for the well to do citizens, many of whom were
white-collar workers from Newark, New Jersey and New York. Matthias Bruen, at one time America’s richest man, later acquired the hotel and renamed it Bruen House. The war of 1812, however, put a strain on tourism for a while.
Bruen’s son then converted the property to a shelter for disabled ministers as well as their orphans or widows if deceased. Afterwards, the mansion relapsed to the Bruen heirs who sold it real estate developers. (27)
The Proprietary House is known as a "haunted house." It was featured on SYFY, once.
Some people say it feels like a little boy is hugging on their legs, others see a woman in a white dress and when they touched her she left through the wall.
x
1781
House was near Proprietary House
They put a curse on this house
House built in 1681.
Lawrence Kearny - open door policy
Chinese and Hawaii
British and Hawaiians were at war
Lawrence Kearny He freed the Hawaiians
Not using warfare but diplomacy
Garden next to Kearny cottage was kitchen
mention festivals at the slip every year..
Barge on the left and Seabra's Armory in the background, again to the left.
The Barge -
To the left is The Barge. This restaurant, established in 1925, is a great place for people to dine. Many of the meals are reasonably priced, ranging from 15 to 20 dollars.
During some weekends on the summer months, The Barge has live music playing in the outdoors seating area facing the water.
Kearny Cottage. 63 Catalpa Avenue.
picture here.
Kearny Cottage was once a home of the Irish gentry and a very socially influential family not only in New Jersey but in New York as well. Despite the house being so small, it is now a museum. The most influential person to ever reside in Kearny Cottage was Commander Lawrence Kearny. Kearny served as Mayor of Perth Amboy from 1848 to 1849. He was the Commander of the US Navy’s Eastern Fleet and assisted in creating ways to make China a trading partner. (28) This was the home of Michael Kearny, a member of the elite at this time, as well as his wife, Elizabeth Lawrence. Elizabeth Lawrence had a nickname of "Madame Scribbulus" because of her endless hours of writing poetry. She even wrote poems to her husband. Although this wasn’t one of her best poems one poem of hers would always be remembered because it depicted her husband working as a sailor. One quote from the poem entails "My brave, brave Jim’s a sailor Jack. Upon the treacherous sea--A sailor who loves poetry All taught to him by me." She kept writing poetry, much to the annoyance of her peers and family. (29)
Because of her Elizabeth Lawrence’s rather heroic stance to be a poet especially during this time, Kearny Cottage is now on the New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail.
The walking tour schedule is as follows.
Open Mon - Thurs 1pm to 4 pm and last Sunday of each month
Seabra's Armory..
Many people from New York City come to this restaurant.
Night scenes of Perth Amboy...
A view of the Raritan Yacht Club along the promenade that takes you from the Seabra's Armory to Water Street.
Every Sunday in the summertime, Bayview Park, a park right overlooking the Raritan Bay on Front Street with its brand new pavilion holds a Concerts by the Bay series with a live orchestra. Admission is free.
take pictures of this event.
3 to 5 Pm every sunday
arts festival
Although the neighborhood seems to be simply a residential area, nothing could be farther from the truth. Many of the city’s cultural and tourist venues are here.
One of them is The Barge which has been here since 1925. The Barge has become a family favorite a long time now. Right across the street is Seabra’s Armory with outdoor tables near the marina.
Perth Amboy is one of the only cities in New Jersey that boasts its own municipal marina.
The Cornocopia Princess, on the intersection of Convery and Smith and on the other side of town, is a large boat that accommodates to tourists. The ship is a cruise ship that goes all the way to New York Harbor. This ship offers a dinner cruise and a wedding cruise.
After reading the information stands on the promenade, you will notice the beaches in Perth Amboy were at time one time used for swimming. Although beaches are still open you cannot swim in the water.
Downtown Perth Amboy
The former site of Perth Amboy Evening News..
What are some of the stores now?
Downtown Perth Amboy used to be filled with vacancies back in the early 1990's, when I was growing up.
Today, over a hundred businesses fill Smith Street, the city's main commercial drag.
Smith Street is adorned with acorn shaped Victorian street lights and redbrick sidewalks.
Downtown Perth Amboy was the place to shop up until around the 1970s. When Woodbridge Center Mall and Menlo Park Mall were built, the downtown area lost its position as the "shopping mecca" for the area.After that it became a ghost town. However in 1994, it became part of the Urban Enterprise Zone where shoppers pay a 3.5% Sales Tax instead of the statewide 7% Sales Tax. Today there are good restaurants, discount stores, and barber shops and other stores? in the downtown area.
Food options along Smith Street.
Casa de Frutas
Casa de Frutas was once home to Crescent movie theatre.
Casa de Frutas offers products from all over the Latin World, including Central American cheeses, Dominican merengue, Peruvian aji, and pan dulce, a Mexican delicacy.
The best thing I like about this small grocery store is you could get cords to charge your phone for five dollars, whereas in the mall I would have to pay 20 dollars for them.
Perth Amboy has always been rich in diversity which is why we have ethnic r
Coney Island Restaurant
needs a better photo
Perth Amboy is known for its barber shops
mention Judy's
Colombian Coffee house!
Alquimia Colombian
You have to go there!
this is the best place in Downtown Perth Amboy to get coffee.
You should really try their iced coffee!
Include Mi Tierra -315 State St. first
Don Manuel International Restaurant - 287 State Street
Downtown CIvil RIghts
Thomas Mundy Peterson School 274 State Street
The original building, then called School One, is still in use but only for kindergarten classes and it changed its name to Thomas Mundy Peterson School. The school was once for grades K to 4. Peterson was born to slaves owned by the Mundy family and became active in the Republican Party.
Thomas Mundy Peterson, however, voted in City Hall. (30)
Quisqueya Lunchonette - 259 Madison Ave. Perth Amboy
I know there are many Dominican restaurants in Amboy. However, what I like about Quisqueya is that it is an affordable restaurant and serves great food!
typical lunch at Quisqueya!
El Rancho "Chimicuri" Restaurant - 163 New Brunswick Avenue
It was a Monday afternoon and I took a trip to El Rancho Restaurant.
It's a "hole in the wall" but this place makes the best Chimi churris (NOT to be confused with chimi changas! It's also not the Argentinean chimi churri that is an actual hot sauce).
But anyway, I like to refer to a chimi churri as a 'Dominican whopper" it has ground beef, chopped cabbage, and is marinated in nice and tangy pink red sauce that Dominicans call "chimi sauce!"
El Shaday - 308 State St, Salvadoran food!
Perth Amboy Public Library
GEt rid of this photo!
archtiecture
post office
renovation house
library
united Methodist Church?
Perth Amboy Evening News
Canadian Furniture?
Smith Street
suggestion only include four photos of Perth Amboy, NJ..
This town has always absorbed newcomers and as evidenced by the anti KKK riots in 1923, xenophobia and fear of the "different" are not welcome here!
Gateway section
Perhaps no other neighborhood reflects this type of diversity than the neighborhood I grew up for my first eight years of my life, the Gateway Section...
Unfortuantely, Movoto rated this town the eighth most boring town in all of New Jersey. But is this really true?
The Gateway Section of Perth Amboy
mention story about background of mural
Snow takes Kirkland Place by storm! (pun intended! lol!)
Snow takes Kirkland Place by storm! (pun intended! lol!)
Beautiful row houses in the historic Gateway neighborhood.
The Gateway section has always been the lower to working class section of Perth Amboy. During the Industrial Revolution, this neighborhood attracted many immigrants to live in its many row houses and tenements.
Originally, this section of town was dubbed the "Dublin section" because this neighborhood was primarily an Irish neighborhood.
In the 1930's, there was an influx of Eastern Europeans into the Gateway section of Perth Amboy., most notably Poles and Hungarians.
By the 1950's, there was a small but growing Hispanic community arriving to Perth Amboy and some have settled in this section of town. These first Hispanic migrants were mostly from Puerto Rico and Cuba.
Today the neighborhood is diverse. Dominicans, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans are the predominant groups.
However, what is special about the Gateway section is that you can eat Jamaican, Hungarian, Polish, Mexican, Portuguese, Honduran and Dominican food all within a ten block radius.
The Perth Amboy Center for the Arts
maybe put info on emerging arttists community
The Superior Diner
find a better picture of Superior Diner...
Superior Diner. Former Mayor George Otlowski used to eat here.
My personal recommendations are The Greek Salad and the Shrimp Salad Platter.
Their burgers are great, as well.
Se Salio El Pollo - 456 Smith St.
get a better picture than this!
The nice interior of Se Salio El Pollo before it opened the day I got there . Don’t be fooled, though, Se Salio El Pollo gets many customers and tables get easily filled up. I took this photo as soon as it opened.
Before this restaurant opened, which moved from Convery Boulevard, to a bigger and better location, you would have to go to Paterson or Elizabeth to eat great Peruvian food. Now you longer have to take such a long trip if you are in the Perth Amboy area. The pollo a la brasa con papitas fritas and ensalada (rotisserie chicken with fries and salad) is to die for. Se Salio also offers great arroz chaufa (Chinese Peruvian fried rice). Arroz chaufa comes with many types of meat. They also serve delicious cebiche (raw fish marinated in lemon) and jalea (fried seafood). Their lomo saltafo (sautéed beef with rice and fries) is also a worth a try. You can pick up good Peruvian deserts. The dulce de tres leches is recommended.
Tropical Cheese Factory was started by a Cuban immigrant, Rafael Mendes, who did not have a lot of money when he came to the United States and now he is doing very well for himself. According to its website, Tropical Cheese is now worldwide, but like Preferred, has its roots here in Perth Amboy.
Joe’s Meat Market. 437 Smith St.
The Cooking Room.
Joe's Meat Market attracts many people from far away including Hunterdon and Ocean Counties as well as Staten Island. Some even come from other states including Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. You will see long lines of customers here, especially during Holiday Season. The store, however, is closed on Sundays.
Although I am not a Polish speaker, I find the collection of Polish newspapers and magazines to be amazing. They also sell milk, water, soda, soup, and chocolates all imported from Poland.
Shelves offer Polish red and white borscht, mayonnaise, chocolate, and other packaged goods. Polish is the predominate language in this store but English is also spoken.
Signs about upcoming events in Polish on the front door.
ZPA Lounge - 281 Grace St.
This is the ZPA or the Zjednoczenie Polakow W Ameryce. This is a Polish banquet hall and there is a Polish bar next door (see the brick building). Even though it is a Polish organization there are some Hispanic events held here. The Miss Dominican Republic contest was held here. Also the Taste of Perth Amboy event was held here.
Bull's Meat Market - 435 Smith St.
Right next door to Joe’s Meat Market, but these two probably don’t have to worry about competition from each other because it is a completely different bull (pun intended). Here they don’t sell kielbasa. This is an Argentine meat shop, notice the Argentine flag hanging from the store. Argentines are known throughout the world for their beef. Here they sell meats like goat, churrasco, sirloin, and pernil. They also sell lomito. You could find Argentine pastries as well as tea here.
American and Argentine flags fluttering in front of Bull’s. need a better pic of it.
Bakeries
Sipo's Bakery - 365 Smith st.
Sipos Bakery. This is a very well known bakery in Perth Amboy. It is a Hungarian bakery and offers some Eastern European treats like babka, Hungarian cookies and beigli rolls, Due to Perth Amboy’s large Hispanic population, they also offer Latino treats like Dominican cake and dulce de tres leches. I personally like the walnut danish since it not so sweet. My coworkers have also mentioned that the coffee here is good.
Mobay’s Jamaican Restaurant - 332 Smith St.
One can buy curry goat or chicken (depending on your taste), sweet plantains and a hefty portion of rice for about $8. The cocoa bread here is really good here as well and you can find some other Jamaican treats you cannot find in mainstream stores. This nice Jamaican place located in the southwestern section of the city has a take out and a restaurant to eat in next to it.
Prospect Street, a residential street.
Back to Smith Street. A morning shot of Smith Street when there is no traffic.
A Mexican restaurant to the left and a Dominican restaurant to the right. Dominicans and Mexicans are now the neighborhood’s largest ethnic groups. Mexicans have now outnumbered Puerto Ricans in the Gateway section of Perth Amboy. To the left is Esmeralda Restuarant, which I will explain next.
La Vega Restaurant
Home to the best Dominican style hot dogs, they also serve good chimichurries. I also remember eating fish here and it was quite delicious!
The restaurant is named after La Vega, the city where a good portion of the Dominicans in Perth Amboy are from.
Dominican candy. I found candies like this on the counter in La Vega.
To the left is a cortado de leche (sweet milk custard) and to the right is dulce de coco con batata (coconut custard made out of batata, a tropical fruit)
I never tried the dulce de coco con batata.
Esmeralda's Restaurant - 315 Smith St.
Esmeralda Restaurant is another one of Perth Amboy’s great Mexican restaurants. The restaurant has some nice murals and the food is really good.
Bonao Restaurant
take a better photo of Bonao.
Idea:
Have a night scene!
I love how this restaurant takes a different spin on Chicken Cordon Bleu!
Mangu con pernil. Try it with chinola or morir sonando Two great Dominican drinks!
A chinola is basically a passion fruit drink meanwhile morir sonando is orange juice mixed with cane sugar, milk. Sometimes morir sonando is mixed with ice cream, as well.
According to locals, this is one of the best Dominican restaurants in Perth Amboy.
Food here is cheap.
I remember I ate a meal once consisting of yellow rice, a bit of potatoes and some pollo guisado (braised chicken), and a brand of soda titled the Country Club, (a very popular soft drink in the Dominican Republic), and Dominican cake. The entire meal cost less than ten dollars!
Food here is cheap.
I remember I ate a meal once consisting of yellow rice, a bit of potatoes and some pollo guisado (braised chicken), and a brand of soda titled the Country Club, (a very popular soft drink in the Dominican Republic), and Dominican cake. The entire meal cost less than ten dollars!
A nice map of the Dominican Republic on the wall.
Street scene on Smith near Bonao and Garibaldi's, our next restaurant.
The best mangu (mashed plantains) in Perth Amboy and possibly in the New York City Metropolitan area. The mangu at Bonao is more smooth than the more coarse type of mangu you find in other Dominican restaurants. Personally, I think this is what makes it the best.
Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant.
This is probably the most famous Mexican restaurant in Perth Amboy. The burritos, horchata drinks, and chicken wings are pretty good here. This restaurant even has a jukebox and there is plenty of seating here as well.
Fiesta Garibaldi! Try it with jugo de pina
it comes with avocado
La Primavera Bakery
Pastries in La Primavera Bakery!
The Portuguese Manor -310 Elm St.
The Portuguese Manor is one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants. According to the Star Ledger, this famous eatery is a "A viable alternative to the Ironbound Iberians at 20-plus years and counting." Famous dishes include Paella and Pork and Clams. A must try is their sangria. The food here is very great and they give you big portions. The meat was cooked to perfection and they give you these amazing chips. Also the dessert is delicious. The dulce de tres leches cake they serve here is the best in town.
Market Deli and Grocery. Don’t let the appearance fool you they have some great sandwiches and this little bodega is really known for this. Plus they are super cheap.
Edison Jacquez --
Cecilia Gonzalez, Program Coordinator of the Emerging Leaders Program, JRF.
Cecilia Gonzalez has been working for the Jewish Renaissance Foundation , otherwise known as JRF, for two years now. She was a former coworker of mine and I wanted to interview her.
As a Latino, I am proud of seeing other Latinos from Perth Amboy take on leadership roles like this.
She leads a program where high school students are paid a stipend to volunteer their time and help give ideas on how to improve our city.
I asked her some questions about her students. Something that really impressed her about her students was they thought of a walkability audit. Included in this document were issues on how to fix issues pertaining to pedestrian and cycling safety, including ramps and improving sidewalks, They also made sure that were complying with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
This cohort, with about 12 students, presented this report to the Council Chambers in City Hall.
The report was a total of 99 pages!
The emerging leaders also tackled health disparities in our town.
Certain sections of Perth Amboy are classified as a "food desert." "Food deserts" are communities where it is hard to find fresh fruits and vegetables. In order to address this phenomenon, our leaders coordinated an event called "Smooth Topia Market."
During the summer of '18, the students set up a market serving fresh and free fruits and vegetables, near the Dunlap Homes.
Other businesses in town that are not on Smith Street.
Smith Street has a lot of the town's stores and restaurants because it is the main drag of Perth Amboy.
But there are still some great stores and restaurants in town.
The Dominican Festival '18
Pert
I took this picture of a woman who was serving chicken, rice, pernil, and corn dogs.
These are our mothers and our sisters.
I took a photo of this young woman because she represents so many industrious women in our community who have to struggle just to get by and who may two or three jobs just so their children could eat and have a root over their heads.
I like the Dominican flags at the parade
Torres Cafe -
Torres Cafe - a traditional Puerto Rican restaurants at 431 High Street serves great dishes like arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), empanadas and Cuban sandwiches. They even have something which I found interesting---Puerto Rican hot sauce.
put daisy's
Latin Grill
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Works Cited
(1) Ghost Hunters Episodes Season 4 Episode 412 Garden State Ghosts http://www.syfy.com/
(2) Perth Amboy Events Syfy Ghost Hunters Bruce Tango
(4) Rubin, Debra. "Perth Amboy Recalled as a ‘Camelot for Jews.’" Perth Amboy, NJ: November 2, 2011.
(5) "Perth Amboy." Encyclopedia of New Jersey. p. 628. 2004.
(6) "Perth Amboy." http://www.britannica.com/
(7) Peck, Donald Johnstone. Perth Amboy The Port City on Raritan Bay. Page 2. 2010.
(8) Peck, Donald Johnstone. Perth Amboy The Port City on Raritan Bay. Page 4. 2010.
(9) Alfred C. Hawkins. "Distribution of the Heavy Minerals in the Clays of Middlesex County." http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/
(10) "Perth Amboy Final Installment Points of Interest." http://www.getnj.com/njags/
(11)"Perth Amboy." Encyclopedia of New Jersey. p. 629. 2004.
(12) "The History of Perth Amboy." http://ci.perthamboy.nj.us/
(13) "Thomas Mundy Peterson." http://www.amboyguardian.com/
(14) "New Jersey A Guide To Its Present and Past Compiled and Written by the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of New Jersey American Guide Series: Perth Amboy"
http://www.getnj.com/njags/
(15) "New Jersey A Guide To Its Present and Past Compiled and Written by the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of New Jersey American Guide Series: Perth Amboy"
http://www.getnj.com/njags/
(16) Peck, Donald Johnstone. Perth Amboy The Port City on Raritan Bay. Page 1. 2010.
(17) "Hispanic or Latino by Type: 2010
2010 Census Summary File 1." http://factfinder2.census.gov/
2010 Census Summary File 1." http://factfinder2.census.gov/
(18) "Perth Amboy: A Great Place in New Jersey"
(19) "A History of Raritan Yacht Club." http://www.ryc.org/about/
(20) "New Jersey A Guide To Its Present and Past Compiled and Written by the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of New Jersey American Guide Series: Perth Amboy. Perth Amboy Final Installment Points of Interest" http://www.getnj.com/njags/
(21) "New Jersey A Guide To Its Present and Past Compiled and Written by the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of New Jersey American Guide Series: Perth Amboy. Perth Amboy Final Installment Points of Interest" http://www.getnj.com/njags/
(22) "Thomas Mundy Peterson." http://www.amboyguardian.com/
(23) Peck, Donald Johnstone. Perth Amboy The Port City on Raritan Bay. Page 1. 2010.
(24) "New Jersey A Guide To Its Present and Past Compiled and Written by the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of New Jersey American Guide Series: Perth Amboy. Perth Amboy Final Installment Points of Interest" http://www.getnj.com/njags/
(25) "Perth Amboy." Encyclopedia of New Jersey. p. 628. 2004.
(26) Anton Massopust, The Third Docent, Proprietary House
(27) New Jersey A Guide To Its Present and Past Compiled and Written by the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of New Jersey American Guide Series: Perth Amboy. "Perth Amboy Final Installment Points of Interest" http://www.getnj.com/njags/
(28) Vilma Novak. Historic Preservation Commission.
(29)(30) New Jersey A Guide To Its Present and Past Compiled and Written by the Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of New Jersey American Guide Series: "Perth Amboy. Perth Amboy Final Installment Points of Interest" http://www.getnj.com/njags/
(31) "Perth Amboy." Encyclopedia of New Jersey. p. 628. 2004.
(32) New Jersey Department of Environment Protection Historic Preservation Office. Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony. http://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/
ntro
Amboy Avenue
Hospital Section
Sciortino's Pizza
Corpus Christi!
Sienna Santiago - She is a young woman from Perth Amboy who works in Sciortino's Pizzeria.
Today
Latino history
what i read on Puerto Ricans
"last hired first fired"
economy in good times unemployment rate was two percent.
racialized colorized non profits
middle class Latino population who choose to stay here. and commit themselves here.
Positives
Perth amboy
Historic quiet
Walkable
