Haarith Alston-Taalib writes:
“Back in the 60s, at the time of the riots, my family lived at the corner of Wallace Street and 12th Ave. There’s a little triangular shaped park that’s still there today. We lived above John M. Riccio’s grocery store. The little park sat in the center of West Market, 12th Ave. and Wallace Street. When I visit Newark, I drive past there sometimes; it brings back Wallace Street memories. Thanks for providing these photos of Newark. It warms the heart to see those old streets, stores, buildings, parks, uses, trucks, cars, etc.
“I lived at the intersection of Wallace Street and 12th Ave. There was a hospital across the street from where I lived and a triangular shaped park across the street from me (the park is still there today). I lived in the block between 12th and 13th avenues; 32 Wallace street was right at the corner. I still have a photo of me as a kid standing at this street corner posing for a photo on Easter. The fire hydrant is still there at the corner today; there’s a new building there now where my house was. I lived at 32 Wallace street.”
Riccio’s bodega advertised the following products and prices in April 1967:
– Spaghetti sauce for 19¢
– Liquid starch for 35¢
– Maine sardines for $2.25
– Fancy peaches for 29¢
– Pineapple juice for 25¢
– Dog food for $3.25
– Print lard for $2.35
– Canned sodas for $1.99
A kid returns home after shopping at Riccio’s in April 1967:
The identical street scene and view in December 2024:
All that survives today from history is this fire hydrant and the broken carcass of a rental scooter:
Haarith Alston-Taalib standing in front of Riccio’s on or around 1967.
The same fire hydrant is in background:
James Hollaway writes:
“In this part of the city, there was all the meat markets. On Essex Street at the right, there were horse stables when I was a kid. On Orange Street, there was every single business you needed in life. From birth to death, you could live your whole life on this street. One by one, Newark power players and developers demolished these small buildings. One here and another one there, until now there is not one left. When I walk along this part of Orange Street, sometimes I still feel like I can catch a whiff of Philip Armour brand meat.”
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