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Re: (erielack) Hoboken Eateries, in the Terminal

Even better.

Me


> From: vze3fhdr <vze3fhdr_@_verizon.net>
> Reply-To: EL Mail List <erielack_@_lists.elhts.org>
> Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:13:05 -0400
> To: <erielack_@_lists.elhts.org>
> Subject: (erielack) Hoboken Eateries, in the Terminal
> 
> Hi List:
> 
>     This is part two, Hoboken Eateries in the Terminal. There is a lot of
> history, both railroad and personal, so I might divide this into two posts.
> 
>     First of all, the Terminal as it is today is nothing like it was in the
> fifties. There was far more in the way of railroad ongoings, plus the mail
> facility and the Marine operations.
> 
>     Back then:
> 
>     There was only one entrance to the H&M, now the PATH, then just called the
> "tubes" or the "Hudson Tubes". As you walked up the steps, there was a news
> stand. The Union News Company operated three newsstands in the Terminal. That
> was one. A fruit and vegetable stand occupies the space.
> 
>     Walk onto the concourse up to track 4 or 5, and face the Food Court. That
> was once, up until 1960, the Lackawanna Restaurant, or lunch room. It was
> operated by the DL&W. On the right side was the lunch counter, and on the left
> side there was a bar. My Father tells a few stories about a few RR employees
> that were dragged out or thrown out.
> 
>     To the left of the lunch room, up against the wall were there is another
> entrance to the Food Court, was the Baggage Room. The Baggage Room wrapped
> around the rear of the Lunch Room, and had another entrance on Hudson Place.
> Immediately to the left of the Baggage Room was a double door that opened to a
> stairway that led up to the DL&W YMCA. That had sleeping rooms plus a
> cafeteria. This was obviously for railroaders only. There was also a hall with
> a small stage. 
> 
>     If you face away from track 4/5, you would see the steps going up to the
> offices, and the upper ferry concourse. What is now the signup room and
> receiver's office was a small coffee shop. The coffee stand in front of you
> was my family's coffee stand. It was bigger, as it was built in 1937. Walking
> South, the next thing is a Hudson News kiosk. That was yet another Union
> Newsstand. Where the Hudson News kiosk is accessible from outside and inside,
> there were two Union Newsstands at that location. The outside stand could be
> closed, but the inside stand, operated by Bill Weis, was always open. In the
> late 60's, Bill had gates installed so the stand could be closed nights and
> weekends.
> 
>     As you walk South, there was a Flower Shop. Then there were more steps
> going up to the big offices.
> 
>     Then there was Cushman's Bakery. I remember that Cushmans was like the
> Entenmanns of today. They had a lot of institutional style cakes and cookies.
> I haven't looked lately, but a few years ago, the entrance to the bakery had
> "Cushmans" set into the floor with brass letters. Cushmans was a fairly large
> store. Today, at least half of the old store is now the Station Master's
> office and Customer Service. The liquor store and control center were added in
> the sixties, IIRC.
> 
>     Now some history:
> 
>     Back in the old days, there were two families that operated eateries in
> the terminal. Both had the same last name, but were unrelated. George Polites
> operated the restaurant and bar that were located at the rear of the waiting
> room, were the trainman's room is now. George also operated the coffee shop at
> the top of the stairs by track 5. He also had space on the upper ferry
> concourse, and additionally, he had space on the ferries. His servers would
> bring coffee and rolls, etc. onto the ferry boats in the morning. He also had
> a coffee shop in the PABT. IIRC, there was a small banquet room, its still
> there, behind the main building on the South end. I believe that was
> associated with G. Polites' restaurant. The big banquet hall in Tabor's book,
> is, I believe the Superintendent's office, decorated for some big RR function.
> That same office is the Super's office under NJT.
> 
>     My Grandfather had a fruit stand in Penn Station, Newark. One day, in
> 1936, the Super told him the DL&W wanted a fruit and candy stand in Hoboken.
> He told my Grandfather to go see Mr. ?. He did, and the rest is history. Fast
> forward to 1957. The Erie was coming to Hoboken. Long distance travel was
> beginning to decline. The DL&W wanted out of the restaurant business. Someone
> from the DL&W offered the restaurant to my Grandfather. He took it. He spent a
> considerable amount of money to modernize it. He called it the L & E Terminal
> Shoppe, IIRC. The menu was a silverish marbleized glossy affair, with a high
> level platform with a couple walking next to the train. I regrettably did not
> save anything from the restaurant. It was closed in 1963.
> 
>     One thing I do vividly remember was, being this was a RR owned and
> operated restaurant, until 1957, around the walls, up by the ceiling, were 3 X
> 5 foot photographs of scenes along the DL&W. One of these was the Phoebe Snow
> in the Delaware Water Gap being pulled by Diesels. During the remodeling,
> these were tossed.
> 
>     More to come....
> 
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