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Liberty Avenue |
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Liberty Playground The playground, known as the Elton St. Park to some and Liberty Park or playground to others, opened around 1939. We have received photos from Elsie Anzalone and Cynthia Rongione and there is now a page devoted to the park which can be found here. The shot on the left is from Cynthia in 1963 and Liberty runs along the background where there appear to be several vendors. On the right a view of the corner of Elton and Liberty in 1960. |
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Also in 1960, the Amazin' Cin sent over this shot of her and her mother passing the Blanda Funeral Home. On the right, Mary Ann (LaNeve) Massey sent in this great shot taken in the 1940s of her mother on the roof of 724 Liberty Avenue. The picture was meant to show the playground in the back to her husband who was in the service overseas. |
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Nappo's Bakery, Macaroni Mfg. Co. Liberty Ave. was lined with Italian American establishments . Rose Hanley sends in this great pic of her grandparent's bakery at 682 Liberty, between Cleveland and Elton. That's her grandmother Rose Nappo in the picture. She notes that the Vesuvius Restaurant was down the street and the Russos had a Lattecina across from the bakery. While browsing the tax photos, I found this shot of the Macaroni Mfg. Co. at 743 Liberty, which was the northeast corner of Essex and Liberty. |
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Abbracciamento's, Liberty Ave. Danny Blanda has been another great contributor to the site, and he sent over these shots of the long running restaurant; an early shot of his dad from 1943 and his sister Carrie from 1968. |
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Zip's Candy Store I've seen several entries in the guestbook recalling Zip's candy store, and Mike Raffio, son of the former owner sends in these pics. On the first picture, from Mike "..the man is my grandfather, John Giamundo. If you look closely, my grandmother Ursula Giamundo is looking out the window. The store was 753 Liberty Ave. between Shepherd and Essex. My family lived above the store. My uncle was called "Zip" and he was always there so that's how the name came to be." |
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Zip's 1940 I found the tax photo, though the awning blocks out the store. Mike notes: "My family lived in the second floor apartment above the store at 753 Liberty Avenue. My Uncle Joe "Zip" lived in back of the store and my Uncle Dom and his family lived in the third floor apartment. The building to the left in the photo is 751 Liberty. Uncle Joe was a general contractor and his office was next to the store. We moved to the second floor of 751 and my Aunt Anna lived in the top floor apartment. The building to the right is 755 Liberty. My mother's cousins, DeGennaro, all lived there. (My cousin Donald DeGennaro has sent in some photos to the site of the feast at St. Rita's.) That's the way the old neighborhood was. Extended family all around." 
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North side of Liberty Ave., east of Essex Street, 1923. Pretty rustic looking shot. The frame house on the left was a blacksmith shop back in 1870. | |
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Liberty Ave., 1948 From the Brian Merlis Archives, this view is of the south side of Liberty Ave. between Grant and Sheridan in 1948. The Fulton el runs overhead at this time. City Line, Liberty and Grant Ave. Maker:Shinske Dated: 1910 Status: Need Rare photo postcard that went for $76 on Ebay. I assume it is the southeast corner but difficult to tell. |
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Liberty Ave., 1947 From the Brian Merlis Archives, a great 1947 color shot of the Bergen trolley on Liberty Avenue crossing Conduit Boulevard. | |
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The Earl Theater I passed on this tax photo shot when I first found it, but Neil Sullivan was able to print a 'better' one if you can believe it. Located at Lincoln and Liberty, I always knew the theater as the Cityline Cinema. Liberty Ave. was once considered the "city line" at one time. Roberta "Cookie" Di maio remembers it as the Earl but also the nickname "The Itch". Vince Luongo contributed the 2005 view of the location. |
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City Line ads 1935, 1973 Postings on Cinema Treasures indicate that a City Line Cinema opened here around 1926, presumably for silent films. Around 1941 the theater undergoes some renovations and becomes the Earl. It remains the Earl into the early 1970s, when it became the City Line Cinema again. It appeared to show X-rated fare during the week and B-movies on the weekend (see ad). I recall seeing "Across 110th Street" there in the 1970s. It closed sometime around 1980 and a clothing store took its place. |
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Liberty Ave., west of Chestnut, 1943 and 2006. |
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Liberty Ave. east of Crystal, 1943 and 2006. Neil provided the update photos for these Liberty Ave. shots. |