does anyone remember

[hankmc]

a couple of area businesses that are long gone due to progress, in this case Rt.80 joining Rt.17.

The places I have in mind are Frankie's Market on Rt.17 in Lodi and Stumpy's Motorcycle shop about in the same area on the East side of 17 but probably a few years earlier back to the mid 1950's.

Frankie's was a great place to shop in a flea market type set up with merchants in stalls selling everything from jewelry to clothing and all things in between, some decent Italian fast food too as I recall.

Stumpy's was the only place to get anything related to motorcycles including helpful advice and interesting info from the man himself. Stumpy gained his name in an accident that left him missing a leg.

Harleys of all ages and values could be found at Stumpy's along with the N.J. State Police bikes that were retired when it was decided that the Chrysler 300 was a more reliable ride in all kinds of weather when patrolling the GSP and the NJ Turnpike.

[Homer Jones]

Frankies went down in a blaze of glory -- literally. I believe that there was a thread about this a few years ago which the Editor may be able to raise from the ashes.

[Editor]

Sorry Homer.  You're gonna have to tell the story.

[hankmc]

Google provided a link to a Facebook forum that had a discussion about Frankie's Market http://tinyurl.com/4lukfwq

Some interesting info and opinions on the cause of the fire and the activities going on in Frankie's.

Google is what brought me to your interesting site. I was looking for some information on The Ivy House after the Record ran a story about a restaurant planning to have an evening of serving meals in the dark. Naturally I thought of The Ivy and it lead me to your discussion of Hackensack bars and restaurants.

[Homer Jones]

The link that HANCMC provides pretty much describes it all. You have to keep in mind that the Route 17 / Route 80 configuration that exists today is nothing at all like Route 17 was until the mid 1960's when Route 80 came through the area --- and that was about 45 years ago. Time sure flies doesn't it.

[JGM]

Yes, I remember Frankie's Market in Lodi.  My parents used to take me there in the early 1950s to buy clothes for school (in River Edge).  It was a drafty, chilly, and  tattered place.

I think of Frankie's Market every time I see Afghans and Iraqis on the nightly news.


JGM in Las Vegas, NV