One of the things that I most looked forward to as a child when Christmas time approached was a night of shopping with my Aunt Ann. My aunt was a wonderful woman who did more nice things for me than I can possibly recall. This once a year outing was one of my favorites.
In the 50’s we didn’t start shopping for Christmas in November. There was no such thing as Black Friday. Santa Claus’ participation in the Thanksgiving Day parade was supposed to represent the start of the retail Christmas shopping season but even that was pushing it. Most people got their stuff a week or maybe two before Christmas. My Paterson outing was usually the night before the night before Christmas.
Why Paterson? Because there were no big malls and the city downtown area was the mecca for most shopping and entertainment, as well as some other things you couldn’t get in a small town like specialist medical care or a YMCA.
Downtown Paterson was built around the intersection of Main Street and Market. The centerpiece was City Hall, a three or four story structure originally built in 1891. The street outside of City Hall served as a transportation hub for buses so this was the point of departure for most of us coming into the city.
Three of Paterson’s four movie theaters were in the downtown section, the Fabian, which was the high-end choice, the U.S. and the Garden. There was also the Plaza in the Totowa section where I spent many a Saturday afternoon watching such classics as Ben-Hur, Godzilla, and Journey to the Center of the Earth. A lot of theaters for one town but in the 50’s it was one theater, one movie. No multiple screens.
What was great about shopping in downtown Paterson was that each store was unique and individually owned. You didn’t see the same stores in every shopping area you went to. There would be completely different options in downtown Hackensack or downtown Newark.
The store which was what we would now call an anchor was Meyer Brothers, a full block department store with revolving doors, dinging bells and a mild perfumy smell. Since it mostly sold clothes it wasn’t on my favorites list but was a staple for my Christmas excursion.
In back of City Hall was a ticket kiosk where you could buy tickets for any of the three area Major League Baseball teams, for Broadway shows or for concerts at Newark Symphony Hall. The nearby record store mainly sold 45’s of the top hits as played on AM radio.
When I was hanging out downtown with my friends I had two favorite eateries. One was Nedicks, which was possibly the only chain store in town. Nedicks was an urban staple at the time, selling grilled hot dogs on steamed buns and orange drink. The other was Grant’s, a 5 and 10 across the street from Meyer Brothers with two floors of random inexpensive stuff and a lunch counter where the prices usually fit a kid’s budget.
But for my special night of Christmas shopping with Aunt Ann, we went first class, walking down to the end of Main Street and up to the second floor Chinese restaurant, Port Arthur. There we would get a window table, eat Chow Mein because I didn’t realize there was any other type of Chinese entrée, and overlook the bustling holiday scene on Main Street.
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Some other “Growing Up in the 50’s” posts:
The Corner Store
Thinking in Ethnic Slurs
The Night Two Guys Burned Down
A Decade of DIY
Tricky Dick on Main Street
Bomb Scare!
The Shop
Baseball
off the leash 
Thank you for capturing my growing up spending many a Christmas living and shopping in Paterson…craving a Nedicks orange drink an hot dog before catching the 120 or 68 buss to Emerson Ave,
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I think it was the the #12 bus that I would take from Totowa.
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Yes, the 12 used Totowa Ave.,the 68 and 120 used Union Ave..fron Central or downtown I could take any of these.
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What wonderful memories you stirred up for me! My mom and I took the 54 bus downtown. Meyer Bros had a great restaurant. And every year after the Christmas parade, she’d buy me a new pair of cowgirl boots, at Sussman Shoes!
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Great memories, Aunt Ann was the gold standard. Her generosity and thoughtfulness were always front and center. We were very lucky to have her as part of our lives.
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Always a great time shopping with my sister Pat.. we still talk about it..was a great time to be alive and doing family things..now people are too busy for themselves to enjoy family So much lost through the years, very sad
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great memories going downtown to shop my mom didn’t have a car then so we took the bus ‘
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Does anyone remember Quackenbush, I think that was the name of the department store. My first job at 15.
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Is that the same store that became Meyer Brothers?
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No. They were across the street from one another.
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Quacks bush became Sterns
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Did Sterns become Jacobs? If yes do you know what year that was? Thank you in advance.
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Sterns was owned by Federated Department Stores. They eliminated the brand in 2001 and converted most stores into Macy’s.
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I do remember Quackenbush, I bought a meat slicer in 1970 and it still works !
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My great uncle used to sell appliances at Quackenbush. His name was John Mahon
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Remember it well. My granduncle was a salesperson in the Appliance Section. But in my memory, Quackenbush was always the poor cousin to Meyer Brothers. We’d take the 92 Bus Line from Hawthorne to Paterson. Great way to spend an afternoon, and Christmas time was special. I know many say we’re in better times now, but when I think about all those memories my grandkids won’t have available to them when they’re older, well ….
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Port Arthur was a staple for my family. Thank you. You brought back memories. I was born in 1955, so most of what I hold dear happened on the 60’s but I remember so much! I worked in CH Martin for a few months when I was 14 but would meet my Aunt at Woolworths for lunch. She would slip me 5.00 and I thought I was rich!!!
The Christmas parade, songs playing in the streets, Thursday night shopping (stores were open late because most got paid on Thursday). I will never forget!!!
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I’ll never forget what Christmas was like on Main Street…all the stores decorated in bright lights & holiday music everywhere & I remember walking hand in hand w/my mother, in the brisk cold air going in & out of Meyer Bros, Quackenbush, the Mart and let’s not forget the most elegant shoe store ever…Stenchever’s with all their beautiful displays & my wishing to grow up so I could buy & wear those beautiful high heels. And as a kid just the idea that you could wonder off around in the store while mom was shopping and didn’t have to be afraid of someone kidnapping you…I agree with of you in cherishing those wonderful times gone by…Merry Christmas
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How about Grants, The Mart, Jacobs etc
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My husband use to get his Florshine shoes there
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Very nice 🙂 By the way – I also have an Aunt Ann! (And she’s also awesome!)
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I also had an Aunt named Anna…. she was my Godmother ( I hope the translation is correct ?). In the 50s she gave me a blue jacket with white flowers, she knitted herself
Greetings from the beautiful Rhine-Highlands / Germany
Rosie
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i had an aunt ann also. Very nice lady. My grandmother use to walk up 1 block to our house and say come on . Were going downtown which meant paterson. We caught the 22 bus at the corner in hawthorne at diamond bridge and hawthorne ave. Great memories. We went for hot dogs , it was on a corner. Cant remember the hot dog store name. They were great. Miss all of this. Thanks for the memories
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Could it have been Nedicks by City Hall?
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it could have been. All i remember that it was on a corner and the riad on the right side slanted down and i believe it had a side entrance. The hot dogs and sauce were amazing. I was about 5 or 6 maybe.
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It must amaze you to see how the Downtown looks today. Talk about changes!
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I remember when Port Arthur was fined for cat instead of chicken. REALLY!
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Yikes!
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Many memories from the 60’s as a kid eating Chinese at Port Arthur with my mom and dad. Remember my dad once saying ” see a lot of cats going in the side door of Port Arthur but never see any coming out”. Some food for thought.
Marty Vander Vliet
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what is little known was soon after mr quackenbush opened his store he sold it to meyer brothers.the other movie theaters that were still open in the 50s were thr rivoli,the majestic and the regent one of my favorites.my aunt race paton took me there to see the black swan with tyrone power and mr 880 with edmund gwenn and dorothy maguire and burt lancaster his first movie.i remember going down the spiral staircase in quacks to have an ice cream soda in the coffee sop in quacks.maybe oing to kresges to et a 19 cent sub sandwich or to whelans to their counter .saturday mornins standing in line at the plaza .many reat memories.
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I always ended up at the Nedicks by City Hall for a hot dog and an orange drink.
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Quackenbush became Stern’s/ Quackenbush then Jacobs. Meyer Brothers was directly across the street. I worked for both in the ’70s and early ’80s.
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Very enjoyable
Thank you for writing it
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Great memories! Remember the Planters Peanut man?
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I do.
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Planters Peanuts, Fannie Farmer Chocolates, Stenchevers – weren’t they all next to each other?
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I grew up in Paterson and in the 1960s there was a Christmas parade the Saurday after Thanksgiving. One float had a large 45 rpm record and a popular disc jockey. Does anyone remember who it was?
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Cousin Brucie!
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We lived on Oliver St. and my parents and aunt and uncle owned Casa Rosa Restaurant on McBride Ave. (just down the street from the falls and Libbys. Both brothers worked at Meyer Brothers. Shopped at Stenshevers (sp) for shoes and my first baseball mitt was purchased at Wurzberg Brothers on Market St. Always went to the Christmas parade, especially to see Officer Joe Bolton (I was a big three stooges fan) and WABC disc jockey Cousin Brucie. Can’t remember the name of my first bank on Market St. but I do remember it had an amazing fish tank at its entrance.
I am finishing a book about Casa Rosa and the city and am looking for a picture of Main and Market St. for its cover.
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Passaic County Historical Society might have a photo you could use.
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Wonderful article. My mom worked at Meyer Brothers in the early 1950’s. Friends and I used to take a bus from Ratzer Road near Packanack Lake to see movies at the Fabian & Garden theaters. I used to go to a stamp collectors store near City Hall (don’t recall the name). In 3rd grade I remember singing Christmas carols at Meyer Brothers.
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Most Saturdays I’d be taking the #12 bus down Union Ave. from Totowa to go to the Plaza Theater.
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I remember having lunch at Sterns Quackenbush. also loved the hole in the wall Planters peanut shop on a cold night of shopping before Christmas.
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I remember lunch at Sterns Quackenbush down the large circular staircase and also roasted peanut samples from the Planters Peanut store on a cold winter night of shopping before Christmas
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