| Author | Message | ||
     Wjd |
Does anyone remember Big Bob. He owned the candy store at the corner of Ridgewood and Cedar. Bob was a big, seemingly gruff person but for all his size was actually kind and loved kids. He passed away a few years ago. I miss him. | ||
| Toad |
Yes, I remember Bob. I liked him very much. Had many a long conversation with him. Jack, the guy who had the shop for several years after Bob, just passed away on Friday. | ||
| Tabby |
I remember the sweet shop on the corner of Ridgewood and Cedar, next to Washington Park. First it was Ann & Hi's, then it became Betty & Bob's. Used to go there for Archie comic books. Now it is that new cafe, looks nice from the outside. Tabby | ||
| Psychomom Citizen Username: Psychomom Post Number: 86 Registered: 5-2005 |
Does anyone remember "Mary's Sweet Shop" on Irvington Avenue in South Orange and Jacks (also once called Cohen's) just a few blocks away also on Irvington Avenue. As a kid we frequented both...Jack's also had a soda fountain and we'd get a 10 cent coke...Mary's had the best penny candy but she was a shrew and very impatient with the kids...we didn't really like to go there but when you had 10 cents to spend you got a lot more for you money at Mary's. | ||
| letters Citizen Username: Letters016 Post Number: 415 Registered: 5-2005  |
Big Bob had a house on Elmwood Avenue although I can't remember if he owned that one but lived in Newark or moved from Newark to there. I miss him a lot. He was a great guy. | ||
| bella Citizen Username: Bella Post Number: 529 Registered: 7-2001  |
Psychomom- Was the soda fountain at Jack's on the left as you walked in? I remember a candy store next to my parent's store on Irvington Ave. but I was probably five when they moved their store to Valley St., so my memories of it are fuzzy. I remember getting cream soda and Mork & Mindy gum (it came in an egg) there. The corner store (yellow and still there) was across and up the street. And I think I've heard my father mention that the owner's daughter was a Miss New Jersey. | ||
| Psychomom Citizen Username: Psychomom Post Number: 88 Registered: 5-2005 |
Bella, Yes the soda fountain was on the left. I know that there was a Miss New Jersey from Maplewood, Linda Gialanella (I probably spelled it wrong). I have no idea if she was connected to Jack's. That whole row of stores was so different than what it is today. Do you remember the A&P where the Laundramat is now? It was a real old style one where you asked the guy at the counter for what you wanted and he would use this long stick thing to reach stuff that was up high. | ||
| Brett Weir Citizen Username: Brett_weir Post Number: 937 Registered: 4-2004  |
Wow, this thread takes me back. Before Ann & Hi the store at Ridgewood/Cedar was owned by Mr. Mansell- he sold in the early 1960's. Tom Parnham had the TV repair store at the other end, Kelly the Barber was across the street (later replaced by Sal the Barber), and Joe Pangiochi owned the little grocery opposite the sweet shop forever. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 10077 Registered: 1-2003  |
I wonder why someone who doesn't like kids would have a candy shop. The guy who ran the shop across the street from my elementary school hated us, too. | ||
| greeneyes Citizen Username: Greeneyes Post Number: 662 Registered: 8-2001 |
PsychoMom- I remember Mary's. I didn't live in that neighborhood, but I would ride my bike there. I would first stop at the gas station on Tichenor and Irvington Aves to buy an icy cold Fresca from their soda machine, then I would go to Mary's to buy my Archie comic book, some Now Laters, and penny candy. I liked Mary. She knew I liked the edges of my comics crisp, so she would put one aside for me. I liked Barney's in Maplewood on Valley and Lincoln Place, where Tara's deli is now. They had the largest selection of Partridge Family Cards. | ||
| snshirsch Citizen Username: Snshirsch Post Number: 394 Registered: 1-2003 |
My grandfather owned the store that eventually became Betty & Bob's and now is a frame store. He owned it from 06/30/1941 until August of 1959, right before my parent's got married. My father was devistated. It was a confectionary store with a full soda and ice cream counter. We have but a few artifacts of the shop, an original hot fudge heater, and some great sundae glasses. But oh how I wish it remained. | ||
| crossroads Citizen Username: Crossroads Post Number: 72 Registered: 12-2001  |
Denks on Springfield Ave. by Hilton Branch Library. I'd go there for a Yoo-Hoo and some candy. That was a cool store. Mr. Denk passed away not too long ago I read in the paper. | ||
| susan23 Citizen Username: Susan23 Post Number: 24 Registered: 5-2002 |
Denk's was a great store. My mother would send me to Denk's for a few groceries and I would get to buy myself a few pieces of candy. I remember big barrels in the store. He was next to Stanley's butcher shop. I also read Mr. Denk's obit a few years ago. I really miss those kinds of stores. | ||
| crossroads Citizen Username: Crossroads Post Number: 73 Registered: 12-2001 |
Denk's and Stanley shared the same bicycle delivery person I believe. My mother would send me there for a pack of cigarettes and I ask for two! Denks had those large barrels with pickles, grains and other stuff. Stanley’s had sawdust on the floor and watching him butcher all that meat and chickens – nothing like that around any more. What was that little corner dinette across the Avenue? I’d go in there for a hamburger and Coke for under a buck. | ||
| Steve Weintraub Citizen Username: Stevew Post Number: 1 Registered: 4-2006 |
To everyone in this thread: I grew up off of Wyoming Ave (Woodhill Drive to be exact), and have fond, if increasingly vague, memories of going down to Betty & Bob's for candy, comic books and whatever it was my parents probably didn't want me to have.  I'm in the research stage of a project which involves this, and other memories of life in Maplewood in the 70s-80s, and the history of Betty & Bob's candy store (and that whole building, in fact), are of specific interest at the moment. I would greatly appreciate it if any of you can share with me as much as you recall about the store/building/area, including all the different owners/stores that occupied the building. I'm hoping to get in contact with someone in Maplewood town records about the nitty-gritty history of the building; if anyone can point me in a direction for that, it would be great as well. I'll check this thread, but would prefer you contact me directly, steve at dalahus.com (@ removed for spam avoidance) Thanks so much, Steve | ||
| Nashira Citizen Username: Nashira Post Number: 7 Registered: 7-2006 |
I don't remember if this was actually considered a candy shop or not, but my friends and I used to always go into (oh, I hope I am getting the name right) Russ and Midge's on Prospect street for candy. You could buy tons of candy for $1.00. | ||
| Psychomom Citizen Username: Psychomom Post Number: 403 Registered: 5-2005  |
Steve, If I have the right location...there was also a TV repair shop called Parnham's. Tom Parnham the owner (now deceased) was a heck of a nice guy...he actually graduated Our Lady of the Valley HS in Orange with my mom...I met him when a student at Seton Hall...Tom Parnham was the original engineer for the radio station WSOU which went on the air in 1948. | ||
| Steve Weintraub Citizen Username: Stevew Post Number: 38 Registered: 4-2006 |
Psychomom - That's before my time, but it seems to be right. I'm still trying to piece together a history of the building/candy store, but not much success. I have been in correspondence and had phone chats with the son of the owners of the store from 1938-1941. He's 83, and his is a fascinating story. Unfortunately his memory of the store is slim and he has no momentos. I'm holding off on relaying more details about him for the time being, although a smart googler could find it pretty easily ;) |
