Red Bank - Hip, Friendly & Thriving

Red Bank - Hip, Friendly & Thriving

By Kelly Griffin

Only about an hour away from the Princeton area is a Monmouth County municipality known as the "hippest" town in New Jersey. Red Bank is well worth a visit - whether it's a day trip or weekend stay. You can explore its fine stores and restaurants, saunter through Riverside Gardens Park along the Navesink River, attend one of the many scheduled musical events at the historic Count Basie Theatre or stroll along Monmouth and Broad Streets, window shopping, visiting galleries of artwork in every genre or stopping in for a bite to eat or something to drink at one of the 60 plus restaurants, cafes and pubs in Red Bank's downtown.

It wasn't always like this. Fifty years ago you might have heard a similar description, but then something happened - progress some might say - and after shopping malls began to spring up in the 1960s and 1970s and the population shifted out of town centers into new suburban developments and neighborhoods, small towns like Red Bank began to suffer the consequences.

By the 1980s, current Red Bank Mayor Edward J. McKenna heard the town where he grew up called "Dead Bank." As he describes the situation then, almost 40 percent of the downtown area was boarded up with two enterprising landlords (slumlords?) buying up 240 properties and renting them, but certainly not taking care of them.

There were fights in the streets around a couple of local hangouts - on a regular basis. The Molly Pitcher Hotel was closed then and the Count Basie Theatre, a famous vaudeville venue built in the 1920s and once known as the most beautiful theatre in New Jersey, was virtually shut down.

And then the 1990s began. McKenna was voted in as the new mayor, the Planning Board and Zoning Board were dismantled and reformed with new members and Red Bank started anew in an era of rejuvenation, reform and renewal that is still booming today. The first thing the new government did was buy back the liquor license of one troublesome liquor establishment, closing it and then encouraged another owner of a second establishment to sell it to the town, according to Mayor McKenna.

"We took the worst corner in town on Shrewsbury Avenue and Bergen Place where there were fights and crime, tore down the buildings and put a mini-park there - if you drive by there you'll see it's gorgeous," he exclaims. Another former bad corner is now a learning center for children.

"Where a bombed out school stood empty for 20 years, there is now a senior center and housing complex called River Street Commons," says McKenna. "And right next to it is a free health care facility called the Parker Health Clinic - the first of its kind in the country as far as we know - for people without health insurance. There are no questions asked; people walk in and get service. Doctors and nurses volunteer their time to staff it."

The train station was completely redone; the entire Shrewsbury Avenue area has been revitalized, notes McKenna. The transformation of Red Bank was well underway by the mid 1990s with local individuals like the mayor and other dedicated members of the local government working hard to sell businesses on the idea of opening locations in Red Bank.

Says McKenna, "In 1991, we were the second highest taxed town in Monmouth County. Today we're the 26th. We focused on collecting taxes from the people that owed them, and now our tax collection rate is the highest and the crime rate is lower than it has ever been in this town."

Having the same mayor through this entire period of rebuilding has probably helped Red Bank achieve its goal. McKenna has been elected four times and twice ran unopposed, including his most recent election!

"The State of New Jersey is using Red Bank as a model for the rejuvenation of a town," says McKenna. "We have 1.3 million visitors each year coming to see what Red Bank has to offer." Just for its annual Jazz & Blues Festival alone that is held in the spring each year, Red Bank welcomes about 150,000 people into the town.

And the Count Basie Theatre, which has long been considered the "Cultural Heart of Monmouth County" and a venue for everything from classical to popular to rock concerts, is again a thriving organization. The theatre could use some cosmetic touches, as there's some peeling paint and chairs that need repair, but these only add to the character of the building. The Molly Pitcher Inn, an elegant waterfront hotel built in 1928 underwent complete restoration in the 1990s and offers a perfect spot for weekend getaways, special social or business events.

An organization called the RiverCenter, formed in the early 1990s, is a nonprofit corporation run by three staff members. The RiverCenter is supported by an assessment based on the value of the properties within the Special Improvement District of Downtown Red Bank and maintains responsibility for the downtown area. There's a volunteer Board of Directors, task forces comprised of business owners, managers, residents, seniors and students and many other volunteers that help when needed. The RiverCenter downtown area projects include the Horticulture Project, Streetscape Improvements, Sidewalk Clean Team and Bench Sponsorship Program as well as getting involved with special events.

Red Bank's bustling downtown filled with boutiques, cafes, also has a spectacular waterfront. Riverside Park, a new addition in the late 1990s, provides a picturesque view with beautiful, accessible walkways and comfortable park benches from which to enjoy the lovely Navesink River. During the summer months, Comcast Jazz in Park Concert Series in Riverside Park is free entertainment every Thursday evening.

Red Bank includes many homes and other buildings of old-fashioned, Victorian architecture, adding to the overall ambiance of this cheerful, charming community. In fact, establishments like the Galleria, with its complex of retail shops, entertainment, restaurants and offices, take old buildings and restore them. The Galleria, constructed in 1905 by Sigmund Eisner, was originally a factory - the largest manufacturer of World War I and II Army uniforms.

The Antiques Center of Red Bank on West Front Street is a place to spend some time, meandering through three different buildings where you can find a delightful selection of fine antiques through which to browse. There are other antique stores in the area as well and many eclectic boutiques, galleries and stores with many unique items. It's easy to whittle away a whole afternoon finding one great find after another.

Coco Pari takes care of sophisticated fashions for women in its lovely Broad Street boutique that carries carefully selected clothing, including some exclusive designers' lines as well. There's also a fine men's clothier on Broad called Garmany's that enjoys a national reputation for quality.

On Broad Street you can also find Reussilles', a fine jewelry store founded in 1886 by Alphonse De La Reussille of Switzerland. This store features many high quality jewelry lines, unique designs and a collection of estate jewelry. Buyers can always find something special at Reussilles'.

The stores already mentioned, the many restaurants and entertainment make a day-trip or weekend the best way to experience the Red Bank of today. That will give you enough time to really explore the area.

Ongoing renovation and renewal of Red Bank will continue for years to come with plans for new establishments opening within the next few years. Adam Rechnitz, one of the partners who owns Triumph Brewing Company, originally one restaurant in Mercer County, says that he and his partners chose Red Bank and an old building to renovate, catty corner to the train station for their third restaurant, scheduled to open in late 2004, because they believe very much in the strength and vitality of downtowns. Rechnitz also grew up in Red Bank. He comments, "All three of the towns [where Triumph will be located - the other two are Princeton and New Hope, PA] are walking towns and are really active."

And speaking of the Rechnitz family, Adam's parents, Joan and Bob, bought the Anderson Brothers Moving & Storage building in 1997 as well as some adjacent buildings. Rechnitz says that his parents will create a theater for their well-known Two River Theatre Company in the southern end of the Anderson building directly across from the train station. The theater will probably open in late 2004 or early 2005. "To reuse old buildings is very smart - sustainable - there's so much character in old buildings that you can not achieve from scratch," notes Rechnitz.

So Red Bank continues to change, grow and prosper and life there is good for all. Summing up his description of Red Bank - his hometown, Mayor Ed McKenna says: "It's [Red Bank] diverse from a cultural standpoint, from a racial standpoint, from an economic standpoint, a religious standpoint - everybody is accepted. That's just the rule here. It's a place where everyone should feel welcome [and they do]."

Article and photos, reprinted from Princeton: Arts, Culture & Living, and used with permission from the publisher, Media Resources Group, www.insidenj.com.

Re-printed with permission. All images are copyrighted. Images reproduced with permission.