Paul W. Wang - Perth Amboy

On July 4, 1932, Smith Street was bustling and filled with pedestrians celebrating Independence Day. Stores included Woolworths and S. S. Kresges. There were many pool halls, including Beck Royal Pool Parlor and bars providing relaxation to the workingman. (Courtesy of Jack M. Dudas Esq.)

An aerial shot of Smith Street in the 1940s shows the bustling activity. Stores included S. S. Kresges and Reynolds Department Store, which used the first pneumatic tubes for handling cash transactions. Stores may come and go on this busy street through the years, but Smith Street still remains as the heart of businesses located in Perth Amboy. Pictured in the contemporary image is the Perth Amboy Waterfront Festival in July 2006. (Historic image courtesy of Jack M. Dudas Esq. and Barbara Booz.)

A typical scene from the late 1940s or early 1950s of State and Smith Streets shows a traffic officer, which is now replaced by a walk/do not walk sign. From this location one could go down to the waterfront or all the way to outer State Street. It is best known as the five corners because one can go in five different directions from this point in Perth Amboy. (Historic image courtesy of Jack M. Dudas Esq.)

Shown is upper Smith Street in the late 1930s or early 1940s, and to the right is the train station. Travelers coming to and from New York and the shore points often visited the many coffee shops and diners that served weary travelers, such as the Amboy Lunch and Costas Hot Dog Stand. Costas Hot Dog Stand is still serving visitors to this very day. (Historic image courtesy of Jack M. Dudas Esq.)

Lower Smith Street in the 1950s shows Acme Dry Goods, which later became a joke for popular Warner Brothers cartoons such as Bugs Bunny as a place to buy goods. The city of Perth Amboy was also mentioned in the movies An American in Paris and A Canadian Yankee in King Arthurs Court . In the contemporary image, the charm of the 1950s has been replaced by modern conveniences such as bargain stores and nail salons. (Historic image courtesy of Jack M. Dudas Esq.)

The Foodtown grocery store served many residents of Perth Amboy in its time as the site did in the past when it was a popular movie theater called the Strand in the 1940s. Those who shopped in Foodtown could see the structure where the screen once was. Now this site is a Rite Aid Pharmacy, providing residents with many services and conveniences. (Historic image courtesy of Barbara Booz.)

Shown is 1875 is Smith Street looking east from High Street before the great fire in November of that year. In the years to come, this served as a site for many businesses, including as H. L. Green, which was a five-and-dime store. In the mid-1970s, urban renewal transformed the area. Presently it is a residential area with townhomes that are both privately owned and owned by Raritan Bay Medical Center for its interns. (Historic image courtesy of Jack M. Dudas Esq.)