‘That Old New Jersey’ — A video tribute that brings it all back

There's been a lot of talk lately about the retail businesses in New Jersey that are about to close or have already closed.

It's always sad to see a store you loved go by the wayside. I still look back fondly at my childhood trips with my mom to Two Guys, Bradlee's and Montgomery Ward.

But what about all the other Jersey spots that are gone?

The bars, the amusement parks, the dance clubs? Some of these places can never be replicated because they belong to a different place and time. Not to sound ancient, but I still get a tear in my eye when I think of the fire at the Long Branch Pier. I get a tingle of excitement thinking of dancing at Royal Manor.

I'm even old enough to remember Palisades Amusement Park, where, during the two most memorable summers of my life, I was a contestant in the "Little Miss America" pageant they held there. That was a HUGE deal then. Not like today when there are 15 pageants going on all over the country on any given day. This one was for real! Televised, with stars MC'ing and everything (one of these days I'm gonna find the video from that pageant!)

But until then, this video is a great compilation, one of the best I've seen, of all that was great about Jersey that no longer exists. It's an awesome Garden State-style trip down memory lane.

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