We were asked to come up with a resident of Union City, New Jersey
who would be worthy of a life time achievement award. As I thought, the floodgates of my mind opened
and memories of the town I call home came gushing out.
Union City, New Jersey is not only historic but a town
filled with incredible love. It has
earned two nicknames through the centuries, the Embroidery Capital of the United States and
Havana on the Hudson. Incorporated in
1925, it is rich with unbelievable history that has woven a fabric unlike any
other city in this great country.
Influenced by two major waves of immigrants Germans and Cubans, it has
made its place on the map as “Havana on the Hudson”. Yet, it is the greatest of melting pots that
will ever exist composed of Germans, Irish, Italians, Jews, Polish, Puerto
Ricans, dating back to the Dutch settlers in the 1660’s.
Growing up in Union City was a unique and soulful
experience. We were surrounded by the
greatest city in the world, New York City.
The view on my way to school every day and as I stood on Summit Avenue
and 28th Street was the Empire State Building, and what a view it
was. It represented everything we could
be and held my every dream. We were
lucky enough to have grown up in Union City when things were still “small” and
there was a sense of community. Everyone
knew everyone else. We were neighbors
and everyone helped everyone else get their feet on the ground. We bought milk and bread from the corner
store. There was a butcher down the
block. We rode bikes to school, played
along Boulevard East and stared at the big city across the river with all its
promises.
Who can forget Thanksgiving Day and the big game, Emerson
and Union Hill? Thanksgiving has never
been quite the same without that game.
Roosevelt Stadium, Hudson County Park, St. Michael’s Monastery, Holy
Family Church, Union Hill High School, Emerson, Robert Waters, Washington
School, and Bergenline Avenue, to name a
few; all brings a smile to my face. And,
of course, Cuban Day Parade which is still happening and one of the biggest
events that now take place and securing its nickname, Havana on the Hudson.
For me, this is home, Union City, New Jersey. A “little” city sitting overlooking the
Hudson filled with history, scenic views, mansions, apartment buildings, alleys,
crowded streets, back yard bar-b-ques, and most importantly people you can’t find anywhere else.
Who is worthy of the Union City Life Time Achievement
Award? Only one entity comes to mind, Union
City, itself for cultivating a breed and weaving a multi-cultural fabric unlike
any other for centuries.
Copyright ©Lucy Tamajon 2014
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