By Ricky Rieckert
Hi everyone.
I left off at Lincoln Avenue and East New York Street, last week in the recapture of Aurora businesses in years past.
I know a woman who used to live in the brick three-story apartment building, on the southeast corner.
When they were kids, she told me, she and her brother would go up to the roof, make snow balls and throw them into the street.
One time, they hit a car, and got in trouble for it.
They would sled down East New York Street to the viaduct for the trains, sometimes getting close to Broadway. Real fun as a kid.
From Broadway, on East New York Street, going west to Stolp Avenue
Stolp Avenue had ramps to drive from Stolp, up to East New York Street and down to Stolp Avenue.
The ramp ran north of the bridge.
At Stolp, it became West New York Street.
Stolp was the separating point, of East and West in Aurora.
Moving west, at the southeast corner at River Street, was the Rivoli Restaurant. Fine Italian cuisine.
That building was bulldozed and is an empty lot, now.
Across the Street on the southwest corner was Pittsburgh Glass Company.
My Dad worked there and cut his hand, and ended up at St. Joe’s Hospital on Lake Street when my Mom was giving birth to me.
One way to be there, for my arrival.
Now it’s The Glass Hopper.
West of there, before the alley, was Miller Packing.
Then a grey house after the alley.
This house was very old, and the only house on West New York Street, in the downtown area.
It’s been torn down and is an empty lot.
That brings us to Lake Street.
There were gas stations on three corners.
The bank was on the northeast side.
Bill Lorenz owned the gas station on the southeast side.
He had told me years ago, that when West New York Street went one-way to Oak Street, he had lost a lot of business, and ended up closing.
It’s a pizza joint now.
On the northwest corner, was Fannie Mae, for years, after being a gas station.
It’s a Spanish bakery, today.
Have a great week!