MTM: Edgewater, New Jersey

Some months ago I gave you lots of information about a terrific mystery novel called Across the River written by Cheryl Solimini. You can link that post here.

I mentioned that Cheryl’s wonderfully written novel stirred up lots of nostalgia for me because the small New Jersey town known as Undercliff in Across the River is based on a real New Jersey town called Edgewater.

As a child I had lots of relatives living in Edgewater and I frequently spent weeks and weekends there. Tiny doesn’t begin to describe it. Roughly two square miles, and barely three blocks wide, Edgewater sits on the banks of the Hudson River in the shadow of the great New Jersey Palisades. During my childhood there was any number of people who lived their entire lives in Edgewater and never ventured into New York City. Too far away, you guess? Nope. New York City sat on the East Bank of the Hudson River, directly opposite Edgewater on the West. The George Washington Bridge, which connects the two, is a mile north of town. The picture at the beginning of this post shows the view of the Manhattan skyline from Across the River in Edgewater. The picture below shows the town as it was, and, in some places, still is.

But progress sometimes rears it's ugly head and today huge luxury sky-rise buildings (I will spare you those pictures.) tower above and below the tiny streets of Edgewater, all the better to get that great view out the window every morning. And the "new people" (that would be the yuppies) think they live in one of the best small towns in America. And they do, except that it is not quite the same as it was when kids roamed free in the woods and fished with string off broken piers. Ah! Progress!

For links to this week's My Town Monday World Tour visit Travis Erwin , who started it all.

Terrie