Bergenline Avenue (also known as B-Line) is considered the main drag for Union City, West New York, and North Bergen, NJ. From the ’90s till now, it's where you go for some home-cooked food or a fresh pair of kicks for your new back-to-school look.
Recently my friend Jeremy Asgari and I went on a walk down Bergenline Avenue to take some photos of the Iconic mom and pop shops that seem to still be going strong, despite the very risk of landlords raising rents too high and big corporate America coming to replace them.
The last photo of the series is of the legendary Pastore Music which was in business for 81 years before shutting down. It's the only place we featured which is sadly no longer in business. Thousands of people in the area learned how to play instruments there, so many memories and so much history gone just like that. The photos below are a tribute to the local businesses that maintain the authentic cultural diversity in their neighborhoods. Somehow we hope to bring attention to these cultural landmarks and prevent them from disappearing forever.
