When Nyack Meant Business
Long before the opening of the Tappan Zee Bridge 59 years ago, a major infrastructure improvement changed Nyack forever.
Postcard of the Nyack Railroad. Source: Historical Society of the Nyacks. “Located along Depot Place (today’s Railroad Avenue) reaching to Cedar Hill Avenue. A steam locomotive is shown on the turntable in the rear, where its direction is reversed for the return trip to Jersey City. The railroad service to Nyack began in 1870 and at its peak, ran almost 20 trains daily, in both directions. The “Flyer” left Nyack around 8:00 a.m. each morning, picked up commuters in South Nyack, Grandview, Piermont, and Sparkill, and, after a nonstop run to Jersey City and a ferry ride across the river, delivered its passengers to Wall Street in time for the 9:00 a.m. market opening.”
In 1870 the Erie Railroad reached Nyack connecting the village it to New York City. The arrival of the railroad transformed Nyack from a small riverfront village to the commercial capital of Rockland County and a new commuter suburb of New York City. On Wed Dec 10 at 7p, come along for an an armchair walking tour that follows the growth of downtown Nyack and its business center through old photographs of that era. You will meet many of Nyack’s early business entrepreneurs, the businesses they founded, and the buildings and stores they built, many of which still line Broadway and Main Street. Return to the times before the malls when Nyack was the retail center of Rockland County.
Bob Goldberg, trustee of the Historical Society of the Nyacks and producer of the John Scott Armchair Walking Tours for HSN will present the third program in the 2014 series.
The program will be presented at the Nyack Library at 7p on Wed Dec 10 and at the Valley Cottage Library on Thurs Dec 11 at 2p.
John Scott Armchair Walking Tours
The Historical Society of the Nyacks and the Friends sponsor the John Scott Armchair Walking Tours. This popular program, now in its 19th year, features slide presentations on local history, architecture and related cultural subjects. The Armchair Walking Tours are dedicated to the memory of John Scott, Rockland County’s great historian. The programs are produced by Bob Goldberg.
Seating is limited and attendees should pre-register by calling or going online.
- NyackLibrary.org Nyack Library, 59 S. Broadway in Nyack, 845.358.3370,
- VCLib.org: Valley Cottage Library, Route 303 in Valley Cottage, 845.268.7700
For more information, contact Bob Goldberg at 845.268.3838 or bobgoldberg@nyackhistory.org.
