ShareDay Trip: Paterson
Soak up the glorious manufacturing past of Silk City, reflected in its iconic red-brick architecture, while sampling goods from the immigrant enclaves that keep the city vibrant today.
Turkish. Relax next to young Turks as you order an authentic kabob served with yogurt, tomato, and butter sauce on top of Turkish-style pita bread at Kafé Teria (939 Main St, 973-977-3934). Then head to nearby Kuday Bakery (1057 Main St, 973-225-0810) for Turkish coffee and possibly the best baklava in North America.
Stroll the Middle East. In South Paterson, take a walk down Main Street, east of St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, and see back-to-back shops owned by Lebanese, Turks, Jordanians, and more. Buy a hookah at Middle East Gift Center (972 Main St, 973-925-1770) or pick up some fresh hummus while you shop for gold jewelry at one-stop-shop Fattal’s (975-977 Main St, 973-742-7125).
Absorb local history. At the corner of McBride Avenue and Mill Street, see the Franklin Mill, where cotton yarn and silk were once produced; the mill has been converted to office space. At the Paterson Museum (2 Market St, 973-321-1260), housed in a former steam-locomotive factory, learn how Alexander Hamilton helped found the city’s Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures in 1791.
Savor South America. Griselda’s (81 Market St, 973-225-0331) is a magnet on weekends for Peruvians from all over the state and beyond. Be adventurous and start with roasted beef hearts (anticucho), then taste the fish stew (chupe de mariscos). If you like the flavors, head to Los Inmortales (71 Market St, 973-278-3111) down the street to pick up some imported ahí (a Peruvian hot-pepper condiment).
Tour a mansion. Imagine the lifestyle of a nineteenth-century silk baron at the Lambert Castle Museum (3 Valley Rd, 973-247-0085). The Victorian-style monument boasts a magnificent view of the Manhattan skyline.
Feast your eyes. Watch rushing water plummet more than 70 feet at the Great Falls (Paterson Cultural Center, 65 McBride Ave Ext, 973-279-9587).
Browse custom furniture. Check out the hand-crafted pieces at Greenbaum Interiors (101 Washington St, 973-279-3000). Owner Susan Greenbaum Gross says her family is committed to keeping the business in Paterson, where it all began in 1952. Tour the 100,000-square-foot showroom or ask to visit the store’s factory across the street, in a former fire department building.
Shop for hip-hop. Gasp at a pair of $3,500 Nike Playstation Air Force 1 sneakers or rare, vintage Air Jordan models at My Shirts Co. (141/145 Main St, 973-742-5900). Owners Jae and John Jang, Korean brothers from Paramus, custom-design hats to match the pricey shoes that draw customers from far-flung places.
Eat in a Mexican Diner. Order chicken drenched in chocolate-laced sauce (Mole Poblano) at Antojitos Poblanos (246 Grand St, 973-278-4983), inside a classic New Jersey diner. Then snap a picture outside.
Visit Lou Costello. Pay homage to a six-foot statue of the comedian at Lou Costello Memorial Park (Cianci and Ellison sts) in the city¹s historic downtown area. Costello was born in Paterson in 1906 and lived in a house on Madison Avenue, since renamed Lou Costello¹s Place.
Chew cactus. Taqueria Brenda Lee (331 Grand Street, 973-225-9905) is an authentic Mexican-food hole-in-the-wall that¹s not to be missed. The tender shredded chicken tacos are made fresh before your eyes. Be sure to complement them with a side order of boiled and vinagered cactus leaves (nopales) and small, fried, whole onions (cebollitas).
