Most of Hoboken’s streets are either named numerically or after presidents – Clinton Street’s being inadvertent since it preceded the rise of Big Bill. All the mile-square city needs is the election of presidents Bloomfield and Hudson, and perhaps an alley called Monica Street with a cigar store on it, and they’ll be all set. When the opportunity came up in 1998 to add new streets to Hoboken’s small roster of avenues, the city took the opportunity to name them not after presidents or numbers, but after former mayors. The City Council and the Planning Board voted that year to name new streets in the Shipyard development project after the late former mayors Bernard McFeeley and Louis DePascale. The only problem was that the developers already had named the streets – Shipyard Lane, Constitution Court and Independence Court. So today, three streets in the complex, located near Fourteenth and Hudson streets, are known two different ways. Who’s right? Or can the streets have two names? Two-way street Project developer Michael Barry of the Applied Companies said last week that the developers originally named the streets with reference to the history of the area, and that the city later decided to honor former mayors by naming the streets after them. “We understand the city’s motive,” Barry said. “They wanted to preserve and honor the memory of Hoboken’s dignitaries.” City spokesman Michael Korman said that the official names of the streets are the names the city gave them. However, that isn’t the same as the mailing address. “A developer may designate a building’s address for mailing purposes,” Korman said. “But public streets are officially named by the city.” Both names are acceptable for use, Korman said. Even though, according to complex concierge Johnny Callway, no Shipyard tenants have complained, they do have different thoughts on the matter, and some have endorsed one name over the other. “If I mentioned that I am located on Bernard McFeeley Street, no one would be able to find my shop,” said Ralph Mascolo, 38, owner of Shipyard Cleaners, last week. “But if I say my store is located on Shipyard Lane, people will know instantly.” Mascolo said his shop’s volume of productivity depends on its accessibility. Victor Corchia, 33, who has been living in The Vanguard apartment building since January, said it would be wise to establish the streets with one name. He said the city could find other streets to name after the former mayors. “There are plenty of new developments in Hoboken,” he said. Mario Lisanti, 62, an opera singer who teaches classical voice, often visits the Shipyard complex’s park that was recently opened to the public. “A rose named by a different name is still a rose,” he opined. “So does it really matter how the streets are going to be called?” But Lisanti, who feels that the park has added so much to his life, added, “Since the developers have had a major contribution to the area, they should have some right to name the streets that they built.” When asked which of the street names he favored, he said, “Neither. If it was up to me I would call it Paradise Lane.” Mail call Lisanti said that perhaps there might be a mix-up with the mail. But Justin Conley, the neighborhood mailman, said, “The mailing addresses go by the street names that were originally determined by the Shipyard, so there is no problem in terms of distribution. The mail always reaches its destination.” Others have never paid much attention to the street names. Christine Myers, who was in from Boston visiting her sister, said, “I find the names useless. All I needed to know in order to get here is that you take a right on Washington and 14th Street.” Ines Ferdenzi, 62, had no problem with both names. “Use the two names together,” Ferdenzi said. “There is nothing wrong with that.” Not everyone agreed. Stephanie Rapoport, 28, a Shipyard tenant, said, “I think that two names for one street is confusing. The streets are not the developers’ private property. Therefore, why should they be the ones to name them?” Another frequent visitor to the Shipyard complex’s park is Peter Croce, 44. Croce was the brother-in-law of the late John Sacci, who was murdered two years ago outside Hoboken high school where he taught. A park was named in Sacci’s honor, but it was later over turned by the city and the park was dedicated to the memory of Frank Sinatra. Croce said, “For personal reasons, I have mixed emotions about this issue. [It’s] unfortunate that the families have to share their loved ones’ memory with other meaningless names.” The city didn’t only name the streets after former mayors. They named one of the streets after the founder of the Applied Companies, Walter Barry, who began redeveloping parts of Hoboken 30 years ago. The street is currently known as Walter Barry Independence Court. “I appreciate the city’s gesture to honor my grandfather,” said Michael Barry of Applied. “After all, it’s not in the nature of the company to do so ourselves.” The city also has named another street in the development Frank Sinatra Drive North.
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