Mary Marino has been living in North Bergen for more than 70 years. The spry woman, now proud to say she’s 88 years old, remembers a tough time in her life more than a quarter-century ago.
“Twenty-five years ago, we couldn’t find rooms anywhere,” Marino said. “It was tough to find anything that we could afford.”
Babe Siemon recalls having a similar fate.
“My husband was told that he couldn’t work anymore and I’ve been in a wheelchair since 1939,” Siemon said. “We didn’t know where to go.”
Lucy Ritter also remembered having a difficulty finding an affordable place to live.
“It was such a hardship trying to find rooms,” Ritter said. “The place where we were living in North Bergen was condemned. We had to find something.”
All three ladies were among a host of people who sought refuge and eventually found it at the Westview Towers, located on Granton Avenue in North Bergen. The multi-unit facility opened its doors in April, 1976. It was built with needy senior citizens in mind, giving them a low-cost place to live.
Recently, the residents of the complex, many of whom have been living there from the first day that the doors opened, got together to celebrate Westview Towers’ silver anniversary.
A gala celebration was held in the community room, with more than 100 people in attendance.
The residents cannot believe that a full quarter-century has expired. A lot of things have taken place since they were thrown together in the same residential complex. The most important thing has been the relationships that have been formed and remain very strong.
“It’s been like a lifetime,” Ritter said. “You can have a lifetime of memories in 25 years.”
“We’ve all become friends here,” Rachel Aprea said. “We’re more like family.”
Celia Hohnhaus is still going strong at the tender age of 92 years old.
“This is the best place I’ve ever lived in,” said Hohnhaus, who has lived in North Bergen for more than 60 years. “Everything here is perfect. The company we have and the good times we have. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
“It’s a pleasure to live here,” Marino said.
The residents don’t just live at Westview Towers. They flourish there – together. Under the guidance of the complex’s president of the tenants’ organization, Charles Schoener, the group runs trips to Atlantic City on a regular basis, plays Bingo in the community center twice monthly and have a nightly social, where they enjoy coffee, cake and each other’s company.
Siemon helps to organize a lot of the daily events, despite spending her time in a wheelchair. Other seniors seem to draw off of the energy of Siemon.
“You see how happy they are every night,” said Schoener, a retired truck driver who has served as the group’s president for the last 12 years. “We must have about 15 to 20 people who come down every night, have coffee and cake. They all get along so well. I can’t believe sometimes how well they get along. And they’re all together every single night.”
“It’s a pleasure to see how well they all get along,” said Roslyn Belkin, the executive director of the complex. “They all enjoy life to the fullest. They are all like sisters. They help each other and look out for each other. I love dealing with them. God bless them all.”
The residents have shared a lot of joy and sorrow over the years. Most of the women are now widows.
“I came here 25 years ago at a very difficult time in my life,” Angie Introcaso said. “Just two weeks after I moved here, my husband died. If I didn’t have the friends here to count on, I don’t know what I would have done. I would have become a very lonely woman.”
Marie Walker recently became ill.
“The people and the management have been extremely kind to me during my illness,” Walker said. “They’ve all been very helpful.”
The residents all wanted to credit the building’s owner, Jack Pomeranc, who has given them the opportunity to have full use of the facility.
“Without him, we’d all be lost,” Peggy Tallon said. “We really all have to stick together.”
The residents of the Westview Towers don’t know where the next quarter century will lead them, but chances are, that they will be hanging tough together through thick and thin, much like they have for the last 25 years.
“It’s really been something, that we’ve all been together for so long,” Aprea said. “We have everything we need. We have each other.”