With more than 300 stores along Bergenline Avenue, it has often been called the largest outdoor mall in the country. Perhaps that is why many people made their way to the Avenue in West New York and Union City the day after Thanksgiving, commonly known as “Black Friday,” to start off the holiday shopping season.
“I come here for minor things, the shoemaker, the cleaners,” said a West New York woman who was making her way down Bergenline Avenue after a half-day at work on Black Friday. “I wouldn’t dare go to the mall today.”
Bergenline Avenue has become a convenient stop for many of the area residents, and even those who have moved away from the area. The avenue offers shoppers a close and inexpensive alternative to the malls nearby. Since both Union City and West New York are members of the state’s Urban Enterprise Zone, many of the stores offer only 3 percent sales tax, which makes all the purchases a little less expensive.
However, some shoppers made the Avenue just one of their stops for the day.
“We went everywhere,” said a Union City resident shopping with his wife. “We went to the Newport Mall too. We spent more than $150 already, and we only have three bags.”
Christian Cambrano
“I am shopping for my little brother,” said Christian Cambrano, a Union City resident who had already bought some CDs and a sweater. “The malls are too crowded,” he added, when asked about why he would rather shop on Bergenline Avenue. “Sometimes the lines [in the stores] go all the way around to the entrances.”
Michelle Dunkin
“I usually find everything in this store,” said Michelle Dunkin, who walked down the avenue from her home in North Bergen. “[On Bergenline Avenue] it is a little less crowded and I came out for the sales.”
Martha Velazquez
“I grew up in this area and Bergenline Avenue has always been a convenience,” said Velazquez, who came from New York to visit family and take advantage of the sales on the avenue. “I don’t like malls,” she added.
Carlos Garcia and Carlos Garcia, Jr., 7
“This is our first time shopping on Bergenline Avenue,” said Carlos Garcia, who just moved to West New York from Queens. “I came here to buy the things that I need.” He pointed to the large number of packages he was wheeling around on his cart.