45 Minutes From Broadway

Back in 1906, one year after my house was built, New Rochelle was made famous in the George M. Cohan musical 45 Minutes From Broadway. (And 30 minutes from Grand Central, I'll have you know.) Apparently, back then, the place was just riddled with hayseeds and yokels who didn't even have a cafe in the whole durned town. And now look at New Ro! A metropolis on the rise.

This little linkypoo offers a history of New Rochelle that includes the interesting fact: "In 1930, New Rochelle had 54,000 residents, who, in the early years of the 1930s, had the highest per capita income of any city residents in New York State." The joint was rich, and a commuter's dream (the latter still holds true). The place was home to all sorts of artists, including Norman Rockwell, whose work graces the signs posted at the city boundaries. There was a thriving casino at Glen Island, where famous big bands played. It was considered quite a swank destination. Here is more about the city if you care to learn.

But sometime soon after, the "bummer years" hit our fair city, and the shopping cart population began to thrive.

Here I say: New Ro will rise again! Yea, like the mighty Trump Plaza (tallest building in Westchester), our spirits will soar and our property values will shoot skyward!