Slightly Bohemian , out of Princeton's main street glare but certainly not in its shadow, Witherspoon Street has an identity all its own. Although some of the shops have changed names over the years, the feel of the street has remained the same.
Benjamin Kahn, just turned 80, grew up on Witherspoon Street,
where his father owned and
operated the Alpha Dairy at the same location where his son now
has Abel Bagel. Kahn and
his brother delivered milk each morning for the dairy, so they
knew all the businesses in the two
blocks especially well.
The Witherspoon Street of 60-odd years ago described by Kahn was a tree-lined street of small markets, restaurants, a bakery and storefronts full of clothing, dry goods, hats, bicycles and handcrafted shoes. People walked up and down the street to make purchases and just look at the newest things. The trolley ran down the street and turned at about where the Princeton Packet building is, to run into Trenton. Kahn's family was one of those living in the apartments over the storefronts on the street.
The bus has replaced the trolley, the fire station has moved to Chambers Street, the library has moved from the Bainbridge house to its present location, and the small grocery markets are gone. But Witherspoon still has much of the feel of that street of many years ago--what one shop owner calls "Old World Ambiance" and what one resident calls the sense of a small Greenwich Village. On Route 1 and the other highways at the edges of Princeton, there are new superstores and malls each week, but on quirky Witherspoon Street the closest thing to a chain store is Pyramid Books, which fits the street very well.
Alan Grayson, a writer who has lived in Princeton for four years, is a frequent shopper at Pyramid. "It's a mixture of a big store and a rickety old book store," Grayson said. "It's the kind of bookstore where you always feel you could find something completely unexpected--just the book you were really looking for."
The two blocks of Witherspoon Street below Nassau Hall have that same serendipitous feel to them, that possibility of something out of the ordinary just ahead. "Where else can you find a jewelry store, a place to bead at THE Place to Bead, a bookstore, a hardware store, eight places to get coffee and pastries and a beautiful library in two blocks?" asks Mark Jaffe, who both works and lives on the street.
Near the head of the street are two of Princeton's longest
continuously running businesses,
Luttmann's Luggage Ltd., and Lahiere's Restaurant.
While Luttmann's is celebrating 91 years in Princeton, Frank
Ricatto became President and
owner in January of 1994, after being a customer of long standing.
The store specializes in
business cases, handbags, wallets, and luggage--and a few related
items such as fountain pens,
which are enjoying a resurgence of popularity.
Ricatto explains how something so "old-fashioned" has become so hot: "In a world where the computer can make dozens of originals' that all look the same, a note or a signature done with a fountain pen adds personality." Ricatto prides himself on taking personality into account in trying to make a match between customer and product. He admits that the store is not self-service; either he or one of his employees tries to talk to every customer to get an idea of that person's needs. For instance, woman customers who carry handbags can be directed to business cases which will serve as both briefcase and purse, reducing the number of items to carry.
Luttmann's now carries the exclusive French line of Longchamps leather handbags, known for their satin shine, light weight and European styling. In December, Luttmann's will be holding the annual Ghurka Trunk Show on Saturday December 2nd. The show is an opportunity to meet the factory rep and preview the new Ghurka styles, leathers and the upcoming seasons' handbags, luggage and speciality items.
Across the street, Lahiere's is proud of having "Einstein's
Table," which unlike the big table
always crowded with people depicted in the movie "IQ," was actually
just a table for two.
Einstein often walked into town alone or with a colleague, and
always wanted to sit in the same
spot.
Lahiere's has reconfigured its dining room since then, and it has added three more storefronts to its space, but it still maintains the little table for two in the same spot that Einstein favored. There is a portrait of the scientist over the table now, to replace the man. Joseph Christen is a third-generation owner at Lahiere's--his French grandmother and Swiss grandfather were brought into the business by his grandmother's two brothers. The brothers had just started the restaurant, without having any previous restaurant experience, and needed help. Christen's grandfather was then a maitre d' at the Ritz Carleton in New York, and his grandmother was a chef. "I don't think we could ever be anywhere other than Witherspoon Street," Christen said.
Harry's Luncheonette, straight out of the 50s, is one of the many small eateries on the street. It has been joined by the coffee shops, a Chinese restaurant, Landolfi's Bakery, and some new kids on the block, including Quilty's Restaurant, a newly expanded Abel's Bagel, La Casa di Napoli, and Olive's Bakery ...all fitting in nicely on the street, thank you, rounding out the feel of a food court.
First-time restaurateurs Jason Unger and Sam Roberts opened Quilty's in the former "Grotto" restaurant space only one year ago. Besides the French classics, Quilty's offers American Classics. Unger said he enjoys Witherspoon Street because of it's shade and that it's a bit more of a small town street.
Alfred Kahn, owner of Abel Bagel, is the son of Benjamin Kahn, a third generation Witherspoon street entrepreneur. His grandfather bought the three properties which house Abel Bagel and the Casa di Napoli restaurant and began Alpha Dairy there in 1909. In a case near the bagel counter, Alfred has a collection of bottles from Alpha Dairy. Alfred himself started Abel Bagel (named after his son Abel) 10 years ago, in the side of the store which now boasts what he claims are the only clean handicapped-access restrooms in Princeton.
When Alfred Kahn moved Abel Bagel from its original site into the larger storefront next door (where the bagel and pizza counters are), he was afraid his customers would be upset by the more modern, somewhat less cozy atmosphere. His customers did not desert him, but he found they did not stop as much to just hang out and chat with each other--hence the added seating to encourage lingering over a bagel or the pizza and chicken that Kahn now offers.
La Casa di Napoli's manager and Executive Chef, Mike Abohajar, is Egyptian--but on his way to graduate school in the United States, he got sidetracked into a career specializing in Italian cuisine, and has won a variety of awards for his creations. How he got to Witherspoon Street is equally serendipitous. One day, Abohajar's car broke down, and the good Samaritan who rescued him was a man named Tony Sanino. When Sanino learned of Abohajar's specialty, he suggested Princeton as a perfect site for an Italian restaurant. "We have 58 items on the menu, all cooked fresh to order," Abohajar said.
Adam Angelakis, manager of Olive's Bakery, comes from one
of the two families which has
operated a gourmet bakery called Colonial Farm in Washington
Crossing for 10 years. The
families had been friends for years with the owner of the previous
business at the site, Mykonos,
when he decided to sell, and they immediately recognized the
opportunity.
"It's a busy street, and everyone has been very friendly,"
Angelakis said. He has found it an
excellent spot to offer vegetarian specialties such as hummus,
tabouleh, spanakopita and
vegetarian chili, as well as meat and fish dishes like moussaka
and shrimp and artichoke salad,
one of the rotating specialties of the day. Muffins and cookies
are made on the premises, and
Angelakis said he feels sure he makes the best chocolate chip
cookies around. Cakes and
other baked goods are brought fresh from the other store, where
they are baked from scratch.
Variety is surely the spice of Witherspoon Street. In addition to the eateries and Luttmann's, you can find a barber shop, several small clothing stores, an international gift store, a jewelry store, and another new addition to the street, La Jolie. La Jolie, on the corner of Witherspoon and Hulfish streets, is the new salon of Sasha Rash. Rash has borrowed a few things from her mother Barbara, who has been in the same business for the last 30 years. The salon's name, for instance, is derived from that of a salon Barbara used to operate around the corner. Like her mother, Sasha eases new stylists into service with an 18-month apprenticeship and special training at advanced academies in London, Toronto, Los Angeles and New York. Once a month, educators are brought into the salon for special training, which may cover technical, communication, or personal skills. "Hairstyling and beauty have changed so much," Rash said. "The field of today is becoming the profession of tomorrow, because of the industry education and attitude. In addition, the increasing savvy of consumers in the 90s demands professionalism." La Jolie offers not only all types of hair care, but also skin care, nail care, make up, bridal services, and massage, both Swedish and Shiatsu.
Witherspoon Street is not only a street of small businesses, but a street where people live. "No one ever minds coming to me," says Mark Jaffe, who operates one of two law offices in his condominium on this street. He laughs and adds that the first time anyone comes from out of town, they circle the block a few times trying to get the nearest parking spot. After they discover the street once, they are not so suburban in their behavior. Jaffe himself appreciates being able to walk to anything, including the Dinky, which gets him to the country's busiest train corridor, and busses to Trenton or New York. Indeed, he laments only that the residents above the stores do not know each other better. "We need a town green with a bulletin board of events," he says.
June, 1995
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