Memories of Growing Up in Matawan/Aberdeen

Although I was born in NYC, I spent my whole childhood in Monmouth County, growing up in the northernmost town of the county: Matawan/Aberdeen. Just recently some friends I know started reminiscing about what it was like to grow up there. What would you add to this list?

One of Donna's favorite memories was the Strathmore Swim Club, including tether ball, teen night, movie night and ice skating there in the winter. I would add to that something that I still do with my kids: on teen night they would throw hundreds of coins in the giant pool at the pool club and, when they blew the whistle, we'd all get to dive underwater and see how much money we could catch!

Donna also mentioned sleigh riding.  We would go to the big hill in the 'I' section if we couldn't get a ride to Holmdel Park!

I used to love the carnivals they'd hold in the parking lot of Strathmore Shopping Center (now called the Aberdeen Townsquare Shopping Center). I took my first Ferris wheel ride there.

I remember when they changed the name of 'our part of town' from Matawan to Aberdeen, even though we continued to share the same zip code and it took us years to say we lived in Aberdeen instead of Matawan!

Lisa remembers preschool and Sunday school at Cross of Glory Church, St. Clement's, or St. Benedict's.

Jeannie says one of her favorite memories include walking to 7-11 (when it was on Lloyd Road-- now it's on Rt. 34) for Slurpees.That reminds me of going to Friendly's on Rt. 34 -- that's now a bank. And there was a Foto Mat (remember that place?!!!) that we used to walk to in the Strathmore parking lot to get our pictures developed.

Jeannie also remembers summer rec. I went to the rec program at Matawan High school (now Matawan Aberdeen Regional) and we spent most of the time rehearsing for an end-of-summer musical review. I always loved to sing and dance in those shows! It was the highlight of my summer.

Jeannie also remembers how the land where Stop and Shop is used to be a farm. And I remember when what is now the Japanese Restaurant in the Strathmore Shopping Center used to be an Acme.

Some of Cari's favorite memories include going to Roma Deli after school for a meatball parm sub, the diner at 4 am after a night out (it's now called Park Place Diner but I don't remember what it was called back then...we just called it 'the diner'), and going to breakfast at Gino's when we were in high school, before classes started. Many of us worked at Gino's in our senior year of high school selling KFC chicken long before the actual KFC opened. (The old Gino's is now some sort of Sushi place, and the KFC closed last year.)

In my elementary school years we would walk around the block to the Strathmore Movie Theater (now it's a Bow Tie Cinema) to see matinees of Disney movies. In my teen years we would go up to the bowling alley to play pinball.

Those of us raised in Strathmore (a part of Aberdeen characterized by Levitt homes) know that when you asked a friend at school where they lived, they would say the 'I', 'C', 'W' or any of the other lettered 'sections', where all the streets started with the same letter. And when you asked them which home they lived in, it would most likely be either a colonial, country club, or ranch, since Levitt only made a few different types of homes. They mostly looked the same.

Sue remembers the cheese and chocolate shop in the shopping center that is now Stop and Shop. We'd go up there after school for chocolate-covered cherries, and bring home cheese spread and crackers to munch on.

I used to love when my dad took us to the car wash on Cambridge Drive. We'd go inside, climb up the ramp, and walk along the whole display window watching our car go through the suds. That place is one of the few places that hasn't changed too much. Still there!

And our parents would have to drive us all the way over to Cliffwood Beach if we wanted to go to McDonald's. That was the closest one 'til they converted an old restaurant (Sammy's) on Rt. 34 to our very own McDonald's.

If you grew up in Matawan/Aberdeen, share with us some of your favorite memories!