Take a detour down memory lane with our list of enduring and long-gone Route 46 landmarks
Starting with the George Washington Bridge, Route 46 has no shortage of roadside landmarks.
Originally named Route 5, then changed to Route 6 before it became what we know today as Route 46, the roadway was first discussed in 1930, when state officials proposed a $300 million road program. It was needed after the October 1931 opening of the George Washington Bridge, which dumped cars on unprepared New Jersey streets. There was no highway to carry them away.
The situation left "Bergen County holding the bag with possible criticism of not having the roads done on time," then-Bergen County Freeholder William R. Browne toldThe Record.
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In the years since it was built, the 74-mile-long Route 46 has seen businesses come and go. Among them are landmarks that still exist today as well as some that are relegated to our memories or the history books.
There are some sprawling ones: Budd Lake, Teterboro Airport and Willowbrook Mall. There are also some smaller ones. Little Falls alone boasts Little Falls Trophy, Park West Diner and Great Notch Inn, which sits opposite the highway and under the lofty shadow of the similarly recognizable Overlook Corporate Center.
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There are, of course, ones that have come and gone. There was the aptly named Fountains of Wayne. A specialist in decorative water features, Christmas decor and patio furniture, the store closed in March 2009 — after becoming the name for a Grammy-nominated rock band and making a cameo in "The Sopranos."
Gone but not yet forgotten is the go-to ice cream spot Taylor's Dairy in Montville. It has since been replaced as the highway's hallowed ground for frozen confections by Cliff's in Roxbury. There was a Kiddyland theme park in Montville near Freddy Paone's Poinciana and Rosie’s Diner, which was picked up and moved from Little Ferry to Missouri.
The iconic Hot Dog Johnny’s in White Township, unlike that trio, still stands, as does Pizza Town USA in Elmwood Park. Pizza, as everyone knows, is forever.
Some other landmarks remain but have transformed over the years and will likely continue to do so. They include Grand Plaza, the old factory complex in Palisades Park.
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In the rear lies a commercial complex retrofit in a former coffee canning factory run by Schonbrunn & Co. Out front is the former home of the Lanman & Kemp-Barclay soap factory and the disco-era Soap Factory nightclub. In the late 1970s to 1980s, the disco was the set for the first TV show filmed in New Jersey, The Herald News and other newspapers reported. It also served as a punk and rock venue for the likes of Rick Derringer and Blue Oyster Cult.
The current home of the original Fitness Factory, the site is the potential future home of a luxury apartment complex, according to town records.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Route 46 landmarks in NJ: Great Notch Inn, Fountains of Wayne
