Remembering What Was There: At the Corner of Main & Salem

There's a new look at the corner of Main and Salem Streets.

It's new a building highlighting 106 residential units and 4,000 square feet of retail space at the site of what was most recently the headquarters of Greater Bergen Community Action Partnership.

The old building across from what is now a Wells Fargo Bank, there at one of the central intersections of Hackensack, was probably best remembered as the location of Tfank Clothiers.

Tfanks were a long time family in the area and their business was represenative of what Main Street businesses were all about back then. Hackensack was a regional hub that drew folks for business, entertainment and shopping. One could spend a day strolling and browsing from store to store in a commercial deistrict running from Essex to Anderson Streets.

Tfank offerede quality men's clothing at reasonable prices. But it had its competition in places such as Lowitz, Law's, David Burr and Kreiger's.

Others recall Tfank as well. According to a bulletin board posting, it started with "John Tfank who ran a first class mens haberdashery store a few stores up Main Street from East Salem".

Another remembers that " they used to have a huge area of browsing windows under the overhang of the 2nd floor, like many Main St. businesses used to have". And, still another fondly recalls, " Ah, the good ol' days when you could walk into a store and the salesman would know your name and actually offer to help you with your selection. There was a salesman at Tfank by the name of Nick who always took care of me and knew what I wanted and could always have the alterations done when you needed the garment".

Tfank was challenged, as were so many Main Street shops, when the Malls become the thing. Now many are saying that to the extent that folks are going anywhere to shop in this internet age, this new generation may favor a trip to a place with character, sidewalks and street life - a place like where Tfank once stood.

Image: via Pinterest