Nobody has ever made a list of all the company’s addresses in its 137 year history, but since the middle 1920’s the firm has only had four addresses:
25 Broadway, NYC, the classic Cunard building in downtown Manhattan, where we were reportedly the first tenants after the main tenant, Cunard.
65 Broadway, NYC, which at the time was also the headquarters of ABS.
90 Washington Street, a very attractive 25th floor office with beautiful views of New York harbor.
And our present digs, 172 Monmouth Street in Red Bank, New Jersey. We moved to Red Bank, New Jersey, for very specific reasons; we wanted to increase our quality of life. New York City is an awesome experience, but the daily commute in addition to our travels was just too much.
To decide to move the office to Red Bank was actually quite easy. Last week Red Bank was selected as No. 3 in all of the United States by Smithsonian Magazine as a “must visit place” and we have known that for decades. (You all stop by now, we’d love to see you!)
What remained was to find a suitable office within Red Bank. In 1995 we more or less bumped into a suitable space, and we haven’t left since. It is nowhere near as fancy as our earlier offices, but it is convenient, cozy and comfortable, and actually is conducive to our style of teamwork and living.
It is convenient because it is near public transportation, we have our own parking, and it is located near some really good restaurants. The building has always felt right to us. And, no wonder, because it used to be the Shamrock Bar and Liquour Store.
This photo shows our office in the 1960’s:
Today it looks like this:
The building was purchased and turned into their office by an architectural firm in the late eighties and in the subsequent real estate crash they were happy to have us become the tenant.
The railroad spur in the foreground is gone, and we gained a tree. The classic Red Bank station on the side of the street where the picture was taken is presently being restored and while the water is about a quarter mile away, the transportation ruggedness of the general area suits us perfectly.
At some time the bus station was knocked down and the land became the passage for our parking lot. Greyhound built a new bus station in the adjacent lot and today that building houses North of the Border, a very Mexican restaurant that serves the world’s best chicken sandwich.
While the names have changed, fortunately, we still have a pub in our row, and we call the Walt Street Pub “Jim Dolan’s club” because that is where he sometimes treats us to a burger.
Things are not perfect yet because the brewery that is supposed to move into the brick building in the background has not yet gotten all its permits in place, so right now our closest brew pub is a five-minute walk away, but we manage.
It’s been a long haul, but it hasn’t been in vain.
