River Plaza: A Cool, Historic Community, Built Around Water

Bernie Daus – Middletown BOE Candidate

Don’t let the Red Bank zip code fool you – River Plaza is a great Middletown community! River Plaza is familiar territory for me. Growing up as a Leonardo kid… I always vibed with the River Plaza kids. They all seemed to fish like me, and they had numerous fishing holes.  They had saltwater & freshwater spots like Shadow Lake, Poricy Pond, Navesink River, Swimming River, and all the little backwaters.  

Their community centered around their school, a deli, a marina, their fishing spots, and the firehouses… very similar to Leonardo. They had Chris’s Deli in River Plaza; we had Slater’s in Leonardo. We rode our bikes to First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands; they rode theirs into Red Bank.  As I remember them in the early 1990s, River Plaza kids were down-to-earth, cool, and street-smart.

My 26.2-mile journey launched from Swimming River Park and Wilmort Park and carried me past River Plaza School, the River Plaza Hose Company, McLean’s flag-lined street, eventually past Trezza Field, Brennan’s Delicatessen, and Middletown Township Fire Company No. 1, Station 8. Of course, I also went to the Shadow Lake spillway, chatted with the fishermen there, and eventually crossed Hubbard’s Bridge.  Along the route I was taking in the waterways, neighborhood streets, and familiar institutions that have shaped generations of River Plaza families. Nostalgia stirred in me seeing this community at a runner’s pace, slow enough to notice the details, remember the past, and appreciate how much local character remains. 

The pace of the traffic on West Front St. at rush hour is dizzying!  The occasional train horn and click-clack of the train hustling on the tracks reminded me of how important this area is to commuters. After rush hour… River Plaza resumes its quiet suburban existence, and I really enjoyed exploring the quiet back streets, cul-de-sacs, and dead ends.  The waterways and train tracks crisscross, creating dozens of unique neighborhoods within River Plaza – I visited almost everyone.   

I’m running for the Board of Education and literally running 26.2 miles in each community, which is an important part of the campaign: putting my feet on the ground, deepening my understanding of each neighborhood, and developing a greater appreciation for the people and communities I hope to represent.

Running 26.2 miles through River Plaza renewed my appreciation for this community.  It is a commuter hub, a fisherman’s paradise, a lovely place to live, and a great place to raise a family. 

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  Bernie Daus Running

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  Bernie Daus Running

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  Bernie Daus Running

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  Bernie Daus Running

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  Bernie Daus Running

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  Bernie Daus Running