What kind of a year was 2009 in redevelopment? Perhaps up-and-down might be the most accurate description.
We saw the arrival of new retail tenants (In The Mix, Kataluma Chai Co.) and the departure of others (The Original Nile, Just A Little Healthier), and hopefully the future occupancy of others (Station Bar and Grill).
At the same time, tenants started to move in to Park Square as construction continued on the second building, and while sales have been slow at Sky View at Carriage City Plaza, units have started to be rented while the real estate market lags. Though The Savoy hasn’t seen much progress in far too long, construction continues at Renaissance at Rahway after demolition was completed this summer.
It was an exciting year for Rahway Rising in 2009. Not only did we finally have our first official happy hour, but for the first time we surpassed 300 visits in a day – twice! We hit 304 visits (515 pageviews) on Oct. 15, shortly after a post about foreclosures beginning on the last 19 unsold Riverwalk units. We set a new record with 349 visits (499 pageviews) on Nov. 30 after an update on the construction of a new White Castle on Routes 1/9.
Of the 125 posts in ’09 (less than the 132 in 2008), top posts were:
1. Carriage City violating redevelopment agreement, Jan. 8, 463 pageviews
2. Foreclosures begin on final 19 Riverwalk units, Oct. 14, 407 pageviews
3. Return of White Castle in the works, Feb. 25, 385 pageviews
4. Deal$ in line to replace Drug Fair space, Aug. 6, 376 pageviews
5. Carriage City declared in default of agreement, March 5, 373 pageviews
6. New White Castle taking shape, Nov. 29, 372 pageviews
7. 101 units accounted for at Sky View, Oct. 8, 365 pageviews
8. The revenge of Rahway Pizza, Feb. 16, 340 pageviews
9. Triangle Inn comes down, Aug. 31, 324 pageviews
10. Station Bar and Grill slated for Irving Street, June 24, 299 pageviews
But those were just the top posts from 2009. The most widely read posts in 2009 were actually still posts from 2008, according to our Google Analytics:
1. On tap for 2008: Park Square, Sky View; Jan. 8, 2008, 1,049 pageviews
2. Brooklyn Pizza coming to Rahway; Nov. 25, 2008, 604 pageviews
3. Pizza Pizza; Jan. 12, 2008, 560 pageviews
4. Cubanu: A review; Jan. 20, 2008, 464 pageviews
5. Another movie filmed in Rahway?; Dec. 5, 2008, 463 pageviews
New Jersey Monthly opened voting for its Best of New Jersey Poll 2010, featuring 68 different categories in four segments. Just in case anything Rahway-related comes to mind, the deadline to vote is Jan. 15.
