My friend Rosanne and I are book lovers so we decided we were going to visit independent bookstores throughout New Jersey. It was only our second trip out when we thought we’d keep it local, visiting a few bookstores in the neighboring town of Asbury Park.
Driving around town, looking for a parking space, I couldn’t help but see how much the town had changed.
“I used to work on Cookman Avenue.” I explained to Rosanne as we circled the block again. “I was just out of high school and got a job as a secretary for Dr. Liebesman. He was an ophthalmologist.” I scanned the buildings looking for the old office. “Everything certainly has changed. When I worked here everything was in decline.”
I pointed to where the old Woolworth’s had been. “There was the sweetest man that used to sell the Asbury Park Press right out front.” I thought about it for a moment, trying to recall his name. “Captain Johnny Richardson!” I cried so proud of the fact that I’d remembered his name. “He’d say hello to everyone who passed by.”
We’d finally found a parking spot and as we were headed to our first stop I couldn’t help but feel excited to see that the town was on the upswing from when I’d worked there all those years ago.
We stopped in front of the Asbury Book Cooperative. “Our first stop.” I said as I opened the door for Rosanne.
As we were browsing I stopped at the counter to ask if they stocked any local writers. She directed me to a section of the store where I found an autographed copy of a book called Greetings from Asbury Park by Luigina Vecchione.
I held the book up for Rosanne to see. “I found my local author!”
After a quick lunch we were back out on the street. We stopped to look in the window of a bookstore called Paranormal Books and Curiosities.
“I don’t know about this one.” Rosanne said pointing to the snow globe with a skull in it, next to the Ouija board and tarot cards.
“It’s still an independent bookstore.” I reminded her as I stood back on the sidewalk and looked again. “You know, I think this used to be Dr. Liebesman’s office.” I looked over at Rosanne shaking my head laughing. “This is where I used to work!”
“Seriously?”
I took out my phone and started to Google. “621 Cookman Avenue Asbury Park.” I said as I typed.
Sure enough a few seconds later it popped up that it had been his address. “Well, now we have to go in.”
Walking inside I couldn’t believe all the renovations they had done. I pointed to a table holding several books. “That’s where my desk was.”
I began walking further into the store. I stood in front of a floor to ceiling bookshelf. “That’s strange. There was a door here that led up to the attic.”
Just then the bookshelf began to move and a woman came out from behind it. I looked in and could see they’d removed the stairs and installed a bathroom. “Well, that’s pretty clever.”
As I moved further into the store, to where the Doctors desk used to be, now stood a glass encased fortune teller named Zoltar.
“Can you take a picture of me with him?” Rosanne asked as she handed me her phone.
“Of course.” I began lining up the shot.
As Rosanne went to stand next to him when he suddenly began to talk to her causing her to jump. “I wasn’t expecting that!” She cried as I quickly took the picture and handed her back her phone.
“I’m not surprised at all.” I laughed. “I always thought this place was haunted and it looks like it found the perfect tenants!”
Slice of Life 