Then and Now of Iselin - Volume 2
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Then and Now of Iselin, Volume 2 is about "NOW," and it starts with the author and his family. It soon changes, and it becomes a whole new picture story of the vibrant, multicultural community of the current Iselin.
The NOW of Iselin came when my son John Jr. and I decided to build Miele Plaza at 37 Gill Lane. This meant closing down the garden center, the yard: Miele Excavating & Grading business to become landlords. Ten stores were built. The old was no more, and the "THEN" of Iselin was just pictures and stories.
Now, here is the story of the "NOW" of Iselin - new landscaping, many professional & big office buildings, stores with colorful store windows, (housing various clothing shops, elaborate jewelry stores), numerous restaurants, large homes, more traffic, and a brand new Metropark Train Station to accommodate N.J. Transit and Amtrak commuters (and don't forget to see the detailed hand painted artwork on both stairwells at Metropark).
Iselin "NOW" is mega suburbia. Just ask the new people. They come from all parts of the world. It is a vast global community in heritage and community. The farmland and cows of "THEN" are gone.
Iselin is part of Woodbridge Township. It is located in Middlesex County - twenty-four miles from New York City and seventy-seven miles from Philadelphia.
As I was taking pictures of Iselin "NOW," it made me enjoy Iselin and appreciate the "NOW" along with the "THEN of yesterday. I've talked to many people throughout the town, and I was amazed at the new look and the changes. I am glad I am a part of all this, and doing this book has been very rewarding.
I still think Iselin is a great place, but it is not a small town anymore. Once people find out how long I've been living here, they want to learn more about the old "THEN" of Iselin.
Wherever possible, I will show you photos of today and tell you what was once there. ENJOY the new look and see the "NOW" of Iselin...
I have dedicated Volume 2 in memory of my beloved sister Ethel Miele Dunnue, who was my Inspirer to do "Then and Now of Iselin."
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About the Book
John T. Miele and his co-author-niece June Polanski Onder are your tour guides as you travel and learn about Iselin "NOW" in Volume 2. They will show you how and where Iselin has grown into a super-suburbia town and has become a vibrant, multicultural community.
Iselin is a wonderful community interlaced with many cultures that contribute to its uniqueness. Journey with John and June as they capture the many changes throughout Iselin, along with established locations. See the development of the "old" St. Cecelia's Iselin Fairgrounds, the "legend and timeline" of Iselin's United States Post Office, the olde Iselin Movie Theatre, the Iselin Free Public Library (now known as the Woodbridge Free Public Library - Iselin Branch), and the dramatic State-of the-Art 21st Century changes at the Metropark Train Station, (with detailed hand painted artwork on both stairwells at Metropark).
Read where John and June meet with Mayor John E. McCormac of Woodbridge Township.
About the Author
John T. Miele is a 90 year life-long resident of Iselin. He was a prominent Iselin businessman for over 50 years; a member of the Iselin Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 - District 9 and a Fourth Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus - Iselin. A proud World War II United States Marine Corps Veteran, having served in the Pacific for three years. He loves to reminisce about Iselin "THEN" and talk about Iselin's rapid growth.
You can find "Captain John" at the corner of North Juliet Street and Middlesex-Essex Turnpike (across the street from the Social Security Office Building, once the original site of Cooper's Dairy Farm).