West Side Garage
Known Name(s)
West Side Garage
Address
1206 Springwood Ave. Asbury Park, NJ
Establishment Type(s)
Garage
Physical Status
Demolished
Description
The West Side Garage was on Springwood Avenue, in the heart of Asbury Park’s West Side business district. A photo of the façade, which appears to be two stories of parged brick, appeared in a 1972 ad celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the family-owned business, which had long since moved to a different location (see listing of the same name under 1010 Asbury Avenue). 1206 Springwood no longer exists.
Sources: “West Side Ford. We’ve Come a Long Way!” Asbury Park Press, 15 December 1972.
Detailed History
The West Side Garage, listed in The Green Book from 1938 through 1941 and again in 1946 and 1947, was operated by Peter S. Costanzo.
Mr. Costanzo was born in Riposto, Italy, and then lived the majority of his life in and around Asbury Park, underscoring that the West Side was home not only to African Americans, but also to Italian Americans. A member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, he was a member of a number of local Italian-American clubs. Mr. Costanzo opened his garage in 1917. The West Side regularly advertised cars for sale in the classified section of the Asbury Park Press. The West Side Garage joined other businesses on and around Springwood Avenue in a prominent 1940 advertisement in The Asbury Park Press that urged locals, and African Americans in particular, to patronize their “approved” West Side establishments, rather than be “fooled by downtown propaganda” into traveling east of the railroad tracks to spend their money.
Mr. Costanzo’s obituary noted that, in 1945, the garage became a car dealership and moved to Asbury Avenue, though it remained listed as on Springwood in the 1947. The dealership of the same name at 1010 Asbury was run by his son, who listed that business in The Green Book beginning in 1948.
Sources: “Peter S. Costanzo, Car Agency Founder,” Asbury Park Press, 6 June 1971; “Shop in Springwood Ave. Stores with Confidence. You are Guaranteed: QUALITY MERCHANDISE – LOW PRICES – FAIR DEALING,” Asbury Park Press, 31 May 1940.
J. Shaffer
