BAYONNE, NJ – Mayor Jimmy Davis prefers the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s, those that some might call classics. His son, Joshua, 13, kept his eyes on the newer, perhaps flashier Corvettes, Lamborghinis, and especially, a lime green McLaren, all tricked out with cosmetic modifications and sound systems that render any opportunity to remain inconspicuous impossible.
Much like those over music, sports, and perhaps even politics, the debate that went on between father and son regarding whose generation of cars is superior is symbolic, Davis told TAPinto Bayonne, of what is happening in a city that is undergoing a transformation for the ages.
“We all live together,” he said, offering a greeting to another constituent. “Our older values are matching with the younger people that are bringing new spirit and new life to our city.” With hundreds of residents out on Broadway on a mid September morning Davis said that the crowds showed that “even during COVID we are still moving ahead and people are excited about Bayonne.”
Enjoying the sites with his three young children was Christopher Morrieson who shared his enthusiasm for seeing friends he hasn’t been able to connect with physically in months, and in some cases much longer.
He appreciates the effort city officials, and others, in this instance local developer Dimitris Vattess who hosted the B22 car show, to “bring everybody out.” Events like this one, he said, “give millennials something to do and show that Bayonne is ready to cater to the next generation of residents.”
“We have a chance to show our kids a different Bayonne to the one we grew up in,” the 19-year resident said. An added bonus, he offered, “the changes are bringing jobs.”
Mena and Candice Yousef, along with their son Joshua, also like the “new energy” they have felt in Bayonne, especially in the past two years they said, after things had “gone stagnant for a while.” Awesome, is how Mena described the day’s event. “I’ve never seen anything like this before in Bayonne.”
For them a changing Bayonne has meant “new restaurants, community events, and businesses,” in a city they still believe is “convenient, quiet, and peaceful.”
The members of Bayonne’s newest car club, Team Unwanted, celebrated the event as another opportunity to promote their organization, show off their own cars, and also, perhaps most importantly, spend time together.
Just one month since their launch the team, which currently has approximately 45 members, already “feels like a family,” the club’s president Anthony Iliano said. Iliano found about the event and reached out to B22, an invitation to participate was immediate, he said.
“There are a lot of car people in Bayonne,” Iliano said, adding that shows like this one not only bring attention to something they are passionate about but also to their city. Representing a younger demographic of residents, like those many of the new living opportunities hope to attract, Team Unlimited shared pride in their Bayonne roots. “We know these streets,” one said, as others nodded along, yet they also welcome their new neighbors.
“Bayonne is getting bigger,” club Vice President Steve Valencia said. “We are getting built back up, that’s a big plus.”
Once again surveying the crowd that continued to swell in size, and diversity, Davis flashed a smile saying “we can all live together.”
“It’s all about harmony.”
Sign up for TAPinto Bayonne E-News alerts to be the first to read about all things Bayonne!
Download the FREE TAPinto App! Click here for Android – Click here for iOS for breaking news, traffic/weather alerts and special offers.
Know a story we should share with readers? Email editor Steve Lenox and tell him about it.
