If the North End of Secaucus were a person, it would have a split personality. The two personalities butt against each another in a single square mile, without any kind of buffer between them. A few feet from backyard swing sets, the swamp begins.
Streets end at the water's edge.
During his morning walk, retired utility worker George Schoenrock takes in both extremes. He leaves behind the tightly packed streets, passes the municipal ball fields, and proceeds down a dirt road to an abandoned restaurant and marina called the Old Mill. It looks like a perfect place to dump a body, but to Schoenrock, it's a trip back in time. The only way to get into the North End is Paterson Plank Road, which must be one of the most deceiving dead ends in the nation. It's a busy, two-way avenue that includes a handful of stores, a firehouse, a school, a few industrial buildings, and even a traffic light, but it comes to an abrupt halt at the river's edge.