The Wrong Name

I grew up in Long Branch, more specifically North Long Branch
We lived on Atlantic Avenue, right between West Street & Church Street
It was all I knew. I thought venturing beyond that to be a novelty
Didn't drive and only time I got on a bus was to go to school or go
volunteer at the hospital as a candy stripier yeah, I wrote that pink striped jumper thing.
My world was Johnny's Candy Store, Diamonds Pharmacy, West's Market and the Laundormat
I remember passing by the fire house, the ceramic shop on the corner and the back tracks to get to these places. That's what we called them. They were old tracks that lead from Cooper Avenue area into Atlantic Avenue and vice versa.
There was a cleaners, Randi's Dairy Isle across the street
It was at the Dairy Isle we all stood to get the bus to High School
My friend who lived over on Copper Avenue, would walk down the back tracks to meet up with me so we could ride the bus together. (Thanks, Friend)
To get the beach, I walked past all those places down to the end and there was Ocean Avenue which went on and on and on . So did the Boardwalk.
My memories of all this are vague. But I do remember there was talk of eliminating the back tracks and making it so there would be a road to go through it
Well life went on and I grew and left Long Branch, more specifically NLB
I don't remember when it was I first discovered it, but there it was
You could no go down Atlantic Avenue and make a left or a right on to Ocean Avenue
That's what I thought it was
I have now found out after all this time I have been saying "The Wrong Name"
It's Ocean Blvd or as I told by true LBer's (like myself) it's referred to "New Ocean Avenue'
Oh and that other Ocean Avenue at the end, it's still there
Only it doesn't continue on and on.
As for the rest of the area, Johnny's moved across the street, Johnny died and it's now has a different name and I am told some people still call it Johnny's.
Oh and last I was there, the same lady is working there from my teen years.
Diamonds is now over at Ursula Plaza, I'm not sure if Dr Diamond is still there (I doubt it, he was old, when I went into it)I often wonder if he ever realized it wasn't me doing the stealing. He would watch my every move when I would go in.
The laundormat turned into a bait & tackle store, which I think is gone now
The ceramic shop is gone.
My memories are both good and bad for this area and traveling through still sometimes places an ache in my heart
But now I know It's Ocean Blvd and I will start calling it by it's right name