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rpg:charloft:worlds:pleasantdale:businesses

Local Businesses

The Town of Pleasantdale

This is a brief description of the districts of Pleasantdale, and the businesses that operate in them. It is not meant to be taken as an exclusive list.

Agricultural District

Although much of what was 'agricultural' in the 19th century has been subsumed by Pleasantdale Valley over the years, the Agricultural District as it currently stands includes the remaining farmlands of Pleasantdale, operated mostly by large agricultural firms such as Sunshine Dairy, as well as several large manufacturing and industrial firms that don't operate within the city limits proper.

Sunshine Dairy

Sunshine Dairy is responsible for providing the town's milk needs, and delivers bottled milk to Pleasantdale's citizens, as well as to grocery and convenience stores. Two of their bottling machines are currently also being put to use to bottle water to stock the town's public fallout shelters.

Pleasantdale Pastures

The agricultural giant Pleasantdale Pastures acquired most of its wealth by buying out other farmers like a feudal lord gobbling up the lands of smaller peasantry. It still manages a vast empire of farms that supplies many of the 'locally grown' vegetables to Pleasantdale, but its largest impact on the New Jersey area is through the Pleasantdale Pastures Bottling Plant.

Pleasantdale Pastures Bottling Plant

The Pleasantdale Pastures Bottling Plant is technically both a bottling and a canning facility, but the important function of its operation is the production of a variety of fruit and vegetable juices, as well as soft drinks such as those supplied to the Grand Union chain of supermarkets.

Grand Union Generic Sodas

Public Service Electric and Gas Company - Pleasantdale Transformer Station

The PSEG transformer station in Pleasantdale connects to the section of the power grid supplied by the generator plant in Linden, NJ, and is closed to the public. Occasionally inspectors come by to maintain the equipment and make sure everything is in working order, usually as part of servicing other electrical or piping equipment in town. The transformer station also has a kerosene generator to serve as a backup system for emergencies.

Historic District

The oldest zoned district in Pleasantdale, the Historic District consists of the streets and lots that were first planned out and erected in 1787, although only two of the original structures remain. Most of the other 'historical' buildings of Pleasantdale, including the majority of government offices such as the town hall and the courthouse, are actually reconstructions of the original buildings, or new structures built after the originals were demolished. A few residential buildings and commercial businesses exist in the Historic District, though space is extremely limited and competition for these prized spots is fierce.

Mayor's Residence

The Mayor's Residence is traditionally occupied by the elected mayor and his family during his tenure in office, and part of his formal departure from office involves the former mayor handing the key to the residence to the new mayor during his swearing in. Although the structure was erected in 1787, the building has been refurbished repeatedly over the centuries, with many modern innovations added over the years.

Pleasantdale Post Office (Original)

The original Pleasantdale Post Office was also erected in 1787, and continued operation until it was finally closed in 1921. It currently operates limited hours as a museum, open on Saturdays.

Federal Civil Defense Administration

The local office of the Federal Civil Defense Administration of Pleasantdale is currently administered by a single federal agent and two local lady receptionists; the majority of the agent's work is handling bureaucratic work, and he subcontracts most of the actual organizational work to the townsfolk when it comes right down to it.

St. Mary's Catholic Church

St. Mary's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church that has been rebuilt several times over the past two centuries, and is the oldest religious community in the vicinity. They are currently raising donations to purchase a new organ, as the old one is beginning to fall out of tune.

Founder's Hall

Founder's Hall is a large open building that is separated from the current City Hall by a parking lot, and consists of a large hall area used by local community groups for town functions, as well as a small series of office areas upstairs and downstairs that are used by lesser town administrators. The field directly to the east of Founder's Hall is unofficially known as 'Founder's Field', and is used for the yearly Founder's Day celebration. It was also used for the town's minor league baseball games until an errant thrown bat went straight through one of the windows of the Hall; since then, the town baseball games have been settled on a field in Pleasantdale Valley.

Burger Chef

Burger Chef

A new addition, the Burger Chef sells low-priced fast food aimed towards 'a male appetite'. Menu options include the Triple Treat (a hamburger, fries, and milkshake), hamburgers, cheeseburgers, milkshakes, soft drinks, the Big Shef (a double cheeseburger with center bun), the Super Shef (a quarter pound hamburger), the Top Shef (a bacon cheeseburger), the Mushroom Burger (a cheeseburger topped with mushrooms), the Double Cheeseburger (a cheeseburger with two meat patties and two slices of cheese), and the Skipper's Treat (a fish patty topped with cheese).

Some of the town's Historical Society have been vehemently protesting the construction of a 'glitzy fast food parlor' in the center of town. The land in question hasn't been properly used since the fire that destroyed the original Pleasantdale Public Library, and the Historical Society had been pushing to zone the space for a public playground for children.

Pleasantdale Post

“All the news that's fit to post” is this local paper's motto. Not only is it the best local paper – it's the only local paper. It features town news, and some news about what's going on in the world at large. It also has a society section, an advice column called Ask Miss June, obituaries, and a classified section. Paper boys, and the occasional paper girl, deliver it right to the front door of most families in town every morning.

Victorian District

Between 1875 and 1889, a series of Victorian houses were developed on what was at the time the uppermost regions of the town, as well as the Davenbrook Institution of Mental Health. Many of the Victorian homes have remained in the hands of the families of their original owners, although occasionally one winds up on the open market. Most of the lots in this district are very large, with mailboxes few and far between.

Pleasantdale Public Library

The Pleasantdale Public Library was rebuilt in the Victorian District in 1885 after its previous incarnation was gutted by fire, and showcases Victorian design and architecture. It is fairly large for its region size, and is part of the New Jersey Public Library system. The Pleasantdale Librarians' Association (basically, the staff of the library) have considered clearing out the library's basement to make a fallout shelter, but haven't really done much yet on this front.

Davenbrook Institution of Mental Health

The Davenbrook Institution of Mental Health first opened its doors in 1884, and follows the Kirkbride Plan of improving mental health through providing a proper environment for therapies such as insulin shock therapy and electro-convulsive therapy. It is currently seeing a peak in inmate population from soldiers who returned from World War II with post-traumatic stress disorder and couldn't shake the long-term effects, but few people trouble themselves with those living behind its walls. Out of sight, out of mind…

The Pleasantdale Guiding Light

Built in the 1880s by the son of Randolph Schmeer, a wealthy landowner, first Randolph then his son Joseph were Reverend until his sudden disappearance upon the arrival of current Reverend Broderick Templeton. The church occupies a prominent site overlooking much of the town and is renowned for its unusual wooden construction.

The Pleasantdale Historical Society

The Pleasantdale Historical Society meets in a reconstructed Victorian-style building to discuss the town's history and background, to coordinate events, and generally to assure themselves that they are wiser than everyone else on the town's business and as such should be more respected when it comes to 'how things ought to be'. There are roughly fifty people in the Historical Society, many of them retirees, war veterans, housewives, or otherwise unemployed individuals who consider the chronicling, preserving, and enforcing of 'the way things were' a sort of calling. They meet every Friday at noon to discuss 'matters of importance' – usually, to complain about the newest expansion or improvement of the town.

Redview Road

Redview Road is 'the' road on which most of the larger businesses in town (and many of the smaller businesses) are found. It directly connects to two major interstates, and many directions given to strangers include mention of it at one point or another.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church has been actively recruiting amongst the community and seeking new members, but a combination of poor location and a fairly saturated market has thus far slowed its congregation growth. However, a steady stream of veterans and new homeowners in Pleasantdale Ridge has presented them with opportunities to expand over the past ten years.

People of Decency

Recent concern amongst community members regarding the seductive dangers of tawdry comic books, suggestive music, lewd dancing, scandalous poetry, and other un-American behaviors has led to some locals forming an unofficial group known as the People of Decency to organize protests against purveyors of filth and seducers of the innocent. Thus far, most of their activities have involved writing complaints against the local radio station for playing rock and roll music, as well as attempting to convince the Mayor to close down Glimmer Comics by claiming that it's promoting immoral behavior amongst the youth. However, their spokesperson, one Gladys Monroe, is actively campaigning to have Glimmer Comics' owner arrested as a possible Communist conspirator.

Marchese's Texaco, Body and Motor

Marchese's Texaco, Body and Motor is located on Redview with a tall sign visible from both highways. It is a rectangular building with three bays with lifts, for vehicles, three gas pumps, an office with a small convenience store, and a small apartment upstairs. The convenience store is limited to cigarettes, sodas from a machine, and chips. Maps are available at the register. Vito Marchese is the owner and his employees are Nica Marchese, who runs the register in the evenings; Eric Lancaster, a British mechanic; and JD, a motorcycle specialist. It is a full-service station and is open from 7am to 11pm Monday through Friday, 9am to 2pm Saturday and Sunday.

United Electrical Services

United Electrical Services was a pioneer in radio broadcasting when it realized that continuous service would help receiver sales, but focus on that prevented the company from getting in on the ground floor of television sales. They sold some of the first electrical appliances for consumers in the 1920s, but did not expand very much during the 1930s, as the Depression cast a pall over American industry. All of that changed in 1941, when United Electrical Services entered the military electronics business. It became one of the leading contractors for radar. The company grew at a frenetic pace and became the leading supplier of reactors for the U.S. Navy's nuclear submarine fleet. Phillip Kellar works at United Electrical Services as an engineer.

PDTV - Pleasantdale Television Broadcasting Station

While PDTV doesn't quite match the national stations in quality, it's certainly enthusiastic. They feature exciting shows such as as Daring Dan, Cowboy Man; Captain Mystery's Strange Theater; The Happy Housewife (a cooking and cleaning question show); local sports programming; and Who Wants to Win a Toaster (a quiz show that features prizes supplied by the local appliance store).

Redview Mall

The Redview Mall is located on Redview Road, and contains three major department stores and a number of smaller outlets for those who need to meet the urge to shop but don't want to go to the big city to do it. While the shopping here is strictly middle-class at best, the Mayor occasionally gestures to Redview Mall as a sign of the economic development of the times.

Pleasantdale Sears, Pleasantdale Macy's, and Pleasantdale JC Penneys

These three department stores are in friendly competition for customers and resources, and each provides catalogs for mail-order as well as their own unique services and product lines.

Sportsman's Den

The Sportsman's Den is an outlet store designed to appeal to the man of the house who wants to do some hunting - they sell shotguns, bows, and ammunition, as well as various clothing and equipment ideal for the first-time hunter. Much of it is of high quality but with a price tag to match.

Record Revolution

This record store sells a variety of types of music, although the owner is an avowed Elvis fan (and in fact keeps a picture of him in his service uniform, as well as other memorabilia). Much of their stock is shipped in from New York, although they do buy back old records (after testing them to make sure they still work) if they are in good condition, at a discounted price.

Glimmer Comics

Glimmer Comics is a small comic book store that is beset by problems; it is currently under tremendous pressure to move out of the mall and out of town entirely by a local group calling themselves the People of Decency who feel that comics are an attempt to seduce the innocent and corrupt their minds with filth. While this has mostly taken the form of members standing outside of the shop and trying to dissuade customers from going in, the owner, Jack Williams, is worried that things might get worse as their rhetoric worsens.

Grant Boulevard

A newer road that branches off from Redview, also known as G-Rod by locals, as it has a variety of restaurants and businesses that cater more to the young adult market.

Dale's Diner

Although officially known as Dale's Diner, it is unofficially nicknamed 'Digger's Diner', not least because the stoplight next to it serves as the popular starting point for hotrodders who like to race their cars. Although local law enforcement strongly frowns on this behavior, the preferred racing distances are either to the Getty's gas station slightly over a quarter mile down the Boulevard, the Stewart's Restaurant a mile down the road, or the Silver Skies Drive-In five miles down the road.

Stewart's Restaurant

A classic drive-up restaurant popular throughout New Jersey and elsewhere, complete with roller-skating female car-hops bringing orders to customers in their cars. Fairly popular for reasons that may be obvious based on the company uniform.

Stewarts Waitress Logo

Silver Skies Drive-In

A popular hangout and date night place for the youth, the Silver Skies Drive-In is located far down the Boulevard, near the edges of Pleasantdale.

Pleasant Pines Campground

This campground is technically open to campers by reservation only, although some foolhardy souls (or horny teenagers) use this as a place to get away from prying eyes for a while without informing the Pleasant Pines management office of their intentions. Most of the campgrounds are located at the ends of dirt trails, and are marked with little more than a cleared space, a picnic table, and a metal-ringed fire pit. A few of the campground lots include actual cabins, some of which are reserved year-round.

Pleasantdale Valley

Many of the older homes in Pleasantdale - those constructed before the post-war boom - are located in Pleasantdale Valley, and were constructed between 1880 and 1935. Some businesses that specifically target convenience shoppers are built directly within the Valley.

Pleasantdale Grand Union

Pleasantdale Grand Union

A local franchise of the Grand Union is on the corner of Milton and 16th Street in Pleasantdale Valley, and is popular for its fairly reasonable prices and its Triple S Stamp green stamp program. It is also well known for its mascot, a costumed version of Abraham Lincoln in a deli apron (played by a store employee) who regularly can be seen performing various tasks around the store, talking to customers, handing out free promotional Triple S Stamps on special occasions, and to act as a spokesperson for the Grand Union on local television commercials.

Sam's Barbershop

Sam's Barbershop was originally built by Sam Widdenshaw in 1902, but has passed ownership several times in the past five decades. Despite this, there is an ongoing rumor that mail is still being sent to Sam Widdenshaw at the barbershop's address. Whether he actually receives it there is anyone's guess.

Pleasantdale Elementary School

Pleasantdale Elementary

Pleasantdale Elementary is located in the middle of Pleasantdale Valley, and many children regularly walk to school, although school buses do operate to pick up children that live farther away. There is a fallout shelter established in the building's sub-basement, and children are regularly drilled in how to proceed to the basement in an orderly fashion when the air raid siren sounds, and how to duck and cover in the event of an unexpected nuclear flash.

Pleasantdale High School

Pleasantdale High

Pleasantdale High School has a large parking lot, often populated by the cars of its students as well as its faculty. Lately, the students have been taking to hanging out after school to show off their latest customizations - a habit which annoys the faculty to no end.

The high school is also home to one of the town's public fallout shelters, located in the building's sub-basement. According to the FCDA, it is first on the list to be stocked with federal assistance when granted due to its central location compared to population density. Organizers and faculty are hoping to organize a fundraiser to have it stocked with local goods sooner, just in case.

St. Jude's Catholic Church

St. Jude's Catholic Church was originally founded in 1906, and has a dedicated flock of parishioners, mostly from the Valley region. It holds regular activities, including senior bingo nights, raffles, bake sales, and potlucks, and the head priest, Father Maxwell, gives suckers to the children every Sunday after mass.

Pleasantdale Ridge

These cookie-cutter homes are post-war rapidly built houses that cost $8000 or so to buy; several hundred were built over the past five years thanks to enhanced prosperity following the end of the war.

Pleasantdale University

For Science!

Pleasantdale University is technically located within Pleasantdale Ridge, although it existed in the area before the area was zoned for new housing, and in fact, the area was called University Hill before the housing boom. It is also home to a publicly accessible fallout shelter; the pedestrian tunnels that run under the University connect many of the campus buildings, provide a basic level of protection, and provide access to several underground storage areas, including one that has been cleared and marked specifically for use as a fallout shelter. However, the shelter is not properly ventilated to FCDA standards, and currently stores only some reserve canned supplies originally intended for the dormitory kitchens.

WPLS - Pleasantdale Public Radio Station

WPLS is the town's radio station, and is positioned on Pleasantdale Ridge so as to be in the best position to broadcast throughout the town. WPLS's broadcast schedule allows for a variety of music to play, but is based around popular New York radio shows, as well as classical, jazz, and the new rock and roll music (which is currently being hotly protested by the People of Decency movement).

Harbor District

During the Prohibition era (between 1920 and 1933), the Harbor District expanded significantly, as the number of private fishing vessels and warehouses increased. Whether this is a coincidence or not is anyone's guess.

Dynamic Bearings

Dynamic Bearings was founded in 1923 and manufactures a variety of bearing products. In 1941, Dynamic Bearings became a significant manufacturer of landing gear bearings for military aircraft, and continues to supply them to the aviation industry as well as the automotive industry. It is currently one of the largest employers of female industrial workers in Pleasantdale.

Pleasantdale Water Filtration Plant

Have you ever wondered where all of the unseemly drainings in town go? To the water filtration plant, of course, where they are properly treated and disposed of, while fresh, clean water is pumped to your homes every day. The filtration plant has offered to do bottling projects for large businesses (essentially filling large drums) in the wake of the nuclear scare, but hasn't discussed what businesses have taken them up on it.

Seth Arms and Ammunition

A local importer and salesman of a broad assortment of firearms and ammunition, Rupert Seth is a retired policeman in his mid-fifties who runs the town's most well-known gun store. Having gotten his start walking the Harbor District beat during the Prohibition era, Rupert is well known and well liked by the locals, and his products are of good quality and value. His store has never been successfully robbed - however, he does occasionally gesture vaguely to the bullet hole marks in the wall near the door when asked if anyone's ever tried.

rpg/charloft/worlds/pleasantdale/businesses.txt · Last modified: 2017/06/17 02:41 by 127.0.0.1

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