d ▁Sh ip y ards ), ▁offering ▁classes ▁and ▁other ▁in cent ives ▁to ▁them . ▁Though ▁some ▁returning ▁service ▁men ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁G I ▁housing ▁b ills , ▁many ▁with ▁strong ▁eth nic ▁and ▁famil ial ▁t ies ▁chose ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁town . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁the ▁economy ▁was ▁still ▁driven ▁by ▁Tod d ▁Sh ip y ards , ▁Max well ▁House , ▁Li pton ▁Te a , ▁Host ess ▁and ▁Beth le hem ▁Ste el ▁and ▁companies ▁with ▁big ▁plants ▁were ▁still ▁not ▁incl ined ▁to ▁invest ▁in ▁huge ▁infrastr ucture ▁elsewhere . ▁Un ions ▁were ▁powerful ▁and ▁the ▁pay ▁was ▁good . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁though , ▁things ▁began ▁to ▁d eter ior ate : ▁turn - of - the ▁century ▁housing ▁started ▁to ▁look ▁sh ab by ▁and ▁feel ▁crow ded , ▁ship building ▁was ▁che aper ▁over se as , ▁and ▁single - story ▁plants ▁surrounded ▁by ▁par king ▁lots ▁made ▁manufact uring ▁and ▁distribution ▁more ▁econom ical ▁than ▁old ▁brick ▁buildings ▁on ▁con g ested ▁urban ▁streets . ▁The ▁city ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁the ▁thro es ▁of ▁in ex or able ▁decl ine ▁as ▁indust ries ▁sought ▁( what ▁had ▁been ) ▁gre ener ▁past ures , ▁port ▁operations ▁shift ed ▁to ▁larger ▁facilities ▁on ▁New ark ▁Bay , ▁and ▁the ▁car , ▁tr uck ▁and ▁plane ▁disp la ced ▁the ▁rail road ▁and ▁ship ▁as ▁the ▁transport ation ▁modes ▁of