On Sunday, October 27th, hundreds of slender brunettes made their way to NYC’s Washington Square Park to compete for a unique, but nevertheless coveted victory. The event, informally called The Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Contest, attracted hundreds of Timothée-resembling participants and even more spectators, both IRL and on social media. The pageant was not without chaos: lookalikes were arrested, and Timothée even made a surprise appearance. Despite all this, a victor was crowned (who was not the real Timothée Chalamet, by the way), and similar lookalike competitions started popping up in cities across the country.
After this weekend’s Jeremy Allen White Lookalike Contest in Chicago and ahead of the upcoming Zendaya Lookalike Contest happening in Los Angeles, we got to thinking: if Hoboken or Jersey City had a lookalike contest, what celebrity would it be based on? All of the contests have some geographical connection to the city they’re held in: Timothée Chalamet is from New York City, both The Bear and Shameless take place in Chicago (two shows in which Jeremy Allen White stars), and Zendaya is from Oakland, California. So, without further ado, here are our pitches for lookalike contests in Hoboken and Jersey City.
Disclaimer: The Hoboken Girl is not hosting any lookalike competitions. This article is purely for entertainment purposes.
1. Frank Sinatra (duh)
We’d be remiss not to mention Ol’ Blue Eyes on this list, but Hoboken — ahead of the trends as always — already has an event like this. Every year, the Hoboken Historical Museum hosts its My Way Sinatra Sing-Off, where performers from across the country come to sing their favorite Frank Sinatra song before a panel of judges.
Read More: Jeremy Allen White Spotted in Hoboken
2. Buddy Valastro
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Before he became a household name on TLC, Buddy Valastro was just a Hoboken guy who ran one of the town’s Italian bakeries. We’d love to see locals dressed in their Cake Boss best (and bonus points for anyone who makes a cake).
3. Martha Stewart
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The cultural icon is getting a lot of press for her latest Netflix documentary Martha, but she’s a Jersey Girl through and through. Born right here in Jersey City, Martha Stewart spent the first three years of her life in The Heights. Just imagine the looks a Martha Stewart Lookalike Contest could bring — we’re obsessed already.
4. Queen Latifah
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Born in Newark and raised in East Orange, Dana “Queen Latifah” Owens called Jersey City home for nearly 20 years. During her time here, she launched numerous business ventures, including a video rental store on the first floor of Dixon Mills and an artist management company. There are so many iconic Queen Latifah moments to pull inspo from. While no one can do it quite like the queen, we’d love to see locals try.
5. Joey “Pants” Pantoliano
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Joey “Pants” Pantoliano is a Hoboken native and Emmy award-winning actor. Best known for his roles as Ralphie Cifaretto in The Sopranos or as “Guido the Killer Pimp” in Risky Businesses, Joey has notoriously stolen scenes with his rough-around-the-edges characters. While he now lives in Connecticut, we wouldn’t put it past him to make a surprise appearance at his lookalike competition — in 2022, he took part in a dog rescue at the Tree Barn in Hoboken.
6. Any (or All) RHONJ Cast Members
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While the Real Housewives of New Jersey are from all over the state, the cast has frequently visited Hoboken hot spots like Augustino’s and Dino + Harry’s. Teresa Guidice and Melissa Gorga lookalike contests are kind of a no-brainer — but we’re not opposed to giving the entire cast a chance to find their doppelganger.
7. Bruce Springsteen
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The Boss spent most of his young life in Asbury Park, but in May of 1985, Bruce Springsteen stopped by Hoboken’s iconic music venue Maxwell’s to film part of the music video for “Glory Days,” so we think it counts. Plus, Jeremy Allen White has been all over town as he films the upcoming Springsteen biopic throughout NJ — and since his lookalike contest already happened, Bruce himself seems like a natural next step.
8. Eli Manning
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From 2008 to 2016, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning lived in Hoboken with his wife Abby McGrew at the Hudson Tea Building. Admittedly, an Eli Manning lookalike contest wouldn’t look much different than a football Sunday in Hoboken: hundreds of jersey-clad Giants fans cheering (or yelling) in the streets.
See More: Succession Actor Dagmara Dominczyk Shares a Peek Inside Her Life as a Montclair Resident
Bonus: the Jersey Shore cast
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Yes, it’s overdone. Yes, it’s obvious. But we’ll pursue any and all opportunities to wear cheetah print and matching tracksuits and we think you should, too.
The Jordan in Hoboken Refiles Lawsuit After Dismissal
Rent prices in the Hoboken area have skyrocketed within the past few years, with some neighborhoods charging tenants similar prices to those who live across the Hudson. Such affordability issues have led to a lawsuit surrounding rent control. The parties in this particular suit are The Jordan, a luxury apartment building located at 1200 Clinton Street in Hoboken; the City of Hoboken; and the City's Rent Leveling + Stabilization Board. Read on for details about the outcome of the lawsuit and what this means for tenants of The Jordan in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Updates as of 1/27
According to Hudson County View, The Jordan has refiled its lawsuit in Hudson County Superior Court. Unwilling to accept its status as a rent-controlled property, the re-filing took place just eight days after the federal judge's ruling and 24 hours after the release of Mayor Bhalla and 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen's statement celebrating the court's decision.
Read More: Proposed Plan Looks To Redevelop Hoboken Parking Garage Into Mixed-Use Apartment Building
The lawsuit, which can be found in its entirety at this link, shared by Hudson County View, states that “The Board’s actions and the Resolution stripping The Jordan of its exemption under the Rent Control Exemption law is contrary to law because the decision was arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable as:
a. The Jordan met the only condition precedent to obtaining the exemption under the New Jersey Rent Control Exemption Law;
b. The Board may not limit or impair the Exemption that was properly claimed under the New Jersey rent Control Exemption Law; and
c. The Resolution stripping The Jordan’s exemption is preempted by the Rent Control Exemption Law.”
The Hoboken Girl has team has reached out to The Jordan and this piece will be updated with any further comments.
The Details as of 1/23
Living expenses in New Jersey are 13.9% higher than the national average, according to a report released by GoBankingRates. As many already know, this is no different in Hoboken, where affordability concerns have sparked a legal dispute over rent control between the local government and The Jordan, an apartment building located at 1200 Clinton Street.
On September 13th, 2023, the Rent Leveling + Stabilization Board in Hoboken decided that The Jordan was subject to rent control. This was because the building did not comply with the City of Hoboken’s Municipal Rent Control Ordinance, which among other things, states that tenants must receive sufficient notice that the property they're living in is exempt from rent control or rent leveling. Specifics regarding this ordinance can be found here.
In January 2024, LPF 1200 Clinton Equity, LLC, the owner of The Jordan, filed a lawsuit against the City and the Board contesting the Board’s decision. An Amended Complaint from the owner then followed in April 2024. The City of Hoboken and the board filed a motion to dismiss that complaint.
The issue was essentially left unresolved until January 14th, 2025, when United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey William J. Martini issued an order to dismiss the case, establishing that the property was, in fact, subject to rent control, as the Judge determined that the landlord failed to provide proper notice of the exemption to its tenants.
According to a statement released by the City of Hoboken, the outcome of the case "represents a milestone victory for Hoboken tenants and reinforces the City’s commitment to preserving housing affordability."
Hoboken residents can be assured that the City "will continue to enforce its rent control ordinance to protect the residents of The Jordan," Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla said in the statement. Mayor Bhalla also shared that the City will "continue to aggressively defend against corporate landlord attempts to gauge rents and displace families in our community."
With this rent control ordinance in place and an outcome such as this, Hoboken residents can be hopeful that the Mile Square City is moving toward greater affordability across the board.
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