It’s been a rainy and busy week here in Hudson County, ending with an earthquake. We’ve got all the headlines to get you caught up. Among the local news: various film crews continue work in Jersey City and Hoboken, NYC-bound PATH trains began to skip Grove Street Station this weekend, and as some local restaurants close, new ones are slated to open in Jersey City and Hoboken. Keep reading for all the news in Hoboken + Jersey City for the week ending on April 7th, 2024.
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Among the Headlines (read on for the full stories):
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- Hoboken Mutzfest Returns for 2024
- Jersey Social Closing
- Lady G Food Truck Owners Opening Restaurant in Jersey City
- New Art Installation Comes to Jersey City Waterfront
- Terrace by Alessio’s Opening in Hoboken This Spring
- NYC-Bound Path Trains Skipping Grove Street Station on Weekends Until End of June
- Hoboken Preliminary Municipal Budget for 2024 Fiscal Year Voted Down by City Council
- New Tattoo Shop Opens in Hoboken for First Time in Over 25 Years
- An Earthquake Struck New Jersey Friday Morning
- Hoboken Girl Sandwich Now a Permanent Fixture on Alessio’s Menu, $2k Raised for York Street Project
Former Hoboken Interior Designer Opens Home Decor Boutique in Cranford
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A former Hoboken girl is setting up shop in Cranford. Beginning in April, the doors will open to Tiffany Piñero’s home accessory and decor boutique at 4 Centennial Avenue. Tiffany will apply the same style and expertise she used to design homes and businesses in Hoboken to curate the offerings at Tiffany Piñero Style Co. Shoppe. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Friday, April 12th, 2024 at noon.
Jeremy Allen White First in Line to Play Bruce Springsteen in Forthcoming Film
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An upcoming biopic based on the life of New Jersey music legend Bruce Springsteen may star The Bear actor Jeremy Allen White as the lead, as reported by Deadline. Produced by A24 and loosely titled The Road to Nowhere, the film will follow Springsteen’s journey as he created his 1982 album, Nebraska. It is still in the early stages of development. Find out all the details we know here.
Hoboken Mutzfest Returns for 2024
The Mile Square’s beloved local mozzarella cheese festival, Hoboken Mutzfest, is returning this April. The event will take place on Saturday, April 28th at the 14th Street Viaduct Park in Uptown Hoboken. Proceeds from Mutzfest 2024 will be designated to the Hoboken Bike Camp for individuals with disabilities and the Hoboken Family Alliance, as well as other local community initiatives. For more details and information on where to buy tickets, click here.
No Joke: 1000-Drone Show Over Hoboken-Weehawken Waterfront Occurred on April 1st
What may have seemed like an April Fool’s prank actually happened on Monday, April 1st: 1000 drones flew over the Weehawken and Hoboken waterfronts. The choreographed display was meant to celebrate and promote the new corporate structure of General Electric. Read more about the event here.
Playa Bowls Makes Debut in JC
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New Jersey-founded chain Playa Bowls officially opened the doors to its first Jersey City location last Saturday. Those craving a smoothie, juice, or acai bowl can now visit Playa Bowls’ 2720 John F. Kennedy Boulevard location. Find more info here.
In Remembrance of Danielle Koppenaal, Hudson County Resident + Co-Host of Cancer Chats Podcast
Photo Credit: @cancer_chats
It is with great sadness that we report Danielle Koppenaal, Jersey City resident and co-host of the Cancer Chats Podcast, lost her battle with stage four colon cancer. The 29-year-old Hudson County resident was diagnosed in 2023. After receiving her diagnosis, Danielle started the Cancer Chats podcast with her friend and co-host, Bevin O’Brien, to spread awareness of the disease’s impact on 20- and 30-year-olds. In honor of Danielle’s memory, you can read more about her life and the impact of her efforts here.
Hoboken Literary Festival Happening This Weekend
Local bibliophiles can immerse themselves in books and author events this weekend at the Hoboken Literary Festival. Little City Books will host the festival at their Hoboken storefront on 100 Bloomfield Street. Events began on Friday at 7PM and run through Sunday evening. Literary heavyweight Joyce Carol Oates is amongst the stacked lineup. Click here for more information on the Hoboken Literary Festival and where to buy tickets.
Jersey Social Closing
After five years in business, local Jersey City haunt, Jersey Social, closed permanently on Saturday, March 30th. The news was made public via a sign on the door of its storefront located at 837 Jersey Avenue in the Cast Iron Lofts. For now, Jersey City locals won’t be able to order wings or attend trivia nights there, but a source told The Hoboken Girl that Jersey Social could return as a new concept in the future. Learn more here.
Uptown Pizzeria in Hoboken Reportedly Closed
A source close to Uptown Pizzeria confirmed what HG readers had observed this week: Uptown Pizzeria, located at 54 14th Street in Hoboken, has closed. A paper trail from different city departments within Hoboken seem to also point to a closure. Click here for everything we know.
Lady G Food Truck Owners Opening Restaurant in Jersey City
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The team behind a popular New Jersey food truck, beloved for its handmade empanadas, will soon be making a permanent home with a restaurant storefront in Jersey City. Lady G Bar + Grill will be located at 269 Ocean Avenue in the Greenville neighborhood of Jersey City. Per Jersey Digs, signage has already gone up for the new restaurant. Soon, residents will be able to enjoy fresh empanadas made daily with fillings such as jerk chicken, mac and cheese, lump crabmeat, and more.
A Complete Unknown, Film Starring Timothee Chalamet, Casting NJ Locals as Extras
Photo Credit: @gc_booking
Hoboken and Jersey City locals have probably noticed an uptick in the filming of movies and television shows in their neighborhoods. Now, they could become a part of the cast themselves. After film crews for the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown starring Timothee Chalamet were spotted last week at Jersey City’s Miss America Diner, NJ.com reported that a casting director for the film is looking to cast local extras for scenes filming in Cape May at the Jersey Shore. Click here for more information on filming happening in Hudson County this month.
New Art Installation Comes to Jersey City Waterfront
Step aside Manhattan skyline: the Jersey City waterfront just got a lot more interesting to look at. A new art installation entitled Of Many Minds consists of 15 sculptures along the waterfront between the Exchange Place Path Station and Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal. Commuters walking along the waterfront may notice some new faces looking back at them — each sculpture is a face with a different presentation. Click here for more information on the exhibit.
Terrace by Alessio’s Opening in Hoboken This Spring
Photo Credit: Luca Infanto
The team behind many locals’ favorite chicken Caesar wrap is opening a new restaurant in Uptown Hoboken this spring. Terrace by Alessio’s will have indoor and outdoor seating and will be located at 1201 Madison Street near the Northwest Resiliency Park. The menu will share a similar vibe to Alessio’s — serving up brunch, pizza, and gelato — but the dinner menu will differ. We chatted with the owner to get the scoop. Find out all the details here.
City Hall in Jersey City Evacuated Due to Bomb Threat
A bomb threat called into Jersey City’s City Hall last week led to an evacuation of the entire building. Police, firefighters, and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene around approximately 2PM. According to NJ.com, K-9 units did a sweep of the building and workers were allowed to return to their desks by 2:45PM.
Ukrainian Jersey City Residents Band Together to Send Supplies Home
Since the war in Ukraine broke out two years ago, local Ukrainians have bonded over their efforts to support relatives and countrymen back home. Jersey City residents of Ukrainian descent began meeting during the pandemic in 2020 as a way to stay connected to their heritage and connect during the isolating time of lockdowns. The purpose of their meetings, however, massively shifted when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, per Jersey City Times. Now, Ukrainian JC, a nonprofit, organizes collecting monetary donations, medicine, and medical equipment such as ambulances to send to the frontlines.
NYC-Bound Path Trains Skipping Grove Street Station on Weekends Until End of June
NYC-bound PATH trains will now skip Grove Street Station as of Saturday, April 6th. The interruption to service will continue until Sunday, June 30th, 2024 while work is completed on $16.7 million worth of improvement projects. Riders can expect fresh paint, new lighting, and updated flooring once regular service resumes. For more information on the modified schedule, including free on-call shuttle service for the ADA community, click here.
ShopRite of Hoboken Employees Receive Recognition on Special Edition Cheerios Cereal Boxes
Photo Credit: ShopRite of Hoboken
Last week an unveiling ceremony held in-store honored Hoboken ShopRite employees who helped raise $5,000 for hunger-fighting efforts. The employees will be featured on a special-edition Cheerios box alongside associates from other ShopRite stories to recognize their successful fundraising efforts for hunger relief initiatives. The proceeds will be donated to local nonprofits in support of the cause.
Hoboken Preliminary Municipal Budget for 2024 Fiscal Year Voted Down by City Council
On Wednesday, shortly after the Hoboken administration introduced a preliminary municipal budget for the 2024 fiscal year, the city council voted to reject it in a 5-4 vote. The preliminary budget included a 5.9% tax rate increase. Council members expressed frustration at not having enough time to review the budget before the vote, per Tap Into Hoboken.
Jersey City Singer-Songwriter Releases Debut Single
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Jersey City musician Marc Del Giudice held a release party on Friday for his debut single Daylight Hours. Other local emerging artists were in attendance as well. Del Giudice has headlined his fair share of shows over the years at Jersey City’s Art House, as well as at Brooklyn venues, per NJ.com. The singer-songwriter has an upcoming show at Fox + Crow, located at 594 Palisade Avenue, in Jersey City on Saturday, April 20th. Find out more info and follow along with Del Giudice’s journey here.
New Tattoo Shop Opens in Hoboken for First Time in Over 25 Years
Hachiko Tattoo is the first tattoo shop to open in Hoboken since a 1998 tattoo parlor ban was voided last year. Hachiko Tattoo owner Mark Harada has over 30 years of inking experience. The studio, located at 1 Newark Street in Hoboken, provides custom tattoos in an intimate, one-on-one environment. Find out more info here.
An Earthquake Struck New Jersey Friday Morning
Photo Credit: U.S. Geological Survey
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck New Jersey on Friday morning — with tremors felt from Hudson County to the Jersey Shore to Philadelphia and New York. Jersey residents began to feel the quakes around 10:25AM. An alert sent out at 10:49AM by the city of Hoboken assured residents that officials were continuing to monitor the situation by checking on hospitals, nursing homes, and other vital infrastructure. All the information we know can be found here.
Hoboken Girl Sandwich Now a Permanent Fixture on Alessio’s Menu, $2k Raised for York Street Project
Photo Credit: Hannah Taub
Last week we reported that it was readers’ last chance to try The Hoboken Girl sandwich at Alessio’s. This week we are happy to report that The Hoboken Girl sandwich is now a permanent part of Alessio’s menu at their 539 Park Avenue in Hoboken + 99 Franklin Street in Jersey City locations. After selling almost 2000 sandwiches in the month of March, HG will be donating $1,953 to the York Street Project. Read more about the continued collaboration here.
