It seems the heat spell of Summer broke this week and Hudson County was finally able to enjoy slightly cooler weather. But before pumpkin spice season hits, we’re back with another round of summer news you might have missed when it comes to the goings on in Hoboken + Jersey City. Catch up on all there is to know, including the following headlines: a study shows New Jersey is the 2nd best state to live in; NBA All-Star Anthony Davis visits Hoboken Boys + Girls Club; New Jersey drops regular COVID-19 testing mandate for unvaccinated workers; and so much more. Keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Hoboken, Jersey City, + beyond.
A Person Was Struck By the PATH Train Thursday 8/18
A person was struck by the PATH Train in Hoboken on the morning of August 18th. Sources at the scene shared with The Hoboken Girl that a woman jumped onto the tracks and got hit by the oncoming train on the WTC side. Police and emergency medical services were notified immediately and arrived to help, and the woman was then taken to the hospital, per Tapinto. PATH service in Hoboken was briefly suspended before resuming again midday Thursday. Click here for everything we know.
Alfalfa is Officially Expanding to Jersey City
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After teasing big news on Instagram, the reveal is here: Alfalfa is expanding to Jersey City. This beloved salad, coffee, and gluten-free doughnut shop, which started as a local farmers’ market stand, first opened a storefront in Hoboken in early 2019. Two years later, the team expanded across the country and opened on the West Coast in Santa Monica, California. Now, Alfalfa is aiming to open up in Jersey City sometime this winter. While the exact address is a surprise (Alfalfa sure knows how to keep us on our toes!), the team told Hoboken Girl that it will be located in the Powerhouse Arts District near St. Peter’s Prep — which is actually the co-founders’ alma mater. As big Alfalfa fans, we were thrilled to hear this news. Click here to read about Alfalfa’s expansion into Jersey City, expected to open up sometime this winter.
Chambord Redevelopment is Underway — But an Asbestos Removal Truck Sparked Local Uncertainty
A massive, two-day fire in December 2021 destroyed the Chambord Building, located at 38 Jackson Street in Hoboken. Several local businesses were displaced, and sadly, two people died. According to Patch, the space is being torn down for redevelopment which will bring a supermarket, commercial space, and 123 residential units to the building — but neighbors were quick to spot an asbestos removal truck outside the building this week and started asking if the appropriate safety precautions were being taken. Click here for the latest on future plans for the property and what’s happening with the supposed asbestos situation.
Hoboken Resident Miss NJ to Compete for Miss USA
A born and raised Jersey Girl and first-generation American, Alexandra Lakhman, will be competing in the upcoming Miss USA competition. Voting is now open to the public for the contestants representing each of the 50 states. The event will be held on Monday, October 3rd, at the Grand Sierra Resort + Casino in Reno, Nevada.
Trailer for The Greatest Beer Run Ever Shot in Hudson County Released
Bill Murray was previously spotted in North Bergen on the morning of November 5th — and he was just one of a handful of A-list actors, including Zac Efron and Russell Crowe, who were previously filming locally and slated to be involved with the production of the film, The Greatest Beer Run Ever. The film is directed by Academy-Award-winning Peter Farrelly, famous for comedies and dramas such as Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, and Green Book. Now, the trailer for The Greatest Beer Run Ever has officially dropped. Click here for everything we know.
Veteran Umpire Heads to Little League World Series
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Veteran umpire Rich Ranalli has been umping off and on for 40 years in Jersey City and now he’s headed to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. According to NJ.com, Rich has worked more than 1,000 games and the process to be selected for the World Series games isn’t easy. After working a district tournament, section tournament, state tournament, and regional tournament, the individual is evaluated to be considered for the World Series.
Hudson Montessori School Gifts 250 Tree Saplings to Fire-Damaged Forests in Nevada
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As a result of Hudson Montessori School’s 13th Annual Social Studies Fair, a grove of 250 saplings will be planted to help fire damaged forests in Nevada, per NJ.com. Wildfires destroyed more than 1.5 million acres of the Sierra Nevada National Forest in 2021. The school is donating the saplings though A Living Tribute which partners with American Forests and the National Forest Foundation.
Despite Opposition, Governor Murphy Still Supports Widening the NJ Turnpike
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Both Hoboken and Jersey City officials have recently spoken out against a $4.7 billion project to widen the New Jersey Turnpike between exits 14A and 14C in Jersey City, an area that feeds into the Holland Tunnel. Governor Phil Murphy has called for the updates to help repair damage, while opponents say this construction will cause pollution, traffic congestion, and further problems. Despite vocal public opposition to this project, Governor Murphy recently commented that he’s still in favor of the plan. Click here for what we know about the public opposition to the widening of the New Jersey Turnpike.
Construction on the Resiliency Park at 800 Monroe Street Will Restrict Parking
Hoboken is getting a new resiliency park, which will be located at 800 Monroe Street. This will be the City’s fourth resiliency park. In order to prepare the space to begin building the park, construction is needed to destroy the former groundwater treatment infrastructure on the site and then install a clean stone cap as an engineering control, which helps to protect the workers. This construction, which began on August 15th, is expected to run through mid-September and will temporarily restrict parking during the work day (8AM to 6PM) in this period. Locals have been notified via an email from Reliance Property Management Group (on behalf of Metro Stop Condominium Association, Inc.) that parking between 9th Street and the site entrance on both sides of Monroe Street will be restricted due to the construction. Click here for what we know.
How to Safely Kill the Spotted Lanternfly
Despite their colorful exteriors, the red-and-black adult spotted lanternflies residents see throughout Hudson County are not welcome visitors. The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect species that doesn’t hurt humans or animals, but is extremely harmful to plants and trees. Given that New Jersey is known as The Garden State for a reason, it’s important to protect both the beauty offered by the state’s abundant flora as well as the agricultural businesses that help the state thrive — which means killing these invasive pests whenever you can. We’ve compiled some tips and tricks to help get rid of these bugs safely. Click here to read about how to safely kill lanternflies.
Cavany Foods Hosted Grand Opening This Week in JC
Cavany Foods, a gourmet meals food supplier, has opened its first brick and mortar at 235 Grand Street, Jersey City. Serving downtown locals and residents at 235 Grand apartments, Cavany may look like a quick pick-me-up marketplace and coffee shop, but there’s a whole lot more: plenty of seating, delivered meal plan options, early and later hours, room service — the list goes on. Cavany Foods officially held its grand opening on August 16th. Click here to learn more about Cavany Foods, new to Jersey City.
New Jersey is the 2nd Best State to Live in, According to this Study
Residents of New Jersey are well aware that we live in a wonderful state — despite all the unwarranted hate the Garden State gets. For all the NJ haters out there, a new WalletHub study has proven yet again that Jersey is the best kept secret on the East Coast. The new 2022 list of the best US states, which came out on August 15th, ranked New Jersey as the 2nd best state to live in — beating out New York, which came in 3rd. The study looked at factors such as affordability, education and health, safety, the economy, and quality of life, with 52 indicators of livability across those categories. FWIW, Jersey City was also recently deemed by Lawn Love to be the 11th worst city for surviving a zombie apocalypse. The more you know. Click here to read about why WalletHub listed New Jersey as the 2nd best state to live in (considering non-zombie factors).
Bar Crawl LIVE! to Host Hoboken’s 7th Annual Halloween Bar Crawl
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On Saturday, October 22nd and Saturday, October 29th, Hoboken’s 7th annual Halloween Bar Crawl will kick off at 3PM. The event includes cover-free, full access tickets to all of the top-rated venues in Hoboken. Each venue will feature local DJs, discounted themed drinks + food specials, all accessed with the help of an easy-to-navigate digital bar list.
NBA All-Star Anthony Davis Visits Hoboken Boys + Girls Club
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On Thursday, August 11th, NBA All-Star Anthony Davis visited the Boys + Girls Club, per What Hoboken Sounds Like. The post reads, “Today @therealmarq003 and so many young children had the pleasure of meeting eight-time NBA All-Star, NBA Champion and Lakers power forward and center Anthony Davis as he visited Hoboken’s Boys & Girls club. Davis also did a show with the kids in attendance, what a great experience for the youth of our city.”
Hoboken Startup Happy Box Makes Inc. 5,000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies
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Hoboken-based startup Happy Box has made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies. Coming in at #53, this woman-owned business provides easy-to-order customizable gift boxes. There is a box for everyone at Happy Box, whether you’re celebrating a new mom, a birthday, or sending sunshine to a sick friend.
Hoboken Montessori School Expands with 4 New Classrooms
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Hoboken Montessori, located at 148 14th Street in Hoboken, is expanding into additional space — which will provide four new classrooms. Founded by a Hoboken parent, HMS is a non-sectarian early childhood school designed to nurture a child’s inherent love of learning. Guided by Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy, the program is taught by teachers who have been specially trained and certified in Montessori education.
New Jersey Drops Testing Mandate for Unvaccinated Residents
As of Monday, August 15th, unvaccinated school employees, child care staff, and state contractors in New Jersey no longer need to submit to regular testing for COVID-19, per Patch. The order applies immediately to school districts, child care settings, and to state contractors beginning Thursday, September 1st. Employers in these sectors can still maintain a vaccination or testing policy as they see fit going forward but will not be required to by the state.
Hudson + Bergen Counties Host Candlelight Vigil for Overdose Awareness
In honor of International Overdose Awareness Month, Hudson + Bergen Counties hosted a candlelight vigil and memorial walk on Wednesday, August 17th. According to NJ.com, the event was organized in conjunction with the state Attorney General’s Office’s Operation Helping Hand. The goal of Operation Helping Hand is to educate the public about the opioid epidemic, offer addiction and recovery resources, and help end the stigma associated with overdose deaths.
Local Officials to Fight Anticipated NYC Congestion Charge
According to NJ.com, New Jersey officials have vowed to fight the recently announced congestion charge which would include tolls to out-of-state drivers driving south of 60th Street in Manhattan. Environmental assessments, released this week by the MTA, came up with seven toll scenarios — including one where drivers could receive credits toward the $23 toll if they use the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln tunnel, or Holland tunnel.
Hudson County High School Basketball Star Dies at 90
A Hudson County basketball legend died on Friday, August 12th at age 90. According to NJ.com, Togo Palazzi was one of the best high school basketball players in Hudson County history. Originally from Union City, Togo was the star of the Union Hill High School basketball team. He later attended Holy Cross University in Massachusetts. He finished his career with 1,633 points, 1,086 rebounds, and a 20.4 points per game average.
Tickets, Suspensions, Court No-Shows: The Driving Record of JC Councilwoman Amy DeGise
Following a hit-and-run incident in July, Jersey City Councilwoman Amy DeGise has been in the spotlight quite a bit. According to NJ.com, her driving record includes four accidents, dozens of parking tickets, two license suspensions, and numerous warnings from the MVC to suspend it again. At the time of the hit-and-run accident, court documents showed Councilwoman DeGise had nine outstanding tickets for various parking violations around Hudson County.
In response to a petition calling for her resignation, DeGise has said she will not resign. According to Patch, DeGise addressed an overflowing crowd in a Jersey City meeting this week, saying she will release more of the facts regarding the July accident but cannot currently due to the pending court case.
Silk Lofts Tower Will Be Bayonne’s Tallest Tower
The Planning Board of Bayonne recently approved plans for the final phase of the new Silk Lofts buildings, located at 134-136, 138, and 140 Avenue E. According to Jersey Digs, the new tower will be Bayonne’s tallest, topping out at 230 feet. The 18-story building will house 24 studios, 118 one-bedroom apartments, and 108 two-bedroom apartments.
NJ Transit Receives $44M to Renovate Union City Bus Garage
According to NJ.com, NJ Transit is slated to receive $44 million to tear down a decommissioned Union City bus garage and build a new facility equipped to service electric buses. These funds are part of 150 Federal Transit Administration grants which total $1.6 billion.
$140 Hoboken Sweatshirt Sold Out at Urban Outfitters
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Urban Outfitters recently started selling a $140 sweatshirt with “Hoboken” written in red, as part of the Y2K Fashion trend, per Patch. The trend highlights the nostalgia surrounding clothing from the late 90s and early 2000s. The seemingly random shout out to Hoboken is allegedly due to a few factors which made the Mile Square a destination, including basketball Kris Humphries bringing Kim Kardashian here in 2010 and the stars of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” moving to the area around then as well. The sweatshirt was sold out as of Tuesday.
Hoboken Planning Board to Review Controversial Dispensary in September Meeting
A controversial application for a new uptown cannabis dispensary will be heard by the Hoboken Planning Board in mid September, according to Patch. It was the understanding of many, 1,786 of whom have signed a petition, that the space in question would be taken over by a physical therapy practice. When the practice moved in across the street, the community got involved, saying the switch to a cannabis dispensary would negatively impact the businesses already established. According to NJ.com, its possible the condominium association for the 14th Street and Hudson Street buildings may sue the dispensary applicants again.
Hoboken Wins Appeal Against Big Oil in State Court Climate Case
On Wednesday, August 17, the City of Hoboken announced it won an appeal to have its climate litigation case heard in New Jersey State court as originally filed. The City of Hoboken filed a lawsuit in 2020 as Hudson County against Exxon Mobil and other Big Oil companies, and the American Petroleum Institute for a decades-long campaign of misinformation related to climate change and its devastating impact on Hoboken.
Saint Peter’s University to Provide Enhanced Veteran Programming
Saint Peter’s University announced it will provide local veterans with additional services in collaboration with the Jersey City Department of Health + Human Services Division of Veterans Affairs, per NJ.com. Services will include hosting Jersey City’s annual Veterans Day celebration, programming, and monthly events throughout the year.
NYC’s Carnegie Diner + Cafe Now Open in Secaucus
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Carnegie Diner & Café is now open in Secaucus following grand opening events this week, according to Jersey Digs. The restaurant’s flagship location is just steps away from Carnegie Hall in New York City. The new outpost of the contemporary diner is located in the Harmon Meadow shopping center at 700 Plaza Drive in Secaucus.
Hoboken Hilton Waterfront Land Deal Finalized
After several years in the making, a recent land deal has been finalized for the proposed Hilton Hotel on the Hoboken waterfront, per Jersey Digs. Philadelphia-based KMS Development Partners unveiled plans for the 20-story Hilton hotel in 2016. Approval was granted the following year but lawsuits over the proposed land agreement held things up. The new pact includes $3.2 million to go towards infrastructure improvements.
Puerto Rican Day Parade Happening This Weekend in Jersey City
Jersey City will be out in droves on Sunday, August 21st, celebrating Puerto Rican Day, per Tap Into. Festivities include a parade followed by live music, food, games, and food trucks. The celebration will take place on Christopher Columbus Drive between Marin Boulevard and Warren Street in Jersey City.
