A week of life in Hoboken + Jersey City means there is plenty of news to catch up on. Among the local headlines: Halal Guys to open two more restaurants in NJ; Jersey City passed an ordinance to approve gender-neutral single-stall bathrooms; Hoboken’s HOP bus service is back, and so much more. Keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Hoboken, Jersey City, + beyond.
Woman Unexpectedly Delivers Baby in Hoboken Apartment
Firefighters responded to a call simply labeled as a “Medical Emergency” on July 1st to find that the patient had just given birth in her apartment, per Tap Into. Captain Matt Markey of Ladder 2 tended to the mother and child until a Jersey City EMS unit arrived. Both mother and child were then taken to an area hospital.
Medical Center Luncheonette Now Open as Cafe Alyce
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Located at 641 Montgomery Street, the old Medical Center Luncheonette has been given new life as the recently renovated Cafe Alyce. The owners Tory Aunspach and Natalie Miniard also own Hooked JC, Jersey Digs reports.
Annual Hoboken Wellness Crawl Coming in September
The Annual Wellness Crawl is scheduled for September 19th in Hoboken. The crawl will feature brick-and-mortar businesses who will be offering an exclusive freebie item for all crawlers, and a giveaway prize for one lucky crawler. The goal of the Hoboken Wellness Crawl is to connect local residents with wellness businesses in Hudson County to celebrate all of the incredible food, fitness, health, and beauty options available in our community. Click here to sign up.
Flash Floods Trap Shoppers in Hoboken
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On Thursday, July 8th, flash flooding in Hoboken temporarily stranded residents at ShopRite off 10th and Madison Streets, Patch reported. With heavy rainfall, Hoboken is notorious for flooding, as residents are well aware, but flash flooding this week changed street conditions in a matter of minutes. Residents entering the store came out to find the entire parking lot flooded with black water.
JSQ Lounge Returns to Journal Square
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As of July 2nd, the JSQ Lounge is open again in Journal Square, according to Jersey Digs. Frank and Sebastian Cupo, the brains behind the operation, aim to create an atmosphere of a “Jersey City bar for Jersey City, by Jersey City”. The lounge is located at 50 Journal Square Plaza.
Play! Hoboken to Host Chess Tournament
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On Sunday, July 18th, Play! Hoboken will host a rapid, over-the-board chess tournament at 11AM. The account @PlayHoboken announced the event this week via Instagram. All ages and skill levels are welcome, click here to register.
‘Food God’ Stops in at Tony Boloney’s
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Johnathan Cheban, better known as the ‘Food God’ stopped in at Tony Baloney’s in Hoboken this week to try a few slices. The post reads, “Who else likes their cheese 🧀 PIZZA🍕 EXTRA WELL DONE??? Let it Burn🔥 🔥” The pizza featured in the video is literally set on fire to get that final crispy touch.
Bruce Springsteen’s Daughter to Join US Olympic Team
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On Monday, July 5th, Jessica Springsteen (daughter of Bruce Springsteen) was named to the US Olympic show jumping team, according to NJ.com. “My dream is always to represent the United States in championships, so I am definitely always working toward that,” Springsteen, said earlier this year. “I feel like I have a really good group of horses jumping great right now, so I will just keep doing my best.”
Eminent Domain Could Turn Sixth Street Embankment into Public Park
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The Jersey City planning board recently performed a study which showed “a lawful basis exists for declaring” one segment of the Sixth Street embankment land a “condemnation area in need of redevelopment”, while the rest qualified as a “non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment”, per NJ.com. This means it’s possible the city could use eminent domain to possess the land and redevelop it, most likely into a public park.
Local Foodie Featured on The Infatuation
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Local foodie and activist Megan Ixim has been featured in an article on The Infatuation, talking about her life and work. She announced via Instagram this week, “Well this might be one of the proudest moments of my life. Happily featured today on (The Infatuation) talking about my life, my work, and my favorite local #jerseycity food. So glad to be able to talk about and highlight one of my passions about my local city, and yes I’m on the front page of google news 😂❤️”
Two Crepes Closing Jersey City Location
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Two Crepes announced via Instagram that it will be closing the Jersey City location at 276 1st Street to focus on the Union City shop. The post read, “We will miss our Jersey City family! But we are still open at our Union City location, where we are putting all of our focus on!”
FiveBelow Coming to Newport
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This week JC Families announced via Instagram that a FiveBelow will be taking over the retail space previously rented by Pier1 Imports in Newport. The post said, “Attention JC Residents! 📢 Looks like a @fivebelow is coming soon to the former spot of Pier 1 Imports at 125 18th St in the Newport Plaza.”
Community Holds Vigil in Honor of Mac the Goldendoodle
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Following the tragic story of the loss of one of Hoboken’s furry friends, the community came together to show love and support. The event was announced via Instagram, “The Hoboken dog community sends its deepest condolences to Mac and his owner. We are holding a candlelight vigil in honor of Mac.” The vigil was held on Friday at Church Square Park.
Land Acquired for Temporary Pop-Up Park
Local officials announced the acquisition of Block 1 in southwest Hoboken for community use, per the city website. When completed, the park will incorporate a playground, shade structures, picnic tables, a basketball court, pickleball courts, community gardens and additional programmable space.
Western Edge Redevelopment Plan to Rework Building Height
Following an agreement in 2020, the City of Hoboken is continuing its negotiation with Pegasus Partners regarding the redevelopment of the northwestern area of Hoboken, according to NJ.com. The issue at hand is building height, and certain stipulations were put into place originally to grant the initial plan. Part of the original agreement included $3 million for the community center and pool, 17 affordable housing units for homeless veterans, a plaza-esque 5,234-square-foot space, and a stormwater management system that could hold up to 165,000 gallons of rainwater.
Hoboken Girl Chosen to Attend Prestigious USA Hockey Camp
Hoboken High School student Gabriela Gross will attend hockey camp at Herb Brooks Hockey Center in St. Paul, Minnesota this month, per NJ.com. Gross will be one of 215 girls to attend camp, who were chosen as the best of the nation in the sport. The camp is run by USA Hockey and will include on-ice and off-ice training. Participants will improve skills through drills, games, strength and conditioning, team building, nutrition, and classroom training.
Jersey City Sinkhole Causes Closures
On Saturday, July 3rd, a sinkhole in Jersey City caused a partial road closure at West Side and Clendenny Avenues, per NJ.com. The hole was about 6 feet deep, and repairs continued through the weekend. The sinkhole appears to be the result of recent heavy rainstorms.
New Building Safety Legislation Introduced
In response to the recent Florida condo collapse at the end of last month, Jersey City Mayor Fulop introduced new legislation to the city council intended to strengthen and protect local buildings, according to Patch. The new mandates will require ongoing facade inspections every five years and structural inspections every ten years.
Halal Guys to Open 2 More Restaurants in NJ
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The Halal Guys, best known for its halal platters, is a franchise opening two New Jersey restaurants this year, according to NJ.com. These new restaurants will bring their total up to seven locations in New Jersey. The new locations will be in Fort Lee and Lawrence Township.
New Historical Museum Comes From Jersey City’s Apple Tree House
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Jersey City’s Apple Tree House in Journal Square will be the home of a new historical museum, per Patch. The house had a role in the Revolutionary War-it’s the reported site of a historic war meeting between George Washington and France’s Marquis de Lafayette. The city is in the process of moving offices out of the building to make way for the museum process.
Preventing Hot-Car Deaths in New Jersey
From 1998 to 2020, New Jersey totaled 14 hot car deaths among children 14 years old or younger, Patch reports. New Jersey ranks 19th in child hot-car deaths per capita. A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s. To avoid hot-car deaths, never leave children in a vehicle unattended, make a habit to check your entire vehicle, and store car keys out of a child’s reach, among other tips.
Jersey City Portion of Morris Canal Greenway Plans Continue Advancing
The Greenway project is advancing in Jersey City, partly because of a federal grant awarded to the city last year, according to Tap Into. The city council approved work on the first of four construction phases for the pathway in Jersey City. This portion is expected to become part of a 102-mile Morris Canal Greenway for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Jersey City Single-Stall Bathrooms Will Be Gender Neutral
Last week, the Jersey City Municipal Council approved the ordinance making all single-stall bathrooms in the city gender-neutral, per Patch. This ordinance comes in an effort to make Jersey City more inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community. Under the new ordinance, businesses with single-stall bathrooms have sixty days from the ordinance taking effect to change the signage on bathroom doors to reflect gender-neutral bathrooms.
Hudson County Residents Split on Remote Working
Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed improvement for June employment, but residents are split on whether they want to go back to the office, NJ.com reported. Some residents can’t wait to get back into the office, while others would rather do anything than go back. 57 percent of Americans would prefer to work from home, according to a June poll.
Hoboken Mayor Says Friday’s Flooding Was Another ‘50-year Storm’
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Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s office said the Friday flooding was considered another “50-year storm,” like the two rainstorms that flooded the city in July 2020, according to Patch. These kinds of storms should theoretically only be happening once every 50 years. The city of Hoboken and Hudson County Office of Emergency Management warned residents of the flash flood.
New Jersey Reports Zero COVID Deaths
On July 6, New Jersey reported no newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths for the first time in nearly 16 months, NJ.com reports. The last time the state didn’t report at least one newly confirmed COVID-19 fatality was March 17, 2020. New Jersey reported another 145 confirmed cases and had fewer than 300 COVID patients hospitalized statewide for the fourth straight day.
Hobokenhenge Seems to Arrive Before Manhattanhenge
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Several times a year, the sun aligns with the street grids of Hoboken and Manhattan, creating a rush for photographers to capture that picture-perfect moment. This year, July 6th brought a sunset where the sun didn’t fully align with Hoboken’s grid, but it got close, Patch reports. Manhattanhenge is predicted to be July 12th and 13th around 8:30 p.m.
Record Fundraising for Statewide Primary Election
Last month’s legislative New Jersey primary saw record fundraising by candidates statewide in a primary, NJ Spotlight reports. Candidates took in more than $37.4M, which is the third-highest total ever (adjusting for inflation). Candidates spent almost $26.8M, leaving about $10.5M in their campaign accounts.
New Jerseyans to Receive $500 Rebate Check
Hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans are expected to receive a rebate check of up to $500 from the state, according to NJ.com. This check comes as part of a deal Murphy cut to institute a millionaires tax.
Murphy Signs ‘Cover All Kids’ Bill
Last Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy privately signed a bill that eliminates waiting periods and out-of-pocket costs for most families, per NJ Spotlight. Murphy announced his intention to expand New Jersey’s Medicaid program as part of his budget address in February, calling it his “cover all kids” pledge, focusing on undocumented children. The changes to Medicaid will benefit tens of thousands of low-income families, but it’s not clear how much it will truly help immigrant children.
Potential New Driving Law to Increase Pedestrian Safety
A new law could take effect soon in New Jersey forcing drivers to be more careful when passing a pedestrian or biker in the street, NJ 101.5 reports. A package of bills approved by the legislature and sent to Governor Murphy’s desk would require drivers to change lanes or leave at least 4 feet between them and the pedestrian or biker.
All About the Party With Purpose 5k Race in Hoboken
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Party With Purpose was founded nearly twenty years ago after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. Just like millions across the country, founder Scott Delea knew he needed to do something bigger in his community. Scott had recently made Hoboken his home and, after getting involved in a tutoring volunteer opportunity, he wanted to continue his impact. Thus, Party With Purpose (PWP) was born. We had a chance to connect with Scott and the recently elected President, Nicole Rocanello, to learn more about the organization, its mission, and the upcoming 5K race and after-party fundraiser. Click here to learn more about Party With Purpose and its upcoming events.
Hoboken’s Hop Shuttle is Back: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
The Hop shuttle in Hoboken is a great way to inexpensively commute around the Mile Square. Residents of uptown and downtown Hoboken are united in their lack of knowing where to “hop” onto the Hop, as well as where the journey will take them, so we’re here to give you some information that should make your next ride through town a little easier. Starting July 6th, residents will be able to use the free Hop bus system, with all routes back! Masks are required. Click here to find out how to navigate the Hop in Hoboken.
New Hoboken Specialty Coffee Shop Opening Soon
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A new specialty coffee shop is coming to Hoboken in the form of Pour Amor, per Jersey Digs. Formerly home to Empanadas Cafe, 123 Washington Street will be the new home of Pour Amor. The upcoming business describes their shop as serving “specialty coffees from around the world.”
