Lots of news happened this week, per usual. Among the headlines — the top Hoboken and Jersey City news stories include Court Street closing as a COVID precaution, Hoboken deer spotting, Battlecat Espresso bar is popping up in Hoboken, + so much more — keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Hoboken, Jersey City, + beyond:
2nd Coronavirus Wave Leads to New Testing Sites in Jersey City
In the wake of a second wave of the Coronavirus, new testing sites are being created all over Jersey City. Testing sites include senior and public housing buildings, areas with heavy foot traffic, and neighborhoods with the highest increase in cases. Testing locations will offer two methods, a nasal swab or a self-administered saliva test. This second wave is seeing numbers spike to levels not seen since April of earlier this year, according to NJ.com.
Local Clothing Boutique Coup De Coeur Closes Permanently
Local Artists Paint Washington Street Utility Boxes Reflecting Inclusion
The Hoboken Arts Advisory Committee’s Hoboken Art Box Project includes painting 14 utility boxes on Washington Street in Hoboken. Local artists have been tasks with the job of decorating the blank boxes in themes focusing on equality and inclusion. “It’s very exciting to see the art that is currently being created as a result of The Hoboken Art Box Project,” said Arts Committee Chair Chris O’Connor. “This is the first project that the Hoboken Art Board has done, and it’s very inspiring to see that our call for proposals has inspired such wonderful work.” Selected artists have been awarded a stipend of $1,250 to cover fees and supplies, according to NJ.com.
Jersey City Council Approves Plan for 810-unit Building
Jersey City is getting a new 50-story building. Thursday night the Jersey City Council approved the plan for the 810-unit residential building which will include retail stores and an elementary school. Adjacent to the building will be a newly designed public park for the local community. The new school will house 400 students Pre-K through 5th grade which will alleviate current pressures on the city’s school system.
3 Colleges to Receive $800K in Funding for Computer Science Education
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a grant totaling $800,000 to create training hubs in three colleges in the state. These hubs will provide learning centers for educators to their ability to teach computer science skills in the classroom. The program will focus primarily on assisting schools with limited resources when it comes to high-quality computer science education, per NJ.gov.
Hoboken Fire Department Responds to Early Morning Fire
Early Friday morning the Hoboken Fire Department responded to a fire alarm on Garden Street between 10th Street and 11th Street. The homeowner called the fire department after being alerted by the fire alarm and was able to partially extinguish the flames. No one was injured during the fire, according to Tap Into.
The City of Hoboken Blood Drive Series Starts 11/16
The holiday season is a time of giving and local Hoboken residents will have the chance to donate more than toys or canned goods. The Hoboken Blood Drive, sponsored by the City of Hoboken, begins Monday, November 16, 2020 hosted by Vitalant. The Red Cross will host the event on Wednesday, November 25, 2020. Schedule an appointment directly at 201-251-3703 and click here for more information.
Pandemic of Love USA + Covid Survivors for Change Partner with Amazon Wish List
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Hundreds of families have lost loved ones this year and many children are still working through the emotional and physical effects of COVID-19. Two organizations, @PandemicOfLoveUSA and @CovidSurvivorsForChange are teaming up with Amazon Wish Lists for a holiday drive for children. Interested parties can adopt a family to make this holiday season special. Email pandemicoflove@gmail.com with HOLIDAY DRIVE in the subject line for more information.
Governor Murphy Orders New Jersey Bars Close by 10PM
New Jersey bars and restaurants must close indoor dining by 10PM in accordance with an order put into place by Governor Murphy on November 12. These restrictions do not apply to outdoor services offered at dining establishments, which will remain open where possible. In addition to the restrictions for indoor dining, indoor interstate organized sports, casinos, clubs, and lounges will also be limited in regards to hours of operation. Read more here.
New Magnet High School Coming to Jersey City in Partnership with Liberty Science Center
The Liberty Science Center in collaboration with the Hudson County Board of Education of the Hudson Schools of Technology will break ground in 2021 for a public-private high school. Located within what will be called “SciTech Scity”, the 30-acre campus will house five buildings. The school will enroll 400 students in science-centric classes for grades 9-12. Read the full article here for more details.
Washington Street Bike Lane Reassessment Approved by Hoboken City Council
Hoboken City Council has approved soliciting a traffic engineer to see where the bike lanes on Washington Street can be made more protected or separated. When the plan was initially approved for bike lanes to be painted, business owners feared their stores would be affected. Now that restaurants are using the streets for outdoor seating, the matter of street use is of greater importance. Read the full story here.
Staff at Local Barber Shop Steps in at Wurstbar to Keep it Open
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This year has been challenging for businesses both big and small. Wurstbar closed temporarily due to COVID-19 exposure until every employee, exposed or not, could be tested and return to work with confidence. In the meantime, their neighbor, Virile Barber Shop took over for a day to sell pretzels, beer, wine, and cider. Read more about neighbors helping neighbors in this Hoboken Girl article.
Local Activist Fights for Stoplight at 49th Street in Bayonne
Edward “Lefty” Grimes is advocating for a traffic light at the intersection of Avenue C and 49th Street, calling it “the most dangerous intersection in Bayonne,” in an interview with NJ.com. The intersection has reported 69 motor vehicle accidents from 2002 to 2019, with five in 2018 and seven reported in 2019.
Jersey City Mayor Has No Plans for Shutdown Amid Second Wave of Coronavirus
In an effort to balance economic and public health, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop does not currently plan to enforce a shutdown as cases of COVID-19 increase. According to NJ.com, New Jersey has reported more than 3,000 new coronavirus cases in three of the past five days, as of November 13. However, Mayor Fulop shared with the outlet that he is focused more on hospitalization stats and ventilator usage as deciding factors. View the Daily Coronavirus Tracker here.
Voters Weigh In on Municipal Art and Culture Trust Fund
Over 63 percent of voters in Jersey City voted in favor of a new tax that would support an art and culture tax levy. Next steps include approval by the City Council. If it goes through, this would be the first in the state, resulting in a consistent revenue stream for local arts organizations including film, architecture, arts, music, graphic design, dance, and urban design. Potential recipients would need to apply to receive funding, according to Jersey Digs.
Building in India Square Awaiting Approval for Redevelopment
A two-story building in Jersey City’s India Square is slated to become a new mixed-use development. The proposal, if approved, would OK the demolition of the current building resulting in a new four-story residential and commercial building. Per Jersey Digs, nine apartments would consist of five one-bedroom units and four studio apartments.
New Online Training to Mitigate Effects of COVID-19 in Nursing Homes
Leaders from the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey are collaborating on a 16-week training available to all 364 Medicaid and Medicare-certified nursing homes in New Jersey. Each nursing home that participates in training will receive $6,000 in additional federal funding, according to NJ Spotlight News.
Lifeguard with Prosthetic Leg Rescues Man From Hudson River
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A 68-year-old man accidentally drove his car into the Newark Bay on Tuesday afternoon. Bystanders helped the trapped man get free of his car and safely to land. Chief among them was 29-year-old Anthony Capuano, a lifeguard and swim instructor at British Swim School, who removed his prosthetic leg before entering the water to swim out and help. Visit abc7 for the full story.
Rescuers Guide Deer Out of Hudson River — and Then Deer Runs Around Hoboken
(rein)deer spotted sprinting down Washington Street in Hoboken 🦌🌲 pic.twitter.com/i5DR7QwQBq
— Tess Thomas (@tessjthomas) November 11, 2020
On November 11, a large buck was seen in the Hudson River close to the Hoboken waterfront. A boat from the Hoboken Fire Department aided the deer to get back to land near Maxwell Park. The boat was then called away to assist with the rescue of a woman in the water near North Bergen. Afterward, Hoboken Girl readers spotted the deer running around town, as evidenced above.
Jersey City + Bayonne Libraries Among First to Receive $6 Million in State Funding
Under the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act, libraries in Jersey City and Bayonne are among the first of 38 projects statewide to receive federal funding. Voters approved the act in 2017 for a total of $87.5 million allotted to critical improvements to libraries in New Jersey. The project requires the city to provide 50 percent in matching funds.
Plans have been in place since 2015 to renovate the Jersey City Public Library and now with $5 million from this grant, the library will be able to open the new branch in Holland Gardens.
NJMOM Hosts 7th Annual Virtual Baby Expo
NJMOM is hosting the seventh annual Virtual NJMOM Baby Expo, sponsored by RWJBarnabas Health and New York Life, from November 19-21, 2020 online.
The expo will connect parents-to-be and new parents with over 25 premium baby and toddler exhibitors including best-in-class baby gear and accessories, clothing, skincare, local childcare providers, pediatricians, cord blood banking, and more. Throughout the event, parents can learn about products and take advantage of one-week-only discounts, check out educational demos lead by industry-leading experts, enter to win thousands of dollars in raffle prizes, including strollers and car seats, and take home VIP swag bags.
They are offering Hoboken Girl readers 50 free general admission tickets, when you enter the code “HOBOKENGIRL” — first come first served here.
Hoboken’s Pilsener Haus and Main Street Pops Announce Pop-Up Arts Program
Pilsener Haus has partnered with local Pop-Up Programming powerhouse Main Street Pops to bring an exciting new series of Pop up Arts Programs to Hoboken. The series will feature various pop-up cultural events including local artist exhibitions, artisan markets, film screenings, immersive experiences, and other art-related happenings, bringing much excitement to the up and coming North end of town.
The program launched in November with an Art Show featuring the “Powerful Women’ Series by award-winning local artist Brittany Vogel, on view from November 4-30th. It will be followed by an Outdoor Holiday Gift Market during the first three Saturdays in December from 12PM-6PM {Dec. 5th, 12th, and 19th}, featuring many local artisans and makers. Vogel’s “Powerful Women” series featuring mixed media on canvas portraits spotlights extraordinary women in history such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Harriet Tubman, and Nancy Pelosi and has received many accolades.
BattleCat’s Last Secret Tea Room of 2020 at Stingray Lounge Sunday, November 15th
American Dream Mall Launches First-Ever Wish Week
Beginning November 23rd through November 30th, guests visiting the American Dream will be treated to special surprises, magical giveaways, and one-of-a-kind experiences all week. To provide a safe experience throughout Wish Week, and all season long, American Dream’s #dreamsafe initiative, which launched together with Hackensack Meridian Health, sets the standard in cleanliness and health and safety protocols. The property will ease the common stresses of the season by offering online to offline gifting consultations, curated gift guides, and curbside pickup, among others.
American Dream will have extended hours during Wish Week and all throughout the holiday season. Visit www.americandream.com for its holiday operating hours. American Dream will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 26th.
