The Hoboken Girl Team 
We are midway through November and there are just a few weeks left of 2025. It has been another week of news in Hudson County, and we’ve got all the headlines to get you caught up, as we do every week, from all around the internet. Among the local news: Hoboken locals start lunch drives in honor of late Councilwoman Jen Giattino; Filipino-owned coffee shop Barrio Barista opened in Journal Square; and Amazon-owned One Medical will occupy the first floor of the former Malibu Diner site. Keep reading for all the news in Hoboken + Jersey City for the week ending on November 16th, 2025.
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Among the Headlines (read on for the full stories + more):
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- Amazon One Medical Coming to Former Malibu Diner Site
- Filipino-Owned Coffee Shop Barrio Barista Opens in Journal Square
- Back-to-Back Robberies in Hoboken Prompt Police Investigation
- Sourdough Society Soft Opens Brick-and-Mortar Store in Jersey City
- New Cafe Opening at Former Giovanni’s Location in Hoboken
- Hoboken Couple Gets Engaged at Little City Books
- Updates on Optum Closures in Hoboken + Jersey City
- Hoboken Locals Start Lunch Drives in Honor of Late Councilwoman
- Overnight Emergency Roadwork at 9th and Madison Streets in Hoboken
- American Express Commercial Features Three Hoboken Businesses
- Stoop Dating Coming to Hoboken + Jersey City
Amazon One Medical Coming to Former Malibu Diner Site
Amazon-owned One Medical may soon be coming to uptown Hoboken. According to recent planning filings on October 20th, 2025, One Medical has applied to occupy the entire ground-floor retail space of The Constantine, the new residential building at 251-257 14th Street, on the site of the former Malibu Diner. While One Medical has not yet publicly announced a Hoboken opening, the application signals the first potential tenant since the building began leasing in late 2024. Click here for more.
Filipino-Owned Coffee Shop Barrio Barista
Opens in Journal Square
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The Journal Square neighborhood welcomed a new coffee shop on November 8th. The new spot in Jersey City, called Barrio Barista Espresso Bar, is located at 60 Sip Avenue and owned by a local couple. Barrio Barista has several nods to its Filipino heritage through food, drinks, and decor. Click here for more.
Stop Work Order for Whole Foods Daily Market
Seen in Downtown Hoboken
Photo Credit: @hayleysdonut
101-105 Washington Street in downtown Hoboken will become a new Whole Foods Daily Market location, according to materials filed by the Whole Foods Team. Signage was going up as of November 2025, but a stop-work order was spotted in the space on Monday, November 10th. As of November 12th, Whole Foods Market shared with The Hoboken Girl that the stop work order issued by the City of Hoboken is specific to exterior signage permitting and does not impact its opening date of December 18th. Click here for more.
Back-to-Back Robberies in Hoboken Prompt Police Investigation
Two robberies over the weekend are keeping Hoboken residents on alert. While the two incidents took place in different parts of town, residents are encouraged to be vigilant and alert the Hoboken Police Department should they have information to share. Per the Hoboken Police Department’s social media pages, there were two reports of robbery between 12:20AM and 1AM Saturday morning (November 8th). Click here for more.
Sourdough Society Soft Opens Brick-and-Mortar
Store in Jersey City
Photo Credit: Sheila Cobb-Athineos and Christian Santiago, Firefly Design & Communications
One of Jersey City’s most popular pop-up bakeries now has a permanent home. Sourdough Society, a staple of the Hamilton Park and Coles Street Farmers Markets, recently soft-opened in Jersey City’s Harborside building. The Hoboken Girl chatted with Sophie, half of the couple behind Sourdough Society, about the move and what customers can expect. Click here for more.
New Daylight Savings Time Bill Passed in New Jersey:
What to Know
Daylight Saving Time has become a controversial practice, with a growing number of people believing it is outdated. New Jersey‘s senatorial delegation shares this belief, having recently advanced legislation that would cause the state to permanently remain on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) instead of switching to Daylight Saving Time. Click here for more.
The Collective x Loop Consignment Collab Continues Through EOY in Hoboken
The Loop has become a second-hand staple in the Mile Square in the last few months, as a pop-up resale clothing shop started by two Hoboken residents. During their last pop-up week at The Collective, located at 323 Washington Street, the response was so positive that founders Vanessa Berensten and Michaela Rubin decided to make The Collective their permanent home through the end of the year. Click here for more.
Hudson Regional Health Announces Upcoming Closure of Heights University Hospital
Dr. Nizar Kifaieh, CEO of Hudson Regional Health, issued the following statement on November 13th regarding Heights University Hospital in Jersey City. “Unfortunately, despite best efforts by the leadership at Hudson Regional Hospital, it was informed this afternoon that the State will not be providing the critical funding needed to sustain the operations of Heights University Hospital. This will result in an interruption in tomorrow’s payroll processing and compromises its ability to execute the stabilization plan it was in the process of implementing. This includes our recent plans to operate a stand-alone emergency department, multi-specialty service practice and behavioral health. As a result, Heights University Hospital has filed a Certificate of Need for Closure with the Department of Health.”
Direct Weekend PATH Service from Hoboken-WTC to
Return in 2026
The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce announced that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will expand PATH service as part of a $45 billion 2026-2035 Capital Plan titled, “A Decade of Big Ambition.” The plan includes upgrades to air travel at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark airports, seaports, bridges and tunnels, and the World Trade Center. Most notably, in mid-2026, Hoboken PATH will begin direct service to WTC on weekends, along with direct service from JSQ-33rd Street. The PATH has made previous headlines for frequent disruptions to service and station closures throughout 2025. Click here for more.
New Target Coming to Journal Square in Jersey City
A new Target is coming to Jersey City’s Journal Square neighborhood. The Hoboken Girl first reported on the news back in the summer of 2022 when the plans were announced for the mixed-use building that will also include residential space. As of November 2025, work continues in the space, and Target signage has been spotted by locals. Click here for more.
Updates on Optum Closures in Hoboken + Jersey City
Optum Health is making some major changes to its medical offices in Hudson County and greater New Jersey. The healthcare company, which is a part of UnitedHealth Group, recently announced the closure of dozens of medical offices across New Jersey. This includes five locations in Hoboken and four in Jersey City alone, and comes after the company announced layoffs of over 500 employees. After the original news came out last week, Optum has announced that it will now continue its pediatrics services at the Bloomfield Street location in Hoboken. Click here for more.
Hoboken Locals Start Lunch Drives in Honor of Late Councilwoman
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This month, Hoboken locals have started a series of weekly lunch drives in honor of Jen Giattino, a former Hoboken City Council member and Council President. Jen was beloved by her constituents, working hard and advocating for the community’s underserved, as noted by the organizers. Now, in her honor, lunch drives will be held during November to benefit The Hoboken Shelter. Click here for more.
New Cafe Opening at Former Giovanni’s Location in Hoboken
The space at 603 Washington Street in Hoboken was the location of longtime local favorite Giovanni’s until its closure in 2024. New signage in the space indicates the new tenant will be Greens, Goods, + Grill, known as G3. Click here for more.
Overnight Emergency Roadwork at 9th and Madison
Streets in Hoboken
Hoboken neighbors near 9th and Madison Streets say they’ve been kept awake by overnight construction. The work is from a flood-mitigation project that’s finally underway months after delays, and is now operating through the night under an emergency noise exemption. Click here for more.
Hoboken City Council Runoff Election 2025: Meet the Candidates
The next Hoboken City Council lineup will be decided in a runoff election this December. After the results from Election Day 2025 did not see specific candidates receiving a majority of the total votes, the top six candidates — Steve Firestone, Pete Keeling, Caitlin Layson, Nicole Magana, Joe Quintero, and Liz Urtecho — will be voted on again by residents on December 2nd, 2025. Click here for more.
How to Vote in Hudson County’s December Runoff Elections
The Hoboken and Jersey City mayoral and city council candidate races are set to advance to runoff elections that will be held on December 2nd. Voters who were not registered to vote in the original election on November 4th may still register to vote in the runoff until Wednesday, November 12th. Click here for more.
Law & Order Actor Stops Abduction in Jersey City
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George Pogatsia, an actor who has appeared on Law & Order and The Sopranos, may have stopped a woman from being abducted near his Jersey City home last weekend, per Jersey City Councilman Yousef Saleh. “I want to highlight a true Heights Hero,” the Ward D Councilman said in a social media post. “George Pogatsia, a Heights resident and actor. [He] stepped into action and stopped an attempted abduction. Thank you George!” Per Patch Jersey City, Pogatsia and his wife were returning to their home in the Heights neighborhood after having dinner Saturday night. That’s when the actor noticed a young woman and a male relative, whom the woman later identified as her cousin, in a vulnerable situation.
OliJon’s Thrift Celebrates 1 Year in Hoboken
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Olijon’s Thrift, located at 138 Park Avenue in Hoboken, features hand-picked designer finds and everyday staples. Owner Joann Saitta has an eye for style and a love for Hoboken that have made Olijon’s a local favorite. As the shop approaches its first anniversary this December, it continues to grow its loyal following. Click here for more.
New Tariff on Italian Pasta Imports to Take Effect January 2026
In New Jersey, there are countless delis dedicated to selling Italian imports. In addition to tariffs set on European imports earlier this year, the United States Department of Commerce recently issued an additional fee on Italian pasta brands, bringing the rate up to 107%. Per reporting from the Daily Voice, the U.S. Department of Commerce initiated an investigation into Italian pasta brands accused of “dumping” pasta into U.S. markets at rates less than fair market value and failed to provide full documentation during the investigation. Click here for more.
Hoboken Couple Gets Engaged at Little City Books
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As if pulled right out of a romance novel, one Hoboken author got her own rom-com heroine moment inside Little City Books this past weekend. Hoboken-based couple Katie Gergel and her now-fiancé Corey got engaged in the downtown Hoboken bookstore on Saturday. Little City Books is located at 100 Bloomfield Street and has been at its location for 10 years. Click here for more.
NJ Transit Launches Two Apps for Visually Impaired Customers
NJ Transit is improving navigation and accessibility throughout its system by piloting two new apps that will help empower customers with disabilities. Per a NJ Transit press release, through a collaboration with the Transit Tech Lab, customers will now have access to GoodMaps at Hoboken Terminal, which provides innovative indoor navigation assistance through the facility, and Convo at Newark Penn Station Customer Service and Ticket Office,s which provides on-demand American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting. A quick QR scan connects them to a live interpreter for seamless communication.
Reed Wellness Relocates to Optimize Hoboken
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Victoria Radzinski, founder of Reed Wellness, shared via Instagram that she will now be working out of Optimize Hoboken, a rejuvenation + recovery space located at 259 1st Street, dedicated to full-body wellness. This move allows Reed Wellness to offer more scheduling flexibility in a supportive, wellness-focused environment.
Computers4People Offers Free Internet Service
Through New Program
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The Stevens School of Business senior design team is currently working with Computers4People (C4P), a Hoboken-based nonprofit dedicated to closing the digital divide. C4P is now offering a month of free Internet service through its Shield program for individuals who receive or are eligible for SNAP or Medicaid benefits.
The Northern Lights May be Visible Over New Jersey
Some New Jerseyans have reported seeing the northern lights shining over the Garden State on November 11th, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that they may be visible again. The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are typically only visible in proximity to the North Pole. In the event of a solar storm like the one that occurred Tuesday night, the lights can occasionally be seen further south. Click here for more.
American Express Commercial Features
Three Hoboken Businesses
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Three Hoboken businesses, The Hive, Mark Daniels, and Beethoven’s Veranda, appeared in an American Express commercial about store signage. Ashley Cudney, an employee at The Hive, was featured in the commercial. With the touch of a button, she ordered free signage for the store to let customers know American Express is an accepted payment method.
New Daycare Coming to 5th and Madison in Hoboken
It looks like a new daycare center is coming to 503 Madison Street in Hoboken. A construction permit notice was seen on the window stating that the space will become a daycare.
Stoop Dating Coming to Hoboken + Jersey City
@stoop.dating Stoop Dating is finally coming to NYC, Hoboken, and Jersey City. If we find your stoop match we will message you to schedule❤️ #jerseycity #nyc #hoboken #dating #newyork ♬ original sound – Stoop Dating
Stoop Dating, a dating show where guests have their first date while sitting on a stoop, is coming to Hoboken and Jersey City in November and December. Applications are open for anyone interested in finding love in the area. Click here to apply.
This Hoboken Resident Is Leading a Gift Bag Drive for Foster Care
Content provided by Michele Farrell
The holidays are a season of giving, and Michele Farrell, a Hoboken local, has embraced this message by leading a gift bag drive for teenage girls in foster care. The Hoboken Girl chatted with Michele to learn about her work and its importance during this time of year. Click here for more.
Jersey City Council Passes Ordinance for 6th Street
Embankment Settlement
The Jersey City Council passed two ordinances up for second reading to settle the 20-plus year legal battle over the 6th Street Embankment on November 12th. Per the Hudson County View, the measure ultimately passed 8-0 (1).
Hudson County Announces Opening of Warming
Center For Winter
The Warming Center located at the Naval Reserve Facility in Kearny (53 S. Hackensack Avenue) opened on November 15th. Per a County of Hudson press release, this center provides a safe, warm place for individuals experiencing homelessness. The Center will operate nightly through March 31, 2026, and may remain open longer if a Code Blue is called before or after those dates. It will also be available during the day when temperatures stay at or below 32°F. Transportation will be provided from Jersey City, Hoboken, and North Bergen to ensure anyone in need can access the Warming Center.
Jersey City Strengthens Food Security as SNAP
Future Remains Uncertain
The City of Jersey City mobilized quickly to expand its emergency food and meal distribution efforts to ensure continued support for the thousands of families, seniors, children, and individuals who depend on essential Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Per a City of Jersey City press release, while November SNAP benefits have now been made available, it is still unclear when full benefits will reach Jersey City residents. The initiative, led by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), is being coordinated with HealthierJC Partnerships, Hudson County, local restaurants, faith-based groups, and nonprofit organizations to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry during this period of uncertainty.
