Happy Thanksgiving Week everyone, as always we’re here to cover the local news and bring you a weekly roundup of everything you might have missed in Hoboken + Jersey City. Catch up on all there is to know, including the following headlines: new sushi spot coming to Hoboken; Hoboken Girl x The Flow Initiative collect over 30,000 period supplies; Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade trailers destroyed in Kearny fire; and so much more. Keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Hoboken, Jersey City, + beyond.
Best of Hoboken + Jersey City 2022 Finalists Announced
The finalists for the annual Best of Hoboken + Jersey City 2022 Guide are in! Thank you to everyone who nominated local businesses and people in Hoboken and Jersey City, respectively, to receive the recognition that they deserve. Those who received the most nominations in each category advanced to the top three finalists, so before anyone says so-and-so was robbed, remember: we make the rules, we don’t pick the finalists. Click here to cast your vote.
New Sushi Spot Coming to Hoboken Called ‘Avocado Sushi’
In the past month, we’ve heard about multiple new Vietnamese restaurants, a new vegan burger spot, and more coming to both Hoboken and Jersey City. Now, there’s yet another new restaurant coming to The Mile Square — and this time it’s a sushi spot on Washington Street. Click here for what we know about Avocado Sushi opening in Hoboken.
Community Gathers for Protest Against Turnpike Expansion
Protestors and local officials recently held a rally in Mary Benson Park in Jersey City to oppose the proposed Turnpike expansion, per Tap Into. Environment groups including Bike JC, Bike Hoboken, Friends of Liberty State Park, and Safe Streets JC attended the rally as well, alleging that expanding the highway will make traffic worse, not better.
New Jersey Policeman Retires After 20 Years
Lt. Thomas Norton announced his retirement this week at an event held in his honor at Liberty State Park, NJ.com reported. He has served on the New York State Park Police force for 20 years, beginning as an officer in 2022. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2017.
City of Bayonne Considers $65M Bond Incentive for 1888 Studios
The City of Bayonne is negotiating with Togus Urban Renewal to issue $65M in bonds as an incentive for the newly proposed 1888 Studios. According to NJ.com, the $900M project will transform the empty oil refinery lot and is expected to generate up to 3,000 full-time jobs.
New Jersey Blood Services to Host Blood Drives in Hudson County
In an announcement earlier this week, New Jersey Blood Services announced five upcoming blood drives in Hudson County. According to Patch, the blood drives will take place on December 1st at Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City. The others will be located in Jersey City, Bayonne, Secaucus, and Harrison.
Jersey City Buys 40-Unit Complex for Affordable Housing
Jersey City recently purchased a five-story building containing 40 units which will now be turned into 100 percent affordable housing, Jersey Digs reported. The city acquired the building as part of a project to expand housing options and preserve existing affordable units. The mid-rise building is located at 450 Martin Luther King Drive in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood.
Council Members Vote Against Cap on Retail Cannabis in Jersey City
Jersey City council members recently voted against an ordinance that would have put a limitation on the number of retail cannabis shops in Jersey City. According to Tap Into, the suggested cap was 55 establishments. The veto against a limitation is not permanent and can be reviewed again in the future.
Jersey City Brownstone Breaks Sales Records
The recent sale of a two-family brownstone in Jersey City broke sales records at $4.4M, per Jersey Digs. Located at 55 Mercer Street, the property features a full backyard with a lawn, trees, and grass in addition to a landscaped roof deck. In total, the house contains five bedrooms and two gourmet kitchens.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Trailers Catch Fire in Hudson County Lot
On Monday, November 21st, seven trailers slated for use in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade were destroyed in a fire. According to Patch, the trailers were located at Royal Buses in South Hackensack. The fire was spotted by a groundskeeper around 6AM. Kearny Fire Department said the blaze was under control by 7AM. According to Royal Buses, the fire destroyed $4M in vehicles.
Wall Street Journal Highlights Rent Control Issues in Hudson County
A story regarding spikes in Jersey City’s Portside building, and another Hoboken building owned by the same company, is getting national attention, per Patch. The Wall Street Journal recently covered the story in which tenants were seeing rent increases of 40 percent. The Equity Residential tenants also reported numerous maintenance problems and ten incidents from April to September 2022 in which elevators had trapped people inside.
Hoboken Girl x The Flow Initiative Collect Over 30K Period Supplies
To make this happen, women-owned local businesses throughout Hudson County came together to be drop-off spots for period supplies and the local community showed up in droves to donate. We could not be more grateful. Thank you for your support in this project. Click here for more about how the period product drive helps the local community, helps those in need, and raises awareness for period poverty in Hudson County.
Tik Tok’s Gigante Brothers Open Da Mimmo Restaurant in Dumont
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TikTokers the Gigante brothers Vincent, Antonio, and Vito recently announced the opening of their restaurant in Bergen County called Da Mimmo. In addition to traditional Italian fare, Da Mimmo offers brick oven pizza from a wood-burning oven, homemade mozzarella, and pastries made on-site. Da Mimmo is located at 132 Veterans Plaza in Dumont.
Jersey City Awarded ‘Municipal Project of the Year’ for Newark Pedestrian Plaza
The New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers awarded Jersey City with the Municipal Project of the Year Award for the redevelopment of the Newark Pedestrian Plaza. According to the press release, the new plaza has created one of New Jersey’s premier destinations for shopping, dining, and community events.
Aspen Prime Medspa Hosts Grand Opening Event in Hoboken
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Aspen Prime recently opened its first Hoboken location at 74 Hudson Street. The medspa provides full-service anti-aging services including botox, facial treatments, body sculpting, and laser hair removal.
Kura Sushi to Open New Location in Newport Tower
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Nationwide sushi chain, Kura Sushi is opening a second New Jersey location in Jersey City at Newport Tower on Sunday, November 27th. According to the press release, the revolving sushi restaurant menu features savory, authentic Japanese dishes made with high-quality ingredients.
Local Bars Launch HoHoHoboken Bar Event 2022
A number of Hoboken favorites have joined forces to launch the first annual HoHoHoboken Bar Event happening on Saturday, December 17th. The list of stops includes 80 River, Birch Hoboken, Black Bear Bar + Grill, Bobbleheads Saloon, Green Rock, Mike’s Wild Moose Saloon, Mills Tavern, The Pig + Parrot, Tally-Ho, Texas Arizona, and Fat Taco Tequila Bar. A portion of ticket proceeds will go to charity. Establishments participating in the HoHoHoboken event will not be accepting bracelets from any Santacon event.
First Complex Surgical Procedure Completed in Rothman Orthopaedic x Hoboken Medical Center Partnership
The recent successful completion of a complex surgical spinal procedure at CarePoint’s Hoboken University Medical Center is the first in a long-term partnership between Rothman Orthopaedic Institute and CarePoint Health Systems, according to the press release. The partnership was first announced in 2021. The spinal procedure was performed by Dr. Michael L. Smith, M.D. at Hoboken University Medical Center.
Second Person Arrested After Fatal Shooting of Hoboken Resident
On November 19th, after the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit charged a man with the murder of 28-year-old Christopher “Chris” Garcia, a second person has been charged with hindering. Chris Garcia was shot at a local Hoboken basketball court on Sunday, September 25th. According to NJ.com, 38-year-old Demetria Huggins was arrested for providing false information to law enforcement in an attempt to prevent the arrest of Deon Williams. The arrest took place at a hotel on International Boulevard in Elizabeth.
