A week of life in Hoboken + Jersey City means there is plenty of news to catch up on. Beyond the devastating flooding that took place this past week (more info here), there was a ton of local news, per usual. Among the local headlines: Stevens named by Newsweek one of the top 25 colleges with top-earning graduates, Jersey City plans to honor 20th anniversary of 9/11 at the Empty Skies Memorial; live theater returns to Hoboken with Shakespeare, and so much more. Keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Hoboken, Jersey City, + beyond.
‘ALL CLEAR’ After Stevens Students Urged to Shelter in Place on Hoboken Campus
An alert went out on Stevens Emergency Alert system this Saturday afternoon, September 4th, noting that campus police were investigating a report of an armed robbery and that all were instructed to shelter in place on campus. Commissioner Anthony L. Romano shared the “All Clear” via Twitter at 8:45 PM. Click here for what we know.
Boil Advisory Finally Ends for Hoboken + Jersey City on Sunday Evening
The boil advisory for Hoboken and Jersey City finally ended on Sunday, September 6th after a rough few days in New Jersey due to Tropical Depression Ida’s path. Ida caused widespread flooding throughout the area, shutting down Newark Airport, flooding subways in NYC, causing water main breaks, and of course — flooding Hoboken and parts of Jersey City. The boil advisory had been in effect for all water in Hoboken and Jersey City as of Thursday the 2nd through Sunday the 5th. Click here for more info, plus things you must do now that it’s lifted.
Dealing with Flood Damage in the Wake of Ida
Hoboken is no stranger to serious flooding issues, and when it does, like Tropical Depression Ida this week, it’s a very scary thing for a variety of reasons. The first, of course, is the personal safety of yourself, your loved ones, pets, and neighbors. The second, of course, is the safety of your home and belongings — and damage from the flooding. To help, we’ve compiled some quick tips for you to refer to if you have the unfortunate situation of flooding in your home or business. Click here for more information on what to do if your home or business was damaged during Ida.
Hoboken Wellness Crawl 2021 — Freebies List RELEASED!
PS: 2 Weeks Til Crawl Day
As summer fades and September approaches, it’s the debut of our 5th Annual Hoboken Wellness Crawl Event, which is back in person on Sunday, September 19th from 11AM to 4PM in Hoboken. This year, over 100 businesses — both brick-and-mortars and pop-ups — will be participating.
The Hoboken Wellness Crawl is an experiential wellness event throughout the City of Hoboken, and an amazing way to discover new local wellness businesses, support local businesses and take charge of your own health. Think of it like a ‘bar crawl’ but on your own timeframe and filled with free samples, swag, wellness consults, acupuncture experiences, class passes, and more. What better way to explore your neighborhood than by getting free goodies along the way. Click here to purchase tickets.
Owner of The Madison Opening ‘Madison Pizza Lab’ in Hoboken
Madison Pizza Lab will be opening soon in Hoboken. Located at 152 Newark Street, Madison took over Verizza’s Pizza former spot. The owner of Madison Bar and Grill took over the pizzeria a few months ago and is now ready to unveil the renovated space. Click here to read what we know about Madison Pizza Lab.
Newsweek Names Stevens Institute One of Top 25 Colleges with Top-Earning Graduates
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This week Newsweek released a list of the Top 25 private U.S. colleges whose graduates go on to earn the most money. The @followstevens account shared the good news this week on Instagram. Stevens ranked as #19 with a beginning salary of $101,031.
New Burger Spot Coming to Jersey City
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A Fort Lee-based burger joint is expanding to Jersey City at 488 Central Avenue, in the former Firehouse Blazing Pizza outpost. The pizzeria shut its doors in April 2021 after serving the Jersey City Heights community for three years. Now, Marty’s Burgers is the new restaurant on the block. Click here to read about the new burger joint.
Fleet Feet Hoboken Launches Virtual Half-Marathon Training
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Fleet Feet Hoboken has officially opened sign-ups for its new virtual half-marathon training program set to begin Monday, September 20th. According to Fleet Feet’s Instagram, participants can train for any race but the program is designed to prepare runners for the Big Apple Half scheduled for December 11th.
Veloce Specialty Sandwiches Opens in Jersey City
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A new sandwich shop has come to Jersey City. Veloce Specialty Sandwiches opened this week at 580 Montgomery Street. Announcing the grand opening via Instagram, the post said, “WE ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN FOR BUSINESS! We are so excited to announce that we are now accepting orders. Available for delivery and pickup using the link in our bio. We can’t wait for you to try!! ”
Beauty Emporium Bluemercury Arrives in Hoboken
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Since 2017, the beauty and cosmetics retailer Bluemercury has been trying to get into the Hoboken retail scene. Finally, plans have been announced for the shop’s arrival at 230 Washington Street, in the old Hoboken Bar & Grill space.
Hoboken Girl reported on this news back in 2019, but there were no updates till just this week — when Jersey Digs reported that the beauty emporium was making its way to the Mile Square. Here is what we know about the upcoming plans.
Hoboken City Council Removes Vote on Grill Ban From Agenda
The City of Hoboken was set to vote on the second reading of proposed “additional safety measures” to the City Code section “Fire Prevention” Section 101-12, which essentially would ban outdoor grill usage on balconies and other areas of multifamily and high-rise buildings in Hoboken (in an effort to prevent fires and emergency situations) on Wednesday 9/1. However, the item has been taken off of the meeting agenda for now. The proposal was put forth by Hoboken Fire Marshall Stephen Vincent in an effort to be proactive rather than reactive in emergency cases. Click here to read about what we know.
The Hudson River Tunnel: What We Know
Planes, trains, and automobiles… One of the best parts of living in Hoboken and Jersey City is the easy access to multiple modes of public transportation. Commuters regularly use buses, ferries, and even light rail to supplement rail train services during their commutes. Yet, for all the many transit options in Hudson County, a majority of individuals in Northern New Jersey rely solely on the train when trekking into Manhattan. One piece of infrastructure, the North River Tunnel, is vital when making this journey across the river. Today, the tunnel and the broader Northeast Corridor (NEC) are expecting renovations. Click here for what we know about the upcoming plans.
Jersey City to Honor 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
Jersey City will honor the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, honoring the 37 residents who perished in the attacks, according to Tap Into. The ceremony will be held at the 9/11 memorial in Jersey City and is expected to include prayer, song and the reading out of names of Jersey City’s deceased. Two moments of silence will be held at those times when each of the planes hit the towers.
Hoboken Mayor Runs Uncontested for Re-election
Mayor Rhavi Bhalla is heading into his first re-election campaign uncontested, per NJ.com. This will be the first reelection campaign that has not been contested since 1953. On the City Council side, however, 10 candidates are facing off for the three at-large City Council seats.
Jersey City Accepting Electronic Petitions for Municipal Election
Jersey City has been promoting electronic petitions for the upcoming municipal elections, Hudson County View reports. Candidates must download a petition form, fill it out and save the completed form. The form must then be circulated to the individuals wanting to sign it, then emailed back to the clerk and each office’s individual email address.
School District and Neighborhood Association Battle Over Playground
After opening the Paulus Hook pocket park playground, the Historic Paulus Hook Association is now fighting to keep it open to the public as the Jersey City school district wants to have priority of the playground during school hours, reports NJ.com. The playground is located at the corner of Grand and Washington streets, after years of planning and plenty of stops and starts. The Historic Society said the school district refuses to budge on their stance, which makes compromise near impossible.
Jersey City Humane Society Takes Dogs Displaced by Hurricane
Jersey City’s Humane Society is taking in ten dogs recently displaced from Louisiana shelters impacted by Hurricane Ida, per Patch. The dogs will arrive on Wednesday afternoon and are available for adoption in Jersey City. At least two of the arriving dogs have Heartworm and will require medical treatment. Donations and support for the dogs are welcome and can be made online.
Live Theater Returns to Hoboken with Shakespeare
Live theater is returning to Hoboken this fall as Mile Square Theatre and the Hoboken Business Alliance join forces to put on The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), per Tap Into. This show will run from September 16th through October 2nd. On September 25th and 26th, Mile Square Theatre will present En Plein Air. These will be the first live theater events from the theater since March 2020.
Jersey City to Swear in 25 New Firefighters
Mayor Fulop, Public Safety Director James Shea, and Fire Chief Steven McGill will swear in 25 new firefighters to the Jersey City Fire Department at an 11AM ceremony on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, in City Hall, furthering the Administration’s efforts to increase public safety. It is the 72nd academy class in the history of Jersey City’s Fire Department, and the first-class trained and certified as Emergency Medical Responders (EMR) at the Jersey City Medical Center.
These latest recruits to join one of the largest fire departments in New Jersey marks the 23rd JCFD class sworn in since Mayor Fulop took office in 2013. Since then, 316 new firefighters have been hired, bringing the department to a historic total of over 650 uniformed firefighters and superiors.
“We’re extremely grateful to our newest firefighters taking on an awesome responsibility, and also to their families who are constant support systems throughout their careers,” said Mayor Fulop in a statement. “You are joining a tremendous fire department. One that is distinguished by always fulfilling the call of duty to our 250,000 residents and doing so in a way that makes Jersey City proud.”
Liberty Science Center to Require Vaccination Proof
The Liberty Science Center will require all visitors ages 12 and up to show proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to Patch. A valid photo ID and proof of vaccination will both be required in order to enter the center. It will also continue to require guests and staff to properly wear a face mask while on site.
New Jersey Soldier Coming Home After Decades Overseas
More than 70 years ago, a New Jersey soldier went missing in action, and following an extensive investigation, his remains will now be returning home, according to NJ.com. U.S. military officials have identified Jersey City soldier Stephen Mason’s remains after he went missing during a World War II battle. Scientists used dental and anthropological analysis, circumstantial evidence, and DNA testing to identify his remains.
Essential Workers Rally at Hoboken Luxury High Rise
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Nearly two dozen concierges at the luxury development The Shipyard rallied Tuesday afternoon, asking Ironstate Development to provide good jobs to Hoboken essential workers, Insider NJ reports. The Shipyard workers were supported by two dozen building service workers and elected officials, looking to be able to “call Hoboken home” ahead of Labor Day. They held banners and signs with sayings such as “Ironstate: Shape up or Ship Out!” as seen in the same event last year.
Jersey City’s Holiday Show Seeks Youth Performers
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Nimbus Dance, Jersey City’s largest holiday show, is seeking youth performers to produce Jersey City Nutcracker, according to New Jersey Stage. The troupe’s adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s the Nutcracker takes place in Jersey City and is choreographed and directed by Samuel Pott. It also features animated scenic projections by Jersey City-based video artists Laia Cabrera and Isabelle Duverger, as well as a libretto co-written by playwright Alysia Souder and Mr. Pott.
Jersey City Council to Vote on $621M City Budget
The Jersey City Council is expected to vote on the adoption of the $621 million city budget for 2021, per NJ.com. This includes the proposal that would cut taxes by $967 and offset the nearly $1,000 tax hike from the school budget, as well as adjustments made to continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget also includes aid from the American Rescue Plan.
Mile Square Early Learning Center Expanding Preschool Transition
The Mile Square Early Learning Center in Hoboken will expand its Preschool Transition Program for the upcoming fall season, reports Hudson Reporter. The program provides children an early introduction to preschool, expanding services from one classroom to four. These rooms will be fully equipped with a wide range of educational materials,
Weehawken Jazz Musician Auctions Off New Songs
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Charu Suri, an Indian jazz musician from Weehawken, is auctioning digital copies of the cover illustration and songs from her latest album, “The Book of Ragas: Volume II,” per Hudson Reporter. These songs are being auctioned as non-fungible tokens or NFTs. NFTs can be bought and sold like physical assets, but the ownership and validity of each is tracked.
Braddock Park Gains New Compost Bin
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North Bergen Earth Talks held a grand opening ceremony for the new public compost drop-off site at the James J. Braddock Community Garden, according to Hudson Reporter. The compost drop-off was developed in partnership with Community Compost Co. and Hudson County. Attendees of the grand opening were encouraged to bring their own compost to place in the bin after the ribbon cutting.
Local Officials Call on Biden for Prescription Drug Reform
Hoboken Mayor Bhalla has joined Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis and three other New Jersey mayors in calling on President Biden to reform prescription drug rules, according to Hudson County View. The reform would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for consumers. H.R. 3 would save patients over $150 billion and reduce the price of the most expensive drugs by as much as 55 percent, the mayors said.
Jersey City Finalizes High Rise Inspection Rules
During their August 18th meeting, Jersey City’s council passed an ordinance to strengthen inspections at most buildings rising over six floors, according to Jersey Digs. The finalized rules state that property owners and condominium associations are responsible for the cost of these inspections, and if any repairs are needed, another inspection must be completed within 30 days of the repairs being finished. The ordinance states that the regulations will begin “at the time and in the manner provided by law.”
Jersey City Councilman Proposes Safe Streets Plan
Jersey City local officials have proposed an unarmed traffic enforcement unit as part of a safe streets plan, according to Hudson County View. The proposal also includes completing street renovations and installing green infrastructure. While the city has made lots of progress over the last four years, this plan will build on the improvements already in progress.
$267M Available for COVID-19 Testing in NJ Schools
New Jersey school districts are set to receive financial support to COVID test teachers, staff, and students as schools start back up, Patch reports. The state departments of health and education are releasing $267 million to support these tests in K-12 school districts throughout the state. Districts can choose from vendors who are contracted by the state and do testing at schools or their own in-house testing programs. Every program must meet the department of health’s guidelines.
