Another news-filled week behind us, and we’ve got you covered. Among the headlines — indoor dining began on Friday, Jersey City’s Reservoir #3 will receive a major renovation, and a new contemporary art gallery opened in Hoboken — along with 15+ other stories. All that and more below — keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Hoboken and Jersey City:
Less Than 2 Weeks Till the Hoboken Wellness Crawl – A 30-Day Event
In virtual news, the Hoboken Wellness Crawl is also headed online this year. Hoboken Girl will donate 20% of all ticket sale profits to the Hoboken Relief Fund. Tickets also support the Hoboken Girl team! Purchase your tickets here today and get set for 30 days of online engagement with Hudson County businesses.
This year’s event kicks off September 13th and will run through October 13th. Crawlers can take advantage of exclusive deals and giveaways via really exciting virtual options {stay tuned for the Jackraffit app} and in-person activities at their leisure if desired/allowed by the government regulations during the 30-day period. Come help us help our local businesses thrive! Purchase tickets here.
Indoor Dining in New Jersey Can Start on Friday, According to Governor Murphy
Governor Murphy just announced Monday, August 31st that indoor dining can resume this Friday in New Jersey — with restrictions.
Restaurants can allow customers indoors beginning Friday, according to Murphy. This move comes only 8 weeks after Murphy put a halt on indoor dining after announcing it would be allowed in July.
Restaurants will be required to operate under limited capacity and follow other safety guidelines. There will be other restrictions on indoor dining that include:
– Patrons required to wear masks unless they are eating, under the age of 2, or have a health issue.
– Staff members required to wear masks.
– Tables spaced at least 6 feet apart.
– Enhanced sanitation.
– Guests placing orders only at a table and staffers bringing food and beverages only to tables.
– Patrons barred from walking around while eating.
– Limiting seating to a maximum of 8 customers per table — unless from an immediate family or the same household
– Encouraging reservations for greater control of customer traffic.
– Requiring customers to provide a phone number if making a reservation to facilitate contact tracing.
Local Rescued on the Hudson River by Hoboken First Responders
Earlier today, it was reported that a 24-year-old Jersey City man fell into the Hudson River off Hoboken’s Sinatra Park on Sunday while reportedly trying to retrieve a soccer ball. Thanks to the fast action of the Hoboken Police Department and Hoboken Fire Department, the young man is okay. Chief Ferrante tweeted about the rescue, shouting out the first responders who saved the day.
According to an original report by Tap Into, Hoboken Police Detectives Rodriguez and Globke were dispatched to Sinatra Park on the report of a person in the river around on Sunday evening around 7:00PM.
A witness saw the victim try to retrieve a soccer ball, and they were able to point out the location he was in the water. Sgt. Zeszotarski and Officer Bullock set a perimeter, according to Tap Into, in an effort to control the growing crowd and provide space to the detectives, who feared he was stuck beneath the walkway.
Hoboken Fire Department Rescue 1 Unit, under the command of Battalion Chief Joe Turner, assisted him out of the water. The victim was then transported to the hospital for precautionary measures, and shortly after, released. He noted to responders that he had just swallowed a lot of river water.
Outdoor Dining and Drinks Can Last Throughout Winter Under New Hoboken Law
Hoboken City Council unanimously approved legislation on Wednesday that extends rules on outdoor dining and drinks throughout winter. Under the new law, restaurants can serve food and alcohol to customers at outdoor seating until December 31, 2021. Under the previous law, most businesses would have to shut down outdoor dining on October 15.
According to lawmakers, approving this legislation was crucial for restaurants struggling to make ends meet throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Without indoor dining, restaurants have relied for months on take-out, delivery, and more recently, outdoor dining. Businesses requested Hoboken City Council to continue outdoor dining in the winter, the legislation states, “given its success to date, and do so sooner rather than later so that businesses can make operational plans for the coming months.”
In the past few months, outdoor dining has become increasingly popular in Hoboken. As Covid-19 is still a very present issue, outdoor dining has let people be around others while still maintaining airflow to prevent viral spread. Hoboken expanded outdoor seating options on June 3 by increasing outdoor occupancy limits and allowing restaurants to serve alcohol outdoors. Outdoor dining includes sidewalk cafes, parklets, and streateries.
The vote to continue outdoor dining through winter came two days after Governor Phil Murphy announced the return of indoor dining. Starting Friday, restaurants can have indoor dining at 25% capacity and with social distancing between tables. Plans to restore indoor dining statewide began in June but were swiftly put to a halt when outbreaks of Covid-19 emerged in New Jersey.
Hoboken’s Hudson Table Opens Rooftop Dining Area
{Photo credit: @hudsontable}
Hudson Table announced that their rooftop is now open for a beautiful dining area. This BYOB spot has been a favorite amongst locals since they opened, as they aren’t your average restaurant. Hudson Table is a cooking school where people can sign up for classes. During COVID, they pivoted and transitioned into a restaurant, serving up meals that come with a personal touch and curated experience for patrons.
This rooftop is located above the West Elm in uptown Hoboken with elevator access. On September 3rd, they hosted their first rooftop dining experience with a five-course meal served family-style. Due to the limited seating, all tables must have two or more people.
The restaurant has tents for rain coverage. In the event that they have to cancel because of the weather, they stated that they will be packaging all food up to go and offering a 20% credit to any future event.
Jersey City’s Reservoir #3 Will Recieve a Renovation
Jersey City’s Reservoir #3 in the Jersey City Heights located next to Pershing Field between Reservoir and Jefferson avenues, is set to undergo a renovation after a report issued earlier this summer described the difficulty of walking the trails, Jersey Digs reported.
The reservoir is a 14-acre space and was originally built between 1871 and 1874 to provide drinking water to city residents. Residents used it as their main water resource until the late 80s when the city switched over to a water source out in Morris County, according to the report. The reservoir is on The New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places.
The lays out a new walking path around the exterior of the reservoir, as well as several lawn and seating areas, a terraced wetland garden, areas for fishing, water access, and a kayak launch ramp. For more details on the project, click here.
Hoboken’s Guitar Bar Closes Uptown Location
Guitar Bar announced that they will be closing the doors of the uptown location known as Guitar Bar Jr., after expanding to that location ten years ago. The closing was directly impacted by the strain COVID had on businesses, they said in an Instagram post. Guitar Bar Jr. was located at 203 11th Street and had offered music classes, as well as hosted live music events open to the community.
“Guitar Bar will still continue to offer lessons virtually with the same great teaching staff. And fear not, our main Guitar Bar at 160 First Street, Hoboken, along with Guitar Bar JC in the Heights will still be offering the finest in musical instruments and supplies, repairs, and lessons,” the post continued.
Newly Retired Jersey City Detective Dies From COVID-19
This virus is terrible. Ray retired a little over a month ago after a long career serving Jersey City. He tested positive for the virus a couple weeks after he retired. He was very much a young + active person w/the best years of his life ahead of him. https://t.co/sGFXvS6dwx
— Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) August 30, 2020
A retired Jersey City detective, Ramon “Ray” Regalado died Saturday after a month-long battle with COVID-19, family and friends announced on social media, NJ.com announced.
Regalado posted on his Facebook page on July 22 that he was fighting the respiratory tract infection and wrote “Thank you!! I’ll get through this.” Sadly, on Saturday, family, and friends posted photos of Regalado mourning his passing.
Regalado joined the Jersey City Police Department in 1995 and retired earlier this year on January 31. He was politically active in 2013 when he ran for council-at-large and two years later in 2015 for state assembly. He wasn’t elected, but he did help fundraise for Mayor Fulop’s election campaign in 2017.
“It pains me every time we lose a resident, but this one hurts a little more as Ray was a long time personal friend,” Fulop told The Jersey Journal in a statement. “In many ways, Ray epitomized what Jersey City residents are in that he was selfless in his profession, he was vocal for his community, he was proud of his heritage, he was a good shoulder to lean on for those that were fortunate to call him friend, and his love for his family was apparent to anyone that spoke to Ray. I will miss Ray.”
A Jersey City Pop Up Event Allowed Black Businesses to Create Their Own Economic Stimulus
A pop-up event that took place in Jersey City on Sunday, August 30th with a mission to showcase and support local black businesses and non-profits. The event was organized during National Black Business Month by Bruce Alston, a Jersey City businessman, Tap Into shared.
“As a nation and a city we can talk about gentrification and displacement,” Alston told Tap into, “or we can reinvent the wheel and create our own Black Wall Street.”
David Blaine’s Ascension Was Relocated From the Hudson River to Arizona
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Hoboken Girl reported on David Blaine’s attempt to fly over the Hudson River holding nothing but balloons titled “Ascension”, however, in a quick turn of events, he announced on August 12th that would be relocating the project from the Hudson River to Arizona.
Blaine began his ascent on Wednesday morning, and the entire performance took an hour and was live-streamed on YouTube. His initial goal was to reach an altitude of about 18,000 feet, but he ended up floating 24,900 feet before parachuting back to the ground. Read more about his performance here.
10-Year-Old Hoboken Resident Raises Donates $750 to Hoboken Homeless Shelter
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Back in July, Hoboken Girl reported on 10-year-old Cameron Daly, who created a logo business in order to give back to his community and raise funds for the Hoboken Homeless Shelter.
Cameron Daly decided to put his skills to use and start a charity project. For just a $1 donation, Cameron creates custom, hand-drawn personal or business logos. He emails his customers a few questions to learn about their interests, job, and lifestyle, and a few days later they’ll get an email with a custom logo of their initials and all their favorite things subtly added into the letters and surrounding space.
His goal was to raise $500 dollars but in the end, Cameron raised $1,550. He donated $750 to the Hoboken Homeless Shelter and $750 to another non-profit.
A New Contemporary Gallery Comes to Hoboken
Recently, the Hudson County art scene just got a whole better thanks to Rexer Gallery, Hoboken’s newest contemporary art gallery located at 636 Washington Street.
In case you were wondering, Rex means “King” in Latin and Rexer is a palindrome of that word, meaning “Two Kings”. The logo of Rexer Gallery shows the intersection of two crowns to represent the partnership. This is the perfect name for a gallery that was spearheaded by two leaders in the local art community, Aaron Boucher and Walter John Rodriguez.
The inaugural exhibition was held on Thursday, September 3rd, and featured local talent. The exhibition is titled “September Invitational Exhibit / 2020” and showcased recent works by Aaron Boucher, Roy Kinzer, Nora Murphy, Raisa Nosova, Walter John Rodriguez, Bruce Stiglich, and Rob Ventura. Read more about the gallery here.
Hoboken’s Mile Square Learning Center Comes to 7Seventy House
The Mile Square Early Learning Center {E.L.C.}, established in 1979, is a provider of pre-kindergarten 3 and 4 educational programs in Hoboken, N.J., has teamed up with 7Seventy House signed a lease to occupy 14,032 square feet of ground-floor retail space at 770 Jackson Street.
The brand new, state-of-the-art facility will be located within 7 Seventy House, a new luxury rental building developed by locally based Bijou Properties and partner Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation, according to the press release.
The new school will have 12 classrooms, as well as the business and administrative offices for Mile Square E.L.C. It will join existing Mile Square E.L.C. operations at Calabro, Rue, Wallace, and St. Francis schools. The facility is also next to a new two-acre park at 7th and Jackson Streets that was built and donated to the City of Hoboken by Bijou Properties and Intercontinental.
“We’re delighted to have executed a lease with Mile Square E.L.C. which will bring another critical community asset to Hoboken’s burgeoning west side,” said Larry Bijou, Managing Partner of Bijou Properties. “Smart, well-planned multifamily development creates opportunities for community building through new retail and service providers, parks and recreational space, and infrastructure improvements that benefit the entire neighborhood.”
For more information, please visit the building’s website at www.7SeventyHouse.com.
Port Authority is Reopening a Newly Revamped Park at Pier 9 in Jersey City
After five years of renovating and replacing the deteriorating Pier 9, Port Authority announced that it is reopening a park and allowing public access to Jersey City’s Hudson River waterfront walkway.
On September 3rd at 9:00AM, a section of the walkway that measures to about 182 feet long and the 10,000-square-foot park will reopen to the public. Prior to the restoration project, Pier 9 provided access to a Holland Tunnel ventilation building in the city’s Newport section, and during construction, which removed the 88-year-old timber pier and replaced it with a durable concrete and steel structure, pedestrians had to detour onto River Drive.
The press release stated, “We are thrilled to return much-needed green space back to the community in better condition than when it closed for the pier project,” said Enrique Ramirez, general manager of the Holland Tunnel. “We thank Jersey City and Newport Associates Development Company for their cooperation and patience while we completed this critical project, which helps us maintain the Holland Tunnel and ensure that millions of motorists can breathe easier as they drive through the facility.”
As part of the replacement project, the Port Authority also renovated the public space next to to the pier, which still remains inaccessible to the public for security reasons. A portion of the waterfront walkway was replaced by new lighting, benches, and fencing. Public safety features were installed as well, including anti-vehicle bollards and security cameras. There was all-round landscaping throughout the pier and park. The entire project was estimated at $94.6 million, but the final cost was $86 million.
Ichiban Japanese Catering Opens Its Doors in the Heights
Ichiban Japanese Catering is a family-owned and operated business that has served the New Jersey and New York area for the past 20 years. The sushi restaurant opened its door on September 1st to its first location in Jersey City, located at 365 Palisade Avenue.
The mission of Ichiban Japanese Catering is built on creating food that brings people together. In light of COVID-19, the Ichiban team has donated over 50000 masks, 500 gowns, 500 safety goggles, and 250 bento boxes to hospitals in the New York/New Jersey area.
Patrons can expect fun and innovative presentations of sushi and other Japanese dishes. Additionally, the restaurant offers catering services with different packages available. While their specialty lies in sushi, they’ve expanded the menu to provide classic Asian dishes. From Peking Duck to Dim Sum and of-the-moment street food trends like Bao, Ichiban does it all.
Hoboken Adds 14 Coronavirus Cases Due to a Lab Error
The city of Hoboken shared its updated coronavirus case count Thursday. There was an unexpected spike in coronavirus case numbers, 14 to be exact. The city stated that it was a “lab error” and the number of cases was only recently provided to the city. The 14 cases were Hoboken residents testing positive since August 10th. Now, Hoboken’s total number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic is currently 718 known, confirmed cases, Patch stated.
The Hoboken Health Department listed these new COVID-19 cases:
- Aug. 29: 0 new cases
- Aug. 30: 4
- Aug. 31: 0
- Sept. 1: 1
- Sept. 2: 1
Filipino Grocery and Restaurant Sariling Atin Expands to Jersey City
{Photo credit: Sarling Atin Facebook}
It was announced that the fan-favorite Filipino Grocery and Restaurant Sariling Atin will be expanding from Queens and opening its second location in NJ, taking over a building {with plenty of parking} in the Jersey City Heights, near White Mana Diner. Patrons can expect a one-stop-shop for dining and grocery shopping, Jersey Digs shared.
The New York Times wrote about the Queens location, noting that there are shelves of egg cracklets, adobo-flavored corn nuts, Datu Puti cane vinegar, and Andok’s Litson sauce that line the market’s shelves.
Like any traditional Filipino restaurant, the main dishes here focus on chicken, pork, goat, seafood, vegetables, noodles, and rice.
A Second Cannabis Company Announces Plans for a Dispensary in Hoboken
Another Cannabis company announced its plans to open a dispensary in the Mile Square. It comes as no surprise with the legal recreational marijuana on New Jersey’s ballot in November, cannabis companies are aiming to secure places of operation in Hoboken. Colorado-based medical marijuana company Terrapin is the latest company to announce its plans to move, NJ.com announced.
“As always, Terrapin is focused on planting local roots,” Terrapin CEO Chris Woods said. “We are excited to serve these communities as responsible corporate actors in meeting the needs of cannabis patients, while also leaving a positive community footprint.”
Terrapin will occupy a storefront at 86 River St. Last month, Harmony Dispensary, a Secaucus company, received city approval to open Hoboken’s first dispensary at 95 Hudson Street. The dispensary plans to open before the end of 2020.
Ascend Wellness, a cannabis company with operations across the Midwest and Northeast, is also planning to open a dispensary at Hoboken’s 94 River Street.
234-Acre Cleanup in Liberty State Park Slated for Next Summer
A major cleanup of Liberty State Park’s wetlands is scheduled to take place next summer, state officials said Thursday in announcing that a public hearing on the plan will be held later this month, NJ.com noted.
Once completed, that section of the park will be home to recreational activities like bicycling, walking, wildlife viewing, and scenic overlooks. According to the report, it will help in the battle against climate change, but because the funding is coming from the settlement of pollution lawsuits, it cannot include active recreation amenities that some members of the Jersey City community have called for recently, officials said.
The cleanup will involve removing contaminated soil, adding at least a foot of clean soil, and then planting vegetation, the officials said.
Hoboken Announces Pop-Up Drive-In Theater at Hoboken Business Center
The city of Hoboken is the lastest city in the county to announce a slate of drive-in movies at the Hoboken Business Center located at 50 Harrison Street, in the southwest corner of town from September 10th to October 3rd. What better reason to leave your home on a Thursday night? While the first three movies are tailored towards the favor of children, the last viewing of the pop-up event will be tailored to adults.
Location: 50 Harrison Street
Directions: Enter at Harrison St., Exit via New York Ave.
Time: The gate opens 6:45PM. The movies start at 7:30PM.
Admission: $25 per car. Limited tickets are available. Only 4 people allowed per car.
Amenities: Portable toilets with hand sanitizer will be on site.
Note: All attendees must wear a mask when not in their cars.
Note: Subtitles will be projected onto the movie screen upon request. For those who are hearing challenged, assisted listening devices are available with 3 weeks advance notice. To reserve, call 201-852-6039.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. www.hobokennj.gov/register
In case of rain, the movie will be canceled and rescheduled. Cancellations will be announced by 4:00PM on the day of the show. Check the City of Hoboken Facebook and Twitter for updates.
For further information: gfallo@hobokennj.gov
Liberty Science Center Reopens With New and Returning Exhibits
Liberty Science Center has reopened to members on Friday, September 4th, from 10 a.m. to 4:00PM, and to the general public from September 5th to the 7th, from 10:00AM to 5:00PM, NJ.com stated.
Going forward, LSC plans to be open Thursdays through Sundays, with tickets available on its website through September 24th.
Returning exhibits include Angry Birds Universe Wild Kratts: Creature Power! Animals on display include the naked mole, cotton-top tamarind monkeys, and more.
New programs include Boom Time!, which will show controlled explosions several times throughout the day in a one-of-a-kind, 57-square-foot movable safe room made of poly-carbonate walls, the same material used for bullet-proofing.
There will be increased daily disinfecting and sanitizing protocols for the entire facility, with special attention paid to highly trafficked areas and high-touch surfaces throughout the building and its exhibits.
Visitors will need to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing by being six feet apart or more from others. Admission tickets can be found at LSC.org and will be limited to less than 25 percent capacity to allow for appropriate physical distancing.
Hoboken Offers $3M for Jubilee Center Building
The City of Hoboken has put in a $3 million offer on the Jubilee Center building and may potentially use it as classroom space and a food pantry while leasing rooms back to the Jubilee Center, officials said.
The 15-year-old, three-story building on Jackson Street houses after-school programming as well as summer camps for children. It is owned by the All Saints Episcopal Parish in the city, NJ.com reported.
Currently, there are four offers on the table for the building, said Jubilee Center board President David Tornabene. A 7-1 vote at Wednesday’s city council meeting to put in the offer.
The city and the school district have discussed leasing opportunities to provide pre-Kindergarten space for a public school system now bursting at the seams, said Councilwoman Emily Jabbour. The building could also house the city’s food pantry, which grew dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic, but currently operates in a building in need of repair, she said.
Bucket and Bay Gelato Closing Both Locations in Hoboken + Jersey City
Bucket and Bay Gelato just announced that they are closing both locations at 150 Bay Street in Jersey City, and 153 1st Street in Hoboken.
Jen, the co-owner, sent the news to subscribers via email about the news, stating My family is embarking on a new adventure. We are moving to the West coast to create a home for my girls in Seattle, and live closer to nature. It’s been a difficult decision, as it means I have to say goodbye to Bucket & Bay and Jersey City. It has been an extreme pleasure making craft gelato and pies for you over the last five years. Thank you for welcoming us into your hearts and homes, special occasions, and freezers.”
Labor Day is their last day open at the Hoboken location and they will be serving an extra scoop on every gelato all weekend. The Jersey City location will stay open through September.
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