It’s been another busy week in the Hoboken + Jersey City area and there are plenty of headlines to catch up on. Among the highlights: the Jersey City Marathon is this weekend, with 6,000 runners participating; the City of Hoboken has installed new gates designed to mitigate flood impacts; and the Hoboken Library has a week full of events to celebrate National Library Week. Read on for more Hudon County headlines you missed this week.
National Library Week at the Hoboken Public Library
The Hoboken Public Library invites the community to join the celebration of all things library, and take part in National Library Week, April 23-29, to explore all it has to offer. According to a press release, the library will offer a wide array of events and classes for every age and interest during the celebration. It all kicks off Sunday, April 23rd, with a Family FUNday Puppet Show, and continues with Banned Books Trivia for Teens & Tweens on Monday, After School Story Time in Church Square Park on Tuesday, Welcome Back Book Bike Party! on Wednesday, a Senior Dance Party on Friday, and all kinds of exciting and entertaining events in between. To get the full line-up, visit bit.ly/nlw23.
Paris Art Museum Coming to Jersey City Delayed Until 2026
Jersey City will be partnering with Centre Pompidou of Paris, France to bring about the Centre Pompidou x Jersey City Museum which will be located in Journal Square. This will be Centre Pompidou’s first North American partnership — and they have picked no better place than the city of Jersey City to create this exciting international destination for the arts. The museum was slated to open in 2024, but was recently delayed until 2026. Keep reading to learn about Centre Pompidou and its plans for expansion in Jersey City.
Firehouse Fitness Coming Soon to The Heights
Firehouse Fitness will soon be taking over the historic firehouse in The Heights. Located at 520 Palisade Ave in Jersey City, the new gym is underway inside the 6,500 square feet of space. The Hoboken Girl chatted with the owners to get the details on what’s to come. Read on to learn more about Firehouse Fitness.
City of Hoboken Approves Municipal Budget
At a City Council meeting on April 19th, a municipal budget was approved for the town of Hoboken. Per a statement from the Mayor’s office, The adopted budget will expand the City’s surplus to affirm the City’s continued AA+ credit rating. Over the past decade, Hoboken’s average assessed tax has increased only 1.13 percent annually, which remains significantly below the average inflation rate over the same span. In 2022, the City adopted a final budget with a minor increase of 2.5 percent, which was also far below the rate of inflation for the previous year. With this adopted budget, Hoboken has the lowest municipal residential tax assessment in Hudson County.
“I am glad that in partnership with the City Council, we are once again passing a balanced budget that prioritizes critical infrastructure upgrades to our water mains, resiliency projects, and quality of life initiatives,” said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. “Despite the challenging economic times, taxpayers will see minimal impact to their local property taxes, all while maintaining a healthy surplus. Thank you to Council President Emily Jabbour and the council finance sub-committee for working with my administration on this budget that continues to put us on a sound fiscal path for years to come.
7 Seventy House in Hoboken Getting a New Cafe
A New York-based coffee shop recently set up shop in the Paulus Hook neighborhood of Jersey City, and now it is expanding to the Mile Square. Gotan Cafe serves up high-quality Counter Culture coffee and Mediterranean cuisine, bringing some staples from the Tribeca location across the Hudson. The Hoboken location is aiming to open in the fall of 2023, and will be located at 770 Jackson Street inside 7 Seventy House. Read on for more about Gotan coming to the Mile Square this fall.
La Congo Market in Jersey City Closes
According to Jersey Digs, a long-standing grocery store in downtown Jersey City has closed. La Conga, located at 352 Grove Street, closed on Sunday April 16th. The store was known for its distinctive orange sign and for stocking items for Latin cooking and other hard-to-find items.
Automated Flood Barricades Have Arrived in Hoboken
Hoboken is a wonderful place to live for so many reasons — but it’s no secret that one challenge to living here is how easily the area floods during severe weather. Flooding can be devastating for a community, from fearing for one’s safety to costly + severe damage left behind on city infrastructure and personal property. With more extreme weather and rising water levels expected in the coming years, Mayor Bhalla and the City of Hoboken have recently installed flood barricades in low, flood-prone areas. These barricades have sensors that monitor flood levels, which City officials will watch in order to raise the barricades up when flood levels are high. This initiative is an effort to hopefully increase safety for residents and decrease flood damage. Read on for what we know about these new flood barricades in Hoboken.
New Play Festival Returns to Jersey City
(Photo Credit: Art House Productions)
According to a press release, Art House Productions announces the return of the INKubator New Play Festival. This year’s playwrights are Micharne Cloughley, Amir-Gabriel Gad, Adin Lenahan, Iraisa Ann Reilly, Edwin Rivera-Arias, and Emmy Weissman. Audiences who attend the festival will have the opportunity to participate in conversations with the writers, directors, and actors following each performance. All readings are free to attend, but advanced registration is required.
The INKubator New Play Festival marks the debut of Art House’s brand-new 99-seat flexible black box theater located at 345 Marin Boulevard in Jersey City. The state-of-the-art theater will house a variety of arts events including plays, film screenings, comedy shows, music performances, and dance, and is conveniently located 1 block from the Grove Street PATH Station in downtown Jersey City.
Famous Hoboken Resident, Jake the Puggle, Passes Away
Last week, M+P Biancamano’s resident good boy, Jake the Puggle, passed away just days shy of his 16th birthday. Over the years, Jake has built quite the legacy for himself in The Mile Square, bringing no shortage of smiles to deli customers + Hoboken residents at large from his storefront post. To honor Jake and the Biancamano family, we’re taking a trip down memory lane (all the way back to 2015) when The Hoboken Girl profiled this celebrity pup. Our team sends so much love to the Biancamano family, whose kindness + love for their pup was felt by all — Jake will be as missed as he was adored. Read on for our interview with Jake the Puggle from the archives.
Hoboken Schools Announce Spring Musical
The Hoboken Public School Theatre Department has announced performances for its upcoming production of Sponge Bob the Musical. The performances will take place May 19th, 20th, and 21st at Hoboken High School, which is located at 800 Clinton Street. Tickets are available online now.
Kearny Plans Cultural Center in Former Church
The Town of Kearny has announced its plans to create a cultural center on the site of the former First Lutheran Church property, located at 61-71 Oakwood Avenue. According to NJ.com, the town is finalizing its purchase of the property. The new cultural center would have a stage for performances, small-scale recreational activities, and other spaces for community-based arts organizations to use.
Sale of Harborside Property in Jersey City Sets Records
The Harborside complex in Jersey City will get a renovation now that its sale is complete. According to JerseyDigs, the $150 million transaction is the leading office sale in the US so far this year. The property’s new owners are working with architecture firm Gensler to revamp the space’s common areas, retail plaza, and outdoor spaces.
New Jersey Hall of Fame Announces Nominees
Everyone Needs A Hero…
We have announced our 50 nominees for the 2023 public vote!
YOU are invited to vote at https://t.co/evt5im6lUY from April 17 through Friday, May 19 to decide who will be inducted into our ranks!
Vote NOW your 2023 Inductee at https://t.co/evt5im6lUY pic.twitter.com/1SGhjD4ZxZ
— NJ Hall of Fame (@NJHallofFame) April 19, 2023
The New Jersey Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating noteworthy New Jerseyians, has announced the nominees for the class of 2023. Per NJ.com, there are five categories of nominees. Readers are encouraged to vote for their top two choices in each of the five categories: arts and entertainment, sports, enterprise, arts and letters, and public service. Some of this year’s nominees include author Janet Evanovich, actor Paul Rudd, actor and author Anthony Bourdain, and former NFL player Tiki Barber.
Hoboken Youth Theater Classes begin in May
🎭ICYMI: Residents between 6 and 17 years old can register for theater classes through the City’s partnership with @MileSquareThtr. Registration opens Wednesday, April 19, at 10 a.m.
More info: https://t.co/OXdIF1OGsg— City of Hoboken (@CityofHoboken) April 18, 2023
Per a Nixle alert, the City of Hoboken and Mile Square Theatre will partner to provide acting classes to Hoboken residents between 6 and 17 years old this May. Mile Square Theatre Teaching Artists will teach children the basics of acting through energetic theater games and character work as well as creative improvisation and more. The four-week course is $50 per student. Space is limited. To register, go to hoboken.recdesk.com/Community/Program.
New Athletic Field in Hoboken Has its Critics
The new athletic fields at the Northwest Resiliency Park in Hoboken are brand new, but some of the complaints from its neighbors are age-old. Per NJ.com, several neighbors have complained about weeknight adult rec-league kickball games going way too long, way too late. The Park is located 625-627 Jackson Street near several apartment and condo buildings.
West Hudson Arts and Theater Co. Welcomes
Charlie Brown and Friends
View this post on Instagram
The West Hudson Arts and Theater Co. (WHATCo) will perform the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, according to NJ.com. The performances will begin on April 22nd at WHATCo’s new space located at 15 Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard South, in Harrison. The musical is inspired by the classic comic strip in which Charlie Brown and his friends navigate life.
Six-Month Moratorium Approved on Hearing Cannabis Applicants in Jersey City
The Jersey City Council approved a resolution enacting a six-month moratorium on hearing cannabis business applicants to take effect in May 2023. According to the Hudson County View, the Council had previously rejected a proposal to cap the number of permitted businesses in Jersey City. Several say that this moratorium will only add more uncertainty to businesses navigating an already complex approvals system.
Bistro at The Bay Opens in Bayonne
View this post on Instagram
Bistro at the Bay, located at 1 Flagship Street in Bayonne, will celebrate its grand opening this weekend according to a social media post. The restaurant serves American, Indian, and Tex-Mex classics. During the grand opening celebrations, the restaurant will also be cutting the ribbon on its waterfront Tiki Bar.
Jersey City Announces Expanded EV Efforts
The new electric Garbage Trucks are delivered to DPW, where the charging infrastructure has already been installed on April 5, 2022. Photo by Jennifer Brown/City of Jersey City
According to a press release, Jersey City has recently received several eclectic municipal garbage trucks. Utilizing grants and residents’ feedback, Jersey City has added 37 electric vehicles to the City’s municipal fleet and built 27 charging stations at key locations citywide – 22 of which have dual ports for a total of 49 chargers. To take it a step further, the fully electric garbage trucks and other municipal EVs are powered by the solar panels installed at the City’s Department of Public Works (DPW) campus in 2020, which also provides electricity to the entire DPW building.
Jersey City recently became the first on the East Coast to add electric garbage trucks to the municipal fleet, using a $2 million NJDEP grant and replacing high-polluting diesel trucks. With the successful deployment of the EV garbage trucks, Jersey City is saving an average of 25 gallons of diesel per truck daily.
In addition to the recently deployed EV garbage trucks, Mayor Fulop unveiled the latest plans using grants and community feedback to establish a strategic citywide electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure through a public/private partnership. To significantly scale up the City’s electrification success, the program will increase municipal and public EV use, reduce harmful pollution and emissions, lower costs for taxpayers, and improve public health overall.
Jersey City’s Treehouse Coffee to Open Second Location
View this post on Instagram
Treehouse Coffee, located at 434A West Side Avenue, has announced it is opening a second location in downtown Jersey City. Per Patch, the location hasn’t been shared yet, but the shop is hiring staff for both locations. The coffee shop opened in Fall 2019 and frequently hosts special event pop-ups in the back garden of the cafe.
Integrated Solar Power Coming to Jersey City Building
A building recently approved by the Jersey City planning board will have a solar array as part of the design. According to Jersey Digs, the solar panels used in the building design proposed at the vacant lot at 558 Communipaw Avenue will be the first of its kind in Hudson County. The panels will be integrated with other building materials to provide power to the five-story, mixed-use building.
Jersey City Marathon This Weekend
View this post on Instagram
The Jersey City Marathon and Half-Marathon take place this weekend, per NJ.com. There are 6,000 runners registered for the race, which is a qualifying race for the 2024 Boston Marathon. The course takes runners through several Jersey City neighborhoods, including a three-mile section of Liberty State Park. More information, including about road closures, is available on the event website.
New Jersey Gubernatorial Candidate Steven Fulop Announces Team
Current Jersey City Mayor and gubernatorial hopeful Steven M. Fulop has announced his campaign team for the upcoming race. Per Patch</em>, several of the team members are veteran New Jersey campaign participants. In addition to the staff team, over 150 volunteers have also signed up to work on the campaign.
Hoboken Police Issue Warning After Swatting Incident
On Monday, April 17, 2023, the Hoboken Police Department responded to what was later determined to be a swatting incident on Grand Street between First and Newark Streets, according to a press release from the department. At approximately 6:25PM, dispatchers received a call from someone claiming to have shot another individual inside the building. All Hoboken Police units on duty, along with the Hoboken Fire Department, Hoboken EMS, and Stevens Police Department immediately responded to the area, closing Grand Street between Newark and First Streets to the public. Police Officers Christopher Barral, Ramon Estrella, Rose Kanan, and Ricky Truppner, under the supervision of Sgt. Francis “Duke” McCourt entered the building and quickly determined the call to be a hoax. Officers searched the building, unit by unit, explaining the situation to all residents, before clearing the scene. Hoboken PD would like to thank members of the public for their patience and cooperation during the initial response and investigation.
While no member of the public was ever in danger, and no injuries were reported, this type of fraudulent call is serious, and it is dangerous. Swatting, which has become more prevalent across the country, is the deliberate and malicious act of reporting a false crime or emergency with the intention of evoking an aggressive law enforcement response to another person’s address in an attempt to harass or intimidate that person. Swatting puts law enforcement in danger as well as the public, by taking first responders away from actual emergencies.
The Hoboken Police Department continues to investigate last night’s incident and asks anyone with information to contact Detective Ryan Houghton at 201-420-2100. Anyone found guilty of causing a false public alarm faces up to five years in jail. If anyone is injured during a swatting incident, defendants can be charged with that, as well.
Conviction in 2021 Jersey City Shooting
According to a press release from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Ariel Dumit, 37, of Florida, was convicted on all counts for the shooting death of Christian Parra, 34, of Jersey City, on February 28th, 2021. On Sunday, February 28th, 2021, at approximately 8:18 p.m., members of the Jersey City Police Department responded to the BJ’s Parking Lot at 396 Marin Boulevard in Jersey City on reports of a shooting. Responding officers found a male victim – later identified as Christian Parra, 34, of Jersey City – with an apparent gunshot wound to the torso. He was transported to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Dumit faces 30 years to life in New Jersey State Prison at sentencing, which is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, July 13, 2023.
Jersey City Native and NCAA-Tournament Winning Coach Dan Hurley to be Honored
View this post on Instagram
Mayor Steven M. Fulop will celebrate Jersey City native Dan Hurley’s success as the UConn Huskies Men’s Basketball Head Coach by presenting him with a Key to the City during a ceremony inside City Hall on April 25th, per a press release from the Mayor’s office.. Before leading the UConn team in the 2023 NCAA Division I Championship, Hurley was born and raised in Jersey City where he launched his historic basketball career as an outstanding player at St. Anthony’s High School. During his high school basketball career, he led the team to a 31-1 record.
The ceremony will take place on April 25th at 5PM at Jersey City Hall.
Jersey City Fifth Grader Launches Effort to Fight Hunger
Jersey City fifth-grader Emery Hoffman is already making a difference in her community. Per the Jersey City Times, Emery was behind the Food for Love Food Drive that took place at her school this February. Along with friends and other volunteers, close to 250 pounds of food were collected and donated to Hope House, an emergency shelter for women and children.
Jersey City Summit Returns
The Jersey City Summit will return in May 2023. According to a press release from the event organizers, this year’s event will be in-person on May 8th at 525 Washington Boulevard. The Summit brings together leaders, investors, developers, analysts, and others in the fields of commercial real estate and development. Panel topics will include multi-family housing, amenities, mixed-use, and more. Registration is open now.
Hoboken Little League Celebrates New Season
Per Patch, the Hoboken Little League will host a parade for the baseball season’s opening day on Saturday April 22nd. The parade will commence at the Hoboken Elks Club at 10th and Washington Streets at 10AM. Little Leage baseball and RBI softball players will march down Washington Street turning left on Fifth Street ending at Sergeant William Fesken Memorial Field at Stevens Park. Players can line up between 10th Street and 11th Street on Washington Street starting at 9:30AM.
Four Jersey City Police Officers Off the Job for Off-the-Clock Marijuana Use
According to the Jersey City Times, four Jersey City Police officers are off the job for violations of policies involving the use of marijuana. The officers, who chose to remain anonymous while their petitions for reinstatement are pending, have used marijuana while off the clock. The case comes as a real-life test of the New Jersey Attorney General’s warning that “law enforcement agencies may not take any adverse action against any officers because they do or do not use cannabis off-duty.” At the same time, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop had advised officers not to use marijuana. Marijuana is legal for limited use in the state of New Jersey.
