With a new month comes the chance to spotlight another group of inspiring Hoboken and Jersey City locals here at The Hoboken Girl. From foodies and Olympic athletes to business owners and beyond, these individuals are making a meaningful impact in the Hudson County community + beyond. Read on for a list of 10 Hoboken and Jersey City locals to watch this September.
Nicholas Petruzzelli + Jordan Getz | Founders of @heartofhoboken
Nicholas Petruzzelli and Jordan Getz, both 17-year-old juniors at Hoboken High School, have teamed up to create the nonprofit organization @heartofhoboken. Nicholas, this past season’s CO-HCIAL Player of the Year and founder of his own basketball training program, and Jordan, whose passion for community service was ignited through the Best Buddies Club and PALS program, have joined forces to support kids with special needs in their district. Together, they’ve successfully hosted four engaging events, including bowling and kickball, and are excited to continue making a difference. They welcome Hoboken kids to join them in their future activities.
Nicholas and Jordan’s favorites: The two love sports from basketball to baseball and are big fans of grabbing local bites at Dipped N’ Smashed.
Learn more about Nicholas Petruzzelli and Jordan Getz here.
Read More: Gen Z Business Owners + Entrepreneurs in Hoboken + Jersey City
Mary “Molly” Reckford | Olympic Rower
Mary “Molly” Reckford is an American rower who attended Hudson School in Hoboken, Philips Exeter Academy, and Dartmouth College. This year, she represented Team USA in the Paris Olympics, placing 6th in the lightweight women’s double. Molly enjoys a range of activities including cooking, cycling, reading, and erging. When she’s not training, she works at Broadridge Financial as part of their Elite Athlete Program in collaboration with USRowing. She attributes her big dreams and passion for sports to her grandparents and her competitive drive to her sister and father. In 2021, Molly won USRowing’s Ernestine Bayer Award (Woman of the Year) with partner Michelle Sechser, marking her first award.
Keep up with Molly and her Olympic journey here.
Bria Lyles | Private Tumbling Instructor
Bria Lyles, a dedicated cheerleading coach from Jersey City, brings over 10 years of competitive experience and 5+ national titles to her role. Her passion for cheerleading has not only driven her athletic journey but also provided incredible travel opportunities and inspired her ventures, @tumblewithbri and @stunt101cheer. Bria is motivated by giving back to young girls and currently coaches over 500 athletes across two gyms. She takes great pride in their growth and in nurturing a love for the sport, and she hopes to continue making a positive impact on young girls worldwide.
Bria’s favorites: Bria enjoys living in Northern New Jersey for its diversity and loves grabbing a bite at Tacoria downtown.
Keep up with Bria’s journey here.
Chelsea Powell | Founder of Sonny Boy Co.
Chelsea founded Sonny Boy Co., a non-toxic home fragrance brand based in Jersey City Heights, after being furloughed from her fashion job in 2020. Driven by her passion for creating a luxurious sensory experience, she aimed to provide unique scents that encourage daily self-care and wellness. In 2022, Chelsea took a step back to re-evaluate her ingredients and the broader fragrance industry. This introspection led her to reformulate her products and discontinue scents that were less safe. Now, Chelsea is committed to prioritizing safety by using only clean, non-toxic ingredients. Her updated approach also emphasizes stylish, affordable designs, ensuring that her products not only enhance well-being but also add a touch of elegance to any space.
Chelsea’s favorites: Chelsea loves living near the city for easy access to Manhattan. She also enjoys Modcup for its amazing coffee, Gino’s Pizzeria for the best chicken roll, and Corkscrew Bar for its delicious chicken Caesar wrap and waffle fries.
Keep up with Chelsea here.
Justin Rubin | Founder of Pro Connect
Justin Rubin, a Hoboken resident originally from Long Island, has been immersed in basketball from a young age. He played college basketball, interned with overseas teams, and worked in Basketball Operations for the Brooklyn Nets. In 2018, Justin launched Pro Connect, a platform that helps college players navigate the overseas basketball scene, get noticed by teams, and secure professional contracts. Since its launch, Pro Connect has placed over 500 players in 30 countries and now reaches over two million users monthly on Instagram. Justin is passionate about connecting with others who share his love for basketball and has become an expert in the overseas basketball arena.
Justin’s favorites: Justin loves being close to New York City and enjoys dining at Carpe Diem, DOMO DOMO, and Little Grocery. He especially appreciates Little Grocery, where the owner is sweet, genuine, and always keeps him coming back.
Keep up with Justin here.
Grace Carnevale | Founder of @thegreatfooodini + @carnevalescreatives
Raised in a large Italian family where food was central to every celebration, Grace launched @thegreatfooodini to share her recipes and culinary passions. After her uniform-clad high school years, fashion became another creative outlet and form of self-expression. Her new venture, @carnevalescreatives, seeks to inspire others to find joy in the everyday and embrace their individuality. Grace is excited about the future of both @thegreatfooodini and @carnevalescreatives.
Grace’s favorites: Grace truly enjoys being a New Jerseyan. Her go-to spots include Alfalfa for healthy eats, Cafe Michelina for comforting Italian meals, and Cafe Vista for a great cup of coffee.
Learn more about Grace’s life here and here.
Ani Youssoufian | Founder of Youssoufiani
Ani Youssoufian, an Armenian-born designer, first moved to New Jersey in 2010 and returned in 2022 to Jersey City. She took sewing classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she specialized in designing handbags and footwear. She launched Youssoufiani, her leather craftsmanship studio, after discovering a historic unit at 33 Wayne Street. The name Youssoufiani reflects her Armenian heritage, blending her first and last names with a chic logo inspired by the Armenian letter “Y.”
Ani’s favorites: Ani loves anything about fashion and handbags.
Learn more about Ani’s company, Youssoufiani, here.
India Joseph aka Foxy Green | Founder of Dirty Hippie Studio
India Joseph, also known as Foxy Green, opened Dirty Hippie Studio in June, next door to her best friend Montana’s vintage shop, Cranky Angel. Inspired by Montana’s success, Foxy decided to pursue her own dream of running a creative studio. In the back of Dirty Hippie Studio is the private art gallery used to showcase artists’ work during monthly showcase events, but there are many treasures to explore inside Dirty Hippie. The studio also sells affordable art supplies, consigned artwork, used books, and other handmade accessories from local vendors, including designs by Foxy. Now, the two friends operate their businesses side by side and collaborate on community events centered around art, fashion, and creative self-expression. From a young age, Foxy had a natural talent for art, always finding joy in creating with a pencil or paintbrush.
Keep up with India and her journey with Dirty Hippie Studio here.
Hanna Rose | Founder of STIX
Hanna Rose takes pride in being a Jersey girl who grew up in the Asbury Park area, surrounded by Springsteen fans. A lifelong dancer, Hanna pursued dance at Penn State before beginning her career as a recruiter in NYC and a part-time [solidcore] coach in Hoboken. Her love for the Pilates community inspired her to create STIX, premier grip socks designed with stylish patterns for Pilates, barre, yoga, or everyday use. STIX helps prevent slips and adds a touch of flair to your workout gear.
Hanna’s favorites: Hanna loves Hoboken for its charm and cozy spots like bwè for coffee and Antique 112. She appreciates the vibrant, small-town feel that balances her NYC career and fitness passion.
Keep up with Hannah and her journey here.
See More: Essex County’s Women of the American Revolution
Aditi Guha | Local Hoboken Nutritionist
Aditi, a certified Precision Nutritionist based in Hoboken, specializes in PCOS with four years of focused education and research. She developed a five-step framework specifically designed to help women with PCOS achieve weight loss. Aditi tailors each plan to individual needs, creating personalized nutrition and lifestyle strategies to balance hormones and address deficiencies.
Keep up with Aditi and her journey here.
Social Media Accounts That Every New Jersey Resident Should Follow
While we continue to hold our collective breath on all things TikTok ban-related, we are confident that New Jersey residents will have no shortage of content. New Jersey is home to over nine million residents with several talented content creators, podcasters, innovative journalists, and passionate New Jerseyans, sharing hyper-local, in-the-know, content to make living here even more special. While The Hoboken Girl will still be dishing out all of our usual local stories, we’ve compiled a list of some other New Jersey outlets, creators, Facebook groups, podcasts, and more to stay up to date on all things New Jersey via Instagram, Threads, and other platforms. Keep reading for our growing list of New Jersey community content to follow up on with the impending TikTok ban.
*Disclaimer: This is a growing list and any exclusions are not intentional. If you have an addition or suggestion please email [email protected].
News
For hyper-local updates and happenings.
- @hobokennj + hobokennj.gov
- @jerseycitynj + jerseycitynj.gov
- @newarkisnow
- @newjerseyoag + njoag.gov
- @njgov + nj.gov
- @njspotlightnews + njspotlightnews.org
- @visithudsonnj + visithudsoncounty.org
- @visitnj + visitnj.org
- NJ.com
- Patch New Jersey
- TapInto
- Jersey Digs
- Hudson County View
- Jersey City Times
- Montclair Local
And of course, (shameless self-plug) don’t forget to follow The Local Girl brands:
- @thelocalgirlhq + TheLocalGirl.com
- @thehobokengirl + HobokenGirl.com
- @thejerseycitygirl
- @thebergencountygirl + TheBergenCountyGirl.com
- @themontclairgirl + TheMontclairGirl.com
- @thejerseyshoregirl_ + TheJerseyShoreGirl.com
- @thecatskillsgirl
- @thelocalgirlrealestate + realestate.thelocalgirl.com
Read More: 11 Latinx Creators to Follow in New Jersey
NJ-Centric Creators + Accounts
Here are some accounts we love:
- @aapinewjersey
- @bayshorebeyond
- @bestofnj
- @blackinjersey
- @blackownednj
- @christineelliza
- @findingfrancesca_
- @gsequality
- @hoboken_love
- @hobokengossip
- @hotspotsnj
- @jordanandjoelle
- @jerseycityconnects
- @jerseygirlthrift
- @latinosofmontclair
- @leahscucina
- @locallivingnj
- @marmodernvibes
- @megthings_
- @montclairfoodie
- @montclair_eats
- @newjerseyhistory
- @newjerseyisbeautiful
- @newjerseymemes
- @njdigest
- @njhipsturbia
- @newjerseyisntboring
- @njmom
- @njmonthly
- @only_in_new_jersey
- @parisandalatte
- @patrick_njoa
- @sallyslices_
- @sistersnacking
- @sliceofculture
- @talkdirty2yourfood
- @thatsbriannab
- @theerichammer
- @thegardenstate
- @twodopesfromjersey
- @vintage.newjersey
- @wandering_with_mariam
- @weirdnjinsta
- @whatninate
Podcasts
For history, entertainment + some NJ fun facts on multiple platforms.
- The Garden State
- Greetings from the Garden State
- Lost in New Jersey
- New Jersey Is The World
- The New Jersey History Podcast
- What’s Your Jersey
See More: This Montclair-Based Artist Designs Maps + Guides to Beloved New Jersey Spots
Local Facebook Groups
For community online + IRL.
- Entrepreneurs and Business Owners of New Jersey
- Events Happening in New Jersey
- Hoboken + Jersey City Insiders | The Hoboken Girl Insiders
- North Jersey Locals | The Montclair + Bergen Girl Insiders
- Jersey City Connects
- New Jersey Business Network
- New Jersey Food
SubReddits
For community updates and questions.
