The Local Barre Social Club is touted as Hoboken’s first women-focused community which is a co-working-meets-workout space — meets community hub. Having opened as the new space back in 2022, the space had become a hub for regulars and women in West Hoboken to frequent. But on February 21, 2024, the space briefly closed its doors — and shared with its clients that it would be closed for the evening and morning, so the rumors were swirling. The Hoboken Girl team spoke with Joe DeMarco, owner and co-founder of the space, on the situation on February 22nd.
The Closure
Rumors were swirling as The Local Barre Social Club quietly closed its Monroe Street space classes on Wednesday evening, February 21st, and Thursday morning, February 22nd, 2024. As of this evening, February 22nd, classes are back on schedule, and The Local Barre Social Club is open, according to its owners.
The @localbarre Instagram account had shared on its Stories as of the morning of February 22nd, “The Social Club will be closed today due to building issues. We will email everyone signed into this evening’s class if we are able to open tonight. Thank you for your patience and understanding, as we work hard behind the scenes to open back up!”
Joe DeMarco, co-owner of the space, spoke with The Hoboken Girl team, and noted the space’s brief closure was due to a COVID-related rent issue that was being resolved, “We have a great relationship with our landlords, and we have no plans of going anywhere.”
Joe shared that all workout class attendees were notified of the brief closure, and he noted that the schedule would be in place going forward as of Thursday night, February 22nd.
“Our entire team and clients were in the loop; we just had to sort some things out,” he shared.
@localbarre also posted on its Instagram several hours later, ” Classes are on tonight! Thank you to everyone that reached out to us in support, and thank you for everyone’s patience and cooperation. See you all at The Social Club,” as of 3:25PM on 2/22.
How The Local Barre Social Club Came to Be
A local husband + wife team, Joe and Jen DeMarco, opened Local Barre at 1180 Maxwell Place in Hoboken in 2010 as a barre-based fitness studio. 10 years later, when things shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, they decided to revisit what they could provide the women of Hudson County. Katie Knowles heads up the brand direction and works hand in hand with Jenna Turcich who oversees operations.
“The pandemic really made us think about the direction of our brand and how we could better serve the community. We decided as a team to reopen the Monroe location with this new concept and new brand direction in mind,” Katie told The Hoboken Girl. “We wanted our clients to feel recharged, relaxed, and immersed into our brand so we designed the space with deep, moody colors and vibrant wallpaper to create a speakeasy atmosphere. Our goal is to connect and bring women together while helping to simplify their daily needs at the same time. We are excited to offer so much to our local community in one space.”
From the chandeliers to the hardwood floors and velvet accents, the sophisticated vibe in the new space makes you feel like you’re part of an exclusive club. Not to mention, the services are exhaustive, from fitness classes and blowouts to nanny services and Amazon returns — we’re not kidding when we say The Local Barre Social Club literally does it all.
“Clients can come to our space knowing that their fitness needs are met, recovery and body healing is provided, there is a workspace to take a conference call, and a chance to enjoy a cup of coffee while their child is well taken care of. Yes, we have a full-time nanny on our team for all of our local moms,” Katie mentioned. “This is a space where growth/development and personal needs can be met under one location, so you don’t have to run to drop off an Amazon return because we will do it for you. We want our clients to feel that they are well cared for.”
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Hoboken’s 2025 Spring Arts + Music Festival Happening on 5/18
We know its still winter, but we're looking ahead to the spring season here at The Hoboken Girl. The annual Hoboken Spring Arts + Music Festival will return for 2025 on Sunday, May 18th, and locals will be able to shop over 300 artists, crafters, food vendors, and more. The City of Hoboken recently announced that Brenda K. Starr will headline the musical portion of the event. Read on for more about the 2025 Spring Arts + Music Festival in Hoboken, New Jersey.
The Details
Hoboken's 2024 Spring Arts + Music Festival will take place on Sunday, May 18th from 11AM-6PM on Washington Street between Observer Highway and 7th Street.
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The event will feature displays and sales by 300+ artists, crafters, food vendors, kids' activities, and local businesses — including artwork, food, clothing, jewelry, flowers, furniture + home decor, among other things.
There will also be two stages of live music performances located on
This year's festival will he headlined by Grammy-nominated musician Brenda K. Starr, who is best known for her hit pop ballad "I Still Believe."
“We are excited to welcome Brenda K. Starr, an internationally renowned artist, to headline this year’s festival and bring her incredible talent to the City,” Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla said. “From live music to local artisans and great food, the Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival has something for everyone and highlights what makes Hoboken such a special place to live, work, and visit. I encourage residents and vendors alike, to come and experience this wonderful cultural celebration.”
The rest of the performance schedule has yet to be announced — this post will be updated as more details become available.
For 2025, the City has partnered with EventHub — a digital event management platform — to streamline the vendor and sponsorship registration process. The platform will also provide residents with a digital map of vendors for the festival and allow them to purchase tickets for future events, like the annual Spaghetti Dinner Block Party.
Vendor registration is scheduled to open on Monday, February 3rd at 10AM and will close once vendor capacity is reached. Vendors can visit Event Hub's website here to access the portal and begin the application process at that time. First-time users will need to click “Log in,” create an account by selecting “participant,” and then provide the required information.
See More: 26 Ways to Celebrate Galentine’s Day in Montclair + Essex County for 2025
Vendors can contact the Division of Cultural Affairs for assistance with registration at [email protected].
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