If Hoboken had resident superlatives, the “Best Dressed” award wouldn’t go to any human (though there are many contenders). It’d go to an unassuming, googly-eyed tree stump on the corner of Bloomfield + Second Streets, which for the last few months, has been decked out for various holidays. Named “Stumpy” by locals, the little fellow has a stylist: Hoboken resident Sue Stephens.
Photo Credit: Sue Stephens
Back in the fall, Sue noticed that someone had drawn a smiley face on the stump, but the smile had started to fade. A self-proclaimed smiley face obsessive, Sue ventured to glue some googly eyes on the stump and paint the smile brighter. One of the eyes was stolen, but Sue was dedicated to the vision (pun intended), gluing another one on shortly thereafter.
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Since then, Sue has taken a festive approach to Stumpy’s fashion: she dressed “him” in a pilgrim’s hat for Thanksgiving, a Santa Suit for Christmas, trademark NYE glasses to ring in 2024, and so forth. Sue bundled the stump up for bitter January winter — and now he’s in his Sunday best as Easter approaches this weekend.
Some of Stumpy’s items have been stolen (the Santa hat was stolen about four times, Sue says), but Sue maintains positivity. When asked what inspired her to first decorate it, she shared: “Just the fun of doing something silly with a lonely stump.” As it turns out, locals feel the same. One Hoboken resident commented on HG‘s Instagram post, “It brings me joy! Don’t stop!” Another expressed a similar sentiment: “I’ve been tracking this stump for 2 years, maybe more more. I must know the story, I love it.”
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Sue made it clear that the stump is not “hers.” If other locals want to decorate it, she welcomes them to join in on the fun. That said, she’s currently serving as the stump’s resident stylist, so keep scrolling for an unofficial Hoboken Stump Lookbook.
A Legend is Born
Stumpy’s First Holiday: Thanksgiving 2023
Spreading Christmas Cheer
New Year, Same Stump
“This next song is ‘Stick Season’ by Noah Kahan.”
The Ultimate Bark Breaker
Finally Grew a Mustache
Easter Sunday Best
We can’t wait to see what Sue dreams up for Stumpy’s summer style. Until then, be sure to follow @thehobokengirl on Instagram + TikTok for more Hoboken fun, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
