The best thing about the holidays in Hudson County, hands down, is all the interesting decor. Whether locals wander down one of the side streets in Hoboken or stop for a quick bite at a restaurant in Jersey City, they can fully immerse themselves in a festive atmosphere this time of year. As a charming addition to Jersey City’s holiday scene, the window displays at WORD Bookstore at 29 McWilliams Place and Jersey City Bicycle Co. at 231 Pavonia Avenue feature animated artwork from local artist Natasha Dzurny, who specializes in technology-based art. Read on to learn more about what’s hanging in the windows at WORD Bookstore and Jersey City Bicycle Co. in Hamilton Park, Jersey City, and the innovative artist behind it all.
Photo Credit: Natasha Dzurny
What’s Hanging at WORD Bookstore + Jersey City Bicycle Co.?
WORD Bookstore and Jersey City Bicycle Co. have always been must-visit destinations in the Hamilton Park neighborhood of Jersey City. This time of year, it’s because of the shops’ interactive animated window displays, produced in partnership with the businesses, the buildings’ owner, Jersey City Recreation, and local artist and resident Natasha Dzurny.
Photo Credit: Natasha Dzurny
Before the entrance at WORD, locals can find a large “Naughty or Nice” sign decked out in holiday lights. While it is nice to look at, the sign is not just for pretty pics. It also features a red button that reveals to its users where they fall in Santa‘s big book. The sign then will point to book recommendations hand-selected by the team at WORD based on its answer.
Read More: 32 Holiday Light Displays to Visit in the Tri-State Area
Just a few blocks away from everyone’s favorite bookstore is a similar kind of display at Jersey City Bicycle Co. Sitting in the window of this shop is an animatronic bike-riding Santa Claus. And yes, he is in fact, pedaling. The display also features a night-sky scene, with a large moon behind Santa and a row of buildings underneath him.
Natasha decided to create her art pieces in the heart of Jersey City after it was announced by The New York Times that Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City would not be bringing back its beloved displays this year. With these pieces, Natasha hopes to showcase the artistic culture of Jersey City, while simultaneously attracting the “spectacle-seekers” to the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, according to a statement exclusively shared with HG. These displays are the first of what Natasha hopes will grow into an annual tradition.
Locals can check out how Natasha created these displays on her Instagram, where she documented each step of the building process.
See More: Warren Place: The Montclair Street Where Every House Has a Giant Snowman
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New Bagel Shop, B Bagels, Soft Opens in Downtown Jersey City
The bagel scene in Jersey City is small, if we're being honest. But over the last year, a few new bagel shops have entered the growing dough scene. The newest addition is B Bagels, which soft-opened today, Wednesday, January 15th at 367 Grove Street in downtown Jersey City. Read on for more about the newest bagel spot in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The Details
The B Bagels news first came from JC Upfront, which covered the story in March 2024 when signage went up, though B's had originally posted on its Instagram in January 2024. The article noted that limited information was available at the time, but it appeared that kettle-boiled, hand-rolled bagels, coffee, and other pastries along with an array of cream cheeses would be available.
Read More: OrGovia: A New Chilean-Puerto Rican Fusion Restaurant in Hoboken
When we first reported on the spot in October 2024, its Instagram hasn't been updated since early 2024 and there was no website — but the spot seemed to have a ghost kitchen operating out of 400 Newark Street in Hoboken found here.
B Bagels shared with The Hoboken Girl back in October that they were aiming for a late October/early November opening.
We now know that B Bagels has officially soft-opened in Chilltown as of Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 — just in time for National Bagel Day. Our friends over at HDSID shared the news of the opening on Tuesday, January 14th via Instagram. See the full post below.
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Originally, B Bagels shared the news of its official JC location in January of 2024:
View this post on Instagram
The Jersey City Historic Downtown Special Improvement District (HDSID) also shared in October that progress was underway at the new bagel shop. See the full post below.
View this post on Instagram
Other bagel shops are notably joining the ranks in Jersey City: Cheech’s Bagels is a new bagel concept opening at 176 Erie Street in the Swift + Co. building — near Hamilton Park. The owners behind Cheech’s Bagels are Gianluca Fernicola and John Ballan, lifelong friends and Jersey City residents who saw a need for more bagel options in the area. Meanwhile, a recent turnover was City Bagels, which opened and quickly shuttered its doors within a few months' time. Bread Stone itself is now noted as temporarily closed on Google.
Will B Bagels stick? The bagel lovers certainly hope so. Here's the full growing list of bagel spots in Jersey City from our archives.
See More: The Best Bagel Spots in the Montclair Area For Your AM Bagel Run
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