It’s been quite the news week in Hoboken and Jersey City. For starters, the new Joker trailer has been released and features scenery from JC, Hoboken greenlighted an a electric scooter sharing program, and news broke that Bruce Springsteen’s firefighter son might just be coming to JC. And so much more. Read on to find out more stories you missed in Hoboken + Jersey City this weekend:
New Joker Trailer Showcases Jersey City Spots
The new Joker teaser trailer has officially dropped and while the Joaquin Phoenix-led film won’t be in theaters until October 4th, we won’t have to wait until fall to catch glimpses of Jersey City as Gotham. In fact, JC features prominently in the teaser trailer. Jersey City residents with a keen eye found JC locations at 0:25 in the trailer {the Newark Theatre near Market and Broad Street}, 0:55 {perhaps the Beacon apartments?}, and at 1:34 {the Old County Courthouse}.
Hoboken Greenlights Electric Scooter Sharing Program
Wednesday night, the City of Hoboken officially passed an ordinance that allows electric scooters throughout the Mile Square. Hoboken will welcome a six-month pilot program with electric scooter sharing companies, Lime and P3GM.
The passing of this e-scooter ordinance makes Hoboken the first New Jersey city to do so. It also marks Hoboken as one of the only cities to allow e-scooters in the tristate area.
“I am thrilled Hoboken is leading the way for the rest of the state to implement an additional mode of green transportation,” Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla said in a statement. “Thank you to Director Ryan Sharp and his team for making this launch a reality.”
Proven Poke on 14th Street Looks Closer to Opening
Thanks so much to Lara, a reader of Hoboken Girl, who snapped this photo of Prive Poke on 14th and Shipyard. Looks like the new poke place is coming along nicely and will open soon.
Historic Preservation Commission Denies Request to Demolish St. Peter’s Buildings
St. Peter’s Prep request to demolish two of its historic buildings has been denied by Jersey City’s Historic Preservation Commission. The buildings in question were St. Peter’s Original Parish School and St. Peter’s Hall and Parochial School, both of which are situated on York Street.
In a decision against the demolition, the panel came to a unanimous vote, 6-0. The chief concern of the Commission was each of the building’s historic nature; one building was built in 1861, the other in 1894. While representatives for St. Peter’s tried to reason that both buildings were beyond repair and so dilapidated that they must be torn down, the panel remained unconvinced.
“I don’t think it’s conclusive enough to take this building down,” said Commissioner Stephen Gucciardo.
Shakespeare@ Theater Company Presents Hamlet
{Photo credit: Will O’Hare}
Shakespeare@ is a new theater company in Jersey City and they’re taking on Hamlet to launch their inaugural season. Now through April 14th, theater-lovers can catch Jonathon Forbes, Eden Brolin, Andrew Sellon, Aria Shaghasemi, and Mark Torres starring in the production, with showings on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30PM and Sunday at 7:00PM. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.
“Jersey City is a perfect place to offer Shakespeare,” said Artistic Director Sean Hagerty in a press release. “There’s nothing like it here right now. In the past 10 years, there has been so much great change. It’s an exciting time to be here.”
Closings Commence at Newport Shore House
{Photo credit: M18 Public Relations}
Shore House in Newport, a 72-unit ultra-lux boutique condominium has officially commenced closings and initial occupancy. Located on the waterfront along Jersey City’s Gold Coat, Shore House is the first condominium development in the area in almost a decade.
“We are thrilled to welcome the first residents to Shore House,” said Phillip Gesue at Strategic Capital in a statement. “Shore House signifies a unique opportunity in Jersey City, and the development has captivated the community with its impeccable design and one-of-a-kind views.”
Constructed by Plaza Construction — the sister company of Strategic Capital — the condominium development features a full suite of shared amenities like an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a wine-tasting lounge, a putting green, children’s play area, co-working lounge, and Sky Lounge complete with chef’s table, terrace, and views of the Manhattan skyline. There’s also exclusive access to a landscaped rooftop and a fitness center.
The grand opening of the model home will kick off on Sunday, April 7th from 1:00PM to 4:00PM. A one-bedroom home goes for $775,000. To learn more, check out additional information at parkandshore.com or call 201-798-0008.
Café Peanut Suing Landlord, Says Unable to Open Due to Bad Reno
{Photo credit: Google Maps}
Café Peanut is the new restaurant under construction at 586 Newark Avenue. Though Hoboken Girl has previously reported on Café Peanut’s opening, it seems a pending lawsuit will cloud the eatery’s opening. Peanut is suing its landlord, claiming an unfinished reno job at the property is impeding on its ability to get a Certificate of Occupancy, according to Jersey Digs.
While New Court Plaza LLC has not yet filed in response to Peanut’s allegations, the company did file a Landlord-Tenant claim in March. The claim alleges that Peanut owes New Court Plaza more than $16,000.
The next court proceedings will be heard on April 12th.
Judge Rules Against Hoboken Taking $4.85 Million in Hotel Givebacks
A judge has ruled against the City of Hoboken using the $4.85 million in hotel givebacks, citing that it would lead to “abuse and fraud.” You may remember that back in October 2018, Mayor Bhalla announced a deal with the Hilton Hotel Developer, KMS. The deal meant $4.85 million in givebacks from the developers, which were to be used toward infrastructure upgrades, improving Hoboken’s public schools and charter schools, and further developing Hoboken’s Affordable Housing Trust. Additionally, a $2 million allocation was to be poured into the former Hoboken YMCA and to create an uptown branch of the Public Library and additional classroom space for Public Schools.
In November, the City filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought forth by Hoboken Land Building, L.P., and Hoboken Holdings, L.P.
The motion was denied earlier this year and now, a judge has denied the City its ability to use the hotel givebacks.
“The Court concludes that Hoboken does not have the statutory authority to condition or require these givebacks under the LRHL and, further, that permitting a municipality to require givebacks…would create unacceptable possibilities for abuse and fraud and cannot be permitted for reasons of public policy,” Hudson County Superior Court Judge Anthony D’Elia ruled.
Bruce Springsteen’s Son Could Become a Local Firefighter in JC
Bruce Springsteen’s son might be joining Jersey City’s fire department. Springsteen’s 25-year-old son Sam took the civil service exam last year with the intentions of becoming a firefighter. Though the exam results have not yet been released publicly, the results were released last week.
Sam graduated from Monmouth County Fire Academy in 2014 and then went on to join the all-volunteer Colts Neck Fire Department. Sam is the youngest of Bruce’s three children with wife Patti Scialfa.
Hoboken Nabs $938K in Transportation Funding
NJDOT — the New Jersey Department of Transportation — has awarded Hoboken nearly $938K in transportation funding. The funding comes through the State’s 2019 Municipal Aid Program and will be used by the city for various transportation projects that include road repaving, completing streets, and pedestrian safety upgrades that align with Hoboken’s “Vision Zero” initiative.
“Upgrading our transportation infrastructure, especially our road repaving and pedestrian safety initiatives, are major priorities for my administration,” said Mayor Bhalla in a statement. “This funding will help fund our proactive road repaving schedule, with over 100 blocks planned to be repaved in the City this year. I thank Governor Murphy and the State DOT for this generous award.”
Hoboken has received close to $2 million in funding from the Municipal Aid Program.
Korean BBQ Place K Pot Coming Soon to Jersey City
{Photo credit: reddit}
Shout-out to a local Redditer, who snapped this pic of K Pot, a new Korean BBQ place coming to Jersey City. According to K Pot’s official website, they also have locations in East Brunswick, NJ, Rockville, MD, and one on its way in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their menu blends hot pot and barbecue. More information to come as it’s available.
Proposed City of Hoboken Budget Would Bring 2% Tax Increase
With Hoboken’s new proposed city budget of $118 million for 2019, Hobokenites would also see a 2.7% tax increase. The budget, however, has not yet been approved by the City. The budget was introduced by council last Wednesday; the council has two more budget workshops planned for upcoming weeks.
Lincoln High School Hosts Cosmetology and Culinary Arts Gala
Lincoln High School in Jersey City is celebrating 48 years of cosmetology and culinary arts with an event on April 12th. The proceeds from the $25 ticket go into the culinary and cosmetology programs and award high school seniors who have completed the programs with scholarships.
The Gala is meant to showcase and highlight all the accomplishments and student success stories both of these programs have accomplished throughout the years. Tickets can be purchased here. The event kicks off on April 12th at 6:00PM at 60 Crescent Avenue in Jersey City, Abraham Lincoln High School. Food will be provided.
Hoboken Celebrates Autism Awareness Month With Blue Light
Members of the Hoboken community celebrated Autism Awareness Month outside of City Hall. Special guests from the Hoboken Special Needs Parents Group were in attendance, as was Chief Crimmins and Captain England from the Fire Department and Mayor Bhalla. The lights outside City Hall were changed to blue in honor of the “Light It U Blue” ceremony.
“A special thank you to Chief Crimmins and Captain England from the Fire Department for their continued work in autism awareness training for training first responders and to educator Mark Mautone for his work on behalf of our schools,” Mayor Bhalla said in a statement.
More and More Government Official Positions Are Going to Women in Hudson County
This week, NJ.com reported that more and more women are taking government official positions in Hudson County. Currently, there are three women who head public works departments within the county, four women on the nine-member Hoboken City Council, and so much more.
It’s no secret that Hudson County is making HERstory {ahem, please see all of HC’s women entreprenurs}, but it’s great to see that female leadership reflected in the county’s government and legislation.
American Legion Post 107 Getting Closer to Opening
Mayor Bhalla recently took a tour of the new Hoboken American Legion Post 107. Currently under construction, the Legion suffered damage from Superstorm Sandy and is still recovering. It’s being transformed into a more storm-aware building and the new space will include housing for up to six homeless veterans.
“The American Legion, in partnership with the Hoboken Shelter and the City, will offer the veterans supportive services to help them get back on their feet,” Bhalla said. “Thank you to our local veterans including Commander John Carey and Mark Villamar at Post 107, who are 100% behind this partnership, which is one of the first of its kind in the United States.”
Mile Square Theatre Presents Bunnicula
Hudson County’s Mile Square Theatre presents Bunnicula, coming in April of next week.
“I encountered this extremely entertaining young audience play about 25 years ago when I was working with Seattle Children’s Theatre,” says MST Artistic Director Chris O’Connor. “It’s funny, engaging, entertaining, and wonderfully adapted from the well-known book by Deborah and James Howe. It’s another great example of theatre for young audiences that goes from the page to the stage. I love how plays like this ignite the imagination of young people and also get them enthusiastic about reading the source material. This will be a great show for school groups and for families looking for a rich family experience.”
The show is recommended for ages five and up. Bunnicula begins public performances on Saturday, April 13th and runs till Sunday, May 5th. Weekday school performances begin Thursday, April 11th. Tickets are available at www.milesquaretheatre.org, or by calling 201-683-7014.
Hoboken Repeals Dynamic Meter Pricing
For those who weren’t pleased with the recent dynamic meter pricing Hoboken rolled out, you can rest easy. The city has officially repealed the dynamic meter pricing initiative in a City Council vote of 7-2. The meter pricing will go back to its previous program.
Family Promise Hudson County Needs YOUR Help
Family Promise Hudson County is in need of volunteers to help out at the Jersey City location from April 7th-April 13th. The organization is looking for volunteers to spend time with families from 5:30PM-8:30PM, sleep overnight at its host congregation, and potentially provide dinner.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please email familypromisehudsonco@gmail.com.
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