Another week full of Hoboken and Jersey City news, and as always, Hoboken Girl has you covered. Among the headlines — local artists to be recognized at a virtual awards show, New Jersey is slated to receive COVID-19 vaccines in December, and Mamoun’s Falafel begins the second round of Buy One, Feed One initiative + so much more — keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Hoboken, Jersey City, + beyond:
Finalists Announced for Hoboken Girl Best Of Awards
Each year Hoboken Girl hosts a “Best Of” competition for local businesses in Hoboken and Jersey City. Local readers weigh in with their opinions by voting online. Categories included Best Accessories Boutique, Best Avocado Toast, Best Barbershop, Best Beer Selection, Best Female-Owned Business, Best Fitness Studio, and many more. Each category has 3 nominated businesses. Interested parties can cast their vote here.
Google + Wyclef Jean Spotlight Jersey City Vibez Juice Cafe
For #BlackOwnedFriday @Wyclef created a jingle to celebrate his favorite Black-owned business, Vibez Juice & Vegan Cafe in NJ. Listen to Wyclef’s new jingle, and on Nov 27—and every day—be sure to shop from Black-owned businesses. https://t.co/Yd58u3ri1q
— Google (@Google) November 23, 2020
In an effort to support Black-owned businesses, Wyclef Jean has teamed up with Google to spotlight local businesses each Friday since Oct 16 with a new jingle. The business of choice on Friday Nov 27 was Jersey City’s own Vibez Juice + Vegan Cafe. The collaboration has been working with the US Black Chamber of Commerce which represents 145 local Black chambers in 42 states and reports that as low as only 5% of the country’s closed Black businesses may reopen next year.
“I could easily see anywhere from 30%-35% of all of our businesses never coming back,” Ron Busby Sr., President and CEO of the US Black Chamber of Commerce told CNN. “The challenge is how do we keep that revenue in our community?” Click here for a roundup of Black-owned businesses to support in the local Jersey City + Hoboken area.
Hudson County Freeholders Vote to Renew 10-Year ICE Contract
Jersey City Council members and more than 100 people called into the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders meeting via Zoom where they called on the Freeholders to vote down extending their deal with ICE. The meeting began at 1 PM and lasted 10+ hours, ending in renewing the 10-year jail contract. Mayors Ravi Bhalla and Steven Fulop were not in attendance. Click here for the full story.
Hoboken’s Uptown COVID-19 Testing Site Moving to New Location
The City of Hoboken, Riverside Medical, and local developer Bijou Properties have partnered together to continue Riverside Medical Group’s COVID-19 testing for Hoboken residents at a new indoor location through the winter months. Riverside Medical Group will begin utilizing space donated to them, rent-free by Bijou Properties, including a 25,000-square-foot warehouse and 30,000-square-foot parking lot at 351 16th Street, which will replace the testing site under the 14th Street Viaduct. Read our article to learn more.
Hoboken Authorizes Discounted Parking Starting Small Business Saturday
Starting on Small Business Saturday, Hoboken shoppers can park at a discounted rate of $5 for 4 hours, every Saturday until the new year. Participating garages include Garage B {28 2nd Street}, Garage D {215 Hudson Street}, and Midtown Garage {371 4th Street}. “We are thrilled to see the City supporting our businesses by providing parking incentives for consumers to shop in Hoboken,” Greg Dell’Aquila, President of the HBA, told Tap Into. “This should be a great opportunity for all businesses and customers. Thank you to Mayor Bhalla and the City Council for this initiative.”
Jersey City Resident Aims to Build School in Uganda with Waves of Education
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Jersey City resident Alexandra Cruz is calling on the community to help those in need. “This past year has been a time of uncertainty, sadness, and challenge. The global pandemic has taught us to appreciate the things we have, respect the people around us, and that we have the power to make change through action. It’s with this understanding that we developed a new education initiative, Waves of Education, to expand access to quality education to the children of Uganda.” For more information and to see how you can help, click here.
Ghost Truck Kitchen Launches New Digital Food Truck: Baby Got Mac
Ghost Truck Kitchen is launching Baby Got Mac, a new digital food truck. Serving up a variety of mac and cheese dishes, the full menu and delivery options are available on Instagram at @hellogtk. Customers will be served in specific time slots determined by requests sent via email to Baby Got Mac. Open times are December 1st through December 6th, 4PM – 8PM.
Hudson Pride Center Sponsors Winter Coat Drive
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Hudson Pride Center announced via Instagram that they are holding a winter coat drive for LGBTQ+ youth {ages 13-24} in Hudson County. If you are interested in donating, contact Mercy via email at mercy@hudsonpride.org or send a DM to @youthconnect_hpc for more information. Youth in need can reach out for a coat while supplies last.
Hoboken Business Alliance Launches New Interactive Business Directory
The Hoboken Business Alliance {HBA} has launched an interactive business directory on their website. This new directory comes just in time for the holiday season, one of the busiest shopping times of the year.
Each listing on the directory contains essential information, including location, a description, the company website, and any current deals offered by the business. The directory will be updated regularly.
Mario’s Classic Pizza Continues Free Meal Tradition
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Mario’s Classic Pizza has served free meals on Thanksgiving for more than 20 years, and despite the pandemic, this year was no different. The owner, Mario Albunia, says the meal program is for anyone in Hudson County in need of a warm + inviting place to go.
Located at 8th and Garden, Mario’s Classic Pizza has been run by the same family for the last 30 years. Read more about this heartwarming tradition here.
Jersey City Sergeant Promoted
The Jersey City Police department recently promoted 75 officers to the sergeant level, one of whom ran toward gunfire to aid a fellow officer during a shootout on December 10th. The newly promoted Sergeant Marjorie Jordan is the highest-ranking Black woman officer in the history of the Jersey City Police Department, according to NJ.com.
The Spa Diner Coordinates Meals Donated to the Hoboken Shelter
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The Spa Diner announced that they will donate meals to the Hoboken Shelter paid for by the community via Instagram. Meatloaf dinners are $9 per meal, while a turkey lunch is $8. Both can be paid for on Venmo {spadiner6617} or by calling 201-653-6617.
Kings in Southern Hoboken to Close in December
A Kings’ spokesperson shared that the company has decided to close the location at 325 River Street in Hoboken. The store will remain open for a few weeks, with inventory marked down by 50 percent. Employees will be offered positions at other Kings locations. Patch.com has the full story.
Local Artists Recognized in Jersey City Arts Awards Show
Jersey City artists have continued to inspire their communities amid civil unrest and a global pandemic. To honor local artists’ resiliency, the Jersey City Arts Awards will be held on Tuesday, December 1st via Zoom. For the link to the show and other information, click here.
Hoboken Shelter Hosts Virtual Auction
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The Hoboken Shelter will host their annual {virtual} auction on December 12th. Sponsorships range from the $300 Hot Cocoa Sponsorship to the $5,000 Santa’s Workshop Sponsorship. Click here to donate a silent auction item and to preview items and get more information, click here.
UFC Hoboken Owner Backs #1 UFC Fighter in Las Vegas Title Defense
Photo credit: @richievanhouten
Richie Van Houten cornered Valentina Shevchenko for her Title defense in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 21st. Schevchenko, the UFC Female Champ and #1 Female Fighter in the world, and her sister Antonia, both won their respective fights that night. Van Houten has been the owner of UFC Hoboken for 14 years and an asset to the health and fitness community in Hoboken.
Opposition Facing Repairs to Old Rail Tunnel Leading to NYC
Patch released the story this week that an independent report this week suggested repairing damage to a 110-year-old train tunnel under the Hudson River before the Gateway Tunnel is completed. Local officials, including NJ Transit and Amtrak, oppose this recommendation citing the disruption of service this plan could cause.
New Wine Store CoolVines Opens in Hoboken
Just in time for the holidays, CoolVines opened in Hoboken at 211 Washington Street. CoolVines, already a spot in Jersey City, will be taking over the liquor license associated with the 700-square-foot space previously occupied by Washington Liquors. Follow the new CoolVinesHoboken Instagram account for updated store information.
Small Business Owner Donates 400 Masks to Hudson County Schools of Technology
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Pilnar Posada and Rosennies Feliz, founders of FacecoverUS, based in North Bergen, brought three boxes of face masks to Hudson County Schools of Technology to be distributed to teachers, faculty, and staff the district.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, our top priority at the Hudson County Schools of Technology has been to keep our students, faculty, and staff safe during these trying times,” said Superintendent Amy Lin-Rodriguez. “The generous donation from a local small business is a tremendous act of kindness – one that will help those who step onto our campuses to stay healthy. On behalf of our entire district and the recipients of these face masks, we thank FacecoverUS for their generosity and commitment to community.”
White Fox Launches Docked E-Scooters in Hoboken
{Photo credit: @whitefoxscooters}
Hoboken residents will remember the polarizing Lime scooters of 2019 whose pilot program was not renewed. White Fox Scooters has partnered with several private entities where the docked e-scooters can be returned and charged. “Lime measured their success on the numbers of rides logged,” Saxena told TapInto. “{White Fox}’s metric for success will be safety and minimizing injuries.”
NJ Governor Mandates Law Enforcement Wear Body Cameras
In a statement made on November 24th, Governor Phil Murphy said, “We’ve made it clear that New Jersey will be second-to-none in enacting vital reforms to promote transparency and boost public confidence in law enforcement.” Citing body-worn cameras as a “wise all-around investment” in public safety. NJ.gov has more information.
Housing Companies Join Forces to Buy Over 400 Affordable Housing Units
Hudson Valley Property Group and Chicago’s Nuveen recently acquired 412 units inside affordable housing buildings located on the west side of Jersey City. Two of the buildings are called the Van Wagenen and house 347 units. The third building, Bergen Manor, houses 40 units, and the fourth building is called Kennedy Manor, which has 25 apartments. No residents will be displaced as a result of this acquisition, as seen on Jersey Digs.
Jersey City Promotes Elizabeth Castillo to Acting Director
The Jersey City Finance Department CFO, Elizabeth Castillo, has been promoted to Acting Director of the new city department. With over 21 years of combined experience, Castillo will oversee five divisions with the Finance Department, including Management and Budget, Collections, Treasury and Debt Management, Accounts and Control, and Payroll. For more information on Castillo and her new role, NJ.com has the details.
Jersey City Man Charged With Murder
On November 23rd, Kimberly Haston, 67, was found dead in her apartment by Jersey City police performing a wellness check. She was pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical Center around 3:50 PM. According to Daily Voice, Haston’s boyfriend, Rand March, 65, was in the apartment at the time of the incident and has been charged with murder.
Lifelong Hoboken Resident + Crossing Guard Passes Away
Agnes Forino, a lifelong Hoboken resident and fixture in the community, passed away this week. She lived her entire life, raised her children, and worked in Hoboken. Residents might know “Aggie” from her time as a crossing guard at 7th and Madison Street, where an honorary street commemorates her dedication to the community.
NBA Player Louis King Gives Back to Hometown Community in Jersey City
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Getting back to his roots, NBA player Louis King spent time packing frozen turkeys and traditional Thanksgiving dishes in Jersey City. In addition to serving food to the local community, he also donated autographed basketballs. Check out NJ.com for more information.
Hudson County Preparing for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
Governor Phil Murphy announced that the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines are expected in New Jersey at the end of December. The first round of vaccines will be made available to healthcare and other frontline workers.
NJ Restaurants Install Bubbles to Support Winter Business
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Restaurants in New Jersey are getting creative with their outdoor seating solutions this winter. Governor Phil Murphy permitted bubble dining with a cap at 8 guests per plastic igloo, Following CDC guidelines. Some restaurants may have concerns over the cost related to using them as they cost approximately $1,500 each, per Tap Into.
Hoboken Girl Creates Local Love Box in Collaboration with Happy Box
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Hoboken Girl has teamed up with the creators of Happy Box to bring to life a gift box made of locally sourced New Jersey goods. These curated boxes support small businesses and are available for nationwide shipping. Click here for more information and click here to purchase.
Mamoun’s Falafel to Re-Start Buy One Feed One Initiative
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Mamoun’s Falafel raised funds to cover 20,000 meals this past spring, and in case you missed it, they’re bringing it back. Starting November 23rd, with each purchase of a falafel sandwich, Mamoun’s Falafel will donate to a local food bank to provide one meal for someone in need. To help in this charity event, click here.
