This article is sponsored by Gotham FC.
Seeing your favorite athletes take the field is always an exciting experience. Seeing your favorite athletes like Lynn Williams + Kelley O’Hara, who are also locals, is even cooler. Gotham FC, New Jersey and New York’s Professional Women’s Soccer team is kicking off the summer season with two matchups that are bound to be can’t-miss sporting events. The team will be taking on two of its West Coast rivals — LA’s Angel City FC on June 8th and Alex Morgan’s San Diego Wave on June 19th — at Gotham FC’s home stadium, Red Bull Arena, located at 600 Cape May Street in Harrison. Keep reading to learn more about Gotham FC’s upcoming matches + how you can cheer on the reigning NWSL champions this season.
Gotham FC’s Summer Matches + Fan Fest Celebrations
This June, the star-studded Gotham FC team is set to take on two of the West Coast’s finest teams — Angel City FC and San Diego Wave — in some of the most exciting games of the season.
The reigning 2023 NWSL champions, which includes Olympic athletes, FIFA World Cup Champions, and more will be playing LA’s Angel City on June 8th to kick off Pride Month in the best way possible. Come out to the match early to enjoy the Fan Fest, starting at 10AM, which will be complete with live music, special performances, face painting, local food trucks, and exclusive Pride merchandise, among other things. Then, locals and visitors can watch the action heat up as the Gotham takes on LA at 12:30PM. Plus — the first 5,000 fans in the building will receive a limited edition Gotham FC Pride commemorative pin. There will be nothing but good vibes as the Pride party kicks off on Saturday, June 8th.
The following week, Gotham FC will be facing off against the San Diego Wave on June 19th at 7PM. And you know it’s going to be a great match when Alex Morgan, Naomi Girma, Jaedyn Shaw, and the San Diego Wave come to town. The Juneteenth event will honor and commemorate African-American freedom, celebrating the empowerment of Black communities on and off the pitch. The match will feature Black-owned food trucks, local Black-owned vendors + shops, and performances by local NYC talent, including a set by Atomic Funk at the Crossbar Stage. Fans can arrive starting at 4:30PM to grab a drink or bite, and get in the gameday spirit.
Both games are sure to be fun-filled summer soccer competitions. Some of the best athletes in the world will face off in two memorable meetings where community celebrations are front and center as the club celebrates Pride Month and Juneteenth.
Players to Watch
Gotham’s roster is filled with some of the best athletes in the world, each of whom has local ties to the Northern New Jersey area. The star-studded lineup includes record-breaking scorer Lynn Williams, Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, and more. Some of Gotham FC’s key players include:
Lynn Williams — brings forth the ultimate story of resilience, after fighting back following a torn hamstring off the bone, Williams came back just in time to play in the World Cup. Williams also recently broke the record and is now the NWSL all-time leading scorer, with 79 career goals. Lynn loves exploring Northern New Jersey food and drink locales, and some of her favorites include Domodomo, Maman, Short Grain, Porta, Razza, Marty’s, Ed + Mary’s, Taqueria Downtown, and Chofi Birria.
^ Lynn Williams
Crystal Dunn — is a 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time Olympian, three-time National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) champion, three-time NWSL Shield Winner, and former league MVP. Dunn is also a native New Yorker and mother of a two-year-old, which makes her even more of a badass.
^ Crystal Dunn
Kelley O’Hara — is a two-time FIFA World Cup champion (and four-time World Cup participant), Olympic gold medalist, two-time NWSL champion, and Jersey local. O’Hara also recently announced that she will retire after the 2024 season with Gotham FC.
^ Kelley O’Hara
Matches are a great outing for the whole family, including children, with face painting, soccer games, and the opportunity to be inspired by these incredible professional athletes. Whether planning a fun day with the family or a night out with friends, grab your group, a drink, and embrace the vibes of the match experience.
Gotham FC plays at Red Bull Arena, which is located at 600 Cape May Street in Harrison, and is easily accessible from the Harrison PATH train station.
Click here to purchase tickets, visit the website for more info.
Pariwaar Delights Opens 2nd Location in Hoboken in Former Mikie Squared Space
A Jersey City-based Indian food restaurant has officially put down roots in the Mile Square. Pariwaar Delights, which currently resides at 827 Newark Avenue in Jersey City, recently opened up a second location in Hoboken in the former Mikie Squared space at 616 Washington Street. An eagle-eyed Hoboken Girl reader first noticed signage up at the new outpost on Tuesday, July 30th, 2024 — and the Pariwaar Delights team shared with HG that its newest store is open in Hoboken as of Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025. Read on for what we know about the Mile Square expansion, and more on what we love about Pariwaar Delights in Hudson County, New Jersey.
^ The new location at 616 Washington Street in Hoboken.
The Expansion
On the evening of Tuesday, July 30th, 2024, a The Hoboken Girl reader spotted signage for Pariwaar Delights in the former Mikie Squared space at 616 Washington Street in Hoboken — hitting that the popular Indian food restaurant was taking steps towards opening its second location in Hudson County.
Photo Credit: @britt.heiden
Read More: Montclair Restaurant, Efi’s Gyro, Opens Second Location in Jersey City
A member of the HG team also noticed the signage when we walked by the next day. The space used to be home to Mikie Squared — a restaurant and bar known for its burgers and brunch, among other things. The spot officially closed in January 2024.
The Pariwaar Delights team shared with HG that its new Hoboken outpost is officially open as of Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025.
About Pariwaar Delights
Owners Mohammed Al Ghulam “Mag” and his wife Hina Afreen came to the United States almost ten years ago from Southern India. Mag, who has a degree in project management, worked in IT. Hina, now head chef at Pariwaar Delights, worked at a local restaurant. Confident in her own cooking, which she learned from her mother growing up in India, she dreamed of running her own kitchen — then in 2019, the couple took the leap of faith and opened Pariwaar Delights.
Self-proclaimed as "The King of Biryani's", Pariwaar Delights serves up crowd-pleasing dishes familiar to American diners in downtown Jersey City — including samosas and chicken tikka masala, among other dishes.
Hence the nickname "The King of Biryani's", the Jersey City eatery takes pride in just that. The biryani's are made of rice layered with meat and/or vegetables, and uses eighteen different spices, some shipped by the owner's family directly from India. A cook is dedicated full time to the biryani station, attending to three huge biryani pots, each big enough to cook for tens, if not a hundred people. It is cooked in the traditional Hyderabadi dum style. The ingredients are layered in a clay pot and steamed together with the lid sealed, so the fragrance of the spices and the flavors of the meat get fully infused into the rice.
When served, the biryani is festively heaped on a big plate, cheerfully garnished with herbs and a hard-boiled egg, as the tradition dictates. Each spoonful is an astounding saturation of flavors, the fragrance and subtle heat of the spices, the umami of the meat, and the sweet, buttery aroma of the rice.
Besides biryani, there are a variety of other Indian dishes to try at Pariwaar Delights — featuring everything from street snacks (such as pakora, a spiced fritter), home-style curries (a lot of spicy, coconut-y South Indian options), to Indian fusion, covering regional specialties all the way from Punjab to Tamil Nadu.
See More: Inside Chashni Cafe, Montclair’s Newest Eatery with Pakistani Roots
Follow @thehobokengirl on Instagram + TikTok to stay in the know with all of the local news, sign up for our weekly newsletter here, and check out our events calendar.
