PLUS Heidi Conlin Kicks Butt Firefighter Athletes Gotta Date? Fish Story
FALL & WINTER 2014/15
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07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15 •
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CONTENTS 07030
16
FEATURES 38 FISH STORY
42 ARCHIVES AND ARTIFACTS
What the heck is in the Hudson?
World War I
Henk Ovink ponders Hoboken’s flooding problem
50 HOBOKEN MOTORCYCLE CLUB
33 WEST SIDE STORY
Band of Brothers
Rock climbing
Cover photo by Alyssa Bredin | tbishphoto
DEPARTMENTS
46 SPORTS CORNER
COVER 16 PEOPLE POWER
Firefighter athletes 10 CONTRIBUTORS
22 LIFE OF A SOCCER MOM Overbooked? 26 MILE SQUARE DATING Finding the one 34 HOBOKEN MADE Bread and cheese
54 HOW WE LIVE 11 EDITOR’S LETTER
House Proud
53 DATES
60 HELPING HANDS
What’s goin’ on
Hoboken Shelter
30 WORKING OUT WITH—
62 HOW WE WORK
Heidi Conlin
Small businesses
65 POINT AND SHOOT
66 WATERING HOLE Sullivan’s
68 EATERIES Precious
71 DISH 07030 Restaurant listings
50
4 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15
CREATION SPACE A Public Makerspace for All Ages At the Hoboken Public Library
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DĂŬĞƌďŽƚ ZĞƉůŝĐĂƚŽƌ // ϯ WƌŝŶƚĞƌ͕ DĂŬĞƌďŽƚ ϯ ^ĐĂŶŶĞƌ͕ ϯ ŵŽĚĞůŝŶŐ ƐŽŌǁĂƌĞ͕ ƌĚƵŝŶŽ ^ƚĂƌƚĞƌ ŬŝƚƐ͕ DĂŬĞLJ DĂŬĞLJ ŬŝƚƐ͕ WŚŽƚŽŐƌĂƉŚLJ ^ƚĂƟŽŶ͗ ^>Z ŝŐŝƚĂů ĂŵĞƌĂ͕ ůĂƉƚŽƉ ǁŝƚŚ WŚŽƚŽƐŚŽƉ͕ /ŶŬũĞƚ ƉƌŝŶƚĞƌ͕ ŐƌĞĞŶ ƐĐƌĞĞŶ ĂŶĚ ƉŚŽƚŽŐƌĂƉŚLJ ůŝŐŚƟŶŐ͘ DƵƐŝĐ ZĞĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ^ƚĂƟŽŶ͗ DĂĐŬ WƌŽ ǁŝƚŚ 'ĂƌĂŐĞ ĂŶĚ͕ ŵŝĚŝ ŬĞLJďŽĂƌĚ͕ ŵŝdžĞƌ͕ ŵŝĐƌŽƉŚŽŶĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŚĞĂĚƉŚŽŶĞƐ͘ > 'K ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů ŬŝƚƐ͕ ZŽŽŵŝŶĂƚĞ ŽůůŚŽƵƐĞ ƵŝůĚŝŶŐ ŬŝƚƐ͕ ^ŶĂƉ ŝƌĐƵŝƚƐ :ƌ͘ <ŝƚƐ͕ WŝŶďĂĐŬ ƵƩŽŶ DĂŬĞƌƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĞƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ͘ sŝƐŝƚ ƵƐ Ăƚ ϱϬϬ WĂƌŬ ǀĞ͕ ,ŽďŽŬĞŶ Žƌ ŚŽďŽŬĞŶůŝďƌĂƌLJ͘ŽƌŐ ϮϬϭ-ϰϮϬ-Ϯϯϰϲ
HOBOKEN
FA L L & W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 / 1 5 Vo l u m e 3 • N u m b e r 2 A Publication of The Hudson Reporter
PUBLISHERS Lucha Malato, David Unger EDITOR IN CHIEF Kate Rounds GRAPHICS STAFF Terri Saulino Bish Lisa M. Cuthbert Alyssa Bredin Mike Mitolo Pasquale Spina COPYEDITING Christopher Zinsli ADVERTISING MANAGER Tish Kraszyk SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Toni Anne Calderone Ron Kraszyk CIRCULATION MANAGER Roberto Lopez CIRCULATION Luis Vasquez
07030 Hoboken is published by the Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P., 1400 Washington St., Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (201) 798-7800, Fax (201) 798-0018. Email 07030@hudsonreporter.com. Subscriptions are $10 per year, $25 for overseas, single copies are $7.50 each, multiple copy discounts are available. VISA/MC/AMEX accepted. Subscription information should be sent to 07030 Hoboken Subscriptions, 1400 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other unsolicited materials. Copyright ©2014/2015, Hudson Reporter Associates L.P. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.
07030 Hoboken is a publication of The Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P. 1400 Washington Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 phone 201.798.7800 • fax 201.798.0018 e-mail: 07030@hudsonreporter.com 07030hoboken.com
The future of healthcare has come to Hudson County CarePoint Health is bringing quality, patient-focused healthcare to Hudson County. Combining the resources of three area hospitals — Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital in Jersey City, and Hoboken University Medical Center — CarePoint Health is a new approach to delivering healthcare that puts the patient front and center. With a focus on preventive medicine, disease management and healthcare education, CarePoint Health provides patients with 360 degrees of coordinated care, delivered by the area’s best and most dedicated doctors, nurses, hospitals and medical staff.
Bayonne Medical Center 29th Street at Avenue E, Bayonne, NJ 07002 Christ Hospital 176 Palisade Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306 Hoboken University Medical Center 308 Willow Avenue, Hoboken, NJ 07030 carepointhealth.org 1.877.791.7000 twitter.com/CarePointHealth facebook.com/CarePointHealth CarePoint Health System
GILBERT AGUON
ARLENE PHALON BALDASSARI TERRI SAULINO BISH ALYSSA BREDIN
JIM HAGUE CHRISTIAN DIAZ CAREN LISSNER
C O N T R I B U T O R S
0 7 0 3 0
MARIO A. MARTINEZ
VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
AMANDA STAAB
DARIAN WORDEN
GILBERT AGUON
CHRISTIAN DIAZ
VICTOR M. RODRUGUEZ
is an aspiring photojournalist living in North Bergen. He likes cats and biking around Hudson County. He can be reached at gilbert.aguon@ gmail.com.
was born and raised in Hoboken and studied communication, psychology, and family development/social work. A freelance writer, he lives and works in Hoboken, enjoys dining in Hoboken, and getting lost in new places.
has studied publication design, photography, and graphic design. “I’ve been fascinated by photography for 18 years,” he says. One of his jobs as a construction project manager is to photograph job sites.
ARLENE PHALON BALDASSARI has worked as an actress, for a literary agency and book publisher, and in the restaurant industry. She lives in Hoboken with her husband Mike and daughter Sophie.
TERRI SAULINO BISH is a graphic designer, digital artist, and photographer. Her work has appeared in many publications, including Best of Photography. Her art currently includes digital paintings and photos that can be viewed at tbishphoto.com.
ALYSSA BREDIN is a graphic artist and photographer who graduated from Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City with a degree in graphic arts. Her work can be seen at tbishphoto.com.
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JIM HAGUE
AMANDA STAAB
is a Jersey City native, who landed a job with the Hudson Dispatch in 1986. He has been the sports columnist for the Hudson Reporter Associates for the last 22 years.
is a graduate of Columbia University’s journalism school. She is a former staff writer for the Hudson Reporter and a former associate editor at New Jersey Monthly Magazine. She is currently a freelance writer living in New Jersey.
CAREN LISSNER is a writer whose 2003 novel, Carrie Pilby, is being made into a movie. She’s the editor and former Hoboken beat reporter at the Hudson Reporter newspaper chain. Her writing has also appeared in the New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer.
MARIO A. MARTINEZ is a freelance journalist who was born and raised in Hoboken. Aside from writing, Mario enjoys staying active and living a healthy lifestyle.
DARIAN WORDEN is research associate for the Hoboken Historical Museum and founder of Head First Adventures, an online history adventure project. He earned a BA in history from Rutgers University and a masters degree in history from The City College of New York.
Hobokenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Noah
I
t isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t every day that we get a real mover and shaker on the national stage to sit down for an interview with 07030. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just what happened when Henk Ovink traveled to Hoboken to talk with our writer, Amanda Staab. Ovink is the Dutch idea-guy, hired as senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan. In charge of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, Donovan brought Ovink in to â&#x20AC;&#x153;talk water.â&#x20AC;? This in-depth cover story will enlighten you on how the U.S. can learn from the Dutch and what we can do right here in Hoboken to avoid the disastrous flooding that was Hurricane Sandyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grim legacy. On a lighter note, we examine a day in the life of a Hoboken soccer mom, and writer Mario A. Martinez Works Out With kickboxer Heidi Conlin. Conlin, lawyer, advocate, and mother of four, is a force to be reckoned with. In the capture-it-while-you-can department, we profile two time-honored establishments that are still making their products on the premisesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Domâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bakery, and Fioreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deli, which makes its famous mozzarella right in the shop. Sportswriter Jim Hague discovered a littleknown fact about Hoboken: Many of its firefighters were star athletes in their high school and college days. He sought them out, heard their stories, and discovered how fighting fires and scoring touchdowns have a lot in common. We also take a fun look at whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swimming in the Hudson. Check out this fish story and learn what you might catch if you drop your line in the river next spring. But this is the time of year to look ahead to winter, not always a welcome prospect for the many Hudson County residents who do not have the comfort and safety of a warm home and a hot meal. Enter the Hoboken Shelter. Find out how it serves this important population and how you can help. Hey, 07030 readers, we want to hear from you. Email 07030@hudsonreporter.com or find us on Facebook. Share your thoughts, comment on our stories, or tell us who or what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see in the pages of 07030.
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14 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15
PEOPLE POWER 07030
What Henk Ovink Thinks The Dutch idea-guy ponders Hoboken’s flooding problem BY AMANDA STAAB PHOTOS BY ALYSSA BREDIN
P
erched on a stool next to a large window at the downtown Starbucks in Hoboken, Dutch water expert Henk Ovink turns his intense gaze to the sidewalk outside. “Look at the pavement,” he says. “Do you see any capacity to hold water?” Ovink is possibly the Netherlands’ most valued export at the moment. With rising sea levels and booming waterfront development occurring all over the world, his expertise in urban planning in a country built on a river delta is in high demand. Luckily for Hoboken, once an island surrounded by marsh but now filled in and urbanized, Ovink is currently working with the federal government to help the entire New York metropolitan area rethink how to live close to the water.
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As for Hoboken’s sidewalks, they in fact have no capacity to hold water. The problem is emblematic of the city’s larger water issues, which came to a head during the infamous Hurricane Sandy. Days before Halloween in 2012, Hoboken officials, residents, and business owners were preparing for a tropical storm gaining strength and speed northbound on the Atlantic Ocean. After making landfall near Atlantic City on Oct. 29, Hurricane Sandy whipped into Hoboken late that Monday night with an unprecedented combination of severe rainfall and a storm surge that brought the Hudson River into most of the Mile Square. Sandbags that lined doorways and tape that stretched across windows—not to mention spraypainted signs warning Sandy to stay away—were in vain. The water, as Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer said at a press conference after the storm, “filled the city like a bathtub.” The damage was estimated at more than $100 million.
been the authority on housing with experience in disaster recovery, but when he became head of the task force, says Ovink, “he didn’t know shit about water.” But the Dutch do.
A WATER-LOGGED NATION Much of the Netherlands used to be covered with water. “We took out the water and created land,” says Ovink, bringing up on his iPad an old map of his home country. Indeed, a good portion of it is dark blue. With the North Sea as their western border and several major rivers running through their country, the Dutch have used dams, dikes, levees and pumps to manage the water. “If it didn’t work, we would all have to move to Germany,” says Ovink. Two thirds of the Netherlands is below sea level; the other third, at sea level. Like Hoboken, the Netherlands had swamps that were filled in. Most of the country is prone to flooding, and the Dutch also have to deal with hurricanes and storm surges. In fact, on the anniversary of Sandy, the country braced for a similar system, although it was not nearly as powerful. The Netherlands’ “Sandy,” says Ovink, happened in 1953. Nearly 2,000 people were killed. For the Dutch, needing aid after a storm is not the norm. “The Dutch are very much involved in helping out when a disaster happens, anywhere in the world,” says Ovink. In fact, after Hurricane Katrina, the Dutch were in New Orleans. “We were immediately on the ground,” says Ovink. More recently, the Netherlands responded to severe flooding occurring in the United Kingdom last winter. “We have such a strong community when it comes to water safety—our engineers, our designers, our scientists and our government. Even our democracy was built on water.” In the 1200s, the Dutch water boards, responsible for how water would be managed in a particular region, were the first form of elected local government.
AQUA MAN “Sandy could be a game-changer for the U.S.,” says Ovink.
Hoboken’s devastation got the media spotlight. Security-camera footage of water gushing into the PATH station through elevator doors and other crevices seemed to be on repeat. Images of damaged homes and businesses, parking lots full of flooded vehicles, sewage and debris floating in the street, and the National Guard helping out also saturated the news. Still in the Netherlands, Ovink watched on TV as President Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie toured the Jersey shore. Ovink also saw the images of Hudson County and New York and wasn’t sure why he felt compelled to start a collection of them on his iPad. “I never knew I was going to use them,” he says. But he did, months later, in a presentation he gave in his current position as senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, whom Obama had put in charge of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force. The task force was created about a month after the storm to make sure help was sent where it was needed. Donovan might have
Ovink, 46 years old with a closely shaved head and light blue eyes, didn’t plan on becoming the Netherlands’ expert on water. But he and the natural element, he says, met halfway. Coming from a long line of architects, Ovink studied mathematics and art in college. After graduation, he established his own urban planning and design firm. “I started from a design and planning perspective,” Ovink says, “and discovered that the Netherlands’ planning and design is all about water. I found the water through the work, but the water also found me because it was so apparent in the work we were doing.” His business eventually merged with an architecture firm; Ovink left after 14 years to work as a director for spatial planning and housing on the state level. He was later recruited to work for the Netherlands’ national government and served as the acting director general for spatial planning and water affairs before moving to the U.S. Ovink met Donovan while the secretary was on vacation in Europe. Donovan had decided to detour to the Netherlands to meet with Ovink and talk water. Not long after the two officials toured the once-waterlogged country, Ovink sent Donovan an email and offered his services. “Sandy could be a game-changer for the U.S.,” he wrote. Donovan’s response was immediate and positive; suddenly, Ovink had a new job. Ovink is fascinated that people all over the planet will have to face serious water issues in the future but really have no concept of what that will mean. “Amongst people and leadership across the world, there is a total lack of understanding what the urgency and the complexity of the water issue is,” says Ovink. Many factors—climate change, urbanization, economic 07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15 •
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development—will make water a different problem in every region, but that’s no reason to shy away from trying to come up with a solution. “My mission in life,” says Ovink, “is to convince politicians and people that embracing complexity is a way out and a necessity to deal with these issues.”
CHANGING HEARTS AND MINDS One hurdle is cultural. Some people do not want to accept that climate change is real, says Ovink, but it is the biggest reason that dealing with the water issue now is so important. It not only means the sea level will rise but there will be stronger storms yielding more water in the way of surges and
COMPREHENSIVE AND COMPLEX Immediately after Hurricane Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated its flood zone maps, but Ovink says this was not a solution. “They are insurance maps,” he says, “not planning maps.” The solution to the water issue will require planning for what the future will hold. People from the federal government to the local resident need to look at what might happen in the next, possibly much stronger storm. “We have to look forward,” says Ovink, “and see this is the future, with all of these unpredictable things that might happen, economic things, ecological
“What we found in Hoboken has a lot of risk,” Ovink told writer Amanda Staab. rainfall. It will also mean longer periods of drought, which can stress a city’s water system just as much as a flood. But if people do not see climate change for themselves, says Ovink, it can be very difficult to convince them. For example, he says, last year, the North Pole had a warm winter, while the U.S. seemed to experience polar vortex after polar vortex. “In the perspective of people,” says Ovink, “if you have a very cold winter yourself, you say, ‘global warming?’” But those sorts of extremes are in fact indicators of global warming. Making the water issue even more urgent is urbanization. “The world is urbanizing,” says Ovink. More and more people are moving to cities and most of those cities, all over the world, are near or on the waterfront. “It means that there is a dependency on what the water does,” says Ovink. Having too much or too little water can also affect the quality of the water running through the pipes of homes and businesses, which can have health and economic consequences. “Water is not one-dimensional,” says Ovink. “It has all these dimensions.”
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things, demographic things. How will we prepare our region in this case?” The solution will also require collaboration across towns and states. “Regionalism in the United States is very complex,” says Ovink. “It’s crossing jurisdictions. Hoboken and Jersey City, find a common ground. Tough. Everybody takes care of themselves.” But Hurricane Sandy, says Ovink, made no distinction between New York and New Jersey, Republican and Democrat, but proved that everyone is in the same situation. “You have to work together to find a solution that actually builds a better region instead of building one place safe and the other place even less safe,” says Ovink. There is no quick fix, he says. The solution needs to be comprehensive and thus complex. After arriving in New York and settling into his new position, Ovink says that during his first media interview a reporter asked him if he was going to help build a storm surge barrier. “People want simple solutions for complex questions,” he says. “You won’t get
simple solutions from me. You will get complex solutions, which are far better.” Ovink encountered a similar mentality during one of the workshops for the task force. Someone pinpointed power grids as the problem. “I said we don’t actually know what the problem really is,” says Ovink. “We first have to do research. We have to gather talent, interdisciplinary talent—scientists, engineers, designers, politicians, economists—and connect them with the talent of the region, the people who experienced Sandy but also the researchers and the mayors and the community groups to work together for a couple of months to find out what are the real vulnerabilities in light of climate change and future uncertainties.”
REBUILD BY DESIGN That notion sparked the idea for the Rebuild by Design competition, launched in June 2013, to come up with a solution that would work for the entire New York metropolitan area. Why a competition? “It attracts talent,” says Ovink. “You can create a lot of tension in such a process.” From an international pool of about 150 teams that applied, 10 groups were selected to tour the region and conduct research. That research, says Ovink, revealed some surprising facts, like 80 percent of the fuel stored in the Sandy-affected region is in a flood zone; the other 20 percent, just adjacent to the flood zone. The teams, which included various professionals, were asked to submit three to five preliminary plans for different areas of the region—Hoboken, the Meadowlands, Staten Island, the Lower East Side, and others. The teams presented their plans in April 2014. The winning plan for Hoboken and parts of Jersey City and Weehawken came from OMA, a Dutch architecture firm with offices in New York. (Ovink had no previous connection to OMA.) OMA worked in collaboration with water experts and engineers from the Dutch company Royal HaskoningDHV, landscape and land use planners from New York-based Balmori Associates and economists from HR&A Advisors, also in New York. The interdisciplinary team consulted with the state and local governments, business owners, community groups and residents to refine its plan. In Hoboken, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New Jersey Transit were part of the talks. Ovink and the rest of the task force provided guidance and support. “What we found in Hoboken,” says Ovink, “was a lot of risk, a lot of problems all tied together.” Hoboken is home to many vulnerable assets, including the PATH station, water treatment plant, and hospital. But that doesn’t mean a solution is impossible. “This is urban,” says Ovink. “This is condensed. You can take care of it comprehensively.” OMA’s plan does just that. “What is appealing and good about the strategy OMA put in place is that it looks at the full picture and then comes up with a very implementable strategy,” says Ovink. OMA’s plan is called Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge. “Resist is about stopping the storm surge,” says Daniel Pittman, a business manager at OMA who served as the team leader. “The other three are about managing rainwater.” The plan looks at Hoboken as a whole. “Rather than protecting one building at a time, we were looking at the entire city,” says Pittman. “That is unique certainly within the U.S.” He adds that FEMA has guidelines for coastal cities that encourage individual property owners to put their homes on stilts, but that would not work for Hoboken. “Being able to create the
solution that is appropriate for an urban environment was the goal.” The plan not only creates ways to manage water in times of disaster but also looks at what could be done to accommodate future growth in Hoboken. Other benefits could be more reasonable flood insurance premiums, if FEMA agreed to redraw its maps, and some amenities that serve as both recreational areas as well as flood protection. The “resist” part of the plan includes hard infrastructure and soft landscape. Weehawken Cove, a new park on the coast, could include a levee that would provide a defense against a storm surge for Hoboken, Weehawken, the water treatment plant, and an electrical substation. Also at the north end of town, OMA’s plan calls for a manmade wetland that would serve as a barrier and also a natural filtration system in case Hoboken’s combined sewage system overflows onto the street level, like it did during Hurricane Sandy. But building the wetland correctly takes study and time, says Pittman. “All of that needs to be managed over time, making sure the right conditions are set up,” he says.
ABSORBING WATER Hoboken’s combined sewage system processes both sewage and rainwater. During Hurricane Sandy, the sheer volume of rainwater and storm surge overwhelmed the system and forced sewage to the streets. Replacing Hoboken’s existing system with a separated system would be “prohibitively expensive,” says Pittman, but the city is working with the North Hudson Sewerage Authority on a plan to require new development in the 30-acre rehabilitation area at the north end of town to have a separated system. As for the rest of Hoboken, Pittman says the other measures in OMA’s plan should prevent the city’s existing system from being overwhelmed like it was during Sandy. Green spaces, like parks and rooftop gardens, are a big part of OMA’s “delay” strategy. Instead of rushing into Hoboken’s sewage system, rainwater could be absorbed by plants and earth. Hobokenites could start to see greenery popping up on the tops of public and private buildings and even the few mini malls in town. The city already purchased land and received a federal grant for green infrastructure for a new park near Seventh and Jackson streets that will be able to hold 200,000 gallons of rainwater. In recent years, the Dutch, too, have had to get more innovative. They’ve been developing “water squares,” essentially parks that are lower than street level and serve as basketball courts or recreational areas in dry times but fill up like swimming pools during heavy storms. “We are not fighting it,” says Ovink. “We are living with it. That’s exactly the different perspective.” OMA also proposed bioswales, roadside ditches with plants, alongside Washington Street and potentially other avenues. “Greenery prevents flash floods,” says Pittman. “Over time, this will create essentially a second layer of drainage for the city, so the rainwater will be managed at the surface.” The city is also considering the idea of expanding Pier A Park toward Lackawanna Plaza to help protect the PATH station by adding absorption in an area known to collect water during heavy rainstorms. “There are different strategies that we will be looking at,” Mayor Zimmer says, adding that in the meantime, the Port Authority has already taken several measures to shore up the station.
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the south end of town. “One strategy on its own is not going to solve the problem,” says Pittman, “but if you have multiple strategies in place, it will manage the flooding.” Part of the final proposal Pittman’s team submitted was a cost-benefit analysis, which the department of housing and urban development used to assess how much each project would get. The Hoboken project, which includes parts of Weehawken and Jersey City, has been allotted $230 million through a Community Development Block Grant for disaster recovery for the first phase. In the future, additional funding could come from other public resources as well as private investors. Rebuild by Design, as an initiative, has challenged the way the federal government distributes aid. In the past, Hoboken was able to secure funds to protect, say, one or two fire stations, but it was not possible to get help implementing a citywide strategy. “This design competition has enabled the federal government to completely step out of the box,” says Zimmer, who shepherded OMA and the entire process in Hoboken. Protecting the whole city, instead of protecting one building at a time or having to constantly rebuild, will mean savings for Hoboken in the future.
MAKING IT HAPPEN
“Water is not one-dimensional,” says Ovink.
COMMUNITY ON BOARD While speaking to local residents, Pittman says his team discovered that Hobokenites were very excited about the green spaces and even talked about creating some of their own. “The plan isn’t always about designing a solution but creating a framework so people could do things in their own capacity,” says Pittman. Something as simple as a garden of potted plants on someone’s balcony could contribute to the overall effort to absorb water. “All these smaller efforts add up,” he says. Even Hoboken’s sidewalks could be part of the delay strategy, if they were replaced by permeable material that would allow rainwater to seep into the ground below. OMA’s plan also includes water storage. The city has been in negotiations to purchase a six-acre property in the northwestern part of town to create a very large water storage facility that could potentially provide parking in dry times. A park or recreational area could be built on top. Zimmer says there are also plans to install a 13,000-gallon cistern behind City Hall. In addition, OMA proposed a greenbelt along the route of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, which is owned and operated by New Jersey Transit. OMA’s plan would add storage for rainwater underneath the track. “It not only provides that route of storage, but anywhere, you can build out that space for more storage,” says Pittman. The Light Rail could also serve as a route for drainage, part of OMA’s “discharge” strategy. Another piece is a water pump at 11th Street and Frank Sinatra Drive, a project the city has been working on. That would be in addition to the pump on
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The next step is implementation, and Ovink says local governments can begin immediately. “They can start changing some of the regulatory things that need to change,” he says. Hoboken has done it. The city council already passed two new ordinances considering climate change. One prohibits any more residential or commercial construction on Hoboken’s piers. The other is meant to reduce flood insurance rates by requiring new developments to have their utilities and elevator mechanicals above basement level. New regulations also prohibit any new garden-level residential units; however, businesses will still be allowed on the street level. Zimmer says Hoboken now has to focus on revising the master plan before the city can make sweeping changes. “We are ready,” says Zimmer. “We want to move ahead.” Ovink says the Hoboken plan will take time. “Because the plan has so many aspects, implementation is not, ‘Let’s build this big thing and then we’re done,’” says Ovink. “No. You have to build a lot of things.” He adds that a lot of that building can begin immediately. For example, when a portion of the sidewalk is being fixed, the city might consider creating a bioswale at the same time. Working on the plan little by little is a good strategy, says Ovink, because then people will see the change and talk about it and begin to realize that the future really requires rethinking living near water. “This is about cultural change,” says Ovink. “This is about acknowledging that the world will be different tomorrow. If we start today, small and big, we will learn how to live with that tomorrow in a different way.” With all the various projects incorporated into the Hoboken plan, Ovink says the Mile Square could be a model for other cities and regions. In fact, based on the success of Rebuild by Design, Ovink and other members of the task force were asked to help draft the National Disaster Resilience Competition, unveiled in June 2014 to promote innovative resilience projects across the country. “If you embrace water as a friend, you can live with it,” Ovink says. “If it becomes your enemy, you better get out because it is always stronger.”—07030
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A Day in the Life of a
Soccer WORK GROCERY SHOPPING MUSIC LESSONS
CLEANING
LAUNDRY
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P.T.A SCHOOL TAXI
COOKING SOCCER PRACTICE
From breakfast to bedtime— and back BY ARLENE PHALON BALDASSARI PHOTOS BY GILBERT AGUON
F
Youngest son
Middle son
Oldest son
all is here, and Hoboken families are facing the annual challenge of figuring out their kids’ complicated schedules. While it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a soccer mom to plot the tactical maneuvers to get everyone where they need to be. Amy doesn’t mind being called a soccer mom. With two of her three sons (ages 12, 10, and 8) playing on two teams each, every season adds eight practices and/or games to her weekly calendar, most requiring her to ferry multiple kids back and forth. This on top of school, art and music lessons, holidays, Hebrew School, play dates, and birthday parties. Amy works fulltime from her home office, as an investment advisor for municipalities. Somehow, she fits in training for half-marathons, two book clubs, and serving as a class coordinator and a team manager. She can be spotted every afternoon walking several kids to a practice, some her own, others handed off to her in the great square dance of after-school activities, when groups head to the Monroe Center for theater classes, to religious instruction, or Garden Street for dance and music. Around 3 p.m., the sidewalks of Hoboken fill with these entourages, the littlest kids holding hands to cross the streets, bigger ones dashing ahead to the end of the block, but always stopping at the corner. Some go by car, but most are on foot, bike, or scooter. The first few weeks are the most hectic until everyone is signed up and settled into his or her activities and teams, and the who’s-taking-whom-where patterns have emerged. It’s a distant cousin to the suburban carpool. But without the confines and seat belts of a minivan, the adults herding these fluid groups through the streets need more than eyes in the back of their heads. They need nerves of steel, an encyclopedic memory, and a lot of pretzels. There’s an old saying that if you want something done, ask the busiest person to do it. That certainly holds true for soccer moms like Amy. What does it take to manage it all? “A very detailed calendar, a lot of patience and, ultimately, remembering that it’s all about my boys,” Amy says. “And maybe a few glasses of wine!” 07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15 •
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I asked Amy to describe a day in her family’s fall schedule. This was a typical Wednesday last year.
6 a.m.: Amy’s oldest is an early riser. Since he can get his own breakfast, Amy tries to get an hour or so of work in before the other two come thundering down the stairs. 7 a.m..: Breakfast, getting dressed, packing lunches, where’s your homework? Remember who needs to bring his instrument (saxophone, guitar, and ukulele respectively) for music lessons and who needs what athletic equipment. The oldest son leaves at 7:30 to walk to school with friends so that they can stop at Church Square to get in a little basketball.
8 a.m .: Amy leaves with the younger two, sometimes picking up a few other kids on the way. 8:15 a.m .: Passing Church Square, Amy yells at the oldest that he’ll be late if he doesn’t hurry.
After getting in her run, Amy has the next six hours to focus on her computer. Working from home provides the flexibility to be at her kids’ practices and games, but she still has to put in a full day’s work. Rather than a lunch hour or coffee break, she grabs something out of the fridge and throws in a load of laundry on the way, or puts together some kind of casserole or pasta bake for dinner. Because, as you’ll see, after school is when the real fun begins.
3 p.m.: Amy arrives at school with whatever equipment was forgotten that morning (cleats, shin guards and so forth). She joins dance moms carrying ballet bags, the fencing mom with an enormous bag of foils, theater moms with scripts and jazz shoes, and cello moms who will certainly be enlisted to carry the thing home. All remember to bring snacks, or face kids whining to stop at the cupcake store. Arrangements are made as to which kids go where.
3:15 p.m. : Arrangements are rearranged when kids emerge, begging for play-dates. 4 p.m. : The middle son needs to be at practice uptown at 1600 Park. Amy usually takes three other boys on the team as well. 4:45 p.m. The youngest has art class at the Monroe Center. 5 p.m. : The middle son needs to be picked up at 1600. In spring, the oldest and middle son need to be at the Little League field by 5 p.m. 5:45 p.m. : The youngest gets picked up at Monroe, along with his best friend, who needs to be dropped off at home. 6 p.m.: Pick up the older and middle son, bring them home, and get them to start homework. They are starving, so out comes the aforementioned casserole. 7 p.m.: The youngest is due at 1600 for his practice. Amy is the manager of his team, so she usually stays until he is done. 8 p.m.: They are all home. Anyone who hasn’t eaten yet does. Usually it’s Amy and her husband, Sean, who is home by this time. Homework, showers for all (Sean supervises this part), maybe a half hour of TV, then bedtime, when Amy can get back to her office to finish her day’s work. Easy as pie, right? This year, the family schedule will change a little, because the middle son will be able to walk to school and back with his own group of friends. All three boys will continue with Hebrew School three times a week (The oldest will have his Bar Mitzvah in 2016). Fall soccer is followed closely by basketball, and in spring, Little League and Travel Soccer begin. The photo shoot for this story had to be pushed back a day because—oops—Amy forgot that her oldest son had basketball practice—a good reason for a soccer mom to jigger the schedule! Amy is forming a third book club, which I know because she’s asked me to join. I’d love to. If I can find the time. – 07030
L-R: Youngest, oldest, middle sons with Mom.
HOB
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Where Future Scholars Have Been Nurtured Since 2002
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Meeting IN
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PHOTOS BY GILBERT AGUON
L O C A L W O M E N S TA RT ‘ M I L E S Q U A R E D AT E S ’ C O M PA N Y BY CAREN LISSNER
you go to Speed Dating or another singles event in the city, as soon as you tell a guy you live in Hoboken, they don’t want to have a ‘long-distance’ relationship with you,” says Hoboken resident Lauren Valva, between sips of an iced green tea at the uptown Starbucks on a mid-summer morning. “Even in Hoboken, it’s like, ‘Oh, you live uptown?’” Long-distance relationship? People say that about a city just across the river? Apparently, yes. Young professionals in New York City and in Hoboken often work long hours and don’t have time to waste. Hoboken is teeming with young people packed into a square mile (19,164 people ages 25-34, making up 38 percent of the population, according to the 2010 U.S. Census), but they still find it hard to meet each other. It doesn’t help that New Yorkers consider them “geographically undesirable.”
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So how can they find true love in a way that’s low-pressure and still efficient? At the beginning of the year, Valva and her two friends in Hoboken, Myra Ann Arcilla and Mandvi Paliwal, decided to make it easier. They formed Mile Square Dates, a Hoboken-based company that runs events to bring local residents together in informal venues where they can play games or chat. Theirs is the first local company dedicated exclusively to helping people meet the one. In this town of recent college graduates who spend lots of time at bars and restaurants, very few people have tried to capitalize on the dating market. Each of the three women has had different dating experiences. Valva, 36, is divorced. Six months ago, she decided it was time for a change: She moved from a house in Staten Island to an apartment in Hoboken. She said growing up in Staten Island, Hoboken was the place to go out—just a short ride over the Bayonne Bridge.
She knew a change of venue would help her start anew. Among those she met were Paliwal and Arcilla. She met the former at a Valentine’s Day mixer run by Hoboken Social Sandbox, a longtime group of people who attend events to meet each other, not necessarily for dating. “I know, I go to a Valentine’s event and meet a friend,” Valva laughed. But it worked out. Paliwal knew Arcilla through their ZogSports football team, so they put their heads together. ZogSports is a national co-ed social sports league for young professionals. “We all had expressed an interest in being entrepreneurial,” Valva said. “Regular Speed Dating is boring and a little creepy. I thought, there have got to be better ways people in Hoboken can meet other people.” They wasted no time, setting up a website for their company in January. They launched a ping pong tournament and a Cards Against Humanity event in which people played the popular word game. They passed out flyers at bars and in the PATH station. They also handed out blue and white business cards reading, “You caught me checking you out! Return the favor and check us out on www.milesquaredates.com.” “We’ve had people from Jersey City, Weehawken, Edgewater, and we even got three girls from Staten Island,” Valva said. “One of their moms saw it [on Facebook] and made them go.” The last week in June, the women
men. In fact, she said, three different men approached her and her partners in the PATH station and asked if they’d be having events for the gay population. She would definitely be open to such an event. As for events in other towns, they do hope to branch out, but for now, they just want to hang out in Hoboken.
JUST LIKE STARTING OVER
held a trivia event in the back room of the Black Bear Bar & Grill on Washington Street. Making sure the balance of men and women was equal, they drew approximately 10 people from each gender and asked questions such as “Which two chemical symbols make up the logo for Breaking Bad?” Valva said that several men had told her they were looking forward to the event so they could show off their smarts. The participants sat across from each other at tables, talked, drank, and answered the questions. They appeared to be in their twenties and thirties, all dressed professionally. At each event, participants get a card to check off whom they might like to talk to again. If two people pick “Y” for each other, they get contact information, and have to take it from there. Valva said that she has made new friends via the events, and even went on a few dates with a man she and her partners met while handing out information at the PATH. “Sometimes after an event, I see someone around town,” she said. “I feel like this has made Hoboken feel more like a neighborhood, more of a community.” She said most participants are between 25 and 35, although they have had people who have checked off the box for under 25 or 36-40. But where is the over-40 box? “We’ve had requests” for over-40 events, Valva said, “but only from women. No men.” She’s also gotten requests from gay
Mary Ann Arcilla was born in the Philippines, grew up in New Jersey and California, and moved to Hoboken in 2010. Like Valva, she sought out the excitement and camaraderie of Hoboken after ending a relationship. She had been living in the New Jersey suburbs. “The rent was much more expensive [in Hoboken], it was much farther from my job, and I didn’t know a soul here,” she said. “I almost had a nervous breakdown the week I moved in, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” Within three months of moving here, she met a man through a non-dating local meetup group, but dated him for almost two years. “He was more serious about the relationship than me, and so I bolted,” she said. “I’ve been single since then. I’ve met a lot of great guys in this town through random interactions, bar hopping, sports leagues, singles mixers, Speed Dating, and even volunteering. But I just started dating a guy
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LAUREN VALVA
who I met a few years back. We met at 5 West Supper Club, when I used to host Speed Dating for another company. We’ve re-connected very recently and have been dating since, but he lives in Dumont.” Mandvi also recently ended a relationship, although it was with a person she was already dating when she moved to Hoboken. She gives her age as “in the bracket of 26-30” and says she grew up in India before coming to Ohio, then New Jersey, for work. “People like me do not have much spare time to browse about dating sites or meet new people outside of work,” she said. “Even if we do, it’s about going on one-on-one dates which might not turn out be the best use of one’s time. We, as a company, conceptualized the idea of meeting many like-minded single people in a span of a few hours while doing something fun such as playing Cards Against Humanity, wine tasting, or trivia nights.”
CHECKING IT OUT “Jane” is 28 and has participated in two of the events. She didn’t want to use her real name or even her initials, because she is a bit skittish about having her personal life written about. But she was enthusiastic about the idea of meeting a man through Mile Square Dates. She heard about it through the women on her ZogSports team. She attended beer pong and the Cards Against Humanity game.
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“Everyone had three cups,” she said, describing peer pong. “After each game, the guy would move to the right, so you would get to meet everyone.” She didn’t like any of the men there, though. “I’m very picky,” she acknowledged. “There was no one there I liked romantically.” At Cards Against Humanity, she liked one man, and “We ended up matching. We hung out one night. He was cute physically, and seemed like a very nice guy, nice sense of humor.” But he didn’t follow up. She had no real explanation, but she hopes to go to more events. A year and a half ago, Jane moved to Hoboken from Westchester, where she had been living with her parents. She works full-time in New York City. She declined to talk about her past relationship experience, but mused, “I think it’s hard to meet people outside of college regardless of where you live. I think it’s hard just finding someone, especially a stranger. In college, you all go to the same school, so you have that in common. I think [Mile Square Dates] is a really great idea, because there’s usually an activity involved.” Mike, a 31-year-old Hoboken resident, agreed with Jane about the activities. “They like to try new things,” he said of the company. “I like that.” He also heard about the events through the women on his ZogSports football team, noting that the trio of co-founders “recruited pretty heavily.” He attended beer pong, Cards Against Humanity, and a Speed Dating-type event. “I’ve done Speed Dating in the past, and there were tons of people; it was almost like chaos,” he said. “With this one, I think it was six or seven of each sex there, so there was a little more time to talk. If you couldn’t think of what to talk about, they provided questions for you. The quality of the people was a lot better. They were professionals, a bit of an older crowd. Cards Against Humanity was also a lot of fun. It forces you to loosen up around everybody, forces you to have a sense of humor.” He moved to Jersey City eight years ago from Syracuse to attend Seton Hall Law School, and moved to Hoboken two years later. He said he hasn’t had a serious relationship in over a decade. “I’m not the ‘go to bars and pick up chicks’ kind of guy,” he said. “I’m not necessarily looking for something serious, but I wanted to meet new people.” He did go out on a date with a woman he met at beer pong. “It didn’t turn into anything,” he said, “but [the event] was a lot of fun.”
FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT Valva said the events are just starting to be profitable. The organizers are toying with other kinds of events, like perhaps tennis. But, Valva said, laughing, “The guys told us they don’t want to have to do much.” Valva, who is looking for a “funny, kind, active, and optimistic, not pessimistic” guy, said the future looks bright. After the events, “There have definitely been first dates,” she said. “I’m hoping to get some invites to weddings. It’s going to take some time.” As for her, she is still on internet dating sites as well, but now she has other options—and that’s probably a good thing. One of her recent OKCupid dates accidentally drove onto a concrete divider on the West Side Highway during their first date. After the tow truck managed to free them, they had dinner. But she had already checked out, at least mentally. “I wasn’t up to my usual sparkling personality,” she said. To find out more, check out milesquaredates.com or email milesquare dates@gmail.com.—07030
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MARIO A. MARTINEZ
Working Out With— Heidi Conlin BY MARIO A. MARTINEZ PHOTOS BY TERRI SAULINO BISH
s k Butt c i K
“Y
ou will never get this day back again!” shouts Heidi Conlin to invigorate those who are daring and dedicated enough to take her grueling one-hour workout, which mixes kickboxing, calisthenics, and cardiovascular training. They meet Monday and
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Wednesday mornings at CKO Kickboxing at 900 Madison St. “It’s true,” says Conlin. “Whether it’s the happiest or worst day. You never get it back. It’s not to be morbid, but to be purposeful.” Conlin conducts her class with great rigor and intensity. She’s a five-foot-one-inch mother of four who moves around the gym like a drill sergeant. A spark plug of
energy, she shouts throughout most of her session, not to intimidate her clients, but to encourage them to push beyond their comfort zone and achieve their fitness goals. In the gym there is no “should’ve, would’ve, could’ve,” Conlin says; life should be lived with no regrets. “I think people are too paralyzed by fear,” says Conlin. “I always tell my kids that there is one way you’ll never get what you want, and that is if you don’t try. I believe everybody’s body is already beautiful but if you want to be healthier, then why not? You just have to put in the work.” “Why not?” That’s the mantra that Conlin lives by and embraces, both inside and outside the gym. Though she’s tough with the gloves on, she’s a soft touch with the gloves off, quoting the likes of Coretta Scott King,
WORKING OUT WITH 07030
HEIDI CONLIN
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WORKING OUT WITH 07030
President John F. Kennedy, or Mahatma Gandhi for inspiration. Her own life shows that almost anything is possible. Conlin is the sole practitioner in her law firm, which focuses mainly on adoption law with the mission of forming families. Knowing how arduous the road to adoption can be, Conlin works closely with adoption counselors, consultants, psychologists, and medical specialists to provide the best experience possible for those looking to adopt, either domestically or internationally. She’s working with advocacy groups to help transform New Jersey’s archaic foster-care system into a modern, streamlined one that will more effectively move kids out of the system and place them in permanent homes. “Supporting and facilitating families has always been my passion, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have a skill set to help that,” says Conlin. “I very much believe that raising kids, teaching kickboxing, and helping people find a child match through adoption are all the same thing.” Conlin moved to Hoboken in 1998 from Manhattan with her husband and son to attend law school after working for the National Football League and The United Way doing legislative work. In 2003, she earned her degree, passed the bar
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in New York and New Jersey, gave birth to twins, and cofounded Hoboken Happenings (now the Hoboken Family Alliance), which promotes and organizes family events around the community. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees at The Hoboken Charter School, which only recently recovered from a devastating fire last September. “I like the component of working out for a release of stress,” Conlin says. “You want to work out for your mind, body, and spirit. I believe you can transfer any of your stress to the bag, cathartically.” A follower of Eastern philosophies, Conlin believes that working out not only benefits the body but also provides inner peace. “It’s the one hour a day that it’s nobody else,” Conlin says. “And you can work through a lot of physical and spiritual cleansings through punching a bag or holding a yoga position. You have to pay attention to who you are within to find balance in your daily life. You want to take it out on your bag so there’s no drama in your life. It brings you back to center. “I can’t be a good mom, I can’t be a good wife, I can’t be a good lawyer,” she says, “if I don’t take care of myself from within.”—07030
WEST SIDE STORY 07030
Between a Rock & a HARD PLACE
ROCK CLIMBING OFFERS A FULL-BODY WORKOUT
An
indoor rock-climbing wall recently opened in Hoboken—the first in Hudson County. Bouldering as it’s known is when a person climbs on short walls without the help of ropes. Thick protective padding; climbing shoes (for rent); gloves; and climbing chalk help prevent injuries. The wall features 600 square feet of slabs, overhangs, and transitions that ensure a person of any skill level will be challenged. The benefits are plentiful, helping build strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance. The wall, which was completed at the end of summer, is located at 35-Minute Bootcamps in the Monroe Center (720 Monroe St., Suite C-106). There is a modest entrance fee. It is open daily seven days a week and until 11 p.m. on weekends. Beginner, advanced, and safety classes are offered.—Christian Diaz 07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15 •
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Mad e in
Hoboken
GUADALUPE FLORES
Two Italian family businesses still do it the old-fashioned way STORY AND PHOTOS BY AMANDA STAAB
T
he factories of Hoboken’s industrial past may be a distant memory, but there are still places where products are Hoboken made. Keeping tradition alive, Fiore’s Deli House of Quality has made its creamy mozzarella, and Dom’s Bakery Grand, its crusty Italian bread, the same way for decades. At Fiore’s, the day’s special is always the homemade mozzarella. “Of course mozzarella,” says owner John Amato. “Gotta have mozzarella.” Every week, the deli serves Virginia ham and mozzarella on Monday, corned beef and mozzarella on Tuesday, hot sausage and mozzarella on Wednesday, hot roast beef and mozzarella on Thursday, and
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tuna fish and mozzarella on Friday. Since it is Fiore’s most popular sandwich, the roast beef is made again on Saturday, when the line is often out the door. But the draw is really the cheese. Fiore’s has been making mozzarella since 1913, when Alphonso Fiore opened the original milk and cheese store. His son, Joseph, added the deli after he took over the business in 1929. Amato got an afterschool job at Fiore’s as a delivery boy in 1950. Watching the older workers make the mozzarella, he says, mesmerized him. “That was a whole new aspect of life,” Amato says. Fifteen years later, he bought the place. In the back, the kitchen is hot and moist. Steam rises from three large pots of water that never stop boiling. Dominick
Vitolo, a mozzarella expert with 49 years of experience, cuts a large square from a huge slab of Polly-O brand cheese curd. “It’s the best curd on the market right now, the most consistent,” says Amato, 79. The firm, moist block of curd is placed on top of the slicer before being pressed through it. The strips drop into a large metal bowl to be doused with hot water and stirred until it is cooked evenly. The recipe is simple, says Amato, because the secret is in the technique. “It’s all according to the feeling in your hands,” he says. “Once you get that nice, silky feeling, that mozzarella is ready.” The cheese is stretched to extract excess moisture, then braided in a flash and dropped into ice water to cool. It’s placed in a saltwater brine right before it is taken to the front of the shop. The best part, says Amato, is when someone tries his mozzarella for the first time and loves it. “That’s the greatest compliment you could bestow on me,” he says. Beyond the cheese, Fiore’s also makes two varieties of sausage—spicy and sweet—and a wide variety of sides, including cherry peppers stuffed with bread crumbs, banana peppers stuffed with prosciutto and provolone, sweet roasted peppers, octopus, artichokes, olives, and giardiniera (pickled) vegetables. The small storefront also carries imported provolone that Fiore’s ages for a year, and a selection of dry pastas and tomato sauces.
The Staff of Life About two blocks away, Dom’s, with a tiny storefront wedged between apartment buildings, can easily go unnoticed; the bread cannot. Dom’s sells its Italian loaves and rolls to delis and restaurants all over town and all over New Jersey. But before any delivery can be made, work has to start early in the morning. At 6 a.m., the front shop is dimly lit. The bustle is in the back, where an entire wall encloses the heart of the operation, a 16’ by 16’ coal-burning brick oven built 120 years ago. “You can’t build them anymore,” says owner Dom Castellitto, who bought the building in 1979 because of the oven. Since then, environmental regulations have cracked down on burning coal. “It’s not only the coal,” Castellitto says. “You can’t find a mason who can build one of them things.” All around is the aroma of flour. In fact, there is some of the white stuff on
DOMINICK VITOLO
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almost everything. Castellitto and his workers use the Roman Gold brand. It is the first ingredient they pour into the industrial mixer, the only machine at the shop. Next they add the yeast, salt and what Castellitto considers the most critical ingredient, Hoboken water. “Hoboken water is the best for bread and cakes,” he says. He has no idea why. “Don’t ask me what’s in the water. All I know is that it’s good.” After the dough is made, it is massaged into shallow wooden boxes to rise for about an hour or more. Then it is cut and weighed into equal parts and rolled into softball-size spheres to rise again and later be worked into long baguettes. Standing ready at the oven, Guadalupe Flores, who has been working at the bakery for more than 20 years, places the loaves on a very long lemon wood paddle and uses a small knife to make three slits on top of each one, an Italian tradition. He slides the bread into the oven and organizes it in angled rows and waits for it to bake for about 20 minutes. The bread is then taken out and placed in crates to cool, crackling all the way to the shelves. Finally, the bread is placed behind the counter or in long brown paper bags for delivery. “It’s a pretty simple operation,” says Castellitto. Dom’s makes about 800 loaves of bread a day. Why is it so popular? “Because it tastes good,” says Castellitto. And there’s no messing with what works.—07030
DOMINICK CASTELLITTO
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JOHN AMATO, SR. WITH JOHN AMATO, JR. STANDING.
IN
JOHN SR. WITH DOMINICK VITOLO
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07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15 •
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What the heck is swimming in the Hudson? A real Fish Story
T
Joe McDonald reels in a sand shark. PHOTO BY KATE ROUNDS
José fishes off the pier on Sinatra Drive.
his summer, a so-called prehistoric fish washed up in Weehawken near Riva Point. It turned out to be a fivefoot sturgeon. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Protection, sturgeons are “pre-historiclooking creatures that have been around since before the dinosaurs.” The NY DEP notes that the Atlantic sturgeon is the Hudson’s largest fish, often reaching lengths of five to eight feet. In the 1800s, sturgeon were so abundant in the Hudson that they were known as “Albany beef.” By the late 1900s, the caviar and meat of an adult female sold for as much as $3,000. These prices led to overfishing. Adult female and young sturgeon became so scarce that fishing for Atlantic sturgeon was banned in 1996. The discovery of the smelly dead sturgeon on our shores started me wondering, what else is in the Hudson? “There are several types of common fish in the river,” says Bob Considine, press officer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “Species like winter flounder, white perch, white catfish, eels, crabs, and striped bass are all caught in the river. Striped bass tend toward the northern part of the Hudson.” Folks at the NJ DEP are not so concerned that folks in Hoboken and other Hudson County towns have a great fishing experience. They’re much more worried that you don’t have a bad eating experience. “The important thing we stress,” says Considine, “is the state has some pretty strict consumption advisories we issue because oftentimes these fish and crabs contain PCBs.” (A chemical compound considered to be a toxic pollutant). The area of the Hudson we’re talking about runs roughly from Alpine to the north to Bayonne to the south. The DEP’s advisory defines “high risk populations” as infants, children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and women of childbearing age. High-risk populations are advised not to eat striped bass, white perch, white catfish or American eel. They can eat winter flounder one meal per month. The rest of the population can eat striped bass four meals a year; white perch, one meal a year; American eel one meal a year, and winter flounder one meal per month, but no white catfish. It’s OK for both populations to eat one meal of seven blue crabs a week, with the caveat that you should discard cooking liquid and not eat the green gland. Yikes, it seems like unless you really have no other food source, it would be best to throw back what you catch! – Kate Rounds
PHOTO BY KATE ROUNDS
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aMeRican eeL are 24-40 inches long. they eat crustaceans, fish, insects, and dead animals. they hatch from eggs in the ocean, larvae drift to the coast, and they become glass eels. Most enter fresh water and become elvers, then yellow eels. after 10-20 years, they swim back to the sea as silver eels to spawn and die.
BLuefiSh aDuLtS are up to 36 inches long and weigh as much as 20 pounds. Young “snapper” bluefish grow to 10 inches long. they eat fish, crustaceans, and squid. they hatch from eggs in the ocean. the young migrate into estuaries during the first year and then return to the sea.
atLantic StuRgeOn can weigh as much as 200 pounds. they eat worms, crustaceans, insect larvae, and small bottom fish. they prefer deep water. they hatch from eggs in fresh water, migrate to the sea at age two to six, return to fresh water to spawn for the first time as teenagers, and may live more than 60 years. fLOunDeR, which thrive in brackish water, use camouflage as they lie on the river bed. their eyes are specially adapted to allow them to view the water above them. Species include Summer, Winter, Windowpane, and hogchokers, which are 5.5 inches long. they eat small crustaceans, insect larvae, and worms. they hatch from eggs and grow up near where they hatch. farmers used to use them for affordable feed. Pigs often choked when they swallowed them whole—thus the name.
White catfiSh are 12 to 16 inches long. they eat small fish, fish eggs, insect larvae, and crustaceans. they hatch from eggs and grow up near where they hatch.
White PeRch grow to 12 inches long. they eat crustaceans, insects, fish, and fish eggs. they hatch from eggs, often in a tributary or stream, move downstream to a large body of water as they grow, and may return to the tributary to spawn.
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BLue cRaB are crustaceans with shells up to seven inches across. they eat fish, plants, insect larvae, worms, smaller crustaceans, mollusks, snails, and dead organisms. they hatch from eggs in salt water and eventually molt into adult crabs.
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StRiPeD BaSS can be 30-40 inches long and weigh up to 55 pounds. they eat fish, crabs, shrimp, worms, and squid. they hatch their eggs in fresh water. Most migrate to the sea after a year in the estuary and return to fresh water to spawn when they are four to seven years old. COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND HUDSON RIVER PARK.
the Yanqui family catches and eats blue crabs. PHOTO BY KATE ROUNDS
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ARCHIVES & ARTIFACTS 07030
HEAVEN, HELL, OR
HOBOKEN
Our town played a key role during World War I
BY DARIAN WORDEN PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HOBOKEN HISTORICAL MUSEUM
As
we mark the 100th anniversary of World War I, it is a good time to reflect on Hoboken’s role in that deadly conflict. A port city with large immigrant communities, Hoboken was the port of embarkation for thousands of American troops. The Central Powers of AustriaHungary and Germany, joined by the Ottoman Empire, faced off against the Allies of Russia, France, and Great Britain. At the start of the war immigrants tended to identify with their native countries. This meant that some German-Americans and Irish-Americans had little sympathy for Britain. Though the U.S. did not join the war until 1917, the war’s effects were immediately felt in Hoboken, which was home to major European shipping companies and numerous immigrants and foreign nationals. At the outbreak of war, the powerful British Royal Navy blockaded Germany. A number of
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German ships were in port in Hoboken, the U.S. home of the Hamburg American and North German Lloyd steamship lines. The ships would remain in port until the U.S. military seized them in 1917.
The Business of War While many Hoboken jobs were lost by the blockade of European liners and the sharp decline in transatlantic migration, other businesses in town profited from the war. While the German ships sat in port, other ships were needed to make voyages to Britain, and Hoboken shipyards prospered. Two wartime needs—munitions and paperwork—were supplied by Hoboken’s Remington Arms Company and American Lead Pencil. Before the U.S. entered the war, several Germans from Hoboken were arrested on suspicion of sabotage and related activities. A German citizen named Fritz Kolb was arrested in
fROM Left tO Right: PRESIDENT WILSON ON WASHINGTON STREET; GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING ON HOBOKEN PIER; LIBERTY LOAN PARADE ON WASHINGTON STREET; SOLDIERS RETURNING TO HOBOKEN; U.S.S. PATRICIA (FORMER GERMAN LINER); TWO LINES OF TROOPS RETURNING TO HOBOKEN
his room in the Commercial Hotel at 212 River St. in March 1917 and convicted a month later for possession of explosives. The loss of American lives to German u-boat attacks turned U.S. public opinion against Germany. U-boat attacks and a proposed alliance between Germany and Mexico prompted President Woodrow Wilson to request from Congress a declaration of war against Germany. On April 6, 1917, a declaration of war was passed. Hoboken was declared the main point of embarkation for the U.S. Expeditionary Force, and many of the city’s residents and business owners would face hardship during the war. At dawn on April 6, 1917, U.S. Army soldiers seized the German ships as they sat at the Hoboken docks. Two weeks later the German shipping companies’ piers were taken over by the government, and army encampments were established there. The prize ships of the Hamburg-American and North German Lloyd lines were turned into massive troop transports. In the tense atmosphere of war, Germans living in the U.S. were targeted as potential or actual enemies. 07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15 •
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S.S. KAISER WILHELM DER GROSSE
Hoboken’s large German population was harshly affected. According to the 1910 U.S. Census, Hoboken had a population of 70,324, of which 10,018 were German born. Many of Hoboken’s Germans were detained, evicted from their homes, lost their jobs, or saw their businesses shut down. High-level employees of the German shipping companies were among those arrested. While Irish Americans generally remained cold toward Great Britain, they maintained their position in U.S. society. But Hoboken’s German community was dismantled in the 19 months of war, and Hoboken would no longer be a German town.
Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, reportedly rallied the troops in France before the Meuse-Argonne offense by telling them that they would be in “Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken” by Christmas—Hoboken being the port that nearly all soldiers would pass through on their way home. The first convoy carrying U.S. troops to war left Hoboken on June 14, 1917.
S.S. VATERLAND
Fourteen transport ships, carrying 11,991 officers, enlisted men, and civilians departed the city. A total of 936 voyages to France and England were made from Hoboken during the war. Approximately two million servicemen passed through Hoboken between the spring of 1917 and the fall of 1918. Many troops were brought overseas in German ships that had been captured in Hoboken. Among these ships was the USS Leviathan, formerly the HamburgAmerican liner Vaterland, the largest ship in the world at the time. The Navy converted the prestigious liner to a troop transport with a capacity of 14,000 passengers. In 1918 it was repainted with a camouflage pattern, designed to make it difficult for German u-boats to target. Over the course of the war the ship delivered 120,000 servicemen to Europe.
Hardships at Home Although wartime industries created new jobs, wartime activity caused major economic disruption, and Hoboken experienced an overall decline as a result of the war. Dockworkers and shipyard workers were fired for being born in one
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of the enemy nations. Thousands of German, Austrian, and Hungarian workers, including American citizens, lost their jobs. A federal order prohibiting enemy aliens from living, working, or traveling within one hundred yards of docks, piers, and waterfronts caused thousands of evictions on Hudson and River Streets. A major conflict between the local and federal government involved the sale of alcohol. Hoboken was famous for its saloons and beer gardens, many of which were near the waterfront. Federal regulations prohibited serving alcohol near the military areas. In March 1918 the military took greater control over Hoboken life. Women found walking the streets after dark faced arrest for prostitution, and Chinese restaurants were ordered to close nightly, causing many to go out of business.
War… & Peace After armistice was declared on Nov. 11, 1918, celebration and mourning alternatively took hold at the Hoboken docks as ships returned homesick soldiers as well as caskets. More than two million American soldiers had fought in Europe, including 2,469 draftees from Hoboken. The first troops to return to the U.S. arrived in Hoboken on Dec. 2, 1918. General Pershing triumphantly returned to Hoboken aboard the USS George Washington on Sept. 8, 1919. On Nov. 13, 1919, the Lake Daroga docked in Hoboken, carrying the first transport of the bodies of fallen American soldiers. President Woodrow Wilson also embarked from Hoboken for his service in Europe, defining the terms of peace at Versailles. His return in July 1919 was a time of celebration, as people crowded along Washington Street to wave American flags and watch the president pass in his motorcade. After the war, Hoboken made the rough transition to peacetime. The Leviathan was turned over to an American shipping company, and commercial life returned to the docks.
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U.S. involvement in World War I was launched from piers that have since been removed or turned into grassy parks. While the horrors of the war were experienced in faraway fields or in doomed ships on the open sea, bits and pieces of the conflict were felt on the docks and streets of Hoboken.—07030
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SPORTS CORNER 07030
They must be athletes, or firefighters—or both STORY AND PHOTOS BY JIM HAGUE
W
here there’s fire, there’s fire power in the form of athletic prowess: More than 20 current members of the close-knit
brotherhood known as the Hoboken Fire Department were once standout athletes in their high school and college days. Take Tyrell Dortch, who may be the most decorated football player ever to
come out of Hoboken High School. Dortch was a sensational running back for the Red Wings in the late 1990s, leading the team to consecutive NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group III championships in 1998 and 1999,
Some of the 20-plus members of the hoboken fire Department who were once standout athletes gather at the Washington Street firehouse. front row, from left, are capt. Lou turso (hoboken high 1994, football and baseball); Mike casazza (hoboken high 1994, football and baseball); tommy aligo (St. Joseph of the Palisades 1984, football and baseball); chris Lugo (hudson catholic 2004, baseball); tyrell Dortch (hoboken high 2000, football); Josh Pineiro (hoboken 1999, baseball); and Patrick cappiello (St. Peter’s Prep 2009, wrestling). Back row, from left, are Ralph eusebio (hoboken 1992, soccer, basketball, and baseball); Mike forcum (hoboken 1999, football, basketball, and baseball); Baron Ballester (hoboken 1992, soccer); capt. Danny england (hoboken 1998, basketball and baseball); Rich england (hoboken 2000, football, basketball, and tennis); Joe Radigan (hoboken 2002, football, basketball, and baseball); capt. Lou Zampella (hudson catholic 1997, football and baseball); Keeon Walker (hoboken 1998, football and baseball); anthony Diaz (hoboken 1998, football, basketball, and baseball); and Danny arocho (hoboken 2007, baseball).
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earning All-America honors before going off to Michigan State. Now 31 years old, Dortch became a member of the Hoboken Fire Department in April 2013. “I was a probation officer and a disciplinarian at Hoboken High School,” said Dortch, who received his degree from Michigan State in 2005 after an injury-ravaged career. “I thought about becoming a firefighter as a way to give back to the people of Hoboken. I’m from here. I was born here and the kids look up to me as a hero, which I like.” Dortch’s best friend, Keeon Walker, another legendary Red Wing grid standout, has been in the fire department since 2007. Walker was also a great running back at Hoboken. He went on to play defensive back at Syracuse University and had a little taste of pro football, having a tryout with the Buffalo Bills and a stint playing Arena Football. “I didn’t go to school to be a firefighter,” said Walker, who earned a degree in sociology from Syracuse. “But when the opportunity came about, I figured it was a good job and I could work with guys who I grew up with and played with. It was the best decision I ever made in my life. Hoboken is a small town. We all grew up in the same community and amazingly, we all played sports.” Walker, who graduated from Hoboken in 1998, cherishes his friendship with Dortch. “We’re always looking to help each other out,” Walker said. “I’m glad we can share this together. Plus, when we play in charity events, we dominate.” Lou Turso is another former Hoboken High School standout who played both baseball and football and went on to play football both at Rutgers University and New Jersey City University. Now a Hoboken Fire Department captain, Turso has spent the last 14 years as a firefighter. “At first, I wanted to be a
Secret Service agent, but my father made me take the firefighter’s test,” Turso said. “The fire department got back to me first and that’s how it all started. It was a great opportunity for me. I’m with guys who I played with, guys who I coached. What’s unique about it is that Hoboken is a small town, with only six fire companies, but more than a quarter of the department is former athletes.” Turso’s right. Of the current 113 members of the Hoboken Fire Department, 27 were former athletes in high school and college. “I see the trend all over, in Jersey City, in the North Hudson Regional, even the New York Fire Department,” Turso said.
two of hoboken’s best football players ever, tyrell Dortch (left) and Keeon Walker (right) are members of the hoboken fire Department. Dortch was a Parade all-american in high school who went to Michigan State, while Walker, an all-State standout, went to Syracuse.
Kudos from the Brass Hoboken is a diverse and growing community of about 50,000, all cramped into one square mile. The population has expanded by an incredible 29 percent since the 2000 Census. With its vast number of restaurants and bars, Hoboken has become a popular entertainment destination. All this means that we need a viable and solid fire department. Hoboken Fire Chief Richard Blohm, who was astounded by the number of former athletes, believes that it enhances the entire department. Blohm said, “They take care of themselves and they’re in good shape. But the idea that they’re great athletes is just icing on the cake. Without a doubt, it’s beneficial to the community and the fire department.” Blohm also thinks that the camaraderie that the firefighters enjoyed as athletes benefits their careers. “Each fire company has to rely on each other and back each other up,” Blohm said. “When you have people who played sports, who were part of a cohesive team, it turns out to be a huge plus. Being a firefighter is
tommy aligo holds up his football jersey from his playing days at St. Joseph of the Palisades, graduating in 1984.
Mike forcum (right), who was the hudson Reporter athlete of the Year in 1999, poses with another all-time great, Ralph eusebio
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not a profession. It’s a calling. I always say that we must be crazy to be running into a burning building, but it helps if you have formed a family, like brothers and sisters.” Ralph Eusebio was a three-sport athlete at Hoboken (soccer, basketball, and baseball), graduating in 1992. He
At age 45, Tommy Aligo is one of the oldest of the firefighter/athletes. eventually played professional baseball in the Chicago Cubs organization. “It just shows the talent we have in this town,” Eusebio said. “We all grew up in this town, and now you see the second phase of our lives. We have that locker room environment. We stick together like a team does. We fight together and we’re still wearing a uniform.” Chris Lugo is another former professional baseball player, having spent a few seasons with the Washington Nationals’ organization after his playing days at Hudson Catholic were over. Lugo became a member of the Hoboken Fire Department last year. “I feel like I’m part of a whole other team,” Lugo said. “I go to work and have that kind of camaraderie.” Lugo also believes that it takes a special kind of person to be a firefighter. “You have to learn to adapt and that comes with teamwork,” Lugo said. “You have to be somewhat athletic to do the job in the first place. We just happen to have guys who did it at a pretty high level. It’s an honor to work with these guys. They have a lot of knowledge and they’re passing it on to me.”
Home of the Brave Joe Radigan was also a three-sport athlete at Hoboken High (football, basketball, and baseball) before moving on to become a standout punter for the Rutgers University football team, eventually getting a tryout with the Chicago Bears. He was all set to play professional football in Alabama when the AllAmerican Football League folded. Radigan said, “I was a physical trainer and involved in medical-device sales, but always wanted to get involved in firefighting.” Radigan was also a corrections officer
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for four years and earned his Master’s degree in elementary education, but made the decision to join the fire department. “The physicality of the job does play a favor,” Radigan said. “We were all trained well early to be able to handle the obstacle course and carry hoses. I know if I was in a burning building, I would want these guys to come get me. Not everyone can do it. But these guys can do it.” Mike Forcum was also a three-sport athlete at Hoboken High School, eventually earning The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Year his senior year, before he went on to the University of New Haven to play football. He graduated with a degree in business administration from New Haven. “I did try to utilize that degree, but it was tough getting a job,” said Forcum, who has been a firefighter for eight years. “I got a chance and ran with it. I think you have to be an athletic person to do the job. But you want to be with guys you trust, the whole team effort. When you’re in a fire, the guy next to you is all you have.” At age 45, Tommy Aligo is one of the oldest of the firefighter/athletes. He played football and baseball at the now defunct St. Joseph of the Palisades in West New York and joined the Hoboken Fire Department in 1999. “When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a firefighter,” Aligo said. “I used to walk by the firehouse on First and Adams all the time and dream about becoming a firefighter. It’s been the best 15 years of my life. It’s a calling, not a profession.” Aligo said that he has one thing in mind when he goes to work. “I just want to make it home to my wife and kids,” he said. “It’s the greatest job on earth. We had to rely on our teammates when we were playing sports, and that’s what we do now.” Lou Zampella was a football and baseball standout at Hudson Catholic who later became a fine defensive back at St. Peter’s College. He’s currently the head football coach at his alma mater, Hudson Catholic, while juggling his duties as a fire captain. “We have so many guys from so many different sports,” Zampella said. “We have some guys I even coached. It’s great to be working with guys who I grew up with, played with, respect.” A fire department that once played together, stays together. The Hoboken Fire Department is living proof. —07030
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07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15 •
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Bikes are the bond BY Kate ROunDS
I
thought I knew Jersey City pretty well, but one morning last summer, I was on my bike, and I found myself in a really cool place that I’d never seen before. Chipper’s instructions were good. I was around 18th Street and Coles when I checked with a cop, who pointed me in the right direction. Chipper had said it was on Hoboken Avenue, but the rustic-looking sign said Hoboken Pl.
The chain-link fence to the right of the short, curved driveway is lined with flags and beyond the fence is a field of beach grass. The long, low building at the end of the driveway is the home of the Hoboken Motorcycle Club (HMC). No, it’s not in Hoboken, but it’s on the Hoboken line, and the club definitely has its roots in the Mile Square. Chipper Falco, along with 15-20 founding members, started the club in 1974. Nicknames are preferred in the club, and everyone calls him Chipper. He says that about 15 bikers were meet-
ing informally in a garage in Hoboken when they got the idea of forming a club. Back in the 1970s motorcycles were a big thing. Folks of a certain age may remember Easy Rider with Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. The 1969 landmark counterculture film tells the story of two bikers traveling through the Southwest and South. The other main characters in the movie are the bikes themselves—distinctive “Captain America” choppers made from Harley-Davidson Hydra Glide police bikes.
L_R: Mongo, chipper and angel. PHOTO BY ROBERT FOSTER, HOBOKEN HISTORICAL MUSEUM
In order to join HMC you have to bee male, over 21, and own an American-made bike. It used to be only HarleyDavidsons, but that rule has been relaxed. Many members take their bikes to a shop to give it the chopper look or do it themselves. The original Hoboken club was at 103 Clinton St. A large renovated garage with a bar, pool tables, and couches, it was the starting point for the group rides, which are still a highlight of HMC membership. They’ve ridden to Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, the Jersey Shore, the New England states, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the Bluegrass Mountains, Mt. Rushmore, Custer National Park, and many other destinations. Chipper, who has been retired for nine years, was one of the original club’s four police officers, but he says the members come from all walks of life and all around northern New Jersey and New York City. Most of the guys dress the way you would expect them to. They wear jeans, durable boots to protect themselves from the bike’s hot pipes, and leather vests which bear the club’s patch that reads “Two Wheeled Men.” They really are a brotherhood and often refer to themselves as brothers. A major mission of the club is to do charitable work and serve the community. Among the charities it donates to are the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the American Cancer Society. Fundraisers benefit kids in hospitals and women in battered-women shelters. The club participates in the 9/11 Torches Across America memorial ride and the
PHOTO BY ADAM RODRIGUEZ
Shriners Hospital for Children Charity Run in Springfield, Mass. It also sponsors Toys for Tots drives, the Hoboken Soccer team, and the Jersey City Little League team. Even
PHOTO BY ROBERT FOSTER, HOBOKEN HISTORICAL MUSEUM
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local bars, restaurants and other motorcycle clubs have not escaped the long charitable arm of the HMC.
Home is Where the Harleys Are Looking at the Hoboken Avenue club from the outside, you would never guess what is housed there. It’s a gray building that could be a small warehouse or storage facility. The day I visit, there’s a beautiful, black, shiny, new Harley in the driveway, and Chipper is sitting outside with current president Kenny. They apologize that founding member Tobar can’t be there because he is babysitting his grandkids. Kenny says that a fully accessorized Harley can cost as much as $33,000. He personally requires “heated grips.” My amazement that bikers can ride in the middle of winter gets them reminiscing about one winter ride that took them by Giants Stadium. Chipper thought it was about 28 degrees; he was doing fine until he saw a thermometer over the stadium
that registered 9 degrees, and he shivered all the way home. He says they “ride into and out of the season to acclimate to the cold.” And the danger of the high speeds? “If you’re nervous you shouldn’t be riding,” Chipper warns. (Point taken.) The brothers live for the bikes and for each other, regularly visiting club retirees who have moved to Florida, some riding all the way down, others trailering their bikes. The club is a spacious, dark, but welcoming kind of man cave, with huge orange flames painted on some of the walls, a pool table, comfy couches, and a vintage Evel Knievel pinball machine. There’s a large bar with TVs overhead. On other walls are notices of events, pictures, and paintings of various shirts with slogans such as “Heaven, Hell or Hoboken.” That phrase is attributed to World War I General John J. Pershing, who promised his soldiers that they’d be in Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken by Christmas of 1917. (See story page 42) The guys are also big on barbecues, parties, and holiday dinners at
Peter “chipper” falco
PHOTO BY ROBERT FOSTER, HOBOKEN HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Thanksgiving, Christmas New Year’s, and Easter. Members and their families bring food, but there is also a kitchen for any guy who has a knack for cooking. At the October party, the club will raffle a 2014 Road King. Upstairs is the members-only area, where the men relax, watch TV, eat, drink—and even shower and sleep in a room with bunk beds. From the second-floor deck, you get a good sense of the locale. You can see Cast Iron Lofts off in the distance, the light rail curving toward Hoboken and train tracks that lead into a tunnel. Hang out with the HMC for a while and you get the sense that it would be fun to join such a club, where everything is about bikes, brotherhood—and giving back. —07030
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D AT E S Want your event listed? Please email us at jcmag@hudson reporter.com and put “calendar listings” in the subject line.
ONGOING Hoboken Gallery Walk, various locations, hobokengallerywalk.com. 2-6 p.m. Third Sunday of every month. Galleries and art spaces around Hoboken participate with special events and receptions highlighting the work of local, regional, and international artists. Downtown Farmers Market, Washington Street between Newark Street and Observer Highway, 3-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Oct. 26. Uptown Farmers Market, Hudson Street between 13th and 14th Streets. 3-7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 24. Garden Street Mews Farmer’s Market, 14th and Garden Streets. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 23. Thursday Guitar Circle, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., (201) 963-0909, symposia.us. 8 p.m. Beginners welcome. Level 1 Yoga classes, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., (201) 963-0909, symposia.us. 8 p.m. Refreshments served after class. $8. see page 72
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How two Hoboken brownstone owners remodeled their homes to accommodate growing families How we
BY KATE ROUNDS PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
BLOOMFIELD STREET
E
lizabeth and Dean Gels had been living in California for 10 years when Dean’s job situation necessitated a move to the East Coast. A former banker, he and Elizabeth now work full time on their business, Hudson Alpaca (hudsonalpaca.dom), a clothing line made from Alpaca fiber. Using sustainable practices and ethical principles, they manufacture the products in Peru. Elizabeth was pregnant at the time they
were looking or a place in Hoboken, so it was Dean who worked with Coldwell Banker’s Jill Biggs of The Jill Biggs Group to find a home. The town had everything they were looking for. “Hoboken people are very friendly; they say ‘Hi’ in the street,” Elizabeth says. “It’s nice, you can walk everywhere, and everything’s close. You can leave the house, and restaurants, stores, everything is close by.” They love to go to Napoli’s because it’s kid-friendly. “It’s right around the corner, and the kids love the pizza,” Elizabeth says. “We love Hoboken, and we don’t want to move again.” The couple told Jill that they wanted a house with a backyard—their kids are ages 3 and 4. “We enjoy urban living, but we still wanted a house,” Elizabeth says. “Jill was helpful. She showed us a bunch of houses. We liked the house we ended up buying. It had a lot of potential.” What she means by potential is that they wanted to modernize part of it, while maintaining the integrity of a classic 1892 brownstone. That meant retaining the medallions in the 14-foot ceilings,
ELIZABETH AND DEAN GELS according to Dean. The building has three floors with a kitchen, four baths, two living rooms, dining room, and three bedrooms. “The house was in pretty good condition,” Elizabeth says. “We made the firstfloor kitchen all modern and kept the original details on the other two floors.” It has four fireplaces, two of which work electrically. The family moved to a Shipyard apartment for six months while the house was being remodeled. “It was worth it,” Elizabeth says. “We like the fact that we have a nice backyard
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HOW WE LIVE 07030
with green trees all around. From the kitchen, you can see the backyard. Our neighbors have kids. Our backyard goes to theirs. The kids are not watching TV. They’re actually playing with other kids, and I’m happy about that.” When you see the place in person, a lot of Elizabeth’s description sounds like understatement. Let’s start with that “modern” kitchen. It’s actually huge and quite spectacular. You can tell they’d been living in California. Brownstones can often be dark, but this kitchen is light
in color and lets in tons of natural light through the back sliding doors and through two sizeable skylights. And yes, it does lead to the backyard. I visited in mid-summer. It has a supersize barbecue grill and a very neat kids’ playground. A big shade tree forms the centerpiece surrounded by “grass,” which turned out to be very real-looking Astroturf. The yard is surrounded by a high wooden fence. A large dining room awaits the time when their kids are more “civilized” diners. Dean points out that the banisters
and newel post leading to the second and third floors are all original wood. On the second floor is a parlor with a bar and a guest room. On the third floor each kid has a bedroom, and the three-year-old girl’s “princess” bedroom has its own bath. Elizabeth and Dean’s bedroom is also on the third floor, with an attached bath. The one thing left to do is renovate the basement. “It’s going to be a playroom,” Liz says. “Or a man cave,” Dean says.
How we
PARK AVENUE Martin and Lauren Bristow were perfectly happy at their Washington Street apartment until they decided they wanted more room, including outdoor space. In 2003 they found a brownstone on Park that they fell in love with. The structure was perfect. “We loved the bones of it, and it had a lot of potential for expanding at some point down the road,” Lauren says. “We loved being uptown where it’s more residential.” Again the two of them were happy living there the way it was— until their first daughter was born. They have two daughters, ages 9 and 2. They modernized and updated the house, doing a very extensive gut renovation, expanding on all four floors, including a finished basement. Between 2007 and 2008 they moved to Jersey City Heights while the reno-
MARTIN AND LAUREN BRISTOW AND THEIR KIDS.
vations were being done. Like most folks who buy brownstones, the Bristows love the traditional Victorian details. Their house was built in 1901 and has the classic molding and stained glass. “We appreciate something that has some history,” Lauren says. “A modern place is not our style.” Most people are familiar with the
brownstone style—vertical rather than horizontal, usually on about four floors with small rooms that are sometimes dark. “It was great for a couple living there,” Lauren says. “But we were thinking of having more than one child and needed additional, bigger rooms for them.” The house has an eat-in kitchen and
a dining room on the first floor, with a very open floor plan. There’s a garden in the back. The second floor has two bedrooms and two walk-in closets and a bathroom. The third floor has two bedrooms, a library, and a full bath. In the basement is a room that could be used for an office or bedroom; a playroom; utility room; and full bath. Martin, who works in IT, is a native of England and had been living in the boonies in New Jersey. He couldn’t wait to get to an urban environment. Lauren, who works in marketing and advertising, is from upstate New York. She agreed. “He definitely wanted to be near the excitement of the city,” Lauren says. “At the time we had a lot of other friends who had settled in the area.
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They were drawn to Hoboken for that reason; they didn’t love the suburbs.” Like a lot of people, Lauren had college friends who had moved to Hoboken. “I came to be with friends and capitalize on what Hoboken had to offer,” she says. Both Martin and Lauren work in the city, so Hoboken is conveniently located for their commute. “We love everything,” Lauren says. “The development on the waterfront is incredible for everybody. We ride bikes in the parks around the waterfront. The bars and restaurants are great. “For the last couple of years,” she says, “we’ve been taking it all in, enjoying the neighborhood. It’s very much of a community. We feel like we have neighbors who are good friends.”— 07030
Custom Framing Since 1983 DOWNTOWN HOBOKEN
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1108 WASHINGTON ST., 201.942.9220 www.rightanglehoboken.com
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HELPING
If You are Hungry or Homeless… The Hoboken Shelter offers food, a roof over your head—and much more
BY KATE ROUNDS PHOTOS BY GILBERT AGUON
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or more than 30 years, the Hoboken Shelter has been caring for community members who have fallen on hard times. Jaclyn Cherubini has been executive director for 10 years. Homelessness, she says, is “definitely epidemic in the country and in our community, and hunger has tripled in the decade I’ve been here. The economic downturn trickled down to us. We had to make sure our volunteers were fed as well. Guests already devastated were living in crisis during the economic downturn.” The shelter serves 450 meals a day and houses 50 people at night, 35 men and 15 women. In 2013, the shelter served 165,908 meals, up from 54,593 in 2005. Throughout the year, some 6,000 volunteers lend a helping hand. JACLYN CHERUBINI
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The mission of the shelter is to go beyond supplying necessities and to help guests acquire the skills that will lead to independence, such as vocational workshops. Cherubini says, “We help people heal from the demoralizing effect of homelessness, develop their voices, discover talents, and move forward professionally.”
Cold Streets, Hot Meal Last winter’s polar vortex was life-threatening for anyone facing a night on the streets. The Hoboken Shelter is in communication with two other shelters in the county to make sure that would never happen. Guests stay at the shelter an average of three-and-a-half to five-and-a-half months. The goal of the staff is to “help a person from the street to the shelter to a home,” Cherubini says. “It starts with a warm meal in the soup kitchen.”
Life at the Shelter
ANA PRADO Gandhi said, “I can’t talk religion to a man with bodily hunger in his eyes.” Paraphrasing Gandhi, Cherubini says, “You can’t talk about homelessness on an empty stomach.” The shelter practices a “multipronged approach.” Its four programs include Food and Shelter, Change and Independence, Homelessness Prevention, and Permanent Supportive Housing. Under the food and shelter program, shelter guests receive emergency clothing as well as counseling in drug and alcohol use, budgeting, and managing medication. Under the change and independence program, guests receive job readiness and life skills and creative workshops, which help them learn how to articulate personal goals and build self esteem. Vocational specialists meet individually with guests to develop resumes, work on job searching, and navigate the internet. These days, you can only apply for jobs online, so they need to know how to use search engines, email, and attach resumes. The homelessness prevention program provides security deposits to guests, rental or utility assistance to people facing eviction, counseling for tenants’ rights, and referrals to appropriate agencies. In 2013, 83 families received assistance that would allow them to stay in their homes. Under the permanent supportive housing program, guests get help in finding and applying for apartments. Through partnerships with affordable housing programs and government vouchers for rent subsidies, shelter guests are provided with apartments and guidance on how to maintain them.
The Hoboken Shelter is housed in the oldest church building in Hoboken at 300 Bloomfield St., where St. John the Baptist Lutheran Church is celebrating its 125th anniversary as a congregation. On a warm summer afternoon, guests mingle on the sidewalk outside the shelter. Inside, the walls are cluttered with notices about meals, schedules, and workshops. A fullservice kitchen was completely remodeled with the help of donations and of Jason Cameron of Man Cave fame. In the main room, guests gather for their meals, meetings, and to watch TV. On the wall is a mural that reads “The World’s Table.” Though the shelter offers life-saving and life-altering services, there is a friendly club-like feeling to the downstairs gathering space. Upstairs, you can clearly see that you are in a church. The beautifully restored space has polished wood floors, an artfully designed ceiling, and religious icons. The women sleep up here. It is also used as a dance space, and there’s a small room for computer workshops. Other religious organizations involved in the Communities of Faith for Housing program include All Saints Episcopal Parish, St. Matthew Trinity Lutheran, United Synagogue, Saints Peter and Paul, Our Lady of Grace, St. Ann’s, St. Francis, and Redeemer Presbyterian. Cherubini, who majored in women’s studies as an undergrad and has a Master’s in Public Administration, is the daughter of a firefighter and a hospital worker. She became civic-minded at an early age. “At a very specific moment, I had a life-changing experience,” Cherubini recalls. “When I was 12, my parents organized a food drive for Thanksgiving. We delivered a bountiful meal to a family. My dad was carrying a box of canned goods, and a can of cranberry sauce fell out of the box. I didn’t really like cranberry sauce. I handed it to a sixyear-old girl, who tugged on my shirt and said thank you. I can still picture the sparkle in her hazel eyes. Oh my god, my life changed at that moment. My eyes were opened to the whole world.”—07030
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BUSINESSES MAKE HOBOKEN WORK
BY KATE ROUNDS PHOTOS BY ALYSSA BREDIN
MAID IN HOBOKEN 727 Monroe St. (201) 659-9500 maidinhoboken.com
If
you’re looking for a 21st century cleaning service, this may be it. The company is less than two years old and is already serving more than a thousand clients throughout Hudson County. Owner Paul Fried, who already owns a real estate development business, refers to himself as a “serial entrepreneur.” So, why a cleaning service? “I had a very difficult time finding a quality cleaning company,” he relates. “I’d been through every service in the county and realized there was a void in the marketplace.” The cleaning staff has grown from two employees over a year ago to 24. The company has three vans and one 14passenger bus, each bearing the name of the company. “We have drivers who drop off cleaners and pick them up,” Fried says. “We furnish all the supplies and all the necessary equipment to clean homes. All the cleaning products and solutions are at least 75 percent eco-friendly and certified green.” A point of pride for Fried is that all his workers are bonded, documented, and covered by workers’ comp. “This is very important for building managers and condo associations,” he says. “If a cleaner gets hurt in a fifth-floor walkup and falls down and is not covered by workers’ comp, the condo association and unit owners are on the hook. It gives a level of security and comfort to a building.”
MANAGER WANDA MATEO AND OWNER PAUL FRIED
Fried says, “We demonstrate a level of professionalism uncommon in the industry. We send out an email reminder prior to every cleaning. I work off a detailed software program specific to the cleaning business.” It’s also unusual for a cleaning service to have a “storefront presence.” Fried says, “That gives us a level of credibility. We congregate in the morning, go over schedules, have a pep talk with the staff. They go out and do their thing and come back for lunch. They can drop off keys and pick up keys.” It’s also unusual for a cleaning service to hire a consultant. “I love the business side of it,” Fried says. “We hired a consultant who flew in from Florida and spent three days refining our systems. We created a policy manual and employee handbook.”
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The company is expanding up River Road and across the river and starting a handyman business. They were getting a lot of calls from clients who wanted a door or a hole in the wall fixed. “We realized there was a niche market for this,” Fried says. “There are not a lot of people who do small jobs, and the model is very similar to the cleaning business.” Fried has one caveat about the cleaning service. “It’s not the right fit for every client,” he says. “Certain clients need the attention of a single cleaner. We have so many clients we can’t personalize for each client, but it works for 99 percent of people.” Says Fried, “We’re constantly looking at the model and tweaking it to better train staff and serve customers.”
HOW WE WORK 07030
ELIZABETH ANN TOKOLY
EAT METAL, INC. 720 Monroe St. | E511 (201) 926-9620 eatmetal@mac.com eatmetal.org
T
he name sounds a little scary until you realize it is the initials of the artist: Elizabeth Ann Tokoly, who holds a Master of Fine Arts in metalsmithing. Who knew? She says it was her teachers in high school who steered her toward this specialty. “They saw the way I worked and how I enjoyed doing 3D and directed me to apply for this. I’m lucky that it was something I fell in love with.” But before falling in love with metal, she got a solid foundation in the all the arts, including drawing, collage, painting, and color, many of which are reflected in her designs. For 13 years, she worked out of a studio in her Jersey City digs. But for the last three, she’s been in the Monroe Center. She makes necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings in sterling silver and 18 karat gold with colored gemstones and diamonds in various shapes. Those are the facts, but they hardly do justice to her unique designs and the thought that goes into them. Browse her website, and you’ll find jewelry, which incorporates geometric spheres and circles, and items that echo chainmail. You’ll find engagement rings, wedding bands, and other custom-made rings.
“I have one-of-a-kind pieces, and I do a lot of custom work,” she says. “A client might want to repurpose an old piece of jewelry from her grandmother and make it more current.” She sells her work online, and she also has a showroom in her gallery in the Monroe Center. Her pieces range in price between $150 and $5,000. “What I’m doing here is trying to create a space for people to view the work, and it’s also a learning space. I teach classes and have one-day workshops for six to eight people. It’s a small, wonderful, intimate, dynamic learning experience with all kinds of tools that are interesting to look at and learn about.” The eight-week classes accommodate beginners and advanced students. “Each student will construct a finished piece of jewelry,” she says. “My goal is to enlighten my students on the importance of design, material, technique, and craftsmanship.” What sparks her imagination? “I’m very much inspired by nature and geometry,” she says. “I really like to view the different geometric patterns. I take time to look at things that happen in nature. My style is contemporary and uses traditional techniques. It exhibits simple lines, primary forms, shapes, or structures. That’s what the work is about.” But it’s more than that. “I believe you need to live in a visually stimulating environment to be successful,” she says. “Art is a significant factor toward a happier and successful life.”
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HOW WE WORK 07030
MISSION 50 50 Harrison St. (201) 706-7210 mission50.com
R
eal estate developer Greg Dell’Aquila had a building with a problem: too much space. It was a business center, but no one wanted to rent large spaces. When he cut services and size, the building started to fill up with one-person operations. That was in 2003. By 2006, the building was 100 percent occupied. But soon Dell’Aquila got a call from a prospective client that changed his thinking. The guy didn’t want to work alone in a 10-by-10-foot room. “In 2008, co-working came out of the woodwork,” Dell’Aquila says. “It still wasn’t mainstream, but mobile technology was growing by leaps and bounds.” Three years later, he opened Mission 50, capitalizing on the shared-office concept with lots of open space, little management, and few services. Layouts include shared open spaces with library-style tables, café-style tables, laptop tables, and lockable offices. Fees range between $25 a day and $1,200 a month. One member of Mission 50 left a corporate job to become a partner in a small business. He started out with a $25-a-day membership. “It was an alternative to home or Starbucks,” says Dell’Aquila, “and now he has an unlimited membership at about $350 a month. He can come any day he wants. He just got to the point where he saw the productivity.” Some co-working operations have events people promoting collaboration, according to Dell’Aquila. “But we don’t promote collaboration,” he says. “It just happens when human beings are together. Some people come who would otherwise work at home and want the sense that there are people around them; they’re not isolated.”
GREG DELL’AQUILA
“Others,” he says, “engage much, much more. They’re finding people— an attorney asking for business advice, someone looking for a graphic designer.” Mission 50 attracts a broad range of working people, including a mom writing a novel, an attorney who wanted a Hudson County presence, and small, growing companies that don’t know how much space they will need. Dell’Aquila says that the shared-space concept could not have worked in the 1990s because people working in home offices were “connected to the wall. They didn’t have the technology for completely wireless, cloud computing solutions.”
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The name Mission 50 has at least three origins: The word “mission” derives from the mission statements of businesses. The building is at 50 Harrison St., and “50 is an important number for the United States,” Dell’Aquila says—“Harrison, Clinton, Washington, Adams, Jackson, Monroe—the presidents are synonymous with the United States.” Dell’Aquila is happy with his own mission. “I just found a very good purpose in life,” he says, “helping small-business owners grow within themselves.”—07030
POINT&
SHOOT
PHOTO BY AL SULLIVAN Views from Pier C (top) and the 14th Street ferry terminal.
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Sullivan’s Bar & Grill PHOTOS BY ALYSSA BREDIN
M
FRAN, ONE OF SULLY’S BARTENDERS.
Sully s corner ’ 66 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15
uch has been written about Sullivan’s, but whatever’s been said bears repeating because some folks might be new in town and others may have taken leave of their senses— specifically the sense of taste and the sense of bellying up to the corner bar. George Palermo opened Sullivan’s in the early ’70s and his son, George, took it over at the age of 18. The younger George says that things are tougher these days with corporate bar owners spending a lot of money. “We’ll stay a family bar,” he says. “That’s all we’ll ever be. Cheap beer and burgers and talk. We don’t aspire to more than that.” Well, that turns out to be quite a bit. Jonathan Escobar, a Sullivan’s regular, was enjoying a Yuengling on tap in the late afternoon on a sunny Wednesday. Like many Jersey City Heights residents, he spends a lot of time in Hoboken, and has been coming to Sullivan’s for two years. He’s impressed that George sat next to him one time and bought him a drink; Escobar had no idea that the freebie came from the owner. Escobar confirms that the draft is fresh and cold, but it’s not the brew that he wants to talk about; it’s the food. Acknowledging that he is a foodie, he pronounces it “awesome,” singling out the Shrimp Palermo (sautéed shrimp with shallots, garlic, tomatoes, scallions, lemon-butter, and white wine sauce served with garlic sauce) and the Allison Pasta (a heaping portion of penne pasta in alfredo sauce with sliced grilled chicken, ham, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh basil and garlic, topped with melted provolone and parmesan cheese). He waxes worshipful about the hamburger buns, which aren’t your classic supermarket fare but really classy rolls. Sullivan’s has a substantial menu, featuring appetizers, eggs, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads, and entrees.
WATERING HOLE 07030
There was a time when he wanted to be in L.A., and though he’s still in Hoboken, he’s itching to get back into acting, and when we talked in the summer, he had contacted his agent to see what might be available. He’d been working with in the bar since age 18. “I just had to do something to get out of the bar once in a while,” he recalls. “You can’t stay all the time.” He thought he might be good at acting and landed a part in a small play. An agent saw him and sent him on an audition even though he didn’t even have a resume or head shots. Soon he had a threeyear contract for a soap opera. The bar business and the acting business do have synergy. “The bar helped me in my acting,” George says. He’s run into lots of characters in the bar. “I play off those characters and use them. I remember something someone did and incorporate it into a scene I’m doing.” I’m sure Sullivan’s is full of characters, but it’s also full of regular neighborhood folks, looking for a cold brew, surprisingly fine food, and the Palermo family’s good cheer. That guy who bought you a drink? There’s a good chance it was George, the actor.—Kate Rounds Sullivan’s Bar & Grill 600 Washington St. (201) 420-9849 PATRONS ENJOYING A COLD ONE. But wait a second, aren’t we talking about a bar here? “We still have the reputation of being a big college bar like in the old days,” George says. “A lot of people are under the impression that we are just a bar. They should give the food a shot. We get great reviews. People say brunch is one of the best in town. … It’s all word of mouth.” The food is homemade by cooks who are also members of the same family—father, son, and stepbrother. And George has a cousin, a niece, and the niece’s boyfriend working for him. The younger George started out in the bar business and is still in it, but he has another high-profile career. He’s an actor who has appeared in films and on television in Loving, The City, Law and Order, NYPD Blue, The Beer League (appropriately) and in many other roles. 07030 HOBOKEN ~ FALL & WINTER 2014/15 •
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PRECIOUS BY ALYSSA BREDIN IMAGES BY TBISHPHOTO
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hen you’re looking for fine Chinese cuisine, try Precious. This establishment lives up to its name; it is a precious gem in the middle of downtown Hoboken. The interior is ornate, yet modern. Red and gold dominate the decor, with delicate Asian characters etched into the varnished tables and carved into the wall panels. The ambiance and intimate setting make it perfect for date night, yet still appropriate for a family dinner or business lunch. The menu’s Chinese offerings include a wide variety of appetizers, soups, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, noodles, noodle soups, moo shu, and egg foo young dishes, as well as classic Chinese-American favorites like General Tso’s Chicken and wonton soup. To my delight, on the Japanese side are a range of sushi and sashimi creations, as well as soups, salads, appetizers, and desserts. Both cuisines offer lunch specials. For the health-conscious, Precious offers an oil-free cooking menu called “revolution diet,” as well as a large vegetarian selection. The manager, Tracy, suggested we order some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes. We started with the Crazy Tuna Roll, spicy tuna delicately wrapped in black pepper ahi tuna. It’s clear that artistry is important here, because the plate was topped with a small
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pumpkin carved from a carrot. The roll is served with ponzu sauce. Ponzu is that citrus-based sauce that you’ve probably had in Japanese restaurants. It’s tart with a thin consistency and dark color. I’m not sure if this “Chef’s Special Roll” was crazy, but it was definitely delicious and a good price at $12.50. We followed the appetizer with two of the eatery’s bestselling entrees, chosen from the “Chef’s Specialties.” I ordered the classic Sesame Chicken, a lightly battered chicken smothered in a tangy sauce and coated with sesame seeds. Terri ordered the Black Pearl
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Shrimp, made with jumbo shrimp lightly fried in a soy sauce batter and served on a bed of peppers, snow peas, and baby corn. It gets its name from the dark color of the sauce. The description, “lightly-fried,” is important. It was not at all heavy or oily. The shrimps were truly jumbo, and the vegetables fresh and not overcooked. “Crisp” is the operative word for the Crispy Sesame Chicken. The consistency was the result of subtle cooking; the popular Asian sesame seed gave a zesty flavor to the chicken. Both entrees were a very reasonable $15. The portions were generous; we had more than enough to eat. For drinks, we sampled some of the specialty beverages: the pungent Thai iced tea and the refreshing honeydew bubble tea. If you’ve never had bubble tea, I’d definitely recommend it. The “bubbles” are small tapioca balls, served with a large enough straw to slurp them down. Talk about having fun with food! Precious is BYOB. The staff is happy to chill your beer or wine or pour whatever alcoholic beverage you bring. This popular Washington Street establishment prides itself on being “friendly, graceful, comfortable, and fresh.” All those attributes were on display on this Tuesday evening in mid-summer. The wait staff was friendly and made us feel comfortable, and the chefs used the freshest ingredients in a really tasty array of dishes. Be warned. The menu is huge, which is why we really appreciated Tracy’s suggestions. The next time you’re in the mood for Chinese food or sushi, don’t just order in. Come to Precious, where old classics and new creations await.—07030 Precious 128 Washington St. (201) 798-8837/8086 precious128.com
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DISH 07030 BAJA
104 14th Street (201) 653-0610 bajamexicancuisine.com Baja offers a new experience in char-broiled Tex-Mex specialties. With mojitos and margaritas in abundance and Happy Hour every day, it’s a fun place with a happening bar.
BIGGIE’S
42 Newark St (201) 710-5520 BiggiesClamBar.Com At the former site of the legendary Clam Broth House, just seconds away from the PATH train, Biggie’s brings its own history and tradition to its downtown locale. It has the same menu that has been enjoyed in our Carlstadt location, with 22 beers on tap and 20 televisions. Biggie’s is ready to serve a new set of Hobokenites with a fun, casual, and quality dining experience.
EDWARD’S STEAK HOUSE
239 Marin Blvd. Jersey City (201) 761-0000 www.edwardssteakhouse.com Edward’s Steak House offers steak, seafood, and other sumptuous fare with an elegant bistro flare. Tucked into a historic townhouse in downtown Jersey City, Edward’s is comfortably upscale. The menu includes all the classic steaks and chops—aged prime sirloin, porterhouse, filet mignon, and more. You’ll enjoy the atmosphere whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or stopping by for a steak sandwich at the bar.
THE HEALTH GRILL
150- 14th Street (201) 683-8554 The Health Grill brings healthy food, reasonable prices and superior service together to provide the total solution for the health-conscious consumer without sacrificing great taste and freshness. The food is selected and prepared to include a balance of vitamins, minerals, fiber, fats, and carbohydrates. A variety of drinks, protein shakes, and juice blends are offered.
KOMEGASHI
103 Montgomery Street Jersey City (201) 433-4567 www.komegashi.com Located in Jersey City’s financial district, Komegashi offers fresh, well-presented sushi along with traditional Japanese favorites and an extensive selection of
fresh shellfish. Locals and visitors from around the world find this a perfect spot to dine in casual elegance. Open seven days.
KOMEGASHI TOO
99 Pavonia Ave. Newport Financial Center Jersey City (201) 533-8888 www.komegashi.com Komegashi too offers an authentic Japanese dining experience with a spectacular view of the New York Skyline. The menu includes perfectly prepared sushi and sashimi, kaiseki, teriyaki, and tempura. Located on the river at Newport Financial Center, Komegashi too is open seven days.
LEO’S GRANDEVOUS
200 Grand St. (201) 659-9467 leosgrandevous.com Since 1939, this Hoboken landmark has been tantalizing guests with old school Italian standards and contemporary specials. A variety of pasta, fresh fish, veal, and chicken dishes keeps the emphasis on great taste and homey charm. You haven’t been to Hoboken until you have eaten at Leo’s!!
LOUISE & JERRY’S
329 Washington St. (201) 656-9698 Since 1958, Louise and Jerry’s has been a favorite family-run neighborhood bar. It prides itself on great bartenders, great beer, a busy pool table, and an amazing jukebox. If you’re looking for the perfect watering hole to share a drink with old friends or meet new ones, this Hoboken institution is the place for you.
SATIS BISTRO
212 Washington Street (201) 435.5151 satisbistro.com Tucked away in the Paulus Hook neighborhood, Satis is Jersey’s City’s best-kept dining secret. Satis is a foodie haven with a fantastic wine bar that serves dinner daily and brunch on weekends. The cuisine is modern European with an emphasis on French, Italian, and Spanish specialties. Menu changes are made seasonally, and specials are run weekly. Reservations are recommended.
SHANGHAI BEST
97 Montgomery St. (201) 333-6661 shanghaibestjc.com This brand-new Chinese restaurant opened right next to the new spa, Himalaya Herbal Spa. It offers a full menu of Chinese specialties—crispy noodles, fried rice cakes, dim sum, cold and hot appetizers, noodle soups, flat-rice noodles, and fried rice, as well as vegetarian dishes, lunch specials, chef specials, beverages, and Chinese desserts. Shanghai Best offers catering and free delivery and is available for parties. This is owner Alan Lau’s fifth restaurant in Jersey City. He also owns the adjacent Himalaya Herbal Spa.
SMOKIN BARREL
MATT & MEERA
618 Washington St. (201) 683-9431 mattandmeera.com East meets Hoboken at Matt & Meera, where you’ll find popular cuisine with an Indian flair. BYOBs are welcome. At Matt & Meera, you can grab a quick lunch in the middle of a busy day, get together with friends and unwind over a selection of our small plates, or reconnect with family while enjoying a meal from our Tandoori grill. On the weekend enjoy a leisurely brunch.
THE RESTAURANTS AT NEWPORT
Coast—The Restaurants at Newport. Located among the luxury apartments and office towers in the Newport section, The Restaurants at Newport include 12 fine establishments: Komegashi too, Dorrian’s, Raaz, Cosi, Confucius, Bertucci’s, Babo, Fire and Oak, Boca Grande Cantina, Michael Anthony’s, Skylark on the Hudson, and Loradella’s.
J.C. Waterfront District newportnj.com Overlooking the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline is the most diverse dining destination on the New Jersey Gold
1313 Willow Ave. (201) 714-4222 Smokin Barrel® is our brand new barbecue sports bar. The BBQ bar is the perfect choice for patrons seeking old-fashioned Southern comfort food paired with mouthwatering beer and liquor. If you’re in need of some down-home comfort, you can come satisfy your craving at Smokin Barrel®.
SULLIVAN’S
600 Washington Street (201) 420-9849 Sullivan’s Bar & Grill has a neighborhoodbar vibe and excellent food. These qualities have made it a Hoboken staple. Stop by and enjoy a pint.
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DATES 07030 from page 53
NOVEMBER 6 Uptown Story Time at the Museum, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org. 10 a.m. Librarian Penny Metsch shares stories with children ages 2-5 and their caregivers. Free.
9 Upper Gallery Opening: Paintings by Lou Carbone, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org. 2-5 p.m. Opening reception for Upper Gallery art exhibit, “Paintings by Lou Carbone,” whose art merges fact and fantasy, opening a window to animated yet mysterious places.
9-10 Artist Studio Tour, various locations, (201) 420-2207, hobokennj.org.
10 Fall Conversation Series with Nancy Colasurdo, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., (201) 963-0909, symposia.us. “What would unfettered life be like?” Open discussion facilitated by writer/life coach Nancy Colasurdo. Free.
13 Senior Day at the Library, Hoboken Library, 500 Park Ave., (201) 420-2348, hoboken.bccls.org. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Event includes free lunch, a musical performance, giveaways, and more.
16 The Immigrant Experience Talk, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org. 4 p.m. Jeff Dosik, Librarian Technician for the National Park Service at the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, will deliver a talk on the subject of Ellis Island. Free.
see page 74
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DATES 07030 from page 72
Third Sunday Gallery Walk: Visit Local Galleries, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org. 2-5 p.m. Stop by the Museum and 10 other galleries on Hoboken’s monthly Third Sunday Gallery Walk.
20 Uptown Story Time at the Museum, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org.10 a.m. Librarian Penny Metsch shares stories with children ages 2-5 and their caregivers. Free
DECEMBER MONTHLY EVENTS
SEASONAL MENUS
Wine & Spirits Tastings Wine Dinners Mixology Classes Special Menus
PRIVATE PARTIES 212 Washington Street Downtown Jersey City 201-435-5151 www.satisbistro.com
Holiday Banding Concert, Date and Location TBA, (201) 420-2207, hobokennj.org. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m.
3 Holiday Tree Lighting, City Hall, 94 Washington St., (201) 420-2207, hobokennj.org.
7 The Gingerbread Boy, Hoboken Library, 500 Park Ave., (201) 420-2348, hoboken.bccls.org. 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. A wonderful retelling of the old folk tale presented by Jean Rosolino.
7-8 City Hall Holiday Craft Fair, City Hall, 94 Washington St., (201) 420-2207, hobokennj.org.
MARCH Hoboken Grace Easter Egg Hunt, details TBA, hobokengrace.com.
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