Down Memory Lane FALL | WINTER 2016|17
Playing Defense Rookie Boxer Dough Boys Yacht Race
for success
growing deeper roots in Look for our expansion coming late 2016!
jc
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CONTENTS JCM
FEATURES COVER 14 BODY PRIDE Lillian Bustle’s Burlesque Cover Photo by Maxim Ryazansky
18 ON TAP Beer Nut
34 DOUGH BOYS Pizza Tossers
40 56 HOW WE LIVE Cast Iron Lofts 2
58 HANGING OUT WITH Dr. Marcia Lyles
62 ARTS AND FITNESS Jazz ensemble | Boot Camp
66 SENIOR MOMENTS Rookie Boxer
68 ON THE WATERFRONT American Yacht Race
70 ARCHIVES AND ARTIFACTS Holy Name Cemetery
72 EATERY Carvao BBQ
76 POINT AND SHOOT
58
Graffiti Artist
77 DINING OUT Listings
DEPARTMENTS 10 CONTRIBUTORS 11 EDITOR’S LETTER 26 EDUCATION Dr. Lena Edwards Charter School
30 EMERGING Berry Lane Park
40 PEOPLE POWER Brian J. Neary
48 HOW WE WORK Small Businesses
52 ON THE JOB Former Rockettes
62
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NEW JERSEY
NE W YORK CIT Y
HA MPTONS
CONNECTICUT
H U D S O N VA L L E Y
RENDERING
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LUXURY LIVING AT MAXWELL PLACE Hoboken, New Jersey 2 BR + Den, 2 BATH | $1.299M | Web#15408068 Matt Brown & Peter Cossio 201.478.6709/6710
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UPTOWN HUDSON STREET Hoboken, New Jersey 2 BR, 1 BATH | $569K | Web#15282774 Sharon Shahinian 201.478.6730
halstead.com 635 VALLEY ROAD, UPPER MONTCLAIR NJ 973.744.6033 200 WASHINGTON STREET, HOBOKEN, NJ 201.478.6700 Halstead Property New Jersey, LLC All information is from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, prior sale or withdrawal without notice. No representation is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate and all information should be confirmed by customer. All rights to content, photographs and graphics reserved to Broker.
Old-fashioned Egyptian Style Food (with warm hospitality)
Jersey MAGAZINE
CITY
FA L L | W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 | 1 7 Vo l u m e 1 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 Alyssa Bredin Lisa M. Cuthbert Ines Rodriguez Pasquale Spina COPYEDITING Christopher Zinsli ADVERTISING MANAGER Tish Kraszyk ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Melissa Bridda Toni Anne Calderone Ron Kraszyk Jay Slansky John Ward CIRCULATION MANAGER Roberto Lopez CIRCULATION Luis Vasquez ACCOUNTING Sharon Metro, Veronica Aldaz
Jersey City Magazine is published two times a year by The Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P., 447 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002, (201) 798-7800, Fax (201) 798-0018. Email jcmag@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 JCMagazine Subscriptions, 447 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ 07002. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other unsolicited materials. Copyright ©2016/17, Hudson Reporter Associates L.P. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.
Jersey City Magazine is a publication of The Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P. 447 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002 phone 201.798.7800 • fax 201.798.0018 e-mail: jcmag@hudsonreporter.com jerseycitymagazine.com
6 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
INFANT3 s TODDLERS s PRESCHOOL s BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL s SUMMER CAMP
WE NURTURE CREATIVITY Expanding a student’s mind means learning, playing and exploring in unique ways. We teach children at their own pace using music and movement to help them take advantage of every opportunity to learn. This enables children to use their minds like finely tuned instruments. Kiddie Academy® Life Essentials® nurtures individual potential in unique, developmentally appropriate ways.
CURRICULUM
TECHNOLOGY
HEALTH & FITNESS
TO SCHEDULE A TOUR AND ENROLL:
Visit kiddieacademy.com/hamiltonpark Call 201-241-4443
CHARACTER EDUCATION
Kiddie Academy of Hamilton Park 255 Brunswick Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302
Refer a Friend ~ Reward Yourself
TERRI SAULINO BISH MAX DI BIAGGIO LAUREN BARBAGALLO
ALYSSA BREDIN
JIM HAGUE
VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
DELFIN GANAPIN
MAXIM RYAZANSKY
J
C
C O N T R I B U T O R S
M
LAUREN BARBAGALLO is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in New Jersey Monthly, Parents, Boston Magazine, AM New York, the Provincetown Banner and VegNews, among other publications and websites. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and their rescue dog, Patches, in Hamilton Park.
TERRI SAULINO BISH is an award-winning graphic designer, digital artist, and photographer, capturing many of the iconic images featured in print and online publications across Hudson County. You can view more of her work at tbishphoto.com.
ALYSSA BREDIN is an award-winning designer and photographer. Her work is featured in numerous publications, including Hoboken 07030 and Jersey City Magazine. You can see her full portfolio at tbishphoto.com.
TARA RYAZANSKY AL SULLIVAN
MAX DI BIAGGIO is a local artist and photographer specializing in fashion, beauty, and art. He also shoots lifestyle documentaries that capture what catches his eye in the Jersey City area. maxdibiaggio.com.
DELFIN GANAPIN is an editorial assistant at the Hudson Reporter. In his spare time, he is immersed in contemporary geek and pop culture and has contributed to a small geek culture blog called We Are Geeking Out.
JIM HAGUE 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.
VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ has studied publication design, photography, and graphic arts. “I’ve been fascinated by photography for almost 20 years,” he says. One of his jobs as a construction project manager is to photograph job sites.
10 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
MAXIM RYAZANSKY is a photographer whose work has been exhibited in galleries and published worldwide. A recent transplant to Bayonne, he spends his spare time trying to figure out the best pizza place in town.
TARA RYAZANSKY is a writer who recently moved from Brooklyn to Bayonne. She works as a blogger for Nameberry.com and spends her spare time fixing up her new (to her) 100-year-old home.
AL SULLIVAN has been a staff writer for the Hudson Reporter newspaper chain since 1992. He was named journalist of the year in 2001 by the New Jersey Press Association, and photographer of the year in 2005 by the Garden State Journalists Association. In 2001, Rutgers University Press published a collection of his work, Everyday People: Profiles from the Garden State.
PHOTO BY MARIE PAPP
EDITOR'S LETTER JCM
A Lot of “B” Words we move into fall, one of the most important “B” words is brew, as in beer. Think Oktoberfest. In this issue we raise a mug to Departed Soles Brewery, a new downtown establishment with some pretty distinct labels, including—get this— gluten-free beer. Who knew! Burlesque is a “B” word that seems to have fallen into the black hole of nostalgia. But, thanks to Lillian Bustle, burlesque is back onstage, with a new twist: fat-friendly and body-positive. Tara and Max spent an evening with Lillian at Miss Wong’s Lounge. The long-awaited Berry Lane Park had its grand opening this spring. Al Sullivan shot some great pictures and fills us in on this massive facility with cutting-edge baseball fields. With coal silos across the way, it’s in a neighborhood that could use a bit of a boost. How about a brother act? The Testa sibs have made it to the national stage as pizza-tossing champs. Let’s hear it for the dough boys!
As
see page 39
Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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FOR SUCCESS
“The performance left me feeling I could do anything.”
U N D R E S S Lillian Bustle’s feel-better burlesque BY TARA RYAZANSKY PHOTOS BY MAX RYAZANSKY t’s a busy night at Talde, the Asian fusion restaurant on Erie Street, but tell the hostess that you’re there to see Lillian Bustle, and you won’t have to wait for a table. Behind the bar is a nondescript door hidden in plain sight. It opens into a winding industrial staircase that leads to a little bar and performance area in the basement known as Miss Wong’s Lounge.
I
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The glow of candlelight reveals a space that looks like it could be from the Prohibition era. It’s a packed house. Everyone is there to see a striptease variety show called Speakeasy Burlesque. The performances are provocative but also artsy and at times funny. The performers are diverse in terms of gender, race, and body type. The event, which has been running monthly since May, is hosted by Jersey City resident Lillian Bustle.
“Speakeasy Burlesque is the first regular burlesque in Jersey City.” Bustle keeps the crowd entertained between acts while the stage is cleared of abandoned lingerie. She’s a natural comedienne with a great singing voice. She showed off both (and a bit more) singing “Crazy” by Patsy Cline as a sardonic statement about U.S. politics, while she shimmies out of a sparkly red Statue of Liberty gown to her star-spangled underwear.
BURLESQUE TO THE RESCUE Bustle’s body-pride is as obvious as her talent, and a big part of finding self-love was finding burlesque. She attended her first show for her own bachelorette party in 2007. “Cliché, I know,” Bustle says. “It was on the Lower East side of Manhattan, in a club that’s now been remodeled but at the time was gloriously seedy. The show had some tame stuff, but some of the acts were political, some were wild. The show made me consider my own boundaries, and I was blown away that performance art could be so thought-provoking.” Bustle already had stage experience. She has baccalaureate degrees in both psychology and theater. She once hoped to make it as a Broadway actor. “I quickly learned that Broadway, heck, even regional theater, is almost impossible to break into as a young fat woman,” Bustle says, but she realized that burlesque is different. “A couple of years later I took a one-day class with The New York School of Burlesque, and then a year later I took an act development series with Jo Weldon. I performed for the first time in 2012, at the Parkside Lounge.” Jo “Boobs” Weldon is a performer. The Parkside Lounge is an East Village mainstay. “The performance was about three minutes long, and it left me feeling like I could do anything,” Bustle says. Her burlesque mentor, The World Famous * BOB *, calls that kind of experience a “courage reference,” which Bustle describes as, “doing something brave and keeping that feeling in your pocket for times when you’re not feeling so brave anymore.”
THE ULTIMATE SELFIE Bustle, a self-described outspoken fat girl, is passionate about self-esteem. Body-shaming, she says, is culturally accepted prejudice; she hopes to inspire people to love and accept themselves. “There’s so much stigma and shame attached to fat bodies,” she says. “The American cultural narrative tells us that thin, white, able bodies are the most valuable, and that everyone else should spend their lives trying to achieve that body, no matter how unattainable that goal might be.” Fat “is painted as failure,” Bustle says. “Fat people are marginalized and harassed; they make less money than thinner counterparts, and experience a much higher rate of workplace discrimination. Society tells us it’s OK to be cruel to fat people because they deserve it, and if they really didn’t want to be tortured they’d stop being lazy and just get thin already,”
FAT AND FLOURISHING “For the folks who think I’m promoting an unhealthy lifestyle: poor self-image leads to health problems like depression, eating disorders, a weak immune system, and
suicide,” Bustle says. “Fat-shaming causes weight gain, not loss, and it keeps fat people from seeking medical attention, even preventative care. Everyone deserves respect, even if they live in a body that isn’t your personal favorite, and showing others compassion and respect makes us all better people.” She spoke about it two years ago at the TEDx Jersey City conference in a speech titled, “Stripping Away Negative Body Image.” TEDx puts together local, independently organized events that include TED Talks videos and live speakers with “ideas worth spreading.” TED speakers have included Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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“Jersey City. has a strong sense of community and compassion.”
“I wrote about a study that discusses visual diet, the idea that the images you consume can impact your preferences. I wrote about how science is proving that the more we’re exposed to different kinds of bodies, the more we prefer different kinds of bodies. I wrote about burlesque, and how that’s a great way to get exposure to body diversity, and the first time I read the thing out loud, it was almost 40 minutes long! Oh man. I must have written 20 different drafts, and was still making changes the morning of the conference.” In her talk she discusses her personal journey to self-acceptance after a childhood spent wishing to be thin. “I found confidence slowly, through my chosen family,” she says. “I used to be painfully shy and would always be aware of whether I was the fattest person in the room. I wasn’t really comfortable in my own skin until a couple of years ago. Even though I talk about my body all the time as a body-love activist, it’s the first time in my life where I’m not comparing myself to other people’s bodies on a daily basis.”
VIRAL SPIRAL
luminaries like Bill Gates and Jane Goodall, and local success stories like Kerry Magro. “TEDx Jersey City is an amazing organization, and they are so nurturing and supportive of their speakers,” says Bustle, whose speech has been shared by hundreds of thousands worldwide. She decided to try out for the 2014 conference after being urged by friends. She did a few rounds of auditions. “I was accepted and asked to present an 18-minute talk,” she says.
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The TEDx speech was a hit; that popularity grew once the video was posted online. “A couple months later when the video went live, I was blown away by the response,” Bustle says. “My TED talk went viral. Memes popped up of me! Screenshots of the talk were captioned with my opening statements about fat not meaning ugly. One of them has been shared on Tumblr over a million times! I guess that sounds braggy, but I’m proud that I got up and said those words, and overjoyed that so many other people are connecting with the idea and having conversations about body shaming.” Bustle discusses body-positive topics on her podcast, The Body Poscast with co-host Liza Poor. “We cover a lot of pop culture, hashtags that have bubbled to the surface, or current events regarding body shaming or body positivity,” Bustle says. They interview other activists, artists, and burlesque performers in their semi-weekly episodes. “A number of burlesque performers live in Jersey City,” Bustle says, but performances in the area are few. “To the best of my knowledge, my monthly show, Speakeasy Burlesque at Miss Wong’s Lounge, is the first regular burlesque show in Jersey City since Vaudeville days,” she says. “If anyone knows more about local burly history, please get in touch with me. I’d love to know more!” Bustle thinks Jersey City is a pretty body-positive place. “I feel the people who live here celebrate individuality and expression, and that Jersey City has a very strong sense of community and compassion,” she says. “I find Jersey City to be an incredibly kind and supportive place to live and create art.”—JCM Speakeasy Burlesque is held on the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. The cover is $10. lillianbustle.com Twitter: @lillianbustle Instagram @lillian_bustle Facebook facebook.com/LillianBustle thebodyposcast.com facebook.com/groups/JCburlesque tedxjerseycity.com/talks
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A lager lover is a one-man brewery
BY KATE ROUNDS PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
B
rian Kulbacki’s parents were about to kick him out of the house, so he had to do something. Of course! Start a brewery! Well, it wasn’t exactly like that. Here’s the back story. He was putting himself through Boston College with a bartending gig. “My buddies and I were fed up with cheap, light beer,” he recalls. “We took a tour of the Sam Adams brewery. That opened our eyes to craft beer, and we got the bug.” A stint in Miami where “there was no beer scene; the closest thing was a Corona Light” further whetted his appetite for better brews. He started reading about home brewing and moved back to his native state of New Jersey; he grew up in East Brunswick. As it happened, his best friend, Chris, had Celiac Disease, which means a gluten-free diet. “I’d open his refrigerator, and the beer selection was not good for people with that disease,” Kulbacki relates. Then a tragic event put Kulbacki into a funk. In 2010, Chris died in a car accident, which triggered the 18-month stay with his parents. “They said I had to get my shit together, and I definitely agreed,” he says. He used his friend’s death “as an inspiration to chase my dream,” which was not to stay in his parent’s funeral business. Instead, he took courses at the American Brewers Guild. His motto? “Don’t talk about it. Be about it.” Oct. 10 marked the first anniversary of Departed Soles Brewing Company, which he opened at 150 Bay St. “We’re a one-man show and a six-legged team,” he says, referring to his dog’s invaluable contributions. “Friends help out in the tasting room on weekends,” he says, “but I do all the brewing, selling, and delivering.” Visit departedsoles.com to find out about tours and tastings and what’s on tap.
Bogan
Brian Kulbacki
SPECIAL NICHE His friend’s Celiac Disease turned out to be a key factor in the identity of Departed Soles. The brewery offers several gluten-free options, one of which won a bronze in the World Beer Cup. “We were beat out by two foreigners, so we are the best in America,” Kulbacki jokes. Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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He supplies a number of bars and restaurants in Jersey City, including Battello, Marker’s, Reval, White Star Bar on Warren and White Star Bar on Brunswick, Barcade, Porta, Greene Hook, Iron Monkey, and Tap Haus.
FIRST PERSON PLURAL “From a personal perspective, when I talk about the brewery, I always use the plural ‘we,’” Kulbacki says. “Departed Soles in and of itself isn’t me. It’s the memory of my best friend. It’s rewarding for me, something I did for him. It’s pretty cool, though maybe that’s not the right word to capture that emotion.” The brewery’s philosophy is inclusive. “What I’m doing with Departed Soles is different from most new breweries,” he says, “because I want to brew a beer for everybody, not just the weirdest or craziest.” Kulbacki loves it when a group comes in for a tasting and the one gluten-free member doesn’t have to be the designated driver for once. “You can come with anybody you want,” he says, “and all of a sudden there’s a beer that everyone can have.” But not all the offerings are gluten-free. “Brewing is playing with live organisms,” he says, and he’s come up with beers with names like Light Rail Ale, A Dark Night, and Naughty by Nature.
JC HQ “Downtown Jersey City is such a diverse community,” Kulbacki says. “I wanted to be where there’s mass transit access: bus, ferry, light rail, PATH, or walk.” Basically, he
doesn’t want anybody to be a designated driver. Come for a tasting and go home safely on public transportation. When he was looking for a property, 150 Bay St. in the Powerhouse Arts District was one of the first buildings he was shown. “I couldn’t be happier,” he says. “You can walk to everything, and Jersey City has a community that fits with my interests.” One of which is beer. He says, “It’s an integral part of American culture.”—JCM
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Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 โ ข
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The Graham Family Part of Journal Square for over 40 years
Since 1998 the Journal
Square Restoration Corporation (JSRC) has been working with small business owners, developers, property owners and residents to help return Journal Square to its glory as the center for commercial and residential investment in New Jersey. The JSRC helped Jersey City Magazine get off the ground more than 10 years ago with a grant to provide some positive news about Jersey City and all that was and still is going on here. As a Special Improvement District, the JSRC works with stakeholders to create an atmosphere that is family and business friendly. Through working with community partners, the JSRC has recently turned around the Journal Square Green Market that will continue to grow year after year. Journal Square is rapidly going through a transformation similar to what other Jersey City neighbor-
22 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
hoods have experienced. The approved development of 1 Journal Square, redevelopment of the Jersey Journal property at 30 Journal Square, and two more towers planned at the site of Journal Squared; the Square is on the forefront of a turning tide. These developments work to reactivate sites that have long been missing a strong presence in the community. The businesses featured in this section of Jersey City Magazine have long been supporters of Journal Square and have played a major role in the renewed interest in the area. Many of the businesses featured have been a part of Journal Square for many years and understand the possibilities for the Square. The Journal Square
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Restoration Corporation is guided by President Jordan Galatz and our Board of Trustees. The JSRC can easily be reached at (201) 7951895, make sure you follow us on Facebook (/thenewjournalsquare-jsq) and Twitter (@thenewjsq).
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23
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Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT A Jersey City charter school builds character the Bergen-Lafayette section,” said CEO Christopher Garlin at the time. The school emphasizes “character-based education with five key value areas,” he said. Those areas are compassion, diligence, integrity, respect, and responsibility. “Those are the pillars of the school,” he said. “It’s a classic educational mode with a focus on cultural literacy.” The school is intimately tied to the neighborhood. “We see this school as being the center of the community, a resource for children and parents and the community at large,” Garlin said. “Not in isolation but an extension that strengthens the neighborhood that surrounds the school.” But the school also has a broad mandate. “The goal is for kids to be able to reason, think, analyze, and have a broad worldview,” Garlin said. “They have to be strong stewards who understand that they are integrally tied to the community, the country, and the world.” Director of Development Pat West weighed in at the end of the 2016 school year. “The school was the result of a community cry for education in inner-city neighborhoods,” she said. “It was built with character education running parallel to academic education. All are part of the five pillars.” The school’s namesake, she said, “embodies what we wanted.”
THE EDWARDS LEGACY
The Dr. Lena Edwards Academic Charter School instills values. PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
J
ust about any school will tout academic excellence, but there’s one Jersey City school that adds a crucial element in the all-important mission of preparing students for adulthood. In late January 2011, the Rev. Francis Schiller, pastor of St. Patrick & Assumption/All Saints Church on Bramhall Avenue, filed an application with the state to launch the Dr. Lena Edwards Academic Charter School. The school, which takes children from kindergarten through eighth grade, specializes in building character and instilling values. The focus was inspired by its namesake, Lena Edwards, a Jersey City physician, humanitarian, and philanthropist who was born in 1900 and died in 1986. The school, which serves about 350 students and has about 23 faculty members, is on Bramhall Avenue between Grand and Clerk streets. It took over what was once St. Patrick’s School. “It’s in the heart of an urban community in
26 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
It would be hard to find a more stellar model for students in our inner-city neighborhoods than the one for whom the school is named. Dr. Lena Edwards was valedictorian of her 1917 class at Dunbar High in Washington, D.C. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in three years at Howard University and in 1924 graduated from the Howard University College of Medicine. Shortly thereafter she opened an OBGYN practice in the Bergen-Lafayette section of Jersey City. In 1945, while practicing at the Jersey City Medical Center, she became one of the first African-American Board Certified women OBGYNs in the U.S. In three decades of service, she delivered some 5,000 babies, while raising six children of her own. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson bestowed on Dr. Edwards the Medal of Freedom. In her later years, she returned to a medical practice in Jersey City, working with her daughter, Dr. Marie Metoyer.
SCHOOL’S OUT I caught up with Director of Development Pat West at a busy time for any school. It was late June. The kids were set to be sprung for summer vacation in about a week, and there were lots of graduation ceremonies and other events on tap. The eighth grade was graduating on a Wednesday and kindergarten on a Thursday. The Jersey City Rotary Club was scheduled for a visit to announce a donation of books to the school. And Planting Day was also on the agenda. “We are landscaping more of the property,” West said.-
EDUCATION JCM
Mayor Fulop spoke at graduation.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools announced on Jan. 8 that the school had been awarded a $2,000 capacity building grant. The organization is a nonprofit that provides tools and resources to New Jersey schools that want to conserve resources and be environmentally friendly. The grant is intended to assist school green teams in their sustainability activities. “Our partnership with Sustainable Jersey for Schools helps us to envision a healthy and abundant, equitable and safe, resilient and ecologically diverse world, connected through a global community acting as a transformational hub of our community,” CEO Garlin said at the time. The grants are funded by the New Jersey Education Association, which has partnered with Sustainable Jersey to provide $180,000 to qualifying schools. “The garden provides an education in sustainability,” West said. “Students learn how to garden and bring food to the plate.” It’s all part of the school’s character-based education. “They learn math and health and wellness,” she said. “It helps children bring the concept of character-building through diligence.” Lettuce, kale, and carrots were among the “fruits” of their labor.
ART IS PART OF THE PICTURE Students’ well-rounded education includes dance, theater, and other arts. The Jacques d’Amboise Theatre, an historic landmark, is the jewel in the school’s crown. In 1993, a New Jersey Historic Trust grant preserved the 684-seat jewel-box playhouse. Architect Thomas P. McGinty and the New York architectural firm of Beyer Blinder Belle oversaw the restoration. Like many opera houses of the era, it features an orchestra pit, mezzanine, and balcony seating. It’s often compared to the Shubert Theater on Broadway, though it’s one-third the size. In 1999 it was dedicated to Jacques d’Amboise, a former principal with the New York City Ballet and founder of the National Dance Institute at St. Patrick’s.—Kate Rounds
The Jacques d’Amboise Theatre is a historic landmark.
Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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28 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
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Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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Victory
Vision to
The park features a broad range of athletic facilities.
BERRY LANE PARK IS BORN STORY AND PHOTOS BY AL SULLIVAN
A
stroll around Berry Lane Park is more than just exercise; it’s a trip through time. Founders of the city’s largest park don’t want people to forget what stood on the site prior to the park’s opening in June 2016. For many, like resident and community activist Lavern Washington, it’s hard to forget the massive gray buildings that marked the Garfield Avenue side of the park. Passing through the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood in this part of the city was like moving through a tunnel with industry on either side. For years, folks dreamed about a light at the end of this tunnel that would brighten one of the most contaminated sites in the city. Residents in Ward F on one side of the property and those from the historic Morris Canal section A trip through time
30 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
EMERGING JC JCM
agreement with PPG for a cleanup that included removing chromium-tainted soil. PPG agreed to pay about $5.5 million toward the cleanup costs.
IF YOU BUILD IT… Construction on the park began in 2012. Grading, demolition, and drainage, sidewalk, and lighting installation were completed in 2013 and 2014. In October 2014, the City of Jersey City was awarded a $5 million grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), allowing the final phase to be completed ahead of schedule. The EPA also provided federal funds to transform an eyesore into an oasis. When fully operational Berry Lane will mirror Pershing Field, providing many of the same amenities to residents in the southern portion of the city that are currently available to residents of the Jersey City Heights.
“I can’t believe it really happened.” – LAVERN WASHINGTON Bike paths wind through landscaped areas. on the other often met in kitchens or living rooms, with city officials and environmentalists, hoping that if they talked enough about their dream it might someday come true. Remarkably, it did.
WALKING THE TALK “I can’t believe it really happened,” Washington says. Fortunately, community activists had key allies in government, such as Betty Kerns, who helped keep the vision alive, finding pockets of money at critical times. Cobbled together from more than 11 parcels of land, the property was once home to a variety of industries dating back to the beginning of the 20th century when the Greenville section was a national railroad hub. A chromium plant operated 24 hours a day on the Garfield side from about 1924, refining raw chromium ore into paint pigment and other products. Pittsburgh Paint and Glass (PGG) bought the facility in 1954 and closed it in the fall of 1963. In the years that followed, the property became home to other industrial facilities, auto repair shops, junkyards, and warehouses. For more than a decade, it was a hangout for street gangs and a canvas for graffiti artists. In the mid-1990s, Washington and others began to seriously lobby for the city to do something. Eventually the Jersey City Redevelopment Authority acquired parcels from PPG, some by eminent domain. In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency came to an Ready for picnickers Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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Today, Berry Lane echoes the most industrial parts of Jersey City. Walk down it any time over the past half century, and the last thing you would think to find there is a park. What you do see are rusted machinery and crumbling factories straight out of the industrial age, when people didn’t think about pollution or the environmental impact of such facilities on the community and the planet. On the border of the poorest section of Jersey City—dotted with Garfield Avenue’s auto-repair shops—the city’s newest and largest park is the jewel in a rusted crown. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Ward F Councilwoman Diane Coleman believe the park is the first ripple in a tide that will lift the neighborhood to new heights.— JCM
Kids give the playground a thumbs up. The 17.5-acre, $40-million park features large recreation areas, including two basketball courts, two tennis courts, a baseball field, soccer field, splash-pad water park, playground, and skate park, in a neighborhood where more than 60 percent of residents are under 18. Other features include rain garden, bike paths, more than 600 new trees, and two historic plazas incorporating elements of the original industrial architecture. From dawn to dusk, the park is already occupied; for many, a walk around the perimeter has become a ritual. Although still largely devoid of shade, this will change when those 600 trees start to grow.
DOWN MEMORY LANE Park designers retained some elements of the past, including concrete silos and remnants of the former rail yard, which will be refitted as a spray park. Marvel Architects designed the modest concessions pavilion at the center of the park to embody and celebrate the historic Morris Canal Greenway, which runs through Berry Lane. The structure is inspired by the materials that were moved along the canal: coal and iron ore. The pavilion also houses restrooms, changing rooms, administration offices, and exterior shaded space. Just as Grove Street got its name from the peach groves that flourished in a rural Jersey City, the park got its name from the berry patches growing on a two-block street running south off Communipaw, east of Garfield, according to Councilman Richard Boggiano.
32 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
Designers retained some elements of the past.
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Pizza-tossing brothers make the big time
Michael (left) and Nicholas Testa. Photo by Carmine Testa. BY LAUREN BARBAGALLO
G
rowing up the son of a pizzeria owner, Carmine Testa had plenty of professional pie experience when he opened Carmine’s Pizzeria in September 2000. Carmine’s Pizza Factory is now at 366 8th Street. A world that was less familiar to the Jersey City born-and-bred father of three: the
34 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
competitive pizza-tossing circuit. “It’s underground, but now that I’m aware of it, I’m into it,” Carmine says. “It’s a cool scene, and it’s pretty big. People as far away as South Korea, Japan, and Brazil, they take part in this.” Two well-known names on the circuit and on national talk shows are Michael and Nicholas Testa, Carmine’s kids. Brother Michael, 12, was the first to pick up the pizza-tossing habit.
Couldn’t Say No to the Dough Michael and Nicholas started coming around Carmine’s back in 2012. “Mike was 8 and Nicholas was 5, and their little sister Chloe was a very colicky baby,” recalls Carmine. “I wanted to give their mom a break, so I started bringing the boys into the shop with me.” There was just one rule: The boys were supposed to leave the dough alone. But watching his father toss pie dough into the air proved far too enticing for young Michael; Dad’s one rule was promptly broken.
An Internet Star is Born “So when he is playing around with the dough, I begin to notice that he is a natural,” Carmine says. “Like when you learn to ride a bike, and it all comes together, right away he picked up the right speed.” He showed off Michael’s skills to his buddy Giovanni, who shot a video of father and son tossing dough back and forth to each other, while Maroon 5’s “Moves like Jagger” played in the background. The clip immediately went viral with 100,000 YouTube views. Within days, Michael was on Good Day New York, and soon after that the Testas were inundated with calls from national TV producers, asking for exclusive rights to showcase the pizza prodigy. He went on to appear on The Chew and Hell’s Kitchen, where he replaced Wolfgang Puck in a “Mastering a Technique” challenge.
The brothers with GMA host Robin Roberts. Photo by Diana Testa.
All in the Family Soon little brother Nicholas got into the act. “He’s practiced a lot and is getting really good,” his father says, and the duo has made regular TV appearances on national shows like Rachael Ray, The Steve Harvey Show, and Dr. Oz, and shot a national commercial for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show on Nickelodeon. Their latest project, shot in June, finds the brothers flying out to Los Angeles for a TV taping. Does Dad worry that his champs will grow big heads? Nah. “Of course, they love the attention and having a big car pick them up to take them to a taping,” Carmine says. “But my boys are very humble and good, good kids. They work hard at this, but they’re normal kids. It’s good exposure for them, but they don’t get paid for TV appearances.” But, he says, celebrity endorsements with pizza chains can land endorsements of up to $250,000 for crowd-pleasing performers and consistent finishers like the Testa brothers.
The Olympics of the Pizza World Everybody who’s anybody in the world of pizza shows up for the Annual International Pizza Expo, held in March in Las Vegas. It’s the largest pizza event in the world, with bakeoffs, demonstrations, networking events, workshops, seminars, and the hugely popular World Pizza Championships. After complet-
The Testa family with Billy Bush and Kit Hoover. Photo courtesy of Access Hollywood Live.
ing a qualifying round, competitors vie for glory in five categories: Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing, Fastest Dough, Largest Dough Stretch, Fastest Pizza Box Folding, and Pizza Triathlon. “This is the biggest competition out there, with the biggest crowd,” Carmine says. “It’s literally the Olympics of the pizza world.” In 2014, Michael and Nicholas were the opening act at the championships, bringing the house down with a dazzling dual-toss performance. Fast forward two years, and Carmine is at the expo, while the boys are back East promoting it live on Good Morning America. They wowed the live crowd with their pizza-tossing skills and easy rapport with the show’s hosts. Check out the segment on YouTube—or any of their performances or guest spots— and you’ll see the boys are natural performers. Besides their way with dough, they’ve got the Jersey gift of gab. They’re confident, funny, smart, and sweet, without a hint of that annoying precociousness that can be encouraged in young performers. While they make a great duo, the future is bright for these two talented kids whatever they decide to do. No wonder their doting dad is so proud.
Star-Making Moments for Michael and Nicholas After the Testa brothers opened the International Pizza Expo, Tony Gemingnani, world-renowned pizza expert and 11-time World Pizza Champion, honored Michael as an honorary member of the World Pizza Champions. “The highest honor out there” in the world of pizza, Carmine says. Nicholas, who’s quick with a quip and born to be on TV, played young Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show last September.—JCM The Testa kids with Steve Harvey on the Steve Harvey Show. Photo by Diana Testa.
The Testas with Rachel Ray. Photo courtesy of the Rachel Ray Show.
36 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
Photo by Diana Testa
D A T E S Want your event listed? Please email us at jcmag@hudson reporter.com and put “calendar listings” in the subject line.
ONGOING The Historic Downtown Farmers’ Market at the Grove PATH Plaza, Mondays and Thursdays, 4-8 p.m., May to December. Featuring over 25 vendors serving up tasty treats, from fresh fruits and vegetables to freshly baked empanadas to homemade mozzarella.
Hamilton Park Farmers’ Market, Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m., January to December
Farmers Market at Journal Square, Wednesdays, 11 a.m.7 p.m., July through November.
Mana Café will be open for refreshments. Admission is free.
Van Vorst Farmers’ Market, Saturdays, 8 a.m.-3 p.m, May to December.
Saturdays at Mana Contemporary, 888 Newark Ave., Saturdays, 12-6 p.m. through December. The art center is open to the public, and select exhibitions will be on view. Participating artists will open their studios. The
Open Jazz Jam with the Brightside Trio, 141 Bright St., Mondays, 8-11 p.m., bright sidetavern.com. The Brightside Tavern hosts an amazing jazz evening.
Riverview Farmers’ Market, 1 Bowers St., Sundays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. through November.
see page 38
Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
37
DATES JCM from page 37
Karaoke at the Brightside Tavern, 141 Bright St., Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m.-12 a.m., brightsidetavern.com. Every week, the Brightside turns the mic over to you. Singers get their second drink on the house. The Union Republic of Bluegrass, 340 Third St., Wednesdays, 8 p.m.-1 a.m. The Union Republic of Bluegrass starts to fiddle at 8 p.m. with Dan O’Dea and Eagle Ridge, before breaking into a jamboree after dinner service. Come down from Appalachia or the Heights for this new weekly showcase. Geeks Who Drink Quiz Night at Pint, 34 Wayne St., Wednesdays, 8-10 p.m., geekswhodrink.com. Eight rounds of eight questions each, including a music round, an audio round, and a picture round. Free to play, with prizes for the top two teams and bonus prizes throughout the game.
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Men’s Support Group Monthly Meeting, Modern Sage, 351 Second St., first Sunday of each month, 10-11 a.m. A safe environment where men can share issues, feelings, family concerns, ambitions, and inspirations together. Tea and coffee provided. Indiegrove Free Coworking Fridays, 121 Newark Ave., Fridays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., (201) 589-2068, indiegrovejc.com. Come experience coworking and see why it has become the most popular way for entrepreneurs and independent professionals to work. Grassroots Community Space, 54 Coles St., (201) 500-5483, grassrootscommunityspace.com. Various arts workshops, fitness events, dance classes held weekly. The “space for hire” also features special events monthly. Adopt a Pet, Fuzzy Friends, 148 Newark Ave. (1/2 block from Grove Street PATH), Sundays, 12-4:30 p.m. For more information, call (201) 895-3874. Yoga – Donation Based Vinyasa Classes, 209 Third St., Mondays, 8-9 p.m., monde.yoga@gmail.com. A 60-minute vinyasa flow open for any level. All proceeds will be sent to the Nepal Youth Foundation. $10 suggested donation. Yoga for Everybody with Mike Place, Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Dr., Wednesdays, 6:30-8 p.m. Yoga class for ages 8 and up. Free. Boot Camp at the Bethune Center, Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Dr., 6:30-7:30 p.m., every Thursday. Master Sup, certified Tae Bo instructor, will motivate you every step of the way to a toned body. Combines boot camp, cardio, body sculpting, and A3 training for a maximum fat-burning workout. Free. Live Jazz at McGinley Square Pub, McGinley Square Pub, 755 Montgomery St., Tuesdays, 8-10:30 p.m. Featuring guitarist Matt Panayides who brings in a wide variety of musicians from the NYC area to share the stage.
864 BROADWAY, BAYONNE, NJ AUGUSTINORTHO.COM
38 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
see page 44
EDITOR'S LETTER JCM from page 11
Dr. Lena Edwards ACADEMIC CHARTER SCHOOL
Another homegrown luminary is trial attorney Brian Neary. In this issue, we profile how a JC boy made it to the big time, never giving up his other great love—basketball. Finally, check out Grand Master Sup’s cardio-fitness boot camp. I’d really be pushing the envelope to come up with any more “B” words, so I’ll quit while I’m ahead. Al Sullivan hung out with Marcia Lyles, superintendent of the Jersey City School District. He discovered at least one thing that you probably didn’t know about Dr. Lyles. And, while you’re at it, enjoy our look at Spirit of Life Jazz. I always like to mention when JC makes the mainstream press. That happened in June when School 20 was named for the renowned poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. And, less laudatory, when the intersection of York Street and Jersey Avenue was called out by NBC 4 New York for being one of the most dangerous in town. Turns out that in late June a former news photographer decided to document what he suspected: Motorists were not stopping at stop signs! His video ran with the alarming headline: 100 Jersey City Drivers Blow Through Stop Sign in 90 Minutes. A much-needed reminder to drive safely when you’re cruising around our great town!
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Register for success at Dr. Lena Edwards Academic Charter School The Dr. Lena Edwards Academic Charter School, ƐĞƌǀŝŶŐ ŬŝŶĚĞƌŐĂƌƚĞŶ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ĞŝŐŚƚŚ ŐƌĂĚĞ ŝƐ ĂĐĐĞƉƟŶŐ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ϮϬϭϲͲϮϬϭϳ ĂĐĂĚĞŵŝĐ ƐĐŚŽŽů LJĞĂƌ͘ ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂƌĞ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ŝŶ ƐĞǀĞƌĂů ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐ ŽŶůŝŶĞ Ăƚ ǁǁǁ͘ĚƌůĞŶĂĞĚǁĂƌĚƐĐŚĂƌƚĞƌĐŚŽŽů͘ŽƌŐ ĂŶĚ Ăƚ ϱϬϵ ƌĂŵŚĂůů ǀĞŶƵĞ͕ :ĞƌƐĞLJ ŝƚLJ E:͘ ͻ ƉƉůĞ ŝŐŝƚĂů ^ĐŚŽŽů ͻ ŌĞƌ ^ĐŚŽŽů WƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ ͻ ŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ ^ƉŽƌƚ WƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ ͻ ĞďĂƚĞ >ĞĂŐƵĞ ͻ ĂƌůLJ >ŝƚĞƌĂĐLJ WƌŽŐƌĂŵ Ͳ ZĞĂĚ ϭϴϬ ͻ &ŝĞůĚ dƌŝƉƐ ͻ 'ĂƌĚĞŶ ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ͻ DƵƐŝĐ WƌŽŐƌĂŵ ͻ W Z WƌĞƉĂƌĂƚŽƌLJ ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ͻ ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ >ĂďŽƌĂƚŽƌLJ ͻ dŝƚůĞ ϭ WƌŽŐƌĂŵ ͻ ^ƉĞĐŝĂů ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ WƌŽŐƌĂŵ ͻ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ WĂƌƚŶĞƌƐŚŝƉƐ
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www.drlenaedwardscharterschool.org Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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BY TBISHPHOTO
40 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
playing Court to Court with Brian J. Neary
BY KATE ROUNDS
H
e stands out in a crowd. He’s the one who, at a lunch counter on a summer afternoon, is wearing a bowtie and baby-blue seersucker suit. He’s what used to be called a “natty dresser.”
That’s on the outside. On the inside, Brian Neary is a Jersey City boy, who grew up on Wade Street in the Greenville section to become one of the tristate area’s most successful trial attorneys. Though only five-foot-nine, basketball gave passion and permanence to a life that spans some six decades living and working in Hudson County.
His work puts him in the orbit of some pretty famous people, but it’s the name Bob Hurley that really floats his boat. Hurley, Jersey City’s stellar basketball coach, was a boyhood friend of Neary. “I could hold my own with anybody,” Neary says. “I can really dribble and shoot. I spent a lot of time in the schoolyard dribbling
Hudson Catholic High School basketball team in 1969. Brian (#4) is holding the trophy. Photo courtesy Hudson Catholic High School. Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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BY TBISHPHOTO
BY STEVE GOLD
BY TBISHPHOTO
He’s in Hamilton Park at the crack of dawn.
back and forth. I was on the first varsity team at Hudson Catholic.” Would he have made the varsity team in 2016? He thinks yes, maybe shooting three-pointers like a Steph Curry. “Though not that good,” he acknowledges. “At the same time,” he says, “I was a pretty smart kid. When I wasn’t in the schoolyard, I was sitting in a room reading a book.” It runs in the family. One of his two sisters attended St. Dominic Academy and became a physician. The other graduated from Holy Family in Bayonne and is a banker “down the Shore.” Neary says, “Our mother was a stay-at-home mom, who was the smartest person I ever knew. She read a book a day.” His father was the first person in the family to attend college. Neary’s wife was a soap opera star for 20 years and is a television director. He has four grown kids, one of whom is an assistant prosecutor in Passaic County.
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(l-r) Former pro basketball player Carol Blazejowski; Pat Devaney, director of the Hamilton Park Summer League; Brian; and Bob Hurley at a Hamilton Park game.
THE CATHOLIC THREAD Neary attended St. Paul the Apostle grammar school in Jersey City before going on to Hudson Catholic, an experience that reverberates to this day. “I’m not pious,” he says, “but a Catholic education gives you a sense of morals, conscience, and social responsibility. I was an altar boy for a long time” and later in life represented priests who took advantage of altar boys. He was in the second graduating class of Hudson Catholic and now serves as chairman of the board of trustees. “I’m a role model for kids,” he says. “I walked these same streets and corridors and turned out pretty good. I’m close to the basketball teams. The kids know me and know that I was a player.” After graduating from Hudson Catholic, he went on to Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he majored in sociology.
“I’d never been west of Patterson,” he jokes. Back then in Neary’s circles, “people did not go away to college.” Talk about culture shock. “Absolutely,” he says. “Oh gosh. I was not ready for the Midwest experience. I was from an urban environment. What’s this thing called country music? I’d never heard it before.” He came back home to attend law school at New York University in the heart of Greenwich Village. It was after Dylan and his crowd were haunting the Bitter End, and before the Millennials were texting their brains out. “It was Needle Alley,” Neary says. Nevertheless, it was where the bowtie first caught his fancy. “I was a law student in the NYU criminal law clinic,” he recalls. “The first week I saw an assistant district attorney working the courts wearing a bowtie, and I thought it was cool.” The rest is history. “I haven’t worn a straight tie since the mid ’70s,” he says.
PEOPLE POWER JCM
COURT TO COURT The basketball court and the trial court have been home to Neary for most of his life. Early on, he had stints as a prosecutor in both Bergen and Hudson Counties, but “ultimately I think I knew I would end up as a criminal defense lawyer,” he says. In hindsight, that sociology degree played a key role. “I was interested in deviant human behavior,” Neary says, “in juvenile delinquency, psychology, and how people interact.” Despite the glut of TV lawyers, it’s not Perry Mason or Olivia Pope who inspire him. “Anybody my age has read To Kill a Mockingbird,” he says. For him, Atticus Finch spoke to the “ethical quality” of the law profession. “It takes a certain conscience to be able to represent people,” he says. “You have to understand human nature, human foibles. You have to be willing to protect people in the legal system. It’s about how to represent people and take care of people when they’ve been charged in terrible events.” DUI cases are a good example. “I counsel people that they shouldn’t drink and drive,” he says, “but a person is entitled to a defense in a death-by-auto case. The defendant has often otherwise led a good life, but in a dramatic consequence, they could go to jail for 30 years.” A Neary case that may ring a bell with Jersey City folks is that of Leona Baldini, a deputy mayor in the Healy administration, who did time in federal prison, convicted on bribery charges. Well-known Neary clients include Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wilson Pickett; hip-hop artist DMX; rapper, model, and actress Foxie Brown; and NBA player Jason Williams.
COACH IN THE CLASSROOM “Teaching comes naturally to me,” Neary says. “I love teaching law students.” He describes it as the “whistleand-clipboard” technique. “Not lecture hall. I’m handson. I teach young lawyers how to try cases. How do we do this? I jump up and have them do it again. I’m a trial coach: back to the basketball metaphor again.” He has his students at Rutgers and Notre Dame read or reread To Kill a Mockingbird. “I go back to South Bend twice a year to teach, and I have to re-acclimate myself,” he says. By that he means, reacquaint himself with the country-music scene.
BY TBISHPHOTO
“It takes a certain conscience to be able to represent people.”
FULL CIRCLE Neary calls me early on a Sunday morning. He’s already been to the basketball court in Hamilton Park—he texts me a selfie to prove it. We go over key points that are important to him. “It may sound somewhat trite,” he says, “but I wanted to help people. I liked standing up to people. I hated bullies.” His career as a defense attorney has borne that out. Twice a week, he boxes at Everlast in Hoboken—he’s a fighter in and out of the ring. He gave up his Hoboken office and now has an office in Hackensack and in a “gorgeous location” on Exchange Place in Jersey City with three other lawyers and two staffers. “I am so fortunate and so grateful to Jersey City for what it has given me, and I love to give back,” he says. “I can talk to a Supreme Court justice in the morning and a basketball coach in the afternoon.” Where are you headed, I ask him. “The Hudson County Jail.”—JCM
Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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T H E L AW O F F I C E S O F
DATES JCM
MANASRA & MANASRA A P R O F E S S I O N A L C O R P O R AT I O N
from page 38
REAL ESTATE ATTORNEYS
New Heights Toastmasters Club, 855 Bergen Ave., second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., (201) 424-9090. A safe and supportive environment where you can develop your public speaking and leadership skills. Participation is optional but always encouraged.
Specializing in Hudson County 1169 Summit Avenue
Mid-Week Comedy, Raval JC, 136 Newark Ave., first and third Wednesday of every month through December, jerseycitycomedy@gmail.com. A night of laughs featuring comedians from CollegeHumor, Conan, MTV, and more. $10 with email reservations. Becoming Cyborg: Science and Science Fiction, WORD Jersey City, 123 Newark Ave., Mondays, 6:30-9 p.m., starting Oct. 17, info@thebrooklyn institute.com. The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research is expanding to Jersey City this fall with a brand new course on Cyborgs, Science and Science Fiction. Students who register for this class will receive a free copy of the novel Neuromancer. Cost for the workshop is $315.
Jersey City, NJ
T: 201.222.3838 F: 201.222.3882
www.manasralaw.org
Mug Night, Iron Monkey, 99 Greene St., Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Fill up your own unique mug (or any cool container up to 32 oz.) of featured craft beer for $8. Jersey City Recreation Boxing Program, 222 Laidlaw Ave., (201) 547-5003, Monday to Friday, 4-8 p.m. This program is free for children and teens ages 6-18. Parents must accompany child for registration and bring proof of residency. Bodies: The Exhibition, Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., (201) 253-1310, lsc.org. The exhibition provides visitors with unprecedented access to anatomical detail previously available only to medical professionals. Over 200 human specimens, meticulously preserved and respectfully displayed, offer visitors unique views of the human form. On display through Jan. 16. Step 4 Step Line Dancing, Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Dr., Thursdays, 6-7 p.m. Learn, dance and have a great time. We are a group who love soul and R&B line dancing and the friendships and health benefits that go with it. We welcome all line dancers, from beginners to advanced. Free.
A boutique health and fitness studio where Mind, Body and Soul meet. We are not just a gym, we are a place where you can feel comfortable, connect with friends and neighbors and have fun all while creating a healthier, happier you-for life. Let us help you achieve your fitness goals.
Vocal Lessons at the Bethune, Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Dr., Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m. Learn to command the stage by singing like a pro. This class will help develop your vocal chords as well as teach you proper breathing techniques. Free.
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44 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
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Photography: Eugene Hardin. Jr.
Pilates
Chess Classes with Bobby Stewart, Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Dr., Tuesdays, 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Culinary Café, Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk St., (201) 360-5300, Tuesdays, 12-1:30 p.m. Our diners find a gourmet experience that will delight even the most discerning food lover. Culinary Café offers a varied multiple course menu for $12.
DATES JCM
Best of Downtown Jersey City Food Tour, various locales, jerseygirlsfoodtours.com, Tuesdays, 6-9 p.m. You’ll sample some of the best pizza, tacos, ice cream, burgers, and pasta. Advanced purchase required at jerseygirlsfoodtours.com. Brunch N’ Brush, 29 McWilliams Place, brunch nbrush.com, Sundays, 12-2 p.m. Enjoy a delicious buffet brunch followed by a two-hour lesson in painting a piece of your choice.
OCTOBER 1 Walk to Fight Alzheimer’s, Liberty State Park, 1 Audrey Zapp Dr., 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., (201) 261-6009. This is Alzheimer’s New Jersey’s largest fundraising event to support New Jersey families that are impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Post-walk activities include refreshments, entertainment and door prizes. Diwali Mela in JC, Exchange Place Plaza, 12-7 p.m., jcfamilies.com.
2 6th Borough Market, Harborside Plaza 4, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., 6thboroughmarket.com. Come experience a curated mix of high-quality makers, collectors and chefs in a festive atmosphere. From hand-knit baby gear, to hand-chosen vintage goods, to hand-crafted foods, there is love and passion in every item and every interaction.
6 Taste of Hudson, Harboside Atrium, 34 Exchange Place, 6-9 p.m. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County invite you to enjoy an evening of drinks and delicious bites from Hudson County’s best restaurants. Pin It Up Exhibit, Drawing Rooms, 180 Grand St., 7-8:30 p.m. drawingrooms.org. Enjoy complimentary wine and a special tour of the exhibit. RSVP at info@drawingrooms.org.
7 Official Kick-Off Party for Jersey City Art & Studio Tour, Location TBA, thejcast.com. Featuring visual artwork, installation, sculpture, film, live music, murals as well as interactive activities for creative kids of all ages. Shuttle to/from the Grove Street PATH. Free.
see page 46
Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
45
DATES JCM from page 45
CAMMARATA, NULTY & GARRIGAN, L.L.C. ATTORNEYS AT LAW
201.656.2222 Providing quality legal representation since 1972 Personal Injury
Employment
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Appellate Practice
Municipal Practice
Commercial Litigation Administrative Law Practice
www.cnglaw.com 549 Summit Avenue . Jersey City, NJ
8-9 26th Annual Jersey City Art & Studio Tour, thejcast.com, The event weekend features selfguided tours of nearly 600 venues that include galleries, studios, public art, live music, and performances. Free and open to the public.
8 JC Art & Studio Tour – Band Showcase, Grove Street PATH Station, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Music kicks off at noon, featuring performances by Fancy Colors, Davis, Forget the Whale, Conundrum and Elon.
14 Movies in the Park: Wizard of Oz, Hamilton Park, 8-11 p.m., (201) 589-0750. Come and join us for a viewing of The Wizard of Oz. Film begins at sundown. Bring something to sit on. Free.
15 “Who Do You Think I Am?” Story Time with Dawn McLaughlin, WORD Jersey City, 123 Newark Ave, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Join WORD in welcoming local author Dawn McLaughlin with her debut picture book, Who Do You Think I Am? We’ll read the book and create fun crafts. Open to all ages. Harvest Festival, City Hall Plaza, 280 Grove St., 10 a.m.-2 p.m., jcfamilies.com. Join us for pumpkin decoration, arts and crafts, music for kids, and more. Free.
16 6th Borough Market, Harborside Plaza 4, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., 6thboroughmarket.com. Come experience a curated mix of high-quality makers, collectors and chefs in a festive atmosphere. From hand-knit baby gear to hand-chosen vintage goods to hand-crafted foods, there is love and passion in every item and every interaction. Festival of Lights – Diwali, Exchange Place and Grundy Pier, 12-6 p.m., (551) 221-7000. Join in a celebration of Indian culture with cultural and folk dances, live performances, live band, children’s activities, food stalls, vendors, DJ, and raffle.
19 The Value of Developing a Business Plan, City Hall Caucus Room, 280 Grove St., 6:30-8:30 p.m., innovatejerseycity.org. This is an overview of why it is important for any entrepreneur of a growing firm to develop a business plan for their business. Free.
46 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17
DATES JCM
20 LSC After Dark: Zombies + Beer = Zombtoberfest, Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., 6-10 p.m., lcs.org/lcs-after-dark. Bring your friends to an after-hours adventure at Liberty Science Center. Guests 21 and over can enjoy cocktails, food, music, dancing, laser shows, and more.
22 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: One Walk, Liberty State Park, 200 Moris Pesin Dr., 8:30 a.m., jdrf.org. The JDRF One Walk is the largest T1D event in the world. Rally your family and friends to show your support. This event features the opening ceremony, fun activities, a three-mile walk and a partnership with local community members.
Open Houses –4 pm
–9 pm
Get a free copy of “6 Tips for Choosing a High School That Prepares Students for College and Life� at marist.org
Pumpkin Carnival, Newport Town Square, 100 Town Square Place, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The carnival’s in town, so bring the kids and the young-at-heart to decorate pumpkins, play games, sample candy, watch the kids’ costume parade, and more. 1241 Kennedy Boulevard • Bayonne, NJ 07002 • (201) 437-4545 • www.marist.org
23 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Newport Centre-Newport Plaza, corner of 18th Street and Marin Boulevard, 8 a.m. Join us at the walk. Visit makingstrideswalk.org/JerseyCityNJ for more information or to sign up your team.
“Prep didn’t just help me on my path to excellence – it was my path to excellence.� – Dimas Sanchez, ’16
New Jersey Paella Festival, Exchange Place, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., (908) 955-3082, paellaoftheworld.org. Free.
25 Marcy Dermansky presents The Red Car, WORD Jersey City, 123 Newark Ave., 7:30-9 p.m. Join us to celebrate Marcy Dermansky’s new novel, The Red Car. She will be in discussion with author and Jezebel columnist Lizzie Skurnick. Tautly wound, transgressive and mordantly funny, The Red Car is an incisive exploration of one woman’s unusual route to self-discovery.
26 Halloween Parade, Hamilton Park, 4-7 p.m., jcfamilies.com. Featuring entertainment for kids and a dance performance by Next Step Broadway. Kids Costume Parade starts at 6 p.m. Dogs Parade starts at 6 p.m.
That’s why it’s
Saint Peter’s Prep New Jersey’s Jesuit High School Since 1872
see page 82
144 Grand Street | Jersey City, NJ 07302 | spprep.org
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BUSINESSES MAKE JERSEY CITY WORK
PHOTOS BY ALYSSA BREDIN INTERVIEWS BY KATE ROUNDS
9 BAR CAFÉ 18 Erie St. (201) 432-2000 cafeninebar.com
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he Beatles have nothing on Stefania Cocozza when it comes to long winding roads. She landed in Jersey City by way of Rome, Seattle, southern California, and New York City. But her dedication to coffee is bred in the bones. “I’ve been in coffee over 25 years,” she says. Yes, and “in coffee” is the right phrase. It’s not just something you drink; it’s something you live. From the early ’90s in Seattle until recently, she worked for various coffee roasters. She laughs about Americans, in the beginning, feeling gypped by tiny espressos instead of the buckets of American coffee they were accustomed to. She opened 9 Bar Café about two years ago. “I’m trying to bring the true Italian experience, with a counter behind the espresso machine,” she says. “In our culture, coffee is really important, part of everyday life. It’s not about quantity. It’s about quality.” OK, time to clarify the cafe’s name. It has nothing to do with the kind of bar you drink at. Stefania had to explain its real meaning so many times, that it’s posted in the café and on the website: “In order to properly extract a perfect 25 second shot of espresso a 9-Bar of pressure is necessary.” You get the picture: Brew is serious business. While working in Seattle, Stefania got “immersed in the coffee business. I learned everything you need to know about coffee, from bean to cup.”
STEFANIA COCOZZA That education included how coffee is harvested, the roasting process, and the properties of different types of coffee. She says Italians prefer blends, specifically medium dark. When it comes to the coffee business, Stefania has been in sales and marketing and a consultant, and has had barista training. She and her husband moved to Jersey City in 2004. “I always wanted to have a café,” Stefania says. “When I first moved to Jersey City, I wasn’t ready. I was by myself, not covered by an investor. It was too risky.” For about two years, they lived in the Newport area. “We loved it,” she says. “It felt a little bit like Europe with the marina and a beautiful view of the city. We liked it right away. We loved the people, we felt very welcomed in the community, and saw the potential.” She made a point to get to know her new town. “I studied the area,” she says, “and observed the types of people moving in.” She was pleased to see “four or five different gourmet stores within walking distance.” Around January 2013, she was ready to look for a space. continued on page 51
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CHEF JASON CHEN AND VICTOR OCTAVIANUS
HONSHU 95 Greene St. (201) 324-2788 honshulounge.com
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any of you will remember when this popular Japanese eatery was at 31 Montgomery St. It was noteworthy for its steep, upstairs locale. Though it had lots of regulars, “no one knew us,” owner Victor Octavianus worried. “We were hiding on the second floor.” That problem was solved in August 2015, when the restaurant moved to foot-traffic-friendly 95 Greene St. “It’s almost double the size,” Octavianus says. “It features a full bar, private space, and outside space,” with a sliver of a view of the Hudson River. “With a full liquor license now,” he says, “the chef is challenged to pair foods with wine, beer, cocktails, and sake. One staff member is a certified sake adviser.” Who knew! “We’re proud of our sake selection,” Octavianus says, “and want more staff members to get this certification.” Customers who reserve online can reserve their wine at the same time.
Honshu also has an award-winning whiskey list, including the rare Yamazaki and Kavallan labels. Specialty cocktails include Lychee M with Titos vodka, Mr. Q with Brockman gin, and Coco 2.0, featuring unfiltered Japanese sake and homemade pandan butter. One thing that hasn’t changed too much is the menu, though Octavianus says the restaurant is focusing on sushi and dropping ramen. News flash! It plans to open a separate ramen place. A new sushi offering is omakase, which means “trust me.” In other words, “chef’s choice.” The fish is shipped directly from Japan, which means many Americans may not have tasted some of it before. Among the options are young barracuda, golden eye snapper, belt fish, butter fish, and needle fish. Honshu also has widened its selection of oysters, including Kumamoto and Shigoku. Instead of the usual sauce, the chef uses spicy kimchi and yuzu ponzu foam. “We believe that it creates an airy texture that’s great for summer,” Octavianus says. “At happy hour, you will see oysters at almost every table.” Of course, customers can watch the sushi chef at work and also talk directly to the chef about what fish he will be serving and how it will be prepared. Reservations are recommended to get the full benefit of this experience.
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HOW WE WORK JCM
ILANA LIBMAN AND JAY BATRA
HUDSON PLAY 189 Brunswick St. (201) 963-4671 hudsonplaynj.com
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alk about serendipity! Wait ’til you hear how these two business partners found each other. Ilana Libman was a mom of two and fairly new to Jersey City. She was feeling a little isolated and depressed. “My kids were younger,” she relates, “and there was no support and nowhere to go with kids.” She was looking for a “friendly, safe environment” for parents and kids. Six years ago, she decided to take action and put a business plan together and started looking for a “suitable space, but it was very hard to find a partner and make it work,” she says. Thank God for birthday parties! Single dad Jay Batra happened to be at the same party as Ilana. She had her hand on the doorknob, about to leave when he heard her talking about something he’d been thinking about for years. “I lost my wife suddenly five years ago when my son was 4,” Jay says. “I got a lot of support from the Jersey City community. It made me turn from spending all my time at a corporate job to doing more with my son. I was hanging out with moms and being in the community.
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“Kids under 5 are happy with what you give them,” he says, but as his son got older, he needed more options. “I was big into fitness and went to the gym on a regular basis,” Jay says. “I’d take my son with me, but he was in a tiny room, and it was a struggle to give him the same level of activity that I was having.” Meanwhile, his son loved the trampoline park, but Jay didn’t. “I wanted a facility in Jersey City that parents and children could both enjoy.” Sound familiar? Ilana took her hand off that doorknob and told Jay she had the exact same idea. “It was 11 p.m., and we ended up spending three hours talking about a business plan,” Jay says. “I cancelled all my meetings at Morgan Stanley, called in sick, and went to look at a space with her.” The first place they looked at didn’t work out, but the second one did—their current location at the Brunswick Center, which they opened in spring. Jay admits to a fondness for TV’s American Ninja Warrior. “We could do that,” he remembers thinking. “Make it accessible to all ages for fitness and healthy fun.” continued on page 51
HOW WE WORK JCM from page 48
from page 50
Speaking of gourmet, food is important when you’re serving top-of-the-line coffee. “Everything’s handmade,” she says. “No premade sandwiches.” And no bagels. Breakfast pastries include Italian doughnuts, known as Bamboloni, and shortbread cookies. “We do things very European,” she says. “The cookies are small, not gigantic.” For lunch, salads include Dancing Goat, Burratina, and Quinoa. Sandwiches, which are made with home-baked focaccia, include prosciutto and mozzarella, and Caprese, which is mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. For Stefania, it’s not enough just to run a great café. “We’re very much a part of the community,” she says. “We support several events.” She cites charities, such as breast cancer awareness, as well as local artists and performers. She also offers coffee classes for home brewers, which cover such things as how to use the French press, how to pair coffee with desserts, and the kinds of grinds to use. “We like to educate the client,” she says. “When people come in, we’re super consistent.” Everything is monitored by her and her trained staff. “It’s an experience when you come to see us,” she says. “It’s not just a cup of coffee. You ask, and you get the right answer.” She’ll also cater your coffee break. The coffee business is going so well, a second café is in the works at Harborside. And, who knows, she says, maybe a third. “I’m very serious about what I do,” she says. I’m a coffee fanatic.”
Ninja Warrior activities include the warped wall and speed wall, as well as virtual-reality roller coaster, soft play area, imagination playground, and obstacle course.
TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE “He’s the perfect partner,” Ilana says. “We want the same things, the same goal, very similar.” Jay is the fitness guy, and Ilana is all about “creating community.” She’s in charge of the lounge and the coffee shop. “In the lounge, in the coffee shop, everything is healthy,” she says. “We have juice and make smoothies right in front of you with real fruit. We also have organic cola with natural ingredients, organic potato chips, but no candy.” The HealthBar Café serves a variety of hot and cold beverages and a range of smoothies with names like “Bumblebee” and “Hot Rod.” A big part of integrating Hudson PLAY into the community is hosting local meetings and events, such as fundraisers and yoga activities. The facility’s 5,000-square-foot event space accommodates 350 people, offering a 200-inch HD projection video screen and high-end audio system. “We know who we are and respect our customers,” Ilana says. “They work hard for their money, and if they spend their money here, we want to provide everything across the board.” Says Jay, “I wanted to do something in Jersey City by way of giving back.”
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BY TARA RYAZANSKY
J
acey Lambros and Danielle “Dani” DeAngelo climb the stairs at their Newark Avenue boutique fitness studio, Jane Do. “Fitness is one of the only businesses that really thrives on a floor that’s higher than the first floor, because that’s your warm-up,” laughs Lambros, as she and DeAngelo jog up in unison without so much as breaking a sweat. The climb is nothing to them consider-
KICKING
MARKING MILESTONES
ON THE
JOB
WITH
it
Former Rockettes reinvent themselves as fitness divas ing that they limbered up with a combined 17 years as Radio City Rockettes. That’s where they met while entertaining crowds with perfectly executed high kicks. Now they keep in shape by teaching a few classes every day at Jane Do. They’ve just returned from their new Edgewater location, where they spent the morning sweating it out with clients. The former Rockettes offer classes like Barre
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Naked, a traditional barre class; Dance Your Ass Off, a cardio dance class; Step It Up, an aerobics class; Sports Barre, a hybrid class; and Tramp Stamp, a total body workout on trampolines. “Each of our classes fuses traditional dance with traditional athletic conditioning, to get the strength of an athlete and the body of a dancer,” Lambros says.
PHOTOS BY MAX RYAZANSKY
DANIELLE DE ANGELO (LEFT) AND JACEY LAMBROS “Fitness should be fun,” DeAngelo adds, “not the monotony of running on a treadmill. You’ll be a lot more consistent if it doesn’t feel like work.” While they’re owners, trainers and sole investors, running this 24/7 operation doesn’t feel like work either. They say it’s because they complement each other so well, which they discovered while sharing a dressing room at Radio City Music Hall. “Our strengths are each other’s weaknesses,” Lambros says. “We know that we are such a perfect partnership.” “For example, Jacey comes up with most of our creative content,
the design, the shirts, a lot of the challenge ideas,” DeAngelo says, pointing to themed bingo boards that motivate clients to work out. “I, on the other hand, negotiate with the attorneys. I’ll sit with the bookkeeper.” She has a degree in business management, and a realestate background.
AT THE SWEAT SHOP Today they sport Jane Do tees that Lambros designed. The studio has a small retail area that offers Jane Do’s branded gear. One shirt features Jane Do’s crown logo, symbolizing the empowering messages, “rule your workout” and “rule your
world.” The gym used to be known as Sports Barre, but they changed the name to show that they are more than just a barre studio. “Jane is every woman; Do is her call to action,” Lambros says. “It’s scary to do a rebrand, because we were flourishing, but our clients got behind us right away. Jane Do is this really amazing community of women.” “Sharing a dressing room at Radio City is very similar to the community that we have here,” DeAngelo says. “You’re sharing experiences. You’re in close quarters, so if someone is going through a tough time, or if someone is going to graduate school and studying between
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“TRAMP STAMP,” A TRAMPOLINE WORKOUT
INSTRUCTOR KAITLIN TUFTS
INSTRUCTOR JAIE WELLS shows, that camaraderie among women is really what we missed, and we’ve got that here. It’s such a sense of community here with people from all walks of life.” The two settle in at the studio for a marketing meeting and staff training session. Today one of their instructors doesn’t know it yet, but she’s about to get a special gift for one year of service at Jane Do. “We try to crown everyone’s achievements,” Lambros says, showing off a signet ring with the
Jane Do logo. It was made by Allison R. Cannarsa of the Jersey Citybased jewelry line ARCOS. Lambros hints that more custom pieces are in the works for client and staff milestones. She indicates a wall of signed ballet slippers, the current prize for gym-goers who make it to the hundred-class mark. “We started with one shelf,” Lambros says, eyeing dozens of toe shoes. The instructor they’re honoring, current Rockette Katie Hamrah, is surprised. DeAngelo shoots a video with her phone while Lambros slips the ring on Hamrah’s finger. “We pride ourselves on the fact that we do have professional, working dancers,” Lambros says. “Not only is that cool for clients, it keeps things fresh for us. They bring new ideas to the table. We do allow that freedom for people to do a show and return. As a working dancer it’s harder to find work because people know that you’re transient.” Jane Do has a growing team of about 15 instructors. “We wanted to have a place where dancers could transition their love and passion for dance into a career,” DeAngelo says, giving Lambros a knowing glance. “We get it.”
ON DANCER! DeAngelo, who grew up in Bergen County, says that seeing the Radio City Christmas Spectacular was a holiday tradition. “My mom would save up all year to bring the entire family to see The Rockettes,” she says. “Having danced since age
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three, my mother, every single time that she would go and write the check for dance classes, cause it’s not cheap, she would always say, ‘Here I go, another year, you better become a Rockette or do something with these classes.’ I ended up booking Radio City when I was 19. The audition process is three days, and it’s intense, and most years they are only looking for one or two girls.” Lambros was the only woman who made it when she became a Rockette in 2003, two years after DeAngelo. She is originally from Oneanta, N.Y., and moved to Jersey City when she landed a job as a dancer for the New Jersey Nets. “Somebody told me about the Rockettes audition,” Lambros says, “and they were like, ‘You have to go. It’s the best job to land in New York. It’s such a legacy,’ and I had never seen the show before. I remember going to the audition. If you remember Carson Daly, he had a late-night show, and I was kind of like his fly girl. The Rockette audition line wraps around Radio City, and I was getting really impatient because I had to use the restroom. My friend Carla was already over at Carson, and she was like, ‘Dude, I will go stand in line, get over here and pee.’ I still thank her all the time.”
AND THE REST IS HISTORY After three days of auditioning, Lambros went to Upstate New York and waited. “I was actually at
Walmart with my dad when I got the call,” Lambros remembers. “He was a basketball coach and a sports fanatic, and I’ll always remember what he said: ‘Jace, there’s the Yankees, the Mets, the Nets, the Jets, and The Rockettes!’” She encountered a steep learning curve. “I was the only one who didn’t know the show,” she recalls. “Oh my god, I couldn’t sleep! I was living over on Dudley Street at the time in Paulus Hook. I would come home and practice in front of the mirror in my bathroom.” Soon after she met DeAngelo, the two bonded over long, hard days working on their chorus-line precision. “You can’t be a Rockette by yourself,” DeAngelo says. “It only works as a team. Even at Radio City at the sixth show at the end of the day, you’re like, ‘I just don’t know if I can get my legs up,’ but you do, because you’re there with your fellow Rockettes.” Teamwork also applies to the Jane Do crew. “We say something that my dad used to say to his players: ‘It’s not me, it’s not you, it’s us,’” Lambros says. “It’s what we do as a unit.” That unit is eyeing a third location. DeAngelo hints that it will be “somewhere along the Hudson.” “Gold Coast, baby,” Lambros grins. Both have lived in Jersey City for more than a decade and want any new studios to be nearby, so they can be hands-on. They start pulling out trampolines for their next class, snapping the legs into place and setting them up. You can hear their clients warming up on the stairs.—JCM
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Jane DO Jersey City 160 Newark Ave. #3 Jersey City, N.J. 07302 infojc@janedo.com Jane DO Edgewater 890 River Road Edgewater, N.J. 07020 infoedge@janedo.com Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 •
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HOW WE LIVE JCM
Terry, Elaine and Alicia Pritikin
CAST IRON LOFTS 2 PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
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ike many of you, no doubt, I watched Cast Iron Lofts go up. I’d be riding How We the light rail, and soon there it was rising impressively on the Jersey CityHoboken line. It seemed to suit its name. It looked solid and industrial, yet had beautiful contemporary lines. A business acquaintance had moved there, and I was dying to have a look. Well, along come Terry and Elaine Pritikin, who moved in this fall and couldn’t be more pleased. Wait ’til you hear their back story. They certainly have a lot to compare it to. “We’re a long way from being kids,” Terry relates. “We’ve owned eight homes and have moved all over the place.” No kidding. Here’s the rundown: Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; New Jersey; Connecticut; Miami; New York; and finally Jersey City. The move was triggered by an imminent renovation of their West Village loft. “When it came time to remodel the kitchen and the bathrooms, with the dollars and cents and aggravation, it was stupid,” Terry says, “so we decided to let the next guy worry about it.” Fed up with the complications of home ownership, they started looking. Their search was wide-ranging: Long Island City, Brooklyn, Riverdale, Englewood, Edgewater, West New York, Weehawken, Hoboken, and Jersey City. Proximity to Manhattan, an urban environment, and good bang for the buck were major considerations. They’d pretty much settled on Hoboken or Jersey City. “We found an apartment in Jersey City, put down a deposit, and signed a lease,” Terry says. “But a week later, my wife and daughter, who’d seen Cast Iron Lofts online, went to take a look.” They were hooked. “They said it was magnificent and wanted me to get over there immediately. A day or two later, I showed up, and the rest is history.” So, what was so magnificent? “The overall finishes were substantially better than most things seen in a rental,” Terry says. “The flooring, the countertops, from a design standpoint, it was outstanding. It was important to us to have an open-area kitchen. For most people, the kitchen is the center of energy, and that’s exactly what we wanted for our lifestyle.” They have three bedrooms, a den, and three full bathrooms in an 11th-floor unit. Terry and Elaine have separate bathrooms. “That’s really nice when you’ve been married a long time,” Terry reveals. “All my stuff is in mine, and the same for my wife; it makes for a longer marriage.” Their long marriage has produced kids and grandkids, and accommodating them is important. Their daughter, Alicia, is there temporarily, and their son and his family visit from Los Angeles. “They can stay with us and have privacy,” Terry says The public spaces include a nursery, party room, pool, and gym. When I talked to Terry, the family had been living in Jersey City for only a month, not long enough to fully explore their new hometown, but they can’t wait to hit the local restaurants. “We enjoy eating out and taking friends to new places,” Terry says. One couple they know is thinking of selling their place and moving to Jersey City. Says Terry, “We’re in the learning and discovery phase, and it’s fun.” —– Kate Rounds
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WELCOME TO Dr. Lyles’
world
HANGING OUT WITH JCM
Schools superintendent has seen it all B
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he office of Dr. Marcia Lyles is not for show; it’s for work. Which is why this “Hanging Out With” feature doesn’t take place in the customary café or watering hole. Lyles is pretty busy. The opened files on her desk bespeak a person who has her nose to the grindstone. The walls display photographs and honors, symbols of accomplishment that add to the sense that Lyles is not only cutting a new path but building on what has been accomplished in the past. A confirmed Trekkie, she is the owner of two Star Trek Pez gift sets, which have pride of place in her office. For Lyles, who was named superintendent of the Jersey City school district in 2012, the job is mentally and physically demanding.
“I try to put my foot in every school,” she says. This “meaningful experience” allows her to gain firsthand knowledge of the successes each school has enjoyed and the challenges each one faces.
SCALING DOWN Lyles is a big promoter of the community-school concept, which she says provides an important learning environment in which parents, teachers, and administrators all play a role—support the whole child by working with parents. Lyles believes in small learning communities within large public schools, allowing for personalized learning that creates a bond between students and teachers. She developed the concept as a high-school principal in New York City and has brought it to Jersey City.
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Al Sullivan with Dr. Lyles
“I try to put my foot in every school.” – Dr. Marcia Lyles While smaller high schools don’t need such programs, larger ones do, becoming self-contained schools within schools. Examples include an entire floor of Dickinson High School, and a wing at Ferris High School. Many schools develop their own niches, focusing on specific themes, such as PS 20, which has a strong literary emphasis. “When I go into a school, I generally ask who they are,” Lyles says, noting that the answers often define the goals and aspirations of a community and how it sees itself. Some schools need more attention than others. Historically, PS 15 in the southwest section of the city has faced significant challenges. Ninety-five percent of students qualify for the free or subsidized lunch programs, which means they are at or below federal poverty levels. “This poses some great challenges,” Lyles says.
PARENTS AND PEERS Her philosophy of teaching the whole child encompasses the belief that all children are created equal; she makes a point of listening to everyone, from educators to parents and grandparents. She has enormous respect for grandparents who raise their grandchildren. “They not only raised their own children, but now are doing it again,” she says. “This is their second time around.” Lyles often attends parent teacher organization meetings. If she doesn’t, someone from her team does.
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She’s also a firm believer in the power of peers and has set up peer groups in Dickenson and Lincoln high schools, where upper class members become mentors for incoming freshmen. Many students struggle with the transition to high school. Peer mentors can help set the tone for the entire high-school experience. Peer groups teach skills such as conflict resolution and problem solving, which students will need long after they leave high school.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Lyles knows the education system from the bottom up. She grew up in Harlem, where she attended a public elementary school. When her mother died young, Lyles went to live with relatives, bouncing around the New York City school system, until a teacher inspired her to become a teacher herself. She decided to teach English. She originally attended Benjamin Franklin High School, largely populated with black and Hispanic students. But like many inner-city schools, it was not challenging. She found she could pass without actually attending classes. “I was an honor student, but they didn’t expect a lot of me,” Lyles says. Her aunt asked that she be transferred to Jamaica High School at the end of her sophomore year. Here, she found herself in a school with mostly white students, where she had to work to keep her grades up.
HANGING OUT WITH JCM
“Jamaica had a different population and different expectations,” she says, noting that she learned a valuable life lesson early on about expectations and access to resources. “Not all schools are the same,” she says. “Some are not as supportive as others. Students need to have access to resources, and sometimes you have to do more to help them provide that access. Fortunately for me, I did well in school.” Lyles graduated from Jamaica High School in 1965. She went on to SUNY Fredonia and then transferred to Hunter College, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in English.
IF YOU CAN MAKE IT THERE… Lyles went on to teach English at a high school in Manhattan, but was laid off in the 1970s due to budget cuts. After that she worked at every level of the New York City public school system: English teacher, assistant principal, principal, superintendent, and eventually deputy chancellor. She helped turn around test scores during her term as superintendent in Brooklyn, something she recently achieved in Jersey City as well. She was also CEO of a school support organization, which may explain her strong belief in the importance of parent-teacher organizations. “I believe in grassroots and parents who are advocates for their children,” she says, noting that she meets quarterly with parents. “They tell me how it is,” she says. “No holds barred. It’s a dose of reality when they tell me what’s on their minds.”
Lyles persistently promotes the idea that kids, even in the poorest neighborhoods, can aspire to college— just as she did. She has always been conscious of the gap between the performance of white students in the school system and students of color. “Not every student is at the same place,” she says. “Not all get the same level of support, but we have to make sure they get access to resources, which means we have to do more for some students.”—JCM
The Spirit of Life Ensemble also performs internationally.
Beyond the Stacks There’s more to the library than the written word
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ost of us know the resources of the Jersey City Free Public Library. The historic main branch has undergone a stunning restoration. And there are branches all over town with their own collections and events. One notable program may be the library’s best-kept secret. It’s called the Community Awareness Series (CAS), and the Miller Branch is the base of operations for a couple of standout activities.
All That Jazz, All That Time It’s safe to say that a jazz group that’s been around for four decades has longevity. Spirit of Life Ensemble was launched in 1975, and is still going strong. The impetus was “to bring multidimensional arts to Jersey City,” says founder and percussionist Daoud David Williams. “We also perform throughout the state and New York City and internationally.” In 1977, Williams was asked to develop a free program as part of the Jersey City Free Public Library’s CAS initiative. Headquarters was the Miller branch at 489 Bergen Ave. Over the years, the ensemble has performed in some 5,000 programs, both in the library and in community centers, senior centers, and Jersey City schools that have special-needs kids, such as the A. Harry Moore School at 2078 Kennedy Blvd., and St Joseph’s School for the Blind. (See our story on St. Joseph’s in the spring/summer issue of Jersey City Magazine.) “We’ve had many, many outstanding artists over the years,
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Founder and persussionist Daoud David Williams.
which strengthens the role of the Jersey City Public Library,” Williams says. “Jazz aficionados will know these people.” They include jazz pianists Randy Weston and Kenny Barron, alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, and jazz vocalist Little Jimmy Scott. A typical gig was playing at the rededication of the restored 113-year-old fountain in Lincoln Park this summer. “It’s hard to believe that this many years have gone by, and we’re still chugging along, trying to produce and stay positive,”
The series has some standout activities. Williams says. Financial support is a challenge. “With anything, there are moments of discouragement,” he says. “It’s a struggle to get funding and build support.” It’s the music itself that keeps the group going. “I get excited when the actual programs are produced,” Williams says. “After all the work, there’s the gratification when it’s finally done. It’s like giving birth to something, a living entity. “Performing brings joy and happiness and all that goes along with music,” he says. “The response you get makes up for everything, all the hard, behind-the-scenes work.” The rewards of brightening the lives of others have inspired Williams and the ensemble to achieve a 40-year milestone. “You go into the Harry Moore School, and some of those kids are severely disabled,” Williams says. “Bringing joy is therapy for us as well as them. You walk away feeling good that you accomplished something and brought joy and happiness into someone’s life.”
The group’s CD, “Moments in Time.”
Better Get Healthy Or you’ll have to answer to Grand Master Sup! When I blithely left a message for Grand Master Sup to call me back, I wasn’t prepared for the force of nature thundering from my smartphone. Master Sup runs cardio fitness programs at the Miller Branch of the public library, as well as at the Boys and Girls Club, and the Bethune Center. Calling himself “God’s warrior,” he is the energy, brains, and brawn behind Master Sup’s Boot Camp. His parents gave him a name—Dennis Burgess—but that could be an accountant’s name, so I’m sticking to the one that suits a World Martial Arts Hall of Famer, ninth-degree black belt, and brickbreaking champion. He sounds like the Muhammad Ali of karate, rhyming words: “tight, right, and dynamite,” and proclaiming, “I’m not an imitator, I’m an originator!”
Grand Master Sup is a ninth-degree blackbelt. Photo by RJ Harper.
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Grand Master Sup’s Boot Camp is always packed. Photo by RJ Harper. If he were just a great martial artist, we probably wouldn’t be as eager to have him in the pages of a community magazine. That he runs a cardio-fitness martial arts program puts him dead center in a fight against a health crisis affecting not
PHOTO BY RJ HARPER
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only Jersey City but the entire nation. Diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are three health issues that disproportionately affect the African-American community. African-American women have the highest rate of obe-
sity of any other group in the U.S. Master Sup says that 60 percent of Americans are obese. AfricanAmericans are 1.7 times as likely to get diabetes as whites, and 40 percent of African-Americans have hypertension. Master Sup was asked by Mayor Fulop to bring his program to Jersey City. He calls his method the “gumbo system,” and it attracts everyone from teens to octogenarians. “I created my own system that combines self-defense, martial arts, and cardio fitness,” he says. It incorporates “alertness, self-esteem, willpower, and determination to reach goals and dreams in life.” The program has caught on. “I have packed classes,” Master Sup says. “Every time I give a class there’s no such thing as under 50 people.” He’s a motivator. “I let them know what block, kick, or punch works that particular muscle,” he says. “I inspire and enlighten to give joy, so they always come again and bring more people.” The system seems to be working. “Results happen,” he says. “I have plenty of testimonials. A lady today said her doctor gave her a physical; her
blood pressure is down, and she lost a certain amount of weight, so that she’s not in the danger zone. Her doctor said, ‘Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.’”
Starting Early Master Sup lives in and was born and raised in Jersey City. “I was always doing a lot for the community,” he says. And not just cardio-fitness. He spearheads the Save Our Young Tomorrow’s Leaders anti-bullying and gang-awareness program in schools throughout the city. The headquarters is at the Boys and Girls Club. “I’m grooming them to be tomorrow’s leaders,” Master Sup says, “not a nuisance, but a part of society, and I’ve been getting crazy results since 1999.” Nutrition is a key factor. “Eating and fitness go together,” Master Sup says. “The enemy is people trying to harm us with bad foods. I guide them to the right place to feel good about themselves—smarter, healthier, happier.” —Kate Rounds
SAV E T H E DAT ES
DEC 2 MAR 3 2016
2017
“I inspire to enlighten and give joy, so they always come again and bring more people,” says Grand Master Sup.
Old Rookie BOXER BOBS AND WEAVES HIS WAY TO A PRO DEBUT AT AGE 35
Nicoy Zilla-Clarke STORY AND PHOTOS BY JIM HAGUE
N
icoy Zilla-Clarke didn’t take the most conventional route to professional boxing. The traditional saga would be one of a young boy becoming infatuated with boxing, working his way up from towel boy in the local gym to talented amateur to getting discovered by a top promoter, then lacing up the gloves for the first pro bout. There’s nothing traditional about Zilla-Clarke, who at age 35, has to be one of the oldest fighters ever to make his professional debut. The bout is set for fall, once all the details are ironed out. If he has to wait, he figures he’s already waited 35 years, what’s a few more months?
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BAY TO BRONX The Zilla-Clarke boxing story starts in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where he was born. “But I moved to the Bronx in 1992 when I was 11 years old,” he said. He graduated from high school in 1999 and came to New Jersey to attend college, majoring in mathematics and education. He spent the first two-plus years of his college career at St. Peter’s College, and when finances got tight, he transferred down Kennedy Boulevard to New Jersey City University. Zilla-Clarke said he fooled around with sports in Jamaica but nothing serious. “One of the first times I played boxing with my friends, I must have been about eight or nine years old,” he said. “We had no gloves on. I got hit with an upper cut so hard in my
SENIOR MOMENTS JCM jaw that I swear my jaw was broken. I couldn’t chew for more than a week. I had a black eye. I knew my grandmother was going to yell at me. I always loved boxing, but my mother wouldn’t let me box.” Zilla-Clarke was a fan of one particular heavyweight. “I loved Mike Tyson,” he said. “I used to watch Mike Tyson’s fights all the time.” But he pursued his education first, and it had nothing to do with having a glass jaw. At age 29, life was pretty good. He was living in Jersey City, he was engaged to be married, and was teaching algebra, geometry, and trigonometry at Ferris High School.
GOOD TO BAD
Then, things suddenly changed. “My engagement didn’t work out,” Zilla-Clarke said. “I got laid off from the Board of Ed. Then, my first car, a nice Volvo, caught fire and exploded.” This was on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Jersey City in the Greenville section. “The flames were shooting so high,” he recalled. “I was pushed to the limit,” Zilla-Clarke said. “But that wasn’t it yet.” A friend invited him to a party, and the driver was drunk. “His girlfriend jumped out of the car and ran,” Zilla-Clarke said. “He sped off and left her. I finally got my friend to pull over and get out of the car. We had words. I knew right there that I was going through so much. I could have died or ended up in jail. It was life or death. I had so much anger inside of me.”
He eventually won the Diamond Gloves title in 2012 and captured two New Jersey Golden Gloves titles in the heavyweight division, the last one coming in 2013.
MAKING THE CUT At age 35, Zilla-Clarke waits for the arrival of his pro card, which will officially establish his professional credentials. Then it will be up to the pros in his corner like Felton, Glover, and Mike Rizzo to secure him a suitable opponent. “I’m ready,” Zilla-Clarke said. In September, he was back in the classroom, teaching seventh and eighth graders mathematics at New Jersey City University. This course will help them prepare for high school and college. Imagine having your Introduction to Algebra teacher as a rookie professional boxer? “I honestly never saw myself getting this far,” Zilla-Clarke said. “It’s really exciting, because I didn’t predict it. The last two months of training and sparring have been fantastic. I’m definitely ready. It’s time.” So no Pythagorean theorems and slide rules for the time being. It’s all straight jabs, bobbing and weaving, upper cuts, and body blows. Such is the life of a 35-year-old rookie.—JCM
BAD TO GOOD Zilla-Clarke decided to take the advice of friend Izell Glover, who was about to become the New Jersey Diamond Gloves boxing champion in the heavyweight division. “Izell had boxed in Jimmy Dupree’s gym,” Zilla-Clarke said. “He trained with Dupree.” The famed Dupree—who fought for the light heavyweight championship of the WBA in 1971, held the North American Boxing Federation championship in the same weight class the same year, and successfully defended his title twice—had a 40-10-4 professional record over a 17-year campaign. After retiring from competing, Dupree opened a boxing club on MLK Drive and trained several top boxers, including James “Buddy” McGirt and Joe Gatti. Dupree died in 2014. Glover told Zilla-Clarke about the Renegade Boxing Club on Warner Avenue in Jersey City. “It led me to take my anger out,” Zilla-Clarke said. “I had to relieve some stress.” He also trained with Steven Sumpter, who worked with him in the gym before putting the 29-year-old prodigy in the amateur ring in 2010. “After three months, Steven Sumpter said that I was ready,” Zilla-Clarke said. He first fought in the New Jersey Diamond Gloves tournament in 2010 and went all the way to the finals of the super heavyweight division, where he lost by a decision. “It was a long road from Jamaica to the Bronx to Jersey City,” Zilla-Clarke said. “But I was a boxer. I made it as an amateur boxer.” “I’m ready,” Zilla-Clarke said. Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2016 | 17 •
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ON THE WATERFRONT JCM
YACHT R ACE
Vessels from around the world sail to JC
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PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
If
you happened to be in Liberty State Park on June 11, you might have seen a yacht or two taking part in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Race, which started in July, 2015, in Southampton, England. Ten 60-foot yachts participated . The stop at Liberty Landing marina was the final port in the seventh leg of the race, which ran from San Francisco to the Panama Canal and into New York Bay. One skipper reportedly said that Jersey City and New York City were his favorite ports. — JCM
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Who Said You Can’t Take It With You? JC cemetery keeps history alive
to the Entrance 938 1 , ry cemete
In 1866, it cost $10 for a plot. Now it’s $2,000. This is just one way that Holy Name reflects the evolution of Jersey City. Another are the artistic flourishes that ornament the grounds. When the cemetery first opened, “local artists couldn’t get a lot of work,” Verzi says, “so they made gorgeous statues for the cemetery. Today, there are just square headstones.” Some of the statuary and artwork came from buildings being constructed in New York City. “People had a lot of money before the Depression,” Verzi says. “A lot of the fancy artwork for those buildings ended up being shipped over to the cemetery for memorials and markers, some as high as 10 stories; big crosses and statues came from those buildings. It was the only work the artists had.” The gravestones also reflect Jersey City’s changing demographics. Early on, Verzi says, there were Irish, Italian, and German sections. Now there are Filipinos, Latinos, and Koreans. “Over the years the cemetery is an archive of the community,” Verzi says. “All you have to do is put on your walking shoes, walk down the lanes, and there is history upon history.” Holy Name also added a section for veterans. “You can see all the flags and the military markers, and once a year they have a huge wreath-laying ceremony.”
O
n a sunny summer afternoon, grab your lawn chair, pack your picnic lunch, and head for… the graveyard? That’s right, back in the day, Holy Name Cemetery on West Side Avenue provided 63 acres of shade trees and meandering lanes that gave 19th century city dwellers a taste of the country. In 2016, this historic burial ground celebrates its sesquicentennial: 150 years of sending Roman Catholic families to their eternal rest.
Historic Moment This recognition comes at a pivotal time for Roman Catholic parishes in Hudson County. In a kind of divine downsizing, many have closed or consolidated—in marked contrast to the historic circumstances that brought Holy Name Cemetery into being. Joseph Verzi is assistant executive director Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark. “Years ago every church had its own cemetery,” Verzi relates. As Jersey City grew, there were 100 Catholic churches, and there wasn’t room for each to have its own cemetery.
One of the tallest memorials When a big tract of land was donated on West Side Avenue, “it became the diocesan cemetery,” Verzi says. “All the churches in Jersey City used it, and over time it became the place where all Catholics in Hudson County were buried.”
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The Plot Thickens While the cemetery has logged some 264,000 burials, today, there is no more space, even for headstones, so a modern mausoleum was built. “In Europe they are used to mausoleums,” Verzi says.
ARCHIVES AND ARTIFACTS JCM Photos courtesy Catholic Cemeteries, Archdiocese of Newark.
A woode n casket is placed drawn fu into a ho neral carr rseiage, com in the ea monly us rly 1900s ed .
The cornerstone of the mausoleum’s theme is a suite of windows rescued from Saint Boniface, a community established in the early 1860s to serve the large German population of lower Jersey City. The stained glass windows, completed in 1896, were designed by a glass studio in Austria. Each window was given to the parish by either a family or organization of the Saint Boniface community.
Star Dust
In 2005, the first community garden mausoleum with 1,300 crypts was added. Made of solid granite and nearly the length of a football field, the building includes five gabled and gated alcoves with recessed panels topped with decorative granite motifs, and walls in various granite colors. In 2010, a two-story chapel mausoleum was built on West Side Avenue. The neoclassical granite structure is adorned with decorative, tapestry-like carvings. Skylights allow for plentiful light. The mausoleum also features
numerous original works of liturgical art, including stained glass windows and an ornate, two-story mosaic. Verzi notes that at one time, “there was a church on every corner in Jersey City, Italian, Irish, German on three corners.” When those churches were combined or closed, magnificent works of art and stained glass found their way into the new mausoleum. Parishioners from closed churches such as Saint Lucy or Saint Boniface Parish Church often come in to view this precious artwork.
Many notable Catholics are buried here, including former Jersey City Mayor (1917-1947) Francis “Frank” Hague; former state Senator Thomas Cowan; Justice Marie Garibaldi, the first woman appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court; Frank Sinatra’s grandparents; Robert Hopkins, a crew member in charge of lifeboat #13 on the ill-fated Titanic; four other Titanic survivors with ties to Hudson County; and many Hudson County veterans from as far back as the Spanish American War and Civil War. Says Verzi, “It’s not a place of death but of hope.”—Kate Rounds
Holy Name Cemetery and Mausoleum, 823 West Side Ave., is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit rcancem.org.
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PHOTOS BY TERRI SAULINO BISH
T
he three partners who own Carvao BBQ are perfectly matched for the diverse Bergen Avenue locale on the edge of McGinley Square. Steve Papathanasiou is a Greek-American whose family owned the building where the restaurant is located. For years, they operated a pizzeria there. His Cousin Jordi Papaspyrou is Greek-Canadian, recently from Montreal, and Max Rudenko comes to Jersey City by way of Ukraine.
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The first thing you should know is that Carvao BBQ is not a barbecue “joint” like the ones you’re accustomed to. We visited on one of those hot days that the summer of 2016 will be remembered for. Entering from the steaming sidewalk, you’re greeted by a sizeable, cool space with a gigantic ceiling fan, wood tables, a large bar, and a general feeling of a contemporary, cutting-edge eatery. Max relates that they fell in love with the Portuguese restaurants in Newark’s Ironbound District. “We wanted to combine the elements of so many things under one
roof,” he says. Those things included the Shake Shack burger, the Chipotle concept with bowls and wraps, and European-influenced barbecue. “The neighborhood didn’t have anything,” he says, “and we wanted to offer products that they did not have access to, with affordable prices in comfortable surroundings.” While we’re taking in our comfortable surroundings, we’re brought a superb Carvao Sangria, with red wine and fresh fruit. Another popular cocktail is the Caipirinha, Brazilian rum, Velho Barreiro Cachaca, with lime and sugar. The bar serves more than 30 beers, in drafts and bottles, from Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Japan, and right here in Hudson County.
The “open pit” concept was especially appealing to the partners. Carvao is Portuguese for charcoal. “You don’t need to cook with too many spices,” Max says. “The charcoal does the job.” On the evening we visited, the Olympics was playing on one of several TVs. The Brazilian backdrop was perfect for the Portuguese-influenced ambience and offerings. Jordi calls it “fresh, easy comfort food.” Fresh is the operative word. We started with the Mediterranean salad. It may have had what you’d expect: tomato, cucumber, onion, feta cheese, kalamarta olives, and olive oil vinaigrette dressing. But each item was so
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fresh, it seemed to jump off the plate. In Terri’s pictures you can see the bright reds, greens, and purples. Next up was a “bowl,” which comes with a choice of protein. We chose chicken from a list that included pork, beef, and veggies. It comes with white or yellow rice, with black or pinto beans, topped with lettuce, corn, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and hot or mild sauce. Other additions include bacon, peppers and onions, and guacamole. Everything worked together, and again the ingredients were so fresh that there was no chance of a wilted or soggy combo. You could smell the next dish as it approached the table. This piquant appetizer of shrimp and garlic sauce was served with Portuguese bread toasted in olive oil and oregano. Whatever you do, don’t blow off the bread.
Though delicious alone, its main role is to soak up the delectable garlic sauce. Before the next entrees come out, Max wants to talk meat. The meat for Carvao’s burgers and steaks is supplied by the venerable Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors of North Bergen, operating in the United Sates since 1909. “The quality is so good,” Max says, “that we’re not afraid to serve it rare and medium rare. We’re very proud of our burgers.” To prove a point, we’re brought the Carvao Burger, a short-rib blend, with cheese, Portuguese sausage,
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caramelized onions, lettuce, and tomato, with a side of fries. This was followed by a ginormous “combo” platter with a half barbecue chicken and medium pork ribs. Both meat dishes were a testament to the high-quality products supplied by La Frieda. Carvao already has a fiercely loyal group of regulars, from across the street and all the way from Brooklyn. Jordi wants the place to be the “groundwork for future businesses.” McGinley Square, he says, “is really up and coming and can be a destination area.” He cops to no culture shock, coming from Montreal. “I love the people here,” he says. “They’re very real, not trying to be something they’re not. They’re honest and open and know who they are.” Sounds like Carvao BBQ.—Kate Rounds
EATERY JCM
Carvao BBQ 686 Bergen Ave. (201) 369-6955 (201) 309-4516 carvaobbq.com info@carvaobbq.com
JORDI
MAX
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POINT&
SHOOT
PHOTO OF GRAFFITI ARTIST TORCH FUEGO AT PORT-O-LOUNGE BY MAX DI BIAGGIO
SEND YOUR JERSEY CITY PHOTOS TO JCMAG@HUDSONREPORTER.COM. BE SURE TO WRITE “POINT & SHOOT” IN THE SUBJECT LINE.
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CONFUCIUS ASIAN BISTRO 558 Washington Boulevard (201) 386-8898 confucius558.com Confucius Asian Bistro is a perfect mix of ambiance, excellence, friendly service, delicious food served with an attractive presentation, large portions, and affordability. Stop in for lunch and take advantage of the specials or for dinner to experience a tasty meal in a serene environment.
O U T
366 8th Street (at corner of Brunswick Street) (201) 386-8777 carminespizzafactory.com Carmine’s Pizza Factory’s fare is so good, you’ll want to sample everything on the menu (and with its middle-of-the-road prices, you can!). Smothered in piping hot cheese and toppings of your choice, the pies at Carmine’s Pizza Factory come highly recommended by pizza connoisseurs.
D I N I N G
CARMINE’S PIZZA FACTORY
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DINING OUT JCM
DELENIO 357 Seventh Street (201) 798-9539/2233 deleniojc.com Delenio is a neighborhood Italian eatery in the Hamilton Park district, serving the best Italian cuisine and homemade Italian-American favorites using the freshest ingredients. If you are looking for delicious pizza, calzones, or pasta that evoke memories of grandma’s kitchen, Delenio is the place to go. Come enjoy your meal in a gorgeous renovated dining room or seasonal al fresco dining area. You can always take advantage of our fast delivery service. Catering is also available.
GYPSY GRILL 187 Newark Avenue (201) 839-5115 gypsygrillny.com Gypsy Grill uses the finest, freshest ingredients to create delicious Middle Eastern dishes designed to appeal to everyone from vegetarians to the most devout carnivores. Whether you take advantage of the summer outdoor dining or have your meal delivered, the mouth-watering culinary creations with a unique European Mediterranean flair at reasonable prices will make this a favorite dining choice. Catering is available, so be sure to call on Gypsy Grill for your next party.
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DINING OUT JCM
HELEN’S PIZZA 183 Newark Avenue (201) 435-1507 helens-pizza.com Helen’s Pizza, a family owned restaurant, has been serving downtown Jersey City since 1968. Using only the finest ingredients they provide customers with the best tasting pizza, dinners, sandwiches, salads, and now a wide selection of homemade desserts. They have earned their reputation for the best pizza in town. Come taste the difference at Helen’s Pizza. Open seven days: Mon. – Sat. 11 a.m.- 11 p.m. Sun. 3-11 p.m.
ADVERTISE WITH US 201 798 7800
HONSHU RESTAURANT
31 Montgomery Street second floor (201) 324-2788/0277 honshulounge.com When craving an exciting Japanese dish or looking for new cuisine with an enjoyable atmosphere, we have the answer—smoking appetizers, sizzling entrees, fresh seafood, noodles, and sweet desserts. No matter your selection, rest assured we use the finest and freshest ingredients to bring out the unique taste of our superb menu items
JOHN’S KITCHEN CAFÉ 109 Christopher Columbus Drive (201) 433-0019 johnskitchencafe.com John’s Kitchen Café has the honor of being a local tradition since 1996. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, using only the finest ingredients. John’s Kitchen Café has a solid reputation for providing fresh, quality food at reasonable prices.
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DINING OUT JCM
LORADELLA’S FAMILY PIZZERIA 126 River Drive (201) 963-4900 Loradellasfamilypizzeria.com Loradella’s is a family owned and operated pizzeria offering delicious pizza by the slice, Italian comfort food, and great games all under the same roof. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a delicious Italian meal in our spacious dining room. Call in an order for delivery, take out, or host your child’s birthday party with a makeyour-own-pizza activity and an arcade.
MORE EXPRESS 281 Grove Street (201) 432-1673 morenj.com More Express offers a wide selection of Thai and Japanese offerings, and more. Whether you stop by for a meal or take one to go, the experience will be satisfying. More Express is across the street from City Hall.
9 BAR CAFÉ --2+1 6 .,7&+(1 &$)e has 2+1 6 .,7&+(1 &$)e has the honor of being a local tradition since 1996. Our rrestaurant, estaurant, located on Newark Newark Ave. Ave. in JJersey ersey City, City, serves serves breakfast, breakfast, lunch and GLQQHU :H XVH RQO\ WKH ILQHVW LQJUHGLHQWV GLQQHU :H XVH RQO\ WKH ILQHVW LQJUHGLHQWV and hav ha have ve a solid reputation reputation for for providing providing fr fresh, esh, quality ffood ood at reasonable reasonable prices.
CLASSICS
FLAVORS FLA VORS 109 CHRIST CHRISTOPHER OPHER COLUMBUS COLUMBUS DRIVE JERSEY CITY, CITY, NJ 07302 07302 201-433-0019 Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021; $0 ² $0 Â&#x2021; '$<6 $ :((. $0 ² $0 Â&#x2021; '$<6 $ :((.
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18 Erie Street (201) 432-2000 cafeninebar.com Located in downtown Jersey City, 9 Bar CafĂŠ prepares its customers a â&#x20AC;&#x153;work of artâ&#x20AC;? in a cup every day. 9 Bar CafĂŠ is open seven days a week and also serves fresh local baked goods, breads, and fresh breakfast and lunch options.
DINING OUT JCM
RUSTIQUE PIZZA 611 Jersey Avenue (201) 222-6886 rustiquepizza.com Welcome to Rustique Pizza! The Rosiello family warmly invites you to wake up your taste buds with our delicious food in the casual, friendly atmosphere of our dining room. If you’d rather enjoy your meal at home, we offer free delivery or the option of picking up your entrées or pizza. Our bread, dough, and mozzarella are made fresh daily in-house, ensuring satisfaction each time you dine with us.
SKY THAI 62 Morris Street skythaijc.com This new Jersey City eatery near Exchange Place serves traditional Thai cuisine in a warm and beautiful atmosphere. Enjoy a cocktail before dinner and get ready for an authentic Asian feast.
TORICO 20 Erie Street (201) 432-9458 toricoicecream.com Torico Homemade Ice Cream is Jersey City’s destination for ice cream and desserts. While classic flavors are popular, Torico’s specialty is unique homemade flavors that reflect its founder’s love of the tropical tastes of Puerto Rico. Over the last 46 years, Torico has become a local institution. It also offers ice cream social packages, custom ice-cream cakes, pies, pints, and mini-scoop samplers to take home.
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DATES JCM from page 47
28-30 The Last Hipster in Brooklyn, Art House Productions, 136 Magnolia Ave., (201) 9159911, arthouseproductions.org. 8 p.m. on Friday, 9 p.m. on Saturday, 4 p.m. on Sunday. As both a satire of the hipster subculture and a sincere ode to Brooklyn, Nick E. Finn falls in love with BK but is forced to confront his own role in the borough’s gentrification and its rapidly changing identity. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.
29 Glow Walk Run, Liberty State Park, 1 Audrey Zapp Dr., (732) 262-8020, 4-10 p.m. Family fun walk, costume contest, and sanctioned 5K benefitting the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey. Participants will receive glow necklaces to help shine the light on epilepsy. Participants are encouraged
to wear costumes as there will be trick-or-treating at the rest stops. Terminal of Terror, Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., chicpeajchq@gmail.com. Join us as we transform the historic Central Railroad of NJ into the Terminal of Terror. Located in a one-of-a-kind venue overlooking the Manhattan skyline in the heart of Liberty State Park. Four of the leading Jersey City DJs will be spinning, food trucks, haunted activities, bouncy house, costume contest and more.
31 Family Halloween Bash, Newark Avenue Pedestrian Mall, 119158 Newark Ave., 2-6 p.m., jcdowntown.org/events. The 3rd Annual Family Halloween Bash kicks off with the annual kids parade. Programming includes face painting, entertainment and games, an arts-and-crafts
center, and more. There will be a variety of vendors, food, and beverages. Free.
NOVEMBER 4-6 Jersey City International Television and Film Festival, various locations, jcitff.org. Festival events include screenings, workshops, and conversations with prominent members of the film and television community.
17 LCS After Dark: Whiskey Tasting, Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., 6-10 p.m., lcs.org/lcs-after-dark. Bring your friends to an afterhours adventure at Liberty Science Center. Guests 21 and over can enjoy cocktails, food, music, dancing, laser shows, and more.
DECEMBER
15
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LCS After Dark: Space Cantina Party, Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., 6-10 p.m., lcs.org/lcs-afterdark. Bring your friends to an after-hours adventure at Liberty Science Center. Guests 21 and over can enjoy cocktails, food, music, dancing, laser shows, and more.
JC Fridays – Winter Citywide Arts Fest, jcfridays.com. A full day of arts events in Jersey City that include art, performance, music, film, and education. All events are free and open to the public.
12-13 Jersey City Dance Academy Christmas Show, 107 West Side Ave., (201) 435-8943, jersey citydanceacademy.com.
14-19 Winter Extravaganza Week, Jersey City Dance Academy, 107 West Side Ave., (201) 435-8943, jerseycitydance academy.com.
TOURS & TASTINGS AT THE
BREWERY WED.—FRI. 5-9 PM SAT. 3-9 PM
4201 Tonnelle Ave. enter on 43rd street North Bergen, NJ 07047
njbeerco.com 201.758.8342
INFO@NJBEERCO.COM
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