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CONTENTS 07030
FEATURES 14 THE MAIN DRAG
Washington Street Washout
18 HIGH-TECH HOBOKEN Silicon Valley
26 THE ROTARY CLUB
Giving Back
18 36 SPORTS AND FITNESS
Hoboken Lacrosse Club
40 ON THE JOB WITH
Failla’s Memorial Home
42 WATERING HOLE Nags Head
COVER 45 POINT AND SHOOT Court Street
Cover image Giselle Quinones by tbishphoto
46 DINING OUT
28 DEPARTMENTS 10 CONTRIBUTORS 11 EDITOR’S LETTER 17 DATES 22 EDUCATION
Project Lead the Way
28 DOWN MEMORY LANE
Dr. Neil Marciano
30 HOW WE LIVE Park Avenue
32 HOW WE WORK Small Businesses
34 HELPING HANDS A Home for Vets
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Amanda’s
WINTER 2018 Vo l u m e 6 • N u m b e r 2 Published twice annually A Publication of The Hudson Reporter
PUBLISHERS Lucha Malato, David Unger EDITOR IN CHIEF Kate Rounds GRAPHICS STAFF Terri Saulino Bish Ines Aldaz Lisa M. Cuthbert Alyssa Bredin Quirós Pasquale Spina COPYEDITING Christopher Zinsli ADVERTISING MANAGER Tish Kraszyk SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Toni Anne Calderone-Caracappa Ron Kraszyk ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jay Slansky John Ward CIRCULATION MANAGER Roberto Lopez CIRCULATION Luis Vasquez ACCOUNTING Veronica Aldaz Sharon Metro
07030 Hoboken is published by the Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P., 447 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002, (201) 798-7800, Fax (201) 798-0018. Email 07030@hudsonreporter.com. Subscriptions are $10 per year, $25 for overseas, single copies are $7.50 each, multiple copy discounts are available. VISA/MC/AMEX accepted. Subscription information should be sent to 07030 Hoboken Subscriptions, 447 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ 07002. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other unsolicited materials. Copyright ©2018, Hudson Reporter Associates L.P. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.
07030 Hoboken is a publication of The Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P. 447 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002 phone 201.798.7800 • fax 201.798.0018 e-mail: 07030@hudsonreporter.com www.hudsonreporter.com
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TERRI SAULINO BISH
MARIO A. MARTINEZ
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.
LAURA DeBRIZZI
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.
is a freelance writer who largely covers the entertainment beat. She is working on finding a publisher for her children’s book, “Why Grandma Forgets...”
AINSLEY LAYLAND
is a freelance writer, graduate of BYU-Idaho, and recent Hoboken transplant. She has been writing professionally since 2013 and currently works around the clock to keep up with her little ragamuffin son.
is a freelance journalist who was born and raised in Hoboken. Aside from writing, Mario enjoys staying active and living a healthy lifestyle.
ALYSSA BREDIN QUIRÓS
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.
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.
MAX 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.
LAURA DeBRIZZI
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AINSLEY LAYLAND
MARIO A. MARTINEZ
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VICTOR M. RODR IGUEZ
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MAX RYAZANSKY
TARA RYAZANSK Y
PHOTO BY MARIE PAPP
EDITOR’S LETTER 07030
Rising From the Ashes W
e’re a tough little city. Hobokenites have shown that they can survive gentrification, vertical development, floods—and now their main street dug up, dusty, devoid of street signs, and hamstrung by detours. Lots has been written about Washington Street’s massive infrastructure project. Our story is more of a pictorial journey through the maze, with images by Max Ryazansky. Wife Tara talked to folks on the ground. While the town welcomes a new street, many of Hoboken’s traditional institutions are going strong. see page 39
07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 11
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THE MAIN DRAG WASHINGTON STREET A HOLEY MESS
BY TARA RYAZANSKY PHOTOS BY MAX RYAZANSKY Washington Street’s ongoing multimillion dollar infrastructure project will upgrade the town’s water main. It will also improve pedestrian safety with the addition of timed crossing signals. Potholes will be filled and sidewalk bump-outs will extend the curb. Completion is expected in summer 2018, according to washingtonstreetproject.com, a site created to give the community biweekly updates. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter also provide updated information. But the project is noisy, dusty, and frustrating for residents and visitors. Check out Max Ryazansky’s images on these pages to get a true picture of the chaos on Hoboken’s main drag.
CONSTRUCTION OR DESTRUCTION? Michael Landi, co-owner of Acai Ya Later at 203 Washington says that in summer customers didn’t want to sit outside because of the jack hammering. He has noticed a 50 percent drop in revenue since the construction work traveled up Washington Street to his area off the corner of Second Street. He specializes in smoothie bowls, and Indian-summer weather should have been great for business. “Business was booming when construction was on First Street over the summer,” he says, grimly surveying the empty tables. “It doesn’t look like they will be finished anytime soon.”
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Construction, which has been underway since February, has made its way up Washington from Observer Highway and will continue up to 15th Street. Vincenzo Bove owns the Koro Koro Rice Bowl Café at 201 Washington. “Obviously it’s affecting us, the traffic, the parking,” he says. “However, this is necessary, and at the end it’s going to look much better. You have to sacrifice to make it work for the betterment of the community. Of course we want it to be faster, but it is what it is.”
WE DELIVER Washington Street storefronts serve as the loading zones for incoming deliveries. Construction has been an inconvenience for delivery drivers who bring goods to these local businesses. Nancy Guajardo, manager of The Brass Rail at 135 Washington, says that their takeout delivery drivers have had trouble maneuvering 07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 15
around the construction. She says she was blindsided the day that construction started outside the restaurant. Summer was particularly bad for the Brass Rail. “I came in one day, and I was like, “Oh OK, half of the sidewalk is missing,” she says. “We weren’t even warned. We pay for a permit to have the patio because that’s where we make our money. No one can sit outside if we have no sidewalk. Of course it was gorgeous that day.” Guajardo says that they complained, and a temporary sidewalk was built to accommodate them, but the trouble wasn’t over yet. After the work started outside the restaurant, the basement flooded. “That was the cherry on top of the whole situation,” says Guajardo, who went back to city hall, and a few days later the problem was fixed, when they located the underground leak on the corner of Second Street. “Luckily we had no major damage, but we lost a lot of business.” Guajardo sees it as a citywide problem and suspects that people will look to other towns for fun and dining. “We want to welcome people in,” she says, “but we are keeping people out because who wants to drive in Hoboken?”
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YOU CAN’T GET THERE FROM HERE Parking, which was already limited, is shut down along the active construction area. Bus routes have been altered to avoid the work as well. When it comes to pedestrians, for the most part, Hoboken residents are city folks who are used to navigating construction. Though several people grimace at the disruption, many see the necessity. “This is better than having a water main break,” says Felix Ayala, who works in the area at Giannone Wine & Liquor Co, which is not on Washington Street. “Preventative measures are a lot better than reacting after the damage is done. I would rather this than someone losing a life,” he says, recalling the sinkhole and water main break last spring. “They’re doing the right thing.” However, the work can also be a danger to pedestrians. A few months ago, a woman who was pushing a baby stroller across Washington and Fourth Street was struck by a falling traffic light. Her injuries were described as minor, and the baby was not harmed.
The rough terrain also affects the elderly or physically disabled people, but once complete, Washington Street will include ADA-approved handicap curb ramps at every intersection. “When they’re done it will all be worth it,” Bove says. But, for some, the sounds of construction machinery pounding the pavement drown out that sentiment.—07030
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ONGOING Garden Street Farmer’s Market, 14th Street and Garden Street, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturdays through Dec. 16. Hoboken Gallery Walk, various locations, hobokengallerywalk.com. 2-6 p.m. Third Sunday of every month. Galleries and art spaces around Hoboken participate with special events and receptions highlighting the work of local, regional, and international artists. The Mile Square Toastmasters Club Meetings, Hudson School, 601 Park Ave., milesquare.org. Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Develop public speaking skills and leadership skills in a safe and supportive space. Dance Classes, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., (551) 587-0121, symposia.us. Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m. $15 per person per hour or $50 for four lessons. Free Yoga Classes, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., (201) 805-1739, symposia.us. Wednesdays 7-8 p.m. Certified Yoga instructors Bridget Heavy and Carmen Rusu guide students through basic yoga postures, yogic breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques. Guitar Circle, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., chaase@chdesignsolutions.com, symposia.us. Thursdays 8:309:30 p.m. Come jam with local guitar players in a casual, friendly atmosphere. Share your favorite songs and learn new ones. All playing levels and styles are welcome.
see page 20
07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 17
High-Tech Hoboken The next Silicon Valley? BY AINSLEY LAYLAND
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n 2012, Mayor Dawn Zimmer set a goal for Hoboken to become the next major tech hub. Hoboken has seen a lot of progress in five years, and local tech gurus think we may have what it takes. “The history of Hoboken has gone from agriculture, to industry, and now to technology,” said David Powell, cofounder of Mission Venture Partners and Program Director at Hoboken’s Mission 50 co-working space. “There is a huge potential for tech startups and tech companies here, and we want to bolster that.” Major companies have relocated or decided to keep their headquarters in the Hoboken area, providing jobs and helping the economy to flourish. “Audible.com was acquired by Amazon two years ago,” Powell said. “They wanted them to move headquarters out to Seattle, and Audible decided to stay because they saw this area has potential.” The company has headquarters in Jersey City and Newark. “Jet.com also made the move to stay in Hoboken because having access to the talent in the area is a big deal. Samsung is looking at bringing headquarters to Hoboken, so that would be a huge thing.”
Well on its Way Aaron Price is another major player in the local tech community. Cofounder of Mission50, he thinks Hoboken is more than ready to become a technological asset to the East Coast. “Hoboken offers the ability to be near a major metropolitan area like New York City and to recruit talent,” he said. Price cites talent, community, education, press, and capital availability as key elements that Hoboken already has.
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He founded NJ Tech Meetup in 2010 hoping to create an environment where local innovators and entrepreneurs could inspire each other. It has now become the largest technology gathering in the state. Boasting 7,000 members, this collective is shooting to take technology to the next level. “We hold the meet-ups almost exclusively at Stevens, and it’s a sellout crowd every time,” Price said. “It’s mostly entrepreneurs and businesses, but students get involved too.” The meetup has already had a positive impact. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, members collaborated on a relief project. “When Hurricane Sandy came through five years ago, the NJ Tech Meetup was looking for what we could do,” Price said. “I reached out to people in the group, and we came up with this fundraiser. Someone said they could do hoodies and T-shirts, someone said they could build the website, another person said they could handle the graphic design, and in about 30 hours we put together a landing page called Heal Hoboken to sell these hoodies and sweatshirts. We raised $32,000 all within a week or so, and obviously it kept coming in afterward. This is a highly engaged community, made up of wonderful people.” Price is also owner of Propelify, which puts on the Propelify InnovationFestival that draws thousands of participants to Hoboken every spring. They embrace the Profelify motto of taking their ideas and propelling them forward.
City Hall Helps David Powell said, “The next mayor has a huge opportunity to take Hoboken to the next level. They’re looking for five more cities to test autopilot cars, and I think with so many families in Hoboken, safety is a huge issue, so this would be a great place for autopilot cars, and that call comes from the mayor. If we provided Wi-Fi for all of Hoboken, that would attract a tech person, an intelligent person; and piloting those auto-cars would attract people who drive Teslas, wealthy people who are into technology.” “Stevens is churning out programmers left and right,” Powell added. “Just three years out of school you can be making $120,000 as a computer programmer. It’s a hot commodity right now. It’s better than any Ivy League school, in my opinion.”
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Technology has traditionally been a male-dominated industry. Women, many in high places, have denounced the culture of sexism in the tech world, reporting sexual harassment and even sexual assault. “But,” Powell said, “recent years have proven that more and more women are interested in this field. We need them badly. These women are extremely smart and successful. They have the knowledge and experience to start a tech company.” Powell sits on the Advisory Board for the New Jersey Technology Council, which held the inaugural Women In Technology conference this fall at the Douglass Campus at Rutgers in New Brunswick. Panelists included Ann Ferracane, general manager of Lyft for the New Jersey region, who talked about the culture of technology companies. “It’s almost like you’re a group of college students working on a project all night,” she said. “If you’re in a supportive environment, that starts the chain, which then breeds innovation.” Said Powell, “Hoboken is in the early stages of being a major tech hub. It has all the parts.” —07030 PHOTO OF ANN FERRACANE BY AARON HOUSTON PHOTO OF DAVID POWELL BY MEGAN MALOY OF MEGAN MALOY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO OF AARON PRICE BY CAROLINE SINNO PHOTOGRAPHY
07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 19
DATES 07030 from page 17
Penny’s Storytime at the Museum, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org. Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Education Curator Maria Lara and other guest readers share stories with children ages 2 to 5 and their caregivers. Registration required. See webpage for link, posted at 10 a.m. on the day before each session.
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Storytime at the Fire Department Museum, 213 Bloomfield St., Sundays at 12:30 p.m. The museum hosts a weekly storytime program for children between the ages of 2 and 5. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Free. Mrs. M’s Story Time, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Join us for story and craft time for children ages 2 1/2 and up.
JANUARY 6 Create with Me! – Compliments, Monroe Arts Center, 720 Monroe St., Suite E511, (201) 9269620, eatmetal@mac.com, eatmetal.org. Spend time with your child being creative and artsy in Create with Me!, a class for an adult and child who want to spend time together while making a beautiful metal piece to take home. Children must be at least 7 years old to attend art jewelry classes. Classes are $60 per pair ($30 for additional people), and they run up to 1.5 hours. All tools and materials are included in the cost of the workshop. In Compliments, you and your child will make a necklace complimenting each other. Learn stamping and texturing during the one to one-and-a-half hour class.
8 Climate Mobilization Meeting, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., 6:30 p.m. If you care about the environment in Hoboken and the planet, come and find out what you can do at the Climate Mobilization meeting. Pizza will be served, so stop by on your way home from work.
see page 21
DATES 07030 from page 20
9 Start Your Own Home Business, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., 6:30 p.m. If you are interested in starting, or have already started but need help managing a home based business, this SCORE Seminar taught by Katherine Cauley is for you. Come in to learn what proper steps to take.
10 Still Life Drawing Class, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., 10 a.m. Art teacher Liz Cohen Ndoye will hold a new series of four drawing classes focusing on still life. The classes will be held on January 10, 17, 24, and 31. Students will progress from their first triumphs of drawing one object realistically to a complete, detailed still life.
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13 Domino Tournament, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., 12-3 p.m. Start the new year with Hoboken Public Library’s second Domino Tournament, led by our own Bladimir Ventura. We will have prizes, pizza, and a lot of fun! Everyone is invited to watch but only experienced players are invited to enroll. Bring a partner! Seating and time is limited so come early to get a spot to play and win! This tournament will be bilingual, in Spanish and English.
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15 Writer’s Group, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., 6:30 p.m. Feedback is often key on helping improve your writing. Join the Hoboken Public Library Writer’s Workshop to discuss your writing in a friendly and constructive atmosphere. For more information and to submit your work in advance to the group please email hplwriters@gmail.com.
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Lady Memoir Book Club, Little City Books, 100 Bloomfield St., 7 p.m. The new year of the Lady Memoir Book Club at Little City Books starts with discussing Shonda Rimes’s “Year of Yes.” see page 25
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EDUCATION 07030
BY LAURA DEBRIZZI
T
he city of Hoboken is working to ensure that its students have a jumpstart on 21st century careers through its partnership with Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a nonprofit organization focusing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education in grades K-12. PLTW’s three-level course offerings include Project Launch (K-5th grade); Project Gateway (6th, 7th and 8th grades); and, at the high-school level, “Pathways” (biomedical science, computer science, or engineering.) “After looking at other school districts that were participating in Project Lead The Way, giving them calls, and having conversations with their administrators and staff, we decided that if we were going to do this, we wanted to roll the whole program out,” says Hoboken Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christine Johnson. “So we are one of the few districts in the
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nation that actually implemented it in kindergarten through the high school.” The district is headed into its second year of PLTW. “Being a PLTW computer science student at Hoboken High School, I am becoming more confident in how to work through computational problems and resolve complex challenges,” says Sophomore Sophia Ortiz. Emily Schroder, also a sophomore, is equally enthusiastic. “The biomedical science program has helped in many of the other courses,” she says. “I am not only able to connect content but also apply skills to projects and other rigorous assignments. I am so excited to take classes in the high school’s newly constructed biomedical science lab.”
All On Board Christopher Della Fave, Hoboken’s Program Coordinator, says there was “zero to little resistance” among faculty and parents to integrating this
new focus into its curriculum. Daily news reports of Russian hacking in connection with the 2016 presidential race were probably a deciding factor: Slots for courses on the creation of computer apps and the language of coding are now being carved into students’ schedules, along with traditional subjects such as history and English. “As part of our rollout, I had the opportunity to observe the teachers in order to get a pulse on the program, and I can tell you that the kids’ excitement really does drive the curriculum,” says Della Fave. “They love what they are doing.” Gone are the days of notetaking and sitting behind a desk. Many students will likely feel more akin to criminal profilers or detectives-in-training, thanks to the innovative approach of the crime scene analysis class. Students who focus on biomedical science will have the unique opportunity to determine the cause of death of a fictional woman, Anna Garcia, over
2017 Hoboken High School Project Lead The Way Student Orientation
Brandt Primary School Amelia Nutt
r rami Sole acher Sa Training e T ry ta Elemen Teacher Wallace The Way d a e L t c at Proje the course of an entire school year, assisted by Hoboken police officers.
Making the Grade Prior to entering high school, Pathway students must make a commitment to attend a series of lectures as well as summer internships. Students involved in athletics or theater may not have time to devote to the rigors of the program. Still, they are welcome to take any one of the PLTW paths as an elective. “Our philosophy in Hoboken is very much directed toward giving kids opportunities and never to stand in
their way and be an obstacle,” says Johnson. “So while the students apply to get into the PLTW programs, it is very rare that a student wouldn’t be accepted unless the kid really cannot articulate why it is important to him or her.”
The Back Story PLTW, which was founded in 1997, is currently used in 10,500 schools across the country. “When you go into a PLTW classroom, you really see something that looks a lot different than the traditional classroom,” says Jennifer Erbacher, PLTW’s senior
director of media and public relations. “Teachers are more than likely walking around to students who are working in groups and very actively engaged in their learning. Teachers are acting as facilitators instead of being that person in front of the class lecturing.” Schools that use PLTW pay an annual fee at the elementary/middle school level of $750 and $2,000 to $3,000 at the high-school level. Verizon, Lockheed Martin, and Toyota have donated funds which are used as grants to schools who want to implement PLTW. Verizon has donat-
07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 23
Hoboken High School biomedical science students Amanda Ortiz (left), Mariah Torres (center), Javier Negron (right)
Hoboken High School biomedical science students Angel Quinones (left) and Andrew Paredes
Wallace Elementary School Storm Baez
chool rimary S h Brandt P nd Patrick Smit a ) ft e (l Lyra Duta
ed more than $8 million to assist with computer science courses. Students can visit pltw.org for more information.
Hoboken Hopefuls “Having conversations with principals and teachers in the fields of science and math, it was apparent that we really needed to bring something that was both educational but also
24 • 07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018
skill-based that was relevant and hands-on to our students,” says Della Fave. “I saw the need where our students would be productive members of our community, and this was a great way to address that.” It’s apparently working. “We’ve been collecting testimonials from the kids,” says Johnson. “I’ve seen anything from ‘I was never a confident student, and now I feel like I am a problem
solver’ to ‘I feel like I can tackle the world!’ “We have kids who never thought of the possibility of going to college because no one in their family had gone,” she says. “But now they are being connected to all types of colleges and universities as a result of the program, and they can’t wait to explore those options.”—07030
DATES 07030 from page 21
20 Create with Me! – Valentine’s Day, Monroe Arts Center, 720 Monroe St., Suite E511, (201) 926-9620, eatmetal@mac.com, eatmetal.org, 12-1:30 p.m. Spend time with your child being creative and artsy in Create with Me! a class for an adult and child who want to spend time together while making a beautiful metal piece to take home. Children must be at least 7 years old to attend art jewelry classes. Classes are $60 per pair ($30 for additional people), and they run up to 1.5 hours. All tools and materials are included in the cost of the workshop. In Valentine’s Day, you and your child will make a wire heart ornament with red beads. Learn wire forming during the one to one-and-a-half hour class. Guitar music from Argentina, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., 12 p.m. Guitarist Carlos Pavan will perform a new wave of modern classical guitar music. With a mix of tradition and influences versatile and original, he blends Tango/Folklore rhythms from his native Argentina with New York jazz harmonies and classical technique/forms.
22 Fantasy Book & Movie, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., 6 p.m. The Hoboken Public Library’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion Group will continue in the new year. Come in to discuss the book “The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland” by Catherynne M. Valente. Help us plan the books we will read for the rest of the year. Before the discussion, come and see a screening of a classic fantasy movie at 4 p.m.
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23 Mile Square City Readers Book Club, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., 6:30 p.m. Author Amy Stewart will discuss (via Skype) her book, “Girl Waits With Gun,” with the Mile Square City Readers.
(201) 659-3900 www.LSFCU.org see page 49
07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 25
Not Your Grandfather’s
R O T A R Y
C L U B
Going strong for almost a century
Rotary Club President Rich Marsh (center) with Hoboken Firefighters and local Rotary Club members in Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic BY MARIO A. MARTINEZ PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HOBOKEN ROTARY CLUB
In
a city that is a melting pot of business professionals of all backgrounds, ages, and skills, the Hoboken Rotary Club unites people who have a passion for service and want to give back to the community. “I always wanted to know how I could give back and help, but I didn’t know how to go about it,” says Rotarian David Bistany, who became a member last year. “The Rotary Club gives us a vehicle to do that. And when you do it, it’s very humbling. It’s amazing.” Founded in 1906 in Chicago by Illinois attorney Paul Harris, the club was created to bring together likeminded business professionals who conducted business with ethics and high standards while also raising the quality of their communities. Now Rotary boasts 1.2 million members worldwide, has clubs in more than 200 countries, and has raised more than $1 billion for humanitarian efforts. The Hoboken Rotary Club, founded in 1921, has kept the traditions of rotary while adapting to its ever-evolving town. “If you choose to meet and do business with people of a like mind who are honest, truthful, mutually beneficial, then you know when you do business with a Rotarian, you’re doing business with someone you can trust and that you are always going to feel good about it in the end,” says Treasurer Gregory Visconti, who has been a member since 1989. Networking within the club is not meant for personal gain but rather to mentor and to inspire one another to serve those in need. “We help locally, nationally, and internationally,” says President Rich Marsh. “And the nice thing about Rotary that I think is different from a lot of other organizations is that no matter what you want to do, anywhere, you can do it. You just have to get enough support from the club, you’re off and running. There are no limitations.”
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A Good Fit Like the city, the Hoboken Rotary Club is a small society that can have great impact. “I think one of the things that makes us a little different is our size,” says Secretary Megan Marsh. “We’re not huge, but that works to our advantage. So when something happens, we can put together stuff really quickly. There’s not a lot of bureaucracy. Some clubs are really large with a lunch and evening club. Nearly a century since its founding, the club continues to serve. Every first Monday of the month, members cook food for The Hoboken Shelter. Often there is so much food that the shelter uses leftovers for lunch the next day. Annually, the club holds coat drives and donates them to various organizations throughout the city such as The Hoboken Shelter, the Jubilee Center, and the In Jesus’ Name charity. During the holidays, the club wraps gifts for the children of the Boys & Girls Club. It also throws a pizza and ice cream party for the kids, hosted by Santa. For every first grader in town, the club publishes a book with the name of the student, their teacher, and classmates, which encourages them to enjoy learning how to read. Third graders are given dictionaries, and for fourth graders, a spelling bee is held to test their literacy. The club also funds the weeklong Rotary Youth Leadership Academy, where kids learn about leadership qualities and how to become good leaders. Recently, the club helped to restore Hoboken’s American Legion Post 107, which was damaged by Superstorm Sandy. The post, which will open next year, is being completely rebuilt and will house six homeless veterans.
The Hoboken Rotary Club recruiting new members at the Hoboken Business Center
Hoboken Rotary Club members with Santa and child at annual Christmas party at the Boys & Girls Club The Gift of Life program raises money to sponsor a child from a developing country in need of heart surgery. Rotarians volunteer to foster children during rehabilitation. The program sends doctors to developing countries to perform surgeries for children and to teach local doctors how to perform them. The club also supports the Alliance for Smiles program, which sponsors treatment for children with cleft lips and palates in underserved areas of the world. “To see that transformation, you’re not only saving someone’s life, you’re also taking a bigger step to show people in that family, community, village, country, that there other people outside of that place that care,” Visconti says. The club meets every Tuesday at noon at The Hoboken Bar & Grill. Meetings are open to anyone who is interested in the club and its services. Says club Public Relations Specialist Christine Bridgelal: “It doesn’t matter what you do, where you go, who you’re with. If you want to do something that’s from within your heart, you will find it. If you want to pay it forward, become a Rotarian.”—07030
(Left to right) Hoboken Rotary Club members Rich Marsh, Megan Marsh, Jim Vance, Christine Bridgelal, and David Bistany at the groundbreaking for the new American Legion Post 107
If you’re interested in becoming a member or for any other information about The Hoboken Rotary Club, call (201) 898-1581 or email Cbridgelal@bankwithbcb.com
Rotary Worldwide In a collaborative effort with the Hoboken Fire Department and many others, the club helped organize a fundraiser that donated more than $1 million in supplies to the fire department of Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic. Firefighters in Boca Chica had been using archaic equipment and wore raincoats when fighting fires. The city was so grateful for the donation that it held a special holiday in honor of the Hoboken firefighters.
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DOWN MEMORY LANE 07030
Raphaella's mother at the vegetable store
Oral History JAWING WITH DR. NEIL MARCIANO In this new department, we’re looking for residents who have anecdotes and pictures from the old days in Hoboken. Email your story to krounds@hudsonreporter.com. Put “Memory” in the subject line. If you have old prints, please scan them to high resolution and attach them as JPEGs.
Y
ou never know where you’re going to find a great story. Certainly not at the dentist with your jaw hinged open and your mouth full of metal. But it turns out that longtime resident Dr. Neil Marciano has a family history that reaches back in Hoboken to a simpler time. There are a bunch of Aniello’s (Neils) and Francesco’s (Franks), and many dentists and lawyers in his family, so we’re not going to wade into those weeds. The family comes from Striano, a farming village east of Naples and Vesuvius. Neil’s grandfather, Aniello, arrived in the U.S. in 1898 at age 10. His future wife, Raphaella, arrived in 1910 at age 18. They met in Hoboken, married in 1913, and never left. Aniello became a longshoreman. Raphaella was nicknamed Frenchie because she had lived in Marseille, where she sold fish, which she kept on the brim of her hat.
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Frank Alfred Marciano, Dr. Neil's father
Raphaella at the vegetable store
Neil's grandfather, Aniello
Raphaella (back row) with her family
Raphaella (right) with a friend
Neil (far left) with friends in front of the vegetable store
Raphaella wanted a vegetable store. Her husband obliged, and they opened one at 415 Adams St. Every day Aniello took the ferry with his cart and horse named Jimmy to the produce market on the West Side under the EL in the ’20s. Aniello and Raphaella had five children. One of them, Frank, became Neil’s father. The family managed to survive during the Depression by bartering. They traded vegetables to butchers, bakers, fishmongers, and others in return for their goods. To save money, Raphaella cleaned the outer leaves of vegetables for the family and sold the remainder to patrons of their produce store. Raphaella sent “care packages” to her village in Italy. The vegetable store was across from Fiore’s. It was a lively scene. Horse-drawn carts drew up with their wares. Vendors shouted in Italian, announcing what they were selling. The housewives sent down a basket with money, and the vendors sent up the goods. Icemen delivered ice for iceboxes, which
kept food cold at home. The Yum-Yum man sold lemon ice for the kids. But some things haven’t changed much. Every church had a feast and procession for its patron saint. A firecracker exhibition signaled the end of the procession. In the 1930s, Neil’s father, Frank, attended New York University as an undergraduate and went on to Temple University in Philadelphia for his dental studies. In 1938, he opened his first dental office in Hoboken at 97 Washington St. The family’s living quarters were in the rear. Neil graduated from dental school in 1966 and joined his father in 1967 at the 97 Washington location. He later moved the office to 93-95 Hudson and then to its present location at 33-41 Newark St. In 1944, Frank cared for one of the most famous mouths in Hoboken—indeed, in the nation. In preparation for a concert at the Paramount, Frank took care of the teeth of another Frank, Ol’ Blue Eyes himself.—Kate Rounds 07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 29
e w how
LIVE
PARK AVENUE
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’m standing on a gorgeous, modern roof deck in mid-October. Just my luck. I arrive on the first really cold day of fall, after days and days of summerlike weather. No matter. I get the picture. There’s a shiny contemporary grill, a square of artificial turf, all-weather TV, a table and plenty of seating for a bunch of friends enjoying a barbecue on a beautiful summer evening. A fire pit is on hand for those chilly spring or fall days. All around you can see the rooftops of Hoboken, and in the distance, but looking really close—the World Trade Center. In fact, this whole unit has unobstructed views of this majestic tower. “Smart” is the watchword for this contemporary Park Avenue duplex. Stephen Sullivan, his girlfriend, Kate Deer, and her two kids, ages 8 and 9, have lived here for two years. Stephen came to Hoboken from Central Jersey in 2005. He lived in the Tea Building and another Toll Brothers building before realizing that he and his family needed more space. Indeed, the Park Avenue digs are 2,400 square feet. “Space is a premium in Hoboken,” Stephen says. The duplex is a rebuilt brownstone. Another family lives on the first two floors and owns the backyard. Stephen and his family have the third and fourth floors along with the roof deck. An elevator can carry them all the way to the roof. On the third floor are the bedrooms, with the kids at one end, and the master bed-
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IV E 0 7 0 3 0 HOW WE L
room on the other. Stephen uses an additional bedroom as an office. There are three full baths, and plenty of closet space. The closet that houses the high-tech smart equipment also has a trampoline. Both girls are gymnasts. Their rooms are spanking neat. Just kidding. The rooms are charmingly cluttered, like most girls’ (or boys’) rooms. Stephen self-identifies as a “serial entrepreneur,” developing properties and consulting in digital marketing. Kate is in the real-estate business in Hoboken. On the fourth floor are the kitchen, dining room, and living room, with access to the roof deck by elevator and stairs. “The roof deck is really quiet,” Stephen says. Stephen chose Hoboken for its proximity to New York City. When he goes out in Hoboken, he usually stops by the Madison Bar & Grill. The main feature of the house is its intelligence. In other words, it’s a smart home. “Everything is controlled through my phone,” Stephen says, “blinds, air conditioning, lights, music, TVs, by the touch of a button, even if I’m not home.” There’s also a camera on the roof. “I can see what’s going on and keep tabs on things,” he says. “The way technology is going, it’s a lot easier. It keeps it neat, easy, and efficient versus having a bunch of different TV controllers for different floors and going up and down stairs flipping the lights. It’s definitely convenient.” Kate was a little overwhelmed by the smartness at first, but now she’s on board, and of course the kids are on board. On the morning I visit, she’s sitting at a beautiful wood dining table with her laptop. The kitchen, dining room, and living room are open plan. Everything has a sleek, slate-gray look, with stained wood floors. The living area has another large TV. “We’re developing properties in Hoboken, and every home is going to be a smart home,” Stephen says. “It’s the wave of the present.”—Kate Rounds Photos courtesy of Serious Audio Video
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B U S I N E S S E S
M A K E
H O B O K E N
W O R K
PHOTOS BY ALYSSA BREDIN QUIRÓS
OM SWEET HOME 708 Anderson Ave. Cliffside Park (201) 943-2253 om-sweethome.com
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awn Pascale became a baker the usual way: By attending vegan baking boot camp. Hey, didn’t we all? But the story doesn’t start there. It starts with Graham Kerr and the Galloping Gourmet, an enormously popular cooking show that aired between 1969 and 1971, long before the spate of iron chefs and souped-up cooks who fill the airwaves today. At the time, Julia Child was queen of the TV kitchen. Dawn was only 5 when she fell under the spell of the Galloping Gourmet. Her mother wanted her to enroll in the morning session of kindergarten, but Dawn insisted on the afternoon session, so that she could watch her favorite show. Though Dawn went on to become a skilled home cook, her professional life took her into the banking business, with stints at Deutsche Bank and Citigroup. While she was in corporate America, she was also baking cakes for private clients, family, and friends, but the business started to tank in 2012. “What was I going to do? Start a cupcake company like everyone else was doing?” she asks. “A lot of friends were vegan, vegetarian, and pescetarian. We’d go out to dinner to a variety of places, but the desserts were less than adequate.” About a year later, she lost her job and headed to boot camp to study with Fran Costigan, the Queen of Vegan Desserts. “It changed my perspective on baking,” she says. “Butter, eggs, sugar, and flour were traditional, but I was learning a different way to do things for a grossly underserved market.” She started renting a catering kitchen in Hoboken’s Pilsener Haus & Biergarten and was peddling four vegan recipes wholesale. But it turned out, folks weren’t interested in vegan. “People had been captured by the buzzword “gluten-free,” so she combined the two. Dawn lived in Hoboken for 20 years. She’s a member of the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce and was running her business from here, but she needed a larger space. “I love Hoboken to death, I really do,” she says, “but I did not need to live there because I wasn’t commuting to the city.”
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Dawn Pascale at bwé kafe, which sells her baked goods
Enter Cliffside Park. She now lives in this upriver town and opened Om Sweet Home there in 2013 on the town’s main drag, Anderson Avenue. The shop offers granola bars, parfaits, cinnamon rolls, muffins, micro cakes, scones, cookies, doughnuts, bread, rolls, coffee, tea, nondairy butter, and cakes to order. The company supplies retail shops in NYC, Brooklyn, and Glen Cove; and in N.J. in Hoboken, Jersey City, Edgewater, Millburn, Fort Lee, Montclair, Andover, and Morristown.
Visit om-sweethome.com to learn about events and classes. Dawn describes the rewards of accommodating a one-year-old who has never eaten a cookie in his life, or a senior citizen who is deathly ill but can now eat the brownies he loves. “When you allow yourself the opportunity to do something you’ve always wanted to do in life, I can’t describe it,” Dawn says. “The satisfaction, the love, the passion, the purpose, it’s amazing.”
Luke Faust and Dena Reynolds at their movement space
MONROE STREET MOVEMENT SPACE 720 Monroe St. C-504, 5th Floor (201) 222-8033 info@movementspace.com movementspace.com
F
ounder Dena Reynolds didn’t just pick the name out of a hat. The word “movement” has special meaning for this lifelong dancer. “I started dancing as soon as I could walk, movement really,” she recalls. “When I was a little girl twirling around, I’d love to see my dress fly up. Seeing that, my parents enrolled me in dance classes.” She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science and Arts degree and an MFA in dance. She studied “ballet, tap, jazz, everything offered in college. I learned different styles of modern dance and started to become more of a modern dancer with freedom to move.” For most people who aspire to any of the arts, New York City is a big draw. Dena was no exception. “It was really important for me at some point to dance in New York City,” she says. Hoboken was a natural fit for a group of young dancers who wanted a studio. “I met musicians and artists in Hoboken doing fun stuff,” she says. “I started pro-
ducing shows for the historical museum and doing little things that involved movement.” The group opened in the Monroe Center in 1993. But soon, “everybody wanted to move to do other things,” Dena says. “But I wanted to keep the space. It had been the Levolor Factory. There was metal in the floors. We had done all this work on it, and I wanted to hold onto it.” She started teaching kids, which she realized much later was something she’d wanted to do for a very long time. When she was helping her elderly parents move to an assisted living facility, she came across a letter she’d written at age 27 to her mother saying that she wanted to “work with children and help them find their voice and confidence, to help people in the world.” Those “people” include grown-ups. She teaches Positively Pilates and Iyengar Yoga to adults. She and her husband, Luke Faust, also teach Tai Chi to adults. Dena, an Albuquerque native, says, “When I first moved to Hoboken it was calm and quiet and reminded me of home. I knew a lot of people here. There was a lot of music at night, and I was hanging out with artists. Now there’s a beautiful community of families with children. My view of Hoboken has changed with Hoboken.” Her students range from crawling babies to 13-year-olds. “It’s a movement,
music, and language-based learning vocabulary for strengthening the body,” Dena says. “There’s lots of improvisation, building shapes, and arts through movement. Everybody has a dancer inside them, a beautiful way of moving to enhance what they do naturally.” The students also put on performances. “It’s a chance to find out how they feel about things and what messages are in their pieces,” Dena says. Though she has some 200 students, Dena is the only teacher. She wants to work with all the kids, so she can impart her vision of movement. “All arts are a different way of approaching movement and finding yourself within your body,” she says. “It’s really about giving them this way of being in the world that helps support them in anything they want to do, so they are comfortable in their bodies and comfortable in life. If you can move across a room without fear, you can move through life that way.” Kids’ birthday parties are also part of the program. “Parties are movementbased adventures organized around a theme chosen by the family,” Dena says. She founded the space 23 years ago with her husband, who is an artist and musician: “We fell in love working together and have worked together all these years.” “My mission in life is to work with children and make a difference with them,” she says. “It’s what I was meant to do.”—Kate Rounds
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(left to right) Mark Villamer; Keith McMillan, Hudson County AL Commander; Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer; Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise; John Carey; and Mike Wilson, American Legion Post State Commander
A HOME FOR Hoboken Steps Up to the Plate BY MARIO A. MARTINEZ
O
ne of the most shameful blights on the American character is that we often donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t adequately care for the men and women who fight for our country. Among the most disgraceful is the prevalence of homelessness among veterans. Hoboken is attempting to remedy the situation. American Legion Post 107 is
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set to build a new five-story apartment building that will be the new home for the 92-year-old post and will also house six homeless veterans. The new construction will replace the single-story, garage-like post at 308 Second St., with a more modern fivestory building that will have the new post on the second floor and will have six housing units with full bath and kitchens for homeless veterans above. It will be the only post in New Jersey
that will have affordable housing for veterans within the same building. The project is a collaborative effort among the American Legion, Hudson County, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Hoboken Rotary, Monarch Housing Associates, and The Hoboken Shelter, among many others.
HELPING
r 7 Commande gion Post 10 American Le
John Carey
rans. to the vete the salute s d a le k a Joe Mind
The project is expected to cost Post 107 $1 million. Post Commander John Carey said it’s already raised more than $500,000. Many Post Commanders donated to the project. On Oct. 10, Hoboken held a ceremonial groundbreaking. “Today we aren’t just saying thank you, we are taking real action to support our veterans,” said Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “The project we are breaking ground on today will provide a flood-resistant new meeting hall on the second floor as well as six units of housing for homeless veterans on three additional floors. And we have partnered with the Hoboken Shelter, which has committed to providing support service to the veterans living here.”
Mark Villam ar, Financial Officer Amer ican
Legion Post 107
Former Sta te Roger Gen Commander of the D garo; John e Carey look partment of New Jers s on. ey
The ceremony opened with a moment of silence for MIAs, POWs, and those who bravely sacrificed their lives for our country, as well as those who were affected by the tragedy in Las Vegas. The Hoboken High School Choir then sang the National Anthem. Several Post Commanders and state representatives expressed pride that Post 107 valiantly overcame being devastated by Superstorm Sandy, which closed the lodge for more than a year. “The county a few years ago took a vow that we would end veterans’ homelessness in Hudson County,” said Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise. “Over 100 veterans have come and used our services to find housing during that period of time. There are 17
still remaining on our list. We won’t stop until all American service people can live a life of dignity in Hudson County and in Hoboken.” “It is a very important day for me today,” Post Commander Carey said. “I’m very happy that this project is moving forward, and come a year from now, we’ll all be blessed to open six apartments for our American Legion.”—07030 For more information on the project, or if you would like to donate to the cause, visit HeavenHellOrHoboken.org You can also visit www.HeavenHell orHoboken.org or www.gofund me.com/american-legion-post-107
Cradling? Body Checking? Hoboken is helping to put an ancient sport front and center
I
JOE EPSTEIN PHOTOGRAPHY
t’s been around for thousands of years and widely known to be played by Native Americans, both historically and in modern times. The only problem with this incredibly exciting sport is that public enlightenment has not quite caught up with player enthusiasm. Think women’s basketball before the WNBA. Think world-class tennis before Billie Jean King. In fact, when former tennis champ James Blake was recently asked why more American men weren’t winning Grand Slams, he said, “I think it’s the fact that there is a lot more competition in the States. There is basketball, there’s football, there’s baseball. Soccer has become more popular in the States. Lacrosse has become more popular.” According to U.S. Lacrosse, national lacrosse participation topped 825,000 players in 2016; the number of youth players topped 450,000. The Hoboken Lacrosse Club is doing its part to introduce the sport to a broader audience. President Sean Sargent cofounded the club with Dr. Mike Kelly and Richie MacDonnell; all three are former college lacrosse players.
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Right away Sargent dives into an eager celebration of the game—“It’s the fastest-growing sport in America”— but anyone who’s watched it or played it doesn’t need to be convinced. “It’s a fun, exciting game,” he says. “It’s fast-paced. It’s got the speed of basketball, the impact and physicality of hockey, played on a field the size of a soccer field. It’s fun to watch and a great game for student athletes.” This very old sport is still popular among Native Americans. “They’re phenomenal lacrosse players,” Sargent says. “Honoring the game is a big deal in lacrosse. Tribes played it for the pleasure of the Creator and to settle intertribal disputes.”
Home Turf Here in Hoboken the lacrosse club plays from late March or early April to early June, weather permitting, on the field at 1600 Park. Sargent, strategic sales executive at MuleSoft, has lived in Hoboken for 15 years. “We moved here, fell in love with the town, and raised our kids here,” he says. One of those kids plays lacrosse. “I love a town on the water,” he says, “with great food, proximity to the city, and with a great sense of community.” Though Stevens has its own men’s and women’s teams, Sargent says, “There was nothing for youth.” Thanks to the Hoboken Lacrosse Club, which played its first game in the spring of 2014, now there is, for kids from third to eighth grades—three boys’ teams and three girls’ teams. They practice one night a week and have games on Saturdays. Kids from other local communities can register if their towns do not have a lacrosse program. “But we need more field time,” Sargent says, “and have been struggling to grow without field time,” adding that 07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 37
Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Health and Human Services Director Leo Pellegrini have been very supportive of the club. “Jersey City has a youth lacrosse program, and they’re our main rivals,” Sargent says. “It’s a healthy competition.” About 16 men and women volunteer to help the club. Hoboken has a surprising number of former college players, and some volunteers are parents of kids who play with the club. “The Stevens men’s and women’s teams have been great partners in teaching Hoboken kids the game,” Sargent says. Some kids, Sargent says, “have never seen or touched a stick before. Some kids just don’t get it; it doesn’t feel great. And some kids would be on the field six days a week” if they could. A unique feature of youth lacrosse is that boys and girls play different versions of the game. “The boys’ game is much rougher, like hockey without skates, and the girls’ game is more elegant with not as much physical contact,” Sargent says. “They wanted to keep the girls’ game pure. It’s all about stick control and movement rather than rough, physical play.
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But they’re looking at changing the rules, so the girls’ game would be edgier and rougher.”
Women Power The Women’s Professional Lacrosse League (WPLL) was launched in June 2017. As to that edgier girls’ game? “The athletes are bigger, stronger, faster, and more skilled,” says WPLL founder Michele DeJuliis. “The pace is … incredible. The WPLL will continue to push boundaries and innovate the way the game is played.” DeJuliis says the league is “both a professional lacrosse league and a development program for rising talent in our sport.” It “prioritizes character development as a means to excelling in life on and off the field.” Sounds like a good goal for the girls and boys in the Hoboken Lacrosse Club. —Kate Rounds Hoboken Lacrosse Club registration for new players will begin Jan. 1, 2018. Visit hobokenlacrosseclub.com. A great resource for parents is US Lacrosse. Visit uslacrosse.org.
EDITOR’S LETTER 07030 from page 11
The Hoboken Rotary Club was founded nearly a century ago, but business owners in modern Hoboken still rely on this venerable organization to network and give back to the community, whether that community is down the block or across the globe. Mario A. Martinez joined one of its monthly lunches. Mario also caught up with members of American Legion Post 107, another longstanding institution. He was on hand to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of its new post, which will provide housing for homeless vets. Sadly, members of the military who have served our country are too often left out in the cold. Hoboken is doing its part to keep that from happening. Lacrosse is an ancient sport, but most folks don’t know much about it. You’ve probably seen players out on the soccer field, wearing helmets and brandishing sticks with woven pockets to catch a hard rubber ball launched into the air. Sean Sargent of the Hoboken Lacrosse Club gives us the lowdown. I’m pleased to introduce a new department in this issue, called “Down Memory Lane.” We’ve noticed over the years that Hoboken residents have interesting family histories and love to preserve that heritage with photos and other artifacts. We launched our debut story with Dr. Neil Marciano whose family has been in town for more than a century. He has some wonderful sepia-drenched photos of life in Hoboken back in the day. If you have a story, email krounds@ hudsonreporter.com and put “Memory” in the subject line. ’Til next time…
ADVERTISE WITH US 201 798 7800
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Funeral Director David J. McKnight (left) with Manager and owner John McKnight, Jr. A funeral home is one of the most challenging environments to report on. It would be insensitive to invade the privacy of grieving friends and family at the saddest moment of their lives. When we approached Failla, the owners were happy to tell us how the business works, but we would need to hear from them what typically happens when a loved one dies. There were no clients at the funeral home the day that Tara and Max visited. BY TARA RYAZANSKY PHOTOS BY MAX RYAZANSKY
T
he McKnight family is not new to the funeral business or to Hoboken. John McKnight Jr. was born and raised here and has been working in funeral homes in Hoboken since 1971. He got into the industry by chance. While he was engaged to be married, he was having trouble finding work as a teacher and didn’t want to enter married life without employment. He vented these anxieties while attending a wake at Bosworth Funeral Home; they offered him a job. Now he is manager and owner of Failla, along with his son, Funeral Director David J. McKnight. Despite being born into the business, and making pocket money working as a pallbearer as a teenager, the younger McKnight was not pushed into the family business. He came to it on his own
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FAILLA’S
M e m o r i a l while working in finance in New York City. He should have been excited about landing his first job in his field right after graduating from college, but he wasn’t. “I didn’t really feel like it was my calling,” David says. “I missed the funeral home.” He has been working at Failla since 2004. His father credits him with expanding the family business to include two more funeral homes: Frech-McKnight Funeral Home in Dumont and Beaugard-McKnight Funeral Home in River Edge, which honor the founder’s name and legacy.
Seven Decades of Service Failla Memorial Home was founded in Hoboken in 1947 by Silvio J. Failla. An oil portrait of Failla greets visitors at
H o m e
the entrance. The building is composed of three converted tenement buildings. It has three chapels, one downstairs and two upstairs. The McKnights describe a typical day at the memorial home. Loved ones of the deceased cluster in groups, telling old stories, laughing, and crying underneath a sign that reads, “Failla Memorial Home.” A new sign is in the works that will read “Failla-McKnight Memorial Home.” John McKnight will lead mourners into the ground-level chapel. The families have usually formed a bond with the McKnights throughout the days of planning the funeral and the wake. The McKnights guide them through this difficult day. “I’m here to ease their grief,” John says. The job of a funeral director is part therapist, part clergyperson, and part host. Both McKnights are skilled at playing their parts.
The group, along with the McKnights, will usually go on to a house of worship, often St. Ann’s Church, which provides services for many Failla clients. “Because Hoboken is a mile square city, there’s an intimacy that we share with all the parishes,” John says. David emphasizes that the funeral homes provide services for all faiths as well as nondenominational memorials, working closely with families to tailor unique tributes to the loved one. “This industry is definitely growing and changing,” David says. “It used to be traditional.” But now, he says, more people opt for cremation. He’s read studies reporting that as many as 64 percent of funeral services include cremation, though Hoboken remains traditional. Another change in the industry is the popularity of large corporate funeral homes. “They treat everyone as a number, whereas we treat everyone as a family member,” David claims. Adds John, “There’s a great deal more service and compassion that come with a family-owned business.”
The Memorial Home has three chapels.
Price Not a Problem Failla doesn’t push sales. It works with families to find a way to pay tribute to the deceased within their price range. “We’re very financially sensitive to people,” David says. “We’re just not salespeople. Whether people come in with a $2,500 cremation or an $8,000-to-$12,000 traditional funeral, we treat everyone the same.” They accept Medicaid, insurance, and credit cards. They also do community outreach services. John McKnight Sr. was a Hoboken firefighter, so it was only natural for his son to provide free funeral services for victims of 9/11. “It was my way of doing something,” John says. The McKnights also never charge parents of stillborn children.
The job of a funeral director is part clergyperson.
A Feeling for Families After a funeral service, often at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City, the McKnights will return to Failla. The pair will go to John’s office. In lieu of a desk, he has a table, which creates a communal atmosphere designed for conversation. An imposing desk might feel like it separates the director from the bereaved. It changes the mood of the room in a distinct way. “Nobody wants to be sitting at this table,” John says. “People are emotional and devastated in most cases. If there was a preceding lengthy illness they’re physically drained as well. By the time they leave you can actually see a change in them. They’re looking forward to the tribute, still with a heavy heart, but they are ready to honor and pay tribute to their loved one.” The grandfather clock in the main room tolls somberly; it’s noon, time for a meeting with another bereaved family. “One traditional funeral to the next traditional funeral is very much the same, but every person’s story is different,” David says as he and his father prepare to learn the next story when they meet another family who will rely on Failla Memorial Home to honor their loved one.—07030 An oil painting of former Funeral Director Jack Raslowsky 07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 41
WATERING HOLE 07030
y Finnegan Barkeep Barne
IMAGES BY TBISHPHOTO
If
you think Washington Street is the only game in town, think again. This charming watering hole may seem off the beaten track, but it’s known by reputation, and for local folks, it’s the neighborhood bar.
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We always love it when we find a true watering hole. By that I mean a real bar that doesn’t pass itself off as a bar/restaurant. You can pick up a bag of chips at The Nag’s Head, but it doesn’t serve food. Regulars know that they can bring in pizza, sandwiches, Chinese takeout, whatever suits their fancy.
Bartender Tyler Holob oski
You can tell from the signs that Guinness is a big deal, and owner Barney Finnegan confirms it. Barney is a friendly Irish barkeep, who came over from Dublin “30-odd” years ago to marry the woman he’s still happily married to. He acquired the bar on Nov. 12, almost two decades ago. The name comes from a bar he frequented in Dublin.
07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 43
The Nag’s Head 359 First St. (201) 653-6400 nagsheadhoboken.com
“We have a well-kept line,” Barney reports. This may not mean much to non-beer-drinkers. But if you love beer, and especially draft beer, it means a lot. He’s talking about the line that brings the beer from the kegs to the bar. If it’s not “well-kept,” the beer can taste flat and stale. Worse, it can even make you sick. That’s why some beer imbibers drink only bottled beer. So, if you love draft, and you want to be sure you’re getting a fresh, lively brew, drop into The Nag’s Head.
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As you can see from the archival picture on this page, back in the day, the address was home to a butcher. The bar has maintained the original look and feel. Out back, there’s a typical Hoboken terrace, small and shady, with a few horse hitching posts, ivy, and a fence. It’s pretty to look at, but it’s not part of the bar. No sitting outside, even in summer. Along the walls are typical beer signs and a few tavern maxims like “When I die, bury me under the pub” and “Nothing like a stout.”
The Nag’s Head has a broad clientele. There are plenty of sports on the eight flat-screen TVs. When I was there a hockey game was on. On weekends, of course, there are more offerings, including American football and what Americans call soccer, along with every other seasonal sport. Barney Finnegan, a transplanted Dubliner, loves Hoboken. He’s seen a lot of changes in three decades but says, “It’s a great town and a safe town.”—Kate Rounds
historic h
o b o k e n
STROLL ALONG COURT STREET AND STEP BACK IN TIME IMAGES BY TBISHPHOTO
s Giselle Quinone
POINT&
SHOOT
EMAIL YOUR HOBOKEN PHOTOS TO 07030@ HUDSONREPORTER.COM. BE SURE TO WRITE “POINT & SHOOT” IN THE SUBJECT LINE.
07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 45
PHOTOS BY TERRI SAULINO BISH
In
the 10 years that I worked in Hoboken, I passed Amanda’s hundreds of times. I was always charmed by its welcoming storefront and its warm candlelit ambience. Mention Amanda’s to just about anyone, and you get the same knowing nod: sophisticated cuisine in understated elegance. Which is what I discovered on a Wednesday evening, just after the first night of daylight savings, when the
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dining room was softly lit with candles and wall sconces. When you enter, you’re greeted by a friendly host. A restored brownstone, the place has a homey, residential character, with tables and a small, club-like bar. To the right, and down a step, is a much larger dining room. We chose a table overlooking the back garden. There’s no outdoor dining, but the terrace is small and cozy, with Hoboken’s leafy backyards stretching into the night.
Imbibers, take note, Amanda’s is definitely a wine venue with an extensive list and monthly five-course wine dinners. It also has a small but intriguing array of signature cocktails and martinis. Beer drinkers, take heart! A few are on offer. After a brief discussion, owner Juan Mendoza brought me a Samuel Smith Pure Brewed Organic Lager, brewed in New Jersey. He splashed some in a glass for me to approve, just like a wine drinker. (Class act!)
DINING OUT 07030
The warm bread comes from the legendary Dom’s Bakery in Hoboken and is served with a light, soft herb butter. OK, let’s get down to business. We chose from a selection of 14 appetizers. It wasn’t easy because all of them were enticing. The finalists were Baby Lacinato Kale with orange, apple, and ricotta crostini; and Roasted Baby Beets with horseradish goat cheese, arugula, and walnut vinaigrette. Both were excellent. As you can tell from Terri’s pictures, the beet salad, especially, was a work of art.
Now, I have to warn you. We ordered two entrees, but Chef Deuhana Vargas sent out two more, way too much for two people of course, but these varied dishes give you a good idea of the menu’s broad reach. The first of two fish courses was Dorade, with broccoli rabe, pickled shallots, and Italian salsa verde. Full disclosure: Neither of us knew what it was. For the record, it’s in the bream family and found in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. It was worth the adventure, and the
smoothly prepared broccoli rabe was not as bitter as it sometimes can be. Next up, Atlantic Salmon. This deliciously crisp cube of salmon came atop lemon risotto, arugula, and balsamic. Another home run. Out came the Duck Confit Tagliatelle. This is like a casserole with parmesan sauce, sautéed kale, and black pepper. It’s quite rich, so pace yourself if this savory dish is going to be your main course. Fasten your seatbelts. The final entrée was a Braised Short Rib, with
07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 47
gnocchi, black truffle cream, and crispy potato. This may have been the most tender meat I’ve ever eaten. Put away your knife. You could actually eat it with a spoon. I’d like to come back for this when I’m not so full! At this point, Juan joked that we probably would not have room for dessert. We didn’t, but lo and behold, one of our many fine waiters appeared with a Lemon Crème Brule, which wasn’t even on the dessert menu.
Truth be told, the fresh lemon flavor was perfect after the mélange of tastes that we enjoyed throughout the evening. At one point, Juan’s wife Juliette showed up with their daughter Mia, who appears in one of Juan’s handpainted photographs that grace the front of the restaurant. Juan has an interesting back story. He started as a waiter at Amanda’s,
Amanda’s | 908 Washington St. (201) 798-0101 | amandasrestaurant.com
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eventually buying it in November 2016 from then owners Joyce and Eugene Flinn. Bottom line? Amanda’s reputation for exquisite food and gracious dining in a warm and friendly milieu is welldeserved. If you’ve walked by hundreds of times as I had, next time, walk right in.—07030
DATES 07030 from page 25
23-FEB. 3 Hudson Restaurant Week, participating restaurants, hudsonrestaurantweek.com. This bi-annual culinary celebration promotes Hudson County as a premier dining destination. Enjoy two weeks of discounted dining deals in Hoboken, Jersey City, and Weehawken.
ADVERTISE WITH US 201 798 7800
25 Improv Night, Hoboken Public Library, 500 Park Ave., 7 p.m. Come and have fun at our very first Improvisation Skit Night with Cabrook Films. Join us in a hilarious night as professional actors take everyday words suggested by the audience and turn it into a 1 minute skit. You might even be invited up on stage!
AUTHENTIC MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE
New Age American The Jewel of Historic Downtown Jersey City The Essence of Class with Great Taste
Catering For All Occasions ONLINE ORDERING AT
www.gypsygrillnj.com
201-839-5115
26 Kids Night at the Museum, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org, 6-9 p.m. Kids Night at the Museum is a chance for kids ages 5 and up to leave their parents at home and have their own night of fun! This Kids Night features “March of the Penguins.” $30 per child ($20 for members’ children).
Fax 201-839-5039 187 Newark Avenue Jersey City, NJ (Near Grove Street Path & Jersey Avenue)
Shawarma
FEBRUARY 9 Macbeth, DeBaun Auditorium, Edwin A. Stevens Hall, 24 5th St., 8 p.m. How ugly can it get when power is in the wrong hands? Shakespeare’s dark tale of ambition without wisdom takes a microscope into the souls of unworthy rulers and the country they despoil. Tickets are $5.
10 Create with Me! – Valentine’s Day, Monroe Arts Center, 720 Monroe St., Suite E511, (201) 9269620, eatmetal@mac.com, eatmetal.org, 121:30 p.m. Spend time with your child being creative and artsy in Create with Me! a class for see page 50
Falafel . Hummus Open 7 Days
FREE DELIVERY UPON LOCATION Minimum $20
Downtown Jersey City, Heights & Hoboken 07030 HOBOKEN | WINTER 2018 • 49
DATES 07030 from page 49
an adult and child who want to spend time together while making a beautiful metal piece to take home. Children must be at least 7 years old to attend art jewelry classes. Classes are $60 per pair ($30 for additional people), and they run up to 1.5 hours. All tools and materials are included in the cost of the workshop. In Valentine’s Day, you and your child will make a wire heart ornament with red beads. Learn wire forming during the one to one-and-a-half hour class.
22 Reading of “The Vagina Monologues,” DeBaun Auditorium, Edwin A. Stevens Hall, 24 5th St., 9 p.m. Join the global movement to stop violence against women and girls with our 18th annual reading of “The Vagina Monologues,” written by Eve Ensler. All proceeds go to charity. Tickets are $5.
23 Kids Night at the Museum, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org, 6-9 p.m. Kids Night at the Museum is a chance for kids ages 5 and up to leave their parents at home and have their own night of fun! This Kids Night features “Stuart Little.” $30 per child ($20 for members’ children).
MARCH 2 Hoboken High School Drama Club Movie Fundraiser, 800 Clinton St.
23 Hoboken High School Disney Sing-A-Long Concert Fundraiser, 800 Clinton St. Kids Night at the Museum, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org, 6-9 p.m. Kids Night at the Museum is a chance for kids ages 5 and up to leave their parents at home and have their own night of fun! This Kids Night features “The Muppets” (2011). $30 per child ($20 for members’ children).
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