Jersey City Magazine Winter 2019-2020

WINTER | 2019

INSIDE:

Derek Luke Liberty Humane Polo in the Park Battle of the Bands Champion for Change

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CONTENTS JCM

COVER 48 THE ARTS 150 Bay Street Cover Image of Cheryl R. Riley

by Tatsuro Nishimura

FEATURES 14 CHAMPION FOR CHANGE Environmentalist Robert Harper, Jr.

18 POPUP SHOPS Shipping Containers

22 BATTLE OF THE BANDS

26

JC Studios Fundraiser

26 POLO IN THE PARK A Parade of Fashionistas

30 LIBERTY HUMANE SOCIETY Rescuing Animals

46 LOVE, UNITY, COMMUNITY Derek Luke Gives Back

DEPARTMENTS 6 OUR STAFF 8 CONTRIBUTORS 10 EDITOR’S LETTER 34 HOW WE WORK Small Business

36 HOW WE LIVE The Enclave

38 DATES 44 SPORTS Going to the Mat

52 WATERING HOLE Corkscrew Bar and Grill

54 EATERY Latham House

54

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Jersey City Magazine is published by the Newspaper Media Group, 447 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002, (201) 798-7800, Fax (201) 798-0018. Email jcmag@hudson reporter.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 Jersey City Magazine Subscriptions, 447 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ 07002. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other unsolicited materials. Copyright ©2019, Newspaper Media Group .All rights reserved.

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Jersey City Magazine is a publication of Newspaper Media Group 447 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002 phone 201.798.7800 fax 201.798.0018

Jim Hague

Beth DiCara

Tara Ryazansky

PAT BONNER

Victor M. Rodriguez

MAXim RYAZANSKY

MIKE MONTEMARANO

contributors

J C M

CHERYL R. RILEY

Beth DiCara

is a fulltime artisan working with clay. Check out her Etsy shop, eveningstarstudio or visit her studio at 11 Monitor St. in Jersey City.

PAT BONNER

is a Navy veteran and one of the Bayonne’s 45th Street Bonners.

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 over 20 years.

8 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

MIKE MONTEMARANO

is a staff reporter for the Hudson Reporter and Bayonne Community News. He graduated from Rutgers University in 2016, with a degree in journalism and political science. He spends his spare time writing and recording music.

VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ

has studied publication design, photography, and graphic arts. “I’ve been fascinated by photography for almost 20 years,” he says.

CHERYL R. RILEY

Cheryl R. Riley is an artist and Art Advisor focused on artists of the Black African Diaspora. Her artwork is in museum, public art, and major private collections throughout the United States.

DIANA SCHWAEBLE

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 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.

DIANA SCHWAEBLE

is an award-winning reporter and former editor of hMAG. She has covered Hudson County for more than a decade, writing about the arts, music, and celebs.

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MAKING AN IMPACT

From Paparazzi to Popup

EDITORS’S LETTER JCM

ur mayor likes to say that Jersey City is the most diverse town in New Jersey. He’s right, but it’s not just the population. Twenty-first-century JC is a lively mix of commerce, culture, and cuisines.

A Jersey City resident has even broken a Guinness World Record. He and his team broke the record for the largest underwater cleanup.

Above ground, the Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic is an A-List celebrity display of fashion, style, and high-end sports. Check out Victor M. Rodriguez’s beautiful pictures of the beautiful people who attend this elegant event in Liberty State Park.

At the other end of the spectrum are the unique and whimsical popup shops made from converted shipping containers. Check them out in the Jackson Hill section of town.

One entity that exemplifies Jersey City’s art scene is 150 Bay Street, a downtown residence that has drawn artists of all stripes. One of those artists is Cheryl R, Riley. Read her first-person account of the evolution and attractions of this thriving artists’ colony.

And speaking of first-person reporting, our own Mike Montemarano shares what it’s like to compete in JC’s Battle of the Bands. No spoiler alerts! You’ll have to read the story to find out how his band, Pyre Fyre, did in the competition. see page 40

10 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

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“The Largest Underwater Cleanup in the History of the World.” Photo by Dixie Divers

A CHAMPION FOR C H A N G E Jersey City environmental activist breaks a Guinness World Record

By Diana Schwaeble

F

ighting for the Earth can take its toll, but Jersey City resident Robert Harper, Jr. is riding a high. This summer he participated in the largest underwater cleanup at Florida’s Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier. The record-breaking event included 633 divers removing close to two tons of debris in two hours and was recorded by Guinness World Records. Plastic, straws, fishing line, and hand weights were among the trash recovered.

As a team leader, Harper is glad they broke the world record and happy everything came together. But it’s only the tip of a very big pollution iceberg.

“This cleanup was really a way to inspire other divers and people in communities to understand that we are ruining our oceans, and there is an emergency going on with our planet as many people already know,” Harper says. “But also in a larger context to really have a global conversation

about the need to preserve our oceans and to stop polluting them.”

This is the point in the conversation where polite people smile and others look away. Sure, everyone knows we need to recycle and protect the Earth. But, really how big a problem is it? Bigger than the state of Texas, says Harper, referring to the Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating island of debris made of plastic waste and fishing nets that’s harming our oceans and our ecosystem. Plastic waste takes hundreds of years to biodegrade.

“Clean up the communities, stop polluting, and do whatever you can,” Harper says. “One person can make a difference. People want to complain about what is wrong with the planet, but what are you doing?”

Always an Activist Harper was a Peace Corps volunteer for three years, long before he began advocating for the environment. His background was good preparation.

His father was a Master Sergeant in

14 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019

the Army. Harper and his five siblings lived all over the world, including Germany for 11 years. He was raised in diverse cultures and forced to adapt. That exposure to various languages and cultures has given him a global perspective.

The annual dive convention and expo, Beneath the Sea, held in Secaucus, is a great way for scuba divers nationally and internationally to come together, Harper says.

“Because of the caliber of divers and the underwater film festival attached to the convention, many new ideas are discussed and some, like the Deerfield Beach cleanup, are successfully implemented.

“We talked about how we can do something impactful,” he says. “I’m a filmmaker. Beneath the Sea has a

Photo of RJ Harper by Jon Stulich very important underwater film festival. I’m hoping to piece together a documentary for the festival in 2020.”

In His Backyard

“Kings of the Catwalk.”

Photo by John Helmke

When Harper first moved to Jersey City, he noticed an EPA sign and decided to call the number. He lived a block away from 900 Garfield Avenue – a former site of a manufacturing plant and a blight to residents.

For years, PPG Industries, the company formerly located at 900 Garfield Avenue was producing toxic waste. Chromium was produced on the site from the 1920s until the 60’s. A waste product of the processing process is hexavalent chromium, a highly toxic contaminant thought to cause cancer.

When he found out, he joined the battle over unsafe chromium levels in Ward F, which led him to start his own community activist group, the Garfield Avenue Chromium Coalition.

“Because I’m not from Jersey City I’m more outraged I think. I struggled with why people in general seemed very much OK living in a community that is highly contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals.”

Initially, he thought that calling the people who were supposed to take care of these things would solve the problem. It was shocking to him to find resistance from so many people, the EPA, the NJDEP and local residents. Part of the reason some members of the community didn’t want to get involved is because environmental litigation can take years, Harper says.

Cleaning Up the Chromium

Diver RJ Harper.

Photo by Gary Krauss

In 2011, a settlement was reached with PPG Industries following a citizen’s lawsuit filed in federal court by the National Resource Defense Council, the Interfaith Community

Harper was team leader for the Deerfield Beach cleanup.

Organization, and GRACO Community Organization on behalf of Jersey City residents who have been fighting for the comprehensive cleanup since the early 1980s. “[PPG Industries] makes 14 billion dollars a year. So for them to come back and clean up Jersey City responsibly to the tune of 600 million dollars would not have been difficult for them,” Harper says. “You just have to be forced to do that in federal court.”

The NJDEP is overseeing cleanup of the contaminated areas. It has a website (chromiumcleanup.com) with detailed information.

But Harper believes there’s more to be done and that PPG didn’t clean up the area as much as it should have.

“We are still working on the Garfield Avenue situation,” he says. “I’ll just tell you I’m a little exhausted. We’ve been doing this for 10 years now.”

Renaissance Man Watchdog, environmentalist, activist, independent filmmaker and model are all terms that could be used to describe Harper.

He first became interested in environmental work at Brown University. There were women in his dorm who were doing environmental science as their major. “I thought, what is that?” he says. “Who majors in that? Isn’t that white girls with Birkenstocks?” They explained that there were careers working in forestry or parks. He thought working outside

would be an ideal job. After college, he joined the Peace Corps, living in the jungle in Latin America for three years, he said.

After returning to the States, he worked in Manhattan as a clerk in a law firm because he was considering a career in law. Then he went to Harvard Business School and went to work for Goldman Sachs.

You Oughta be in Pictures After 911, he lost his job in finance and was trying to figure out what to do next. He decided film school was the answer. He went to the Digital Film Academy, graduating two years later. He made several short films after graduation, including “Typecast,” which was shown at Cannes in 2007.

While he plans to make a documentary of the Guinness dive in Florida, he would like to make feature films. He acknowledges that the industry has gone through tremendous changes with streaming services such as Netflix. He has a screenplay that he has been working on for the past four years. Finding the time to finish it has been a source of frustration for Harper. “I feel like I need to take off six months and make my film. I have a lot of irons in the fire.

I think I have a lot more traction now with underwater cinematography and Guinness. And the Underneath the Sea convention put me in touch with some of the top underwater cinematographers.”

16 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019

Photo of RJ Harper

by Gary Krauss

Making Media Work Harper calls himself a media activist: “And what I mean by that is I do have an understanding of how powerful the media can be,” he says. “You know with a cell phone now, you can go make a movie. It’s not just the elites in Hollywood who have access to technology.”

Harper wants to tell stories and shine light on the issues that are happening to our planet.

“I think the explosion of people’s stories has inspired me to want to use the media to tell people about some of the really important things that are happening,” he says. “And as an African American voice, my perspective on some of this stuff is just slightly different. I think that is a beautiful thing, and I have a responsibility to the planet and to my community to use my education in a way that inspires other people.”—JCM

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PopupShops

Making shipping containers into movable marketplaces

By Tara Ryazansky

W

hen most people walk past a vacant lot they see a barren landscape overgrown with weeds, but Michele Massey, executive director at Jackson Hill Main Street Management Corporation, sees potential. “There are too many lots open in the area,” she says. “I had the idea to activate some of these vacant lots. When she pitched her idea to the city, they were confused at first. She says, “I started talking about shipping containers, and they were like, ‘What?’ But then everybody liked the idea. The city has been absolutely wonderful.”

The plan was to create popup shops that would be housed in converted shipping containers on a city-owned

vacant lot across the street from the newly built City Hall Annex in the Jackson Hill section.

“To my surprise the city built out the site,” Massey says. “Now we have these four lovely shipping containers.”

City Supportive The project was developed by Eric Fleming, senior program analyst for the city. The shipping containers were turned into stores with the addition of lighting, heating, air conditioning, and windows that stretch nearly floor to ceiling so that shoppers won’t feel claustrophobic.

“With the construction, we decided early on to do as much as we could with city employees,” Fleming says.

18 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

“So, the design and plans were done with city architects and engineers, the interior wiring was done by city electricians, and the construction to convert the containers was done by city staff, as well as the masonry work for the brick piers, concrete pads, brick paths and Belgian block curb and retaining wall. City staff also handled all the painting. The teamwork was phenomenal.”

Fleming estimates that using city workers saved taxpayers around $100,000.

The result was a public-private partnership with the City of Jersey City, the Jackson Hill Main Street Corp., Rising Tide Capital, and the Jersey City Economic Development Corp.

Photos by Eugene Williams

Plus Side of Popups “The thought behind it was that this lot can still be sold and developed,” Massey says. “You can just pick them up and relocate them. It’s the ultimate recycling program right now.”

The project will give a leg up to fledgling businesses. The shortterm leases provide space for free for no less than two weeks and up to a month. Shops will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entrepreneurs will have a chance to test the market and get their product out there. Anyone interested in applying can contact the Jackson Hill office at 201-984-0560 or email director@jacksonhillms. com for proposals to be reviewed.

You can also apply online at https:// innovatejc.org/pop-up-jackson-hill/.

Massey hopes that the project brings new opportunities for people to shop

local in Jackson Hill. The district used to be alive with commerce. “You could find anything between Jackson Avenue and Monticello,” she says.

“From bowling balls to shoes. We had the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker and whatever you were looking for.”

Home Shopping Since then, a lot has changed.

Many people are shopping online or outside of the area. “It’s important to circulate money within the community,” Massey says. “We did a market analysis several years ago, and it showed what they call leakage.

Basically millions of dollars leave our community every year because people shop elsewhere. We want to see Jackson Hill become that walking

commercial area in this part of the city. This idea was not just to provide businesses with an opportunity but also to provide shoppers an opportunity.”

She hopes that some of these popup businesses will stay in the 2.5 mile district by renting nearby retail space for the long term.

“Pop Up Jackson Hill is an entrepreneur incubator, where local aspiring retail merchants can come and get a location to sell their wares rent-free, while learning how to be better business owners through training and mentoring,” Fleming says. “The hope is that when they move on, they have the acumen, and perhaps the means, to hang a shingle at a nearby empty storefront and enhance efforts toward revitalizing the shopping district on the Boulevard.”—JCM

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Dan and Mike

By Mike Montemarano Photos by Samantha Hitchell

D

espite being overshadowed by the live music scene on the other side of the Hudson River, there’s ample opportunity for up-and-coming musicians to make names for themselves right in Jersey City. I’ve been drumming in a two-man band for nearly two years. The other man is Dan Kirwan. Like any band whose work is even remotely subversive, we’ve been struggling to find a viable pathway to share songs that we’ve poured sweat, tears, and likely trace amounts of blood into, over countless hours in a dingy studio space. As amateurs, we’ve played or begged off a litany of poorly-promoted gigs that predictably flopped. In an age of digitized information overload, getting a following can’t be approached the way it once was. The sad truth is that 22 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

it’s tough to convince folks to listen to a two-minute track online, let alone show up for live music from a band they’ve never heard of.

The quality of your music hardly matters without a mammoth marketing effort, either backed by the industry or self-made. For every band that breaks through, dozens are performing at a higher caliber but don’t have the time or resources to be heard above the din.

Foot in the Door JC Studios, one of many burgeoning sanctuaries of underground music in Jersey City, puts on a battle of the bands fundraiser every year. Up-and-comers get their music evaluated constructively by judges with wide experience in the New Jersey music scene. This year’s judges were Jim Testa, a musician/ music critic acclaimed for his role as the editor

Battle of the Bands judges (L-R) Emmy Black, Sabrina Braswell and Jim Testa.

of Jersey Beat, along with weekly music columns in the Jersey Journal; Emmy Black, founder of a Hoboken-based label called Rhyme and Reason Record; and Sabrina Braswell of Jersey City’s famed White Eagle Hall. Bands competed for first, second, and third place. Prizes included rehearsal time at JC Studios or a cash prize and full performance at White Eagle Hall. There was also a “people’s choice award” this year, in which audience members voted and donated to the All Stars Project, a Newark-based nonprofit that helps disadvantaged children become performing artists.

Our 15 Minutes This year’s Battle of the Bands was held at FM Bar and Lounge, an intimate Third Street venue with an impressive sound system that holds tons of live music events on a neardaily basis. Monday open-mic nights also draw enthusiastic attendees. The artists this year included The Dundees, a trio of pop-punkers; ScreenAge, which honed in on melodrama by way of alt-rock; Pretty American, which shouted choruses over a blend of piercing guitars with somber keys; Single But Taken, which had upbeat, post-punk vibes; Granton Ave, a North Bergen-based band of High-Tech High School students; Culture Trip; Pyre Fyre (that’s my band!); Malatura, dedicated to 80s thrash metal throwbacks; and Svnset Children, which had a unique take on the 90s grunge sound.

The event provided bands still struggling to make waves

with a much-needed 15 minutes of fame. Having respected people in the field honestly critique your work is hard to come by anywhere.

No Delusions Dan and I were the second act to go on, with little to no expectation of placing, based on our track record of blunders during live sets. Having sound engineers wrangle our frenetic, distorted tones made us sound shockingly better than we ever had before during our rehearsals. In a twopiece band, every note, percussive element, and vocal inflection needs to be spot on. Errors are magnified to a glaring level by empty space that a rhythm guitar, bass, or backup vocalist could normally fill in.

The set earned us second place, just behind Single But Taken. With our win came a prize of in-studio rehearsal time. But the more important reward was a morale boost and an itch to continue chasing the buzz of live performance.

For musicians trying to break into Jersey’s underground music scene, JC Studios’ Battle of the Bands is a great way to meet folks in the same boat and get realistic outside opinions from people invested in new music. To do it while raising funds for a highly worthwhile local charity makes it all the better.—JCM

Jersey City Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2019 • 23

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in the park Photos by Victor M. Rodriguez

F

or one beautiful June day, you feel like you’ve been transported to another place and another time. Could we be in Newport Rhode Island? The Guards Club? Downton Abbey?

No, we’re in Jersey City’s Liberty State Park for the 12th Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic.

Granted, Liberty State Park is always a beautiful place with its green, open lawns, marsh grasses, spring flowers, and unparalleled views of the river, the statue, and Downtown Manhattan.

But for one glorious late spring afternoon, the park fills with elegant men in suits and ties and jackets, and women wearing summer dresses, carrying designer purses, and yes—could this be the Royal family— donning big, floppy-brimmed hats.

Many attendees are regular folks, but many more are well-known celebrities, such as Gayle King, Nicky Hilton, and Michael B. Jordan who’ve sailed across from Manhattan. Once here, bicycle rickshaws squire them around.

And what, might you ask, is Veuve Clicquot? Champagne, of course, which flows freely throughout the warm afternoon.

Notice, I haven’t mentioned the polo ponies or their riders. They’re here behind a fence that requires a ticket to breach and, I’m assuming, a pink blazer and outsized hat and diaphanous skirt that whispers in the wind.

But here’s the thing. You don’t have to buy a ticket to the match to enjoy the show. Photographer Victor Rodriguez and I wander along the boardwalk stopping the beautiful people for a chat and a snap. They’re lovely in every way, happy to be photographed in their straw boaters and polo duds, leaning on their walking sticks and balancing on their wedges.

Official Word Since I wasn’t ready for prime time, here’s what the folks at Veuve Cloquot had to say about the event: “FX’s “Pose” actor Ryan Jamaal Swain kicked off the gorgeous afternoon with an inspiring rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” and the ceremonial ball toss was thrown in by Julianne Moore. New bride to be, Jennifer Lawrence em-

26 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019

braced polo style in a pink lacy Rosie Assoulin dress and flashed her stunning engagement ring while sipping champagne. She and former “Hunger Games” costar Julianne Moore caught up and mingled with friends while soaking in the thrilling polo match. Michael B. Jordan arrived for a boys’ day out, and Emily Ratajkowski cuddled up to husband Sebastian Bear-McClard. Coco Rocha took an afternoon away from her kids and wore Canadian designer Sid Neigum in celebration of his win at The Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards the night before. Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier once again teamed up on the field to lead their team to victory, with Cara Casino being awarded the MVP award, and Nacho F. receiving the highest scoring award with a limited-edition timepiece from Hublot, the official timekeeper of the match.

One of the most glamorous and stylish daytime events of the summer season, celebrities and guests at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic stepped

Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019 • 27

out to enjoy the day. Top trends seen included two-piece sets, straw hats, cat-eye sunglasses, 90s-inspired looks and accessories, summer white, Veuve Clicquot yellow, and statement accessories like hats and jewelry. Guests donned summer dresses, polka dots, stylish yet comfortable wedges, light suits, floral prints, and more 28 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019

styles that have long been associated with the sport of polo.”

Jersey City Magazine photographer Victor M. Rodriguez and Jersey City Magazine Editor in Chief Kate Rounds wore jeans and sneakers from Footlocker and Old Navy—Kate Rounds

By Tara Ryazansky Photos by Maxim Ryazansky

V

ery few job descriptions include a slobbery kiss from a pit bull. But it’s all in a day’s work for Irene Borngraeber, executive director of the Liberty Humane Society. This open-admission animal shelter and animal response team serves Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne.

Borngraeber, who’s been executive director since 2013, says there’s no typical day at LHS. “It usually starts with a shelter operational check-in.” She’s just left a meeting with Kim Saunders, director of operations. The pair goes over a long list of questions: “Where are we? Are we experiencing any points of friction with specific animals? Are there any contract terms that need updating? Are there any fundraisers?” The answer to that last question is yes.

Bark in the Park was scheduled for September 28. “It’s the largest pet festival in Hudson County,” Borngraeber says.

“We call it a celebration of pet adoption.” The fundraising event helps Liberty Humane Society cover medical expenses for incoming animals. “It’s everything from kittens

30 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

who come in very sick and need vaccinations to a dog who might come in with a broken leg that needs orthopedic surgery,” Borngraeber says.

Shaggy Dog Story To inspire people to donate, Borngraeber and Saunders discuss what adoption stories to share at the event.

This means they spend a good portion of their meeting reflecting on their year, and all the animals whose lives they’ve touched. Some stories are happy. Others bear witness to the sad reality that not every animal can be saved. The pair wants to share a success story in which the animal’s transformation is the main focus.

“We get a lot of dogs in who are completely matted,” Borngraeber says. “There was a dog named Kobe that looked like he had dreadlocks. He was found as a stray in Jersey City, which is also a compelling kind of story. So we get him and shave him down, and you can’t even recognize the dog underneath, and now he’s adopted and living in a home. That’s the kind of story that ticks all the boxes. It’s visual, it’s emotional, it can circle back into a happy ending, and it also emphasizes that these situations happen every day.”

ON THE JOB JCM

Cat House Next up is a visit to the newly renovated cat space. Here cats can stretch out on walkways and bridges that span sunny windows with views of the Liberty Science Center.

The space was recently redesigned by cat style expert Kate Benjamin who is a New York Times bestselling author of Catification and Catify to Satisfy. Both discuss making living spaces more cat-friendly. The renovation was facilitated by the Rescue Rebuild project by GreaterGood.org.

Soon the dog space will be renovated as well. “We’re about to launch a large scale kennel renovation,” Borngraeber says. “This cat space is now beautiful, but our kennel is not.

We are so excited to finally be able to do this. It’s also in conjunction with Rescues Rebuild and GreaterGood.org. It’s really thanks to our national partners that we’ve been able to bring these initiatives together.”

Soon the shelter will welcome new rescues from Hurricane Dorian.

“We currently have a volunteer on standby who is going to be driving down to South Carolina to transport animals that are in the shelters,” Borngraeber says, explaining that this will free up space in those shelters down South for pets that may be displaced. “When we experienced Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Irene we had to evacuate the shelter, and we had people who came by nationally to help us do that. It’s a little bit of a pay it forward.” Borngraeber says that Sandy is still fresh in everyone’s mind. “We operated here 14 days without power. We ran an animal shelter in the dark because we had to.”

It’s a Dog’s Life The kennel area houses dogs of all types, small Chihuahua mixes as well as large breeds. Borngraeber cuts through to head to her office in a trailer behind the shelter. She runs into a few friends along the way.

“The cat space is now beautiful,” says Irene Borngraeber.

Jersey City Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2019 • 31

ON THE JOB JCM Borngraeber says LHS houses dogs of all types.

Squealer goes back to enjoy the large outdoor enclosure.

Her friendly demeanor makes up for what she lacks in fur.

Borngraeber says she looks much better than when she first came to the shelter. Staff member Heather Roberts walks her. “She’s blind we believe,” Roberts says. “I’m assuming she has to be at least 10. She definitely looks like she was used for breeding.” Despite all this, Roberts thinks Squealer will be adopted quickly because of her small, apartmentfriendly stature and sweet disposition. “I have a big talk that I give people when they come in,” Roberts says. “A lot of people who come into shelters are very uneducated about what a shelter is. They really do think it’s a pet store, and they can come in and find exactly what they’re looking for.

They usually want puppies. They usually want small dogs.

They’ll look in the cage at her and be like ‘Oh, she’s ten?’ So they’ll start to walk away, and I’ll tell them ‘You know, she may be 10. You may only have her for a few years. But you have to remember that those will be the best few years that she’ll have for her entire life. Whether you have six months, a year, five years, it’s going to be the best that they’ll ever have. I try to get them into that mentality. It’s not all about you, it’s about you and the animal. I’ve talked quite a few people into taking the older dogs.”

Personality Profile Next up is Veruca Salt, who promptly drools on Borngraeber. A lot of potential pet owners avoid certain breeds, but Veruca breaks the pit bull stereotype. Liberty Humane 32 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

Society assesses all pets before putting them up for adoption, informing potential adoptive owners of behavioral issues. For example, its longest running resident, a pit bull terrier mix named 9 Mile, can’t live in a home with other pets.

Borngraeber says that LHS is always looking for volunteers who can help with events, transportation, marketing, media, or wherever their specific talents lie.

It also seeks volunteers who can join its large foster network by temporarily housing kittens, cats, or dogs.

Liberty Humane Society provides a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, as well as a low-cost public wellness clinic for preventative care and vaccines. This is part of the mission to support pet owners because many animals are in the shelter because of the financial strain of vet care.

“We want to invest in this public program to keep some of those animals from coming into the pipeline,” Borngraeber says. “We want to provide the community with more resources and more tools to handle these situations. By the time we get to that point where there’s a dog tied up on the sidewalk, was there something we could have done with helping the owner before it gets to that point? Instead of thinking what didn’t these people do for these pets, we’re thinking what would they have done had they had the resources? We want to focus on concrete steps that people can take to make a difference for local animals.”—JCM

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W

hen you get right down to it, Jonathan Acheson’s job is all about helping his friends, who are artists and artisans by trying to sell their work.

Enter Covetables, his Bergen-Lafayette gallery/shop, which he opened in the summer of 2018.

You may not covet everything in the shop but as Jonathan says, “You will see something you need, even though you didn’t know you needed it until you saw it.”

A visit to Covetables puts you in good company. This block of Maple Street is where Kool and the Gang grew up and has been renamed Kool and the Gang Way. Jonathan is an artist himself. Two of his works are on display and for sale. He grew up in Pennsylvania and attended Monmouth College in Illinois. He received his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Maryland Institute College of Art. He moved to Jersey City eight years ago and lives at the Foundry, a few blocks from his shop.

He’d wanted to open a gallery for the past 20 years to showcase the work of his friends

and others. As an artist, he knows how hard it is to find a gallery. He now shows the evocative photographs of Joe McDonald, also of Monmouth College, many depicting the English North Sea Coast. He displays the unconventional works of two Maryland Institute artists, Marcia Wolfson-Ray and Ann Rentschler.

Of the 39 artists and makers shown in the gallery, 21 live in Jersey City. On display are the vivid oil paintings of Kimberly Wiseman, who works as a waitress parttime and lives in the neighborhood. Norman Kirby, whose chain-link fence installations can be seen in Jersey City and Hoboken, has three hanging wire relief sculptures. Beth DiCara has a ceramics studio at nearby 11 Monitor Street. Her pieces include pottery, sculpture, bas relief tile murals, often with fish and botanical motifs, though her Jersey Girls are also popular. She, too, is a graduate of the Maryland Institute.

In addition to art and antiques, Covetables has a wide array of home goods that you won’t find at the large chain stores.

The shop is in a neighborhood exploding with new condos and apartments whose tenants will be looking to furnish their units. Walking around the shop, I saw jewelry, paintings, ceramics, handmade desks, and coloring books of Jersey City scenes, most locally made.

34 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

Jonathan had two main objectives when he opened the shop. The first was to maintain long relationships with artists.

While many galleries show work for a month and then return it to the artist if it doesn’t sell, at Covetables, Jonathan says, “Once you show your work here, you can always show your work here.” He is loyal to his friends.

His second aim is to offer original artwork at reasonable prices. Covetables has many items from $50 and up as well as smaller pieces for less than $50. One of the benefits of his location is a reasonable rent that allows him to charge reasonable prices.

Covetables is about 10 blocks from the Liberty State Park light rail station. A number 6 bus stops two blocks away on Communipaw. When I visited, there was ample parking on the street. When you go to Covetables make sure you have your credit card with you because you may see something that you didn’t know you needed. Most likely, the item will be made by a friend of Jonathan’s. I saw some fabric placemats and an interesting ceramic serving dish by Beth DiCara that I suddenly “needed” as housewarming gifts for two of my children.

Jonathan helped me and his friends out by selling me the two gifts.—JCM

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Kayla and Jean-Laurent

36 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019

ewlyweds Jean-Laurent and Kayla Canasi Di Scala are also new residents of Jersey City. This past May, they moved from New York City’s SoHo to The Enclave, a luxury building near the Holland Tunnel between Hoboken and the Jersey City Heights.

You enter the open-concept apartment through the spacious kitchen, which the couple agrees is the heart of their home. Back in SoHo things were a bit different.

“We had been ordering food every night in SoHo,” Jean-Laurent says.

“The kitchen was too small.”

“You make anything, and the smoke alarm would go off,” Kayla recalls. “I would have a broom in one hand.”

Now they have plenty of room to entertain or to simply prepare dinner as a couple. “We do a lot of cooking,” says Jean-Laurant. “Four times a week at least.” There’s room

to spread out on the vast counter.

Jean-Laurent describes one recent dish: “Filet minion with caramelized onions and goat cheese. We made a huge couscous as well.”

“Jean-Laurant bakes,” Kayla adds.

“His family owns bakeries in Corsica, France.”

“I make bread, brioche, croissants,” Jean-Laurent says. “My mother-inlaw just bought me a Kitchen Aid.” When the moms come to visit, they don’t need to stay in a hotel. JeanLaurent’s mother lives in France, and Kayla’s mom lives in Florida. “When they visit it’s easier for them to have a place to stay,” Kayla says.

The large spare bedroom recently made the transition from study to guest room when Kayla finished law school. “I am waiting for the bar results,” Kayla says “I’m anticipating those results next week.”

Jean-Laurent works as a server at Le Bilboquet on New York City’s Upper East Side.

“He’s kind of been working his butt off while I’ve been studying and wrapping up law school,” Kayla says.

“It’s not easy, but we’re a good team.”

The commute is easy. The Enclave provides a shuttle bus that takes residents to the PATH train from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. This is included in the 24hour concierge service and amenities fee.

Also included are perks like the gym, which has Peloton bikes and group fitness classes, including yoga.

A saltwater pool features city views.

Nearby are six rooftop grilling areas that the two use during the summer.

At an arcade area, residents and their guests can play without quarters. “There’s Pacman and Pong and air hockey, Kayla says. “There’s a ton of games. It’s like any boy’s dream.”

The Enclave offers workspaces and a pet spa. But it also has some creative amenities like a gift-wrapping station in the Amazon hub mail area.

Near The Enclave is a new dog park and children’s playground. The neighborhood is developing at a rapid pace. The couple speculates that in a few years there will be a lot more to do in the area. For now, they enjoy

bars and restaurants in neighboring Hoboken, where they explore the town on rented scooters.

There’s also a Zen garden, which doubles as the Canasi Di Scala’s backyard. Even if the new neighborhood is built to capacity, the Zen garden will maintain its tranquil privacy because it faces the ivy-covered rock wall that leads to Christ Hospital. The wall keeps the garden cool in summer.

Off their living room is an outdoor patio area where the two enjoy a coffee in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. The space opens out into a well manicured lawn in the shadow of the Heights with a fire pit and hammocks. “We love to be here,” Jean-Laurent says. “It’s so quiet compared to SoHo. “You open the window in SoHo, and you hear a honk or people screaming, even at night.”

“When we used to want to step outside, we were stepping onto the fire escape,” Kayla says. “Here we step out into the Zen garden.”

Jean-Laurent says, “It’s incomparable.”—JCM

Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019 • 37

D at E S J C M Want your event listed? Please email us at jcmag@hudsonreporter. com and put “Jersey City calendar listings” in the subject line.

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CALL OR TEXT: 201.452.3442 OFFICE: 201.653.3948 38 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019

the Historic Downtown Farmers’ Market at the Grove PatH Plaza, 4-8 p.m. every Monday and thursday from april to December.

Featuring over 25 vendors serving up tasty treats from fresh fruits and vegetables to freshly baked empanadas to homemade mozzarella. Check out jcdowntown.org for more information.

Member of NJMLS, Garden State MLS and Hudson County MLS

the Journal square Green Market, the boulevard at Journal square PatH, 2-8 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday from May 1 to December 21. Contact debbie@ publicspaces.com for more information. van vorst Park Farmers’ Market, Montgomery and Jersey ave., 8 a.m.-2 p.m. every saturday from april 21 to December. liberty science Center after Dark, liberty science Center, 222 Jersey City blvd., 6-10 p.m. every third thursday of the month, 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. learn more at lsc.org or (201) 253-1310.

New Heights toastmasters Club, 855 bergen ave., 6:30 p.m. every second and fourth tuesday of every month, (201) 424-9090. We provide a safe and supportive environment where you can develop your public speaking

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Jersey City Slam invites you all to check out our poetry slam. This slam is an Open Slam, meaning anyone can compete. There is an open mic beforehand open to music, standup comedy and poetry.

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Hudson County Animal League’s Downtown JC Adoptions and Companion Animal Trust, Fussy Friends, 148 Newark Ave., 12-4 p.m. every Saturday on Sunday and 6-9 on Monday. HCAL’s adoption team will be available to introduce you to our fabulous adoptable felines on Saturdays. Companion Animal Trust does Sundays and Mondays.

Bring some joy into your heart and give a deserving cat a fresh start in life. Call Fussy Friends at 201-333-6400.

Family Story Time, Main Library, 472 Jersey Avenue, Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Traditional Irish Music Session, The Hutton, 225 Hutton St., 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Sunday. The Hutton is the place for traditional Irish Music in Jersey City. Open session held every Sunday in the beautifully restored gastropub or out on the patio.

There are plenty of tunes every Sunday with a different guest musician each week. All musicians and music lovers welcome.

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see page 41

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A Jersey City native who’s made the big time is actor Derek Luke of Empire, Captain America, and 13 Reasons Why fame. Read Tara’s story of how he’s inspiring kids in his old neighborhood to strive to be their best. Talk about a great role model!

Tara and Max also went on location with Liberty Humane Society, with emphasis on humane. There’s nothing sadder than witnessing animals being abused. These furry guys get a big dose of TLC along with food and a warm place to stay.

Meanwhile, our sports authority, Jim Hague, goes to the mat with the NJCU wrestling team. And get this, one of the coaches wrestled in the Olympics.

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DATES JCM from page 39 every first Wednesday of the month. Come in and sit in or sit down and enjoy.

Second Sunday Songwriters SupperClub, FM Restaurant, Bar and Lounge, 340 3rd Street, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Receive timely music industry advice.

Liberty Humane Society, 235 Jersey City Blvd, across the street from Liberty Science Center. Open Sun 12 noon – 4 p.m., Mon. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tues./Thurs. 11 a.m. -7 p.m., Weds. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. (for volunteers), Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m. -4 p.m. Adopt, foster an animal or volunteer. Adoption includes one month pet health insurance. Fosters are eligible for tax deductions.

Volunteer to socialize with our cats and dogs at your convenience. Seniors for Seniors adoption of pets over 6 by people 63 and over at reduced adoption fee and with gifts. Support programs for Jersey City pets and their owners. Supplies of bleach, paper towels, latex gloves, large rawhide bones, electric heating pads and KMR kitten formula are always appreciated. Phone (201) 547-4147 or email at lhs@libertyhumane.org for details.

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Adoption Days at HCAL The Hudson County Animal League is looking for volunteers to help out on Adoption Days. Come to one of our meetings. The meetings are free and open to the public. All are welcome. If you have a car, truck, van, boat or RV and looking to donate to a charity, think of HCAL. They will arrange pickup and we will receive the net proceeds.

The donor will receive a tax deduction for their donations. For more info. please call Lorma Wepner at (201) 437-7263.

Hudson County CASA is recruiting volunteers to help children in the foster care system & advocate for the best interests of abused & neglected children.

For more information call (201) 795-9856.

see page 42 Jersey City Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2019 • 41

DATES JCM from page 41

NOVEMBER 2 Jersey City Ukulele Meet Up, JC Studios, 143 Christopher Columbus Dr., 2-4 p.m. Do you like playing the ukulele, or are you interested in picking one up? Want to practice your skills, work on songs in a supportive setting, and jam with others? This may be the group for you! We do strum-alongs: we have songbooks, and you’re invited to bring copies of songs you’d like people to strum along with. It’s a low-key, friendly group. If you don’t currently have a uke of your own, just let us know; we can be sure to have a couple extras on hand. RSVP at JerseyCityUke. Club or by e-mailing admin@JerseyCityUke.Club.

Kids Super Hero Run, Lincoln Park, 10 a.m. To 1 p.m.

Don’t get rid of those Halloween costumes just yet!

JCFamiles and United Sports Clinic are hosting this fun run for kids ages 1-12. All participating kids receive a cape, mask and medal. $25

3 Mike Doughty plays Soul Coughing’s “Ruby Vroom” 25th Anniversary Tour, Monty Hall 7 p.m. Singer, songwriter, producer, author and founder of seminal 90’s band Soul Coughing will be playing their debut LP Ruby Vroom in full across the U.S. In 2019. $22-$25 for tickets.

NJMOM Baby Expo, Liberty House, 82 Audrey Zapp Drive, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Over 80 baby and toddler brands will showcase the best in baby gear and accessories, local services and more. Test, shop and learn. Tickets for adults are $30-$65 and children are free. Go to NJMOM.com for details.

4 WORD presents Marissa Meyer, White Eagle Hall, 337 Newark Avenue, 6 p.m. Join WORD Bookstore for a reading and Q&A with New York Times best selling author of the thrilling Renegades Trilogy, Marissa

see page 43 42 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

DATES JCM from page 42 Meyer. Tickets are $22 which includes entry for two people and one copy of Supernova. Additional books available for purchase.

13-17 10th Annual Your Move Modern Dance Festival, The Landmark Loews Theater, Art House Productions, 54 Journal Square, 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday. On Saturday there will be a panel and party. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door.

Learn more at arthouseproductions.org.

18- December 23 HDSID and Artist and Maker Market’s Happy Holiday Market, Grove Street PATH Plaza, 4-8 p.m. AMM is back for the holidays in conjunction with the farmers market. Vendors to be announced.

Protecting the rights of the injured and their families in Jersey City and throughout the state since 1929.

23 NJCU Fall Jazz Fest, West Side Theatre, 5-10 p.m.

This festival features the best and the brightest of the NJCU talent pool including students, faculty and special guests. $20 general admission. $5 for students and seniors. Check njcu.edu for details.

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DECEMBER 6 Horton’s Holiday Hayride, White Eagle Hall, 337 Newark Avenue, doors at 6:30 p.m. Psychobilly band Reverend Horton Heat is playing along with Voodoo Glow Skulls and The 5,6,7,8’s. Tickets are $27.50-$30.

“Everyone here wants me to succeed, and I have grown as a leader and a person because of it.”

– Suvan Bhat, ’20

Winter JC Fridays, JC Fridays is a quarterly arts festival in Jersey City. Local businesses, galleries, bars, and performance venues host arts events all over the city, that are free to the public. On JC Fridays you can visit local businesses and see live music, art exhibits, dance shows, and even live theater, all for free. For information, contact jcfridays@arthouseproductions. org or visit jcfridays.com.

see page 56

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Jersey City Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2019 • 43

Going to the MaT Wrestling for men and women debuts at NJCU Story and photo by Jim Hague

W

hen Shawn Tucker was named the new director of athletics at New Jersey City University in May of 2018, he let it be known that he wanted to add more varsity sports, for both male and female athletes.

Speculation was that Tucker, a former Rutgers football player, would bring back football for the first time since the 2002 season.

Instead, Tucker initiated plans to bring back men’s and women’s track and field, while adding three new sports for both men and women.

One was women’s golf. The popularity of golf has soared with the construction of the exquisite Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, the deceivingly solid Skyway Golf Club in Jersey City, and the picturesque Bayonne Golf Club in Bayonne.

Another new sport was men’s and women’s team tennis.

With new tennis courts and clubs in northern New Jersey, it was a no-brainer.

First in the State But Tucker’s dream included an extremely rare sport, especially for NJCU: men’s and women’s wrestling.

Wait. Wrestling? At NJCU? The school never had wrestling before. Schools like Montclair State and Syracuse dropped wrestling in recent years. So NJCU is jumping headfirst into uncharted waters.

And wrestling not only for men, but for women? NJCU becomes the first New Jersey college to offer women’s wrestling as an intercollegiate varsity sport. This move represented Tucker’s biggest gamble, in just 16 months as athletic director.

“We feel that it’s a calculated move that makes sense,” Tucker said. “This isn’t just a hope and a prayer here. This is in the best interest of our students.”

44 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

Tucker can back up his decision “We live in a hotbed of phenomenal wrestling talent,” he said. “There’s a good feeder system in place in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, all great wrestling states. It just goes to show you that the sport of wrestling is alive and kicking.”

The demographics are right.

“Jersey City is a blue-collar hard-working city,” Tucker said.

“It’s an area that is ripe for wrestling. I enjoyed it when I was a student at Rutgers. I know the community will rally around it. We have a lot of young girls who didn’t have an outlet. We believe that the next group of top female athletes are wrestlers.”

Pinning it Down The first thing Tucker had to do was hire quality coaches with impeccable backgrounds and solid reputations.

He was familiar with Harry Turner from his days as an administrator at Rutgers.

The 28-year-old Turner is a native of Howell. He was the 285-pound NJSIAA runner-up his senior year at Howell High School in 2008 and went on to compete at the collegiate wrestling powerhouse Lock Haven in Pennsylvania. Turner began his coaching career at his alma mater, then went to the University of Buffalo and finally Rutgers, where he was Director of Recruiting and Player Development for the renowned Scarlet Knight wrestling program under Scott Goodale.

Tucker’s eternal optimism has rubbed off on Turner, who will field his first team in the 2020-2021 season.

“There are kids already on campus that have expressed an interest in wrestling,” Turner said. “We have four kids that have already transferred in with us, and 10 others have just wandered in and said they were interested. We’ve had three kids who never wrestled before, but want to give it a try. I told the kids right now that we have a 13-month preseason. I’m over the moon about this. The kids that have come in have

SPORTS JCM

NJCU’s head men’s wrestling coach Harry Turner and new NJCU women’s wrestling coach Elena Pirozhkova are excited to be part of a new program at the school beginning November, 2020.

blown away my expectations.”

He’s not worried about starting a program from scratch.

“It’s certainly a challenge, but if that’s our biggest problem, then we are going to make it,” Turner said. “We have a great school. A lot of kids don’t have the money to go to a big school.”

Turner is convinced that by Nov. 20, 2020, the Gothic Knights’ first scheduled wrestling match, he will have a stable of 30 wrestlers.

going For the gold Jersey City resident Elena Pirozhkova (pronounced PEERAAHSH-KO-VAH) was a two-time United States Olympian (2012 and 2016) and was crowned the world champion in 2012. She was asked to serve on the search committee to find the first-ever head women’s wrestling coach at NJCU. “It was a unique set of circumstances,” she said. “I wasn’t looking to coach, but I was asked by a friend to help out.

They said that they needed women to get involved. I figured I could help out and give back to the sport.”

But the opportunity arose to have Pirozhkova, 32, become the first-ever women’s wrestling coach at the school.

“The administration definitely showed their commitment to the sport, and that made me want to get more involved,” said the Russian native who moved to the United States and Massachusetts at age three.

Pirozhkova competed in girls’ high school wrestling in Massachusetts and immediately transferred to the Olympic level. She went to the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, but never wrestled collegiately.

She was on the United States Olympic wrestling team in 2012 in London and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Jainero. She was a two-time silver medal winner at the World Champi-

onships in 2010 and 2014 and earned a bronze in the World Championships in 2013. She finished fifth at 138 pounds in the 2016 Olympics. She was a member of the U.S. National team for 10 years (2007 through 2017) and retired ranked No. 1 in the world in 2017 in her weight class.

equal tiMe Pirozhkova is intrigued that New Jersey introduced girls wrestling last season, and the NJSIAA sponsored the firstever girls’ state championships on the same day as the boys in February in Atlantic City.

“It’s become a sport in New Jersey, and we’re the lone New Jersey school to offer wrestling,” Pirozhkova said. “There’s a bigger recruiting pool here. We see Jersey girls on the rise, and it’s a great base to choose from. I think there was going to be a race to see who was first, and it was us.”

The NCAA announced women’s wrestling as an “emerging sport” in the same week that NJCU announced its plans to include wrestling.

Pirozhkova predicted that 40 institutions will offer intercollegiate wrestling by the 2020-2021 season, when NJCU kicks off its program.

“The number of women getting involved in wrestling doubles every year,” Pirozhkova said. “It’s good for me to be in this role model. You can be strong and wrestle, but you can be feminine as well. I never had the opportunity like this. I know there are a lot of women who will want to get involved with women’s wrestling. It pushes you in so many different aspects and makes you grow as an individual.”

NJCU’s John J. Moore Fitness Center will be packed in November of 2020. Dim the lights, cue the smoke machine and loud music. College wrestling is coming to Jersey City —JCM Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019 • 45

Love,

Derek Luke

Derek & Sophia Luke

Unity, y

Communit Jonathan Casillas

Derek and Sophia Luke are giving back to the old neighborhood.

By Tara Ryazansky Photos by Maxim Ryazansky

J

ersey City’s Audubon Park is alive with music and dancing. People line up for ice cream and snacks. A children’s ride-on train snakes through the park. Kids jump in bounce houses.

It’s the second annual Derek & Sophia Luke Day. The husband and wife team MC the event.

Jersey City native Derek Luke is a Hollywood actor. His film debut was in the title role in 2002’s Antwone Fisher. The movie was also the directorial debut of his co-star, Denzel Washington. Since then, Luke has gone on to act in dozens of television and film projects including Empire, Captain America, and the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. His wife Sophia Luke is his business partner. She sits in on film meetings and works closely with the Derek Luke Foundation, which works to improve the lives of people in communities of color. “We call it Derek & Sophia Luke Day because she puts legs to it when I just have the mind for it,” Luke says.

This year’s theme is Love and Unity in

the Community. “Community was not a word, when I grew up, being nurtured in my heart,” Luke says. “Community is something that I learned. So now community is making sure that people around you, that look like you, that come from you, are mentally healthy.”

Greenville is Luke’s community. “I grew up in the little yellow house on the other side of the park,” Luke says, but despite living so close by he never played here. “This park was dry, deserted, it wasn’t really a place you played because nothing was working. That’s the key of coming back here; to make it work.”

Premiere Performance His childhood memories are of his hard-working mom. “One of the fond memories was it was snowing, and my mom she was making us food, and we were home from school, but she didn’t stop there,” Luke recalls. “I remember her putting on her work clothes and climbing through snow. “Performing arts wasn’t available. My dad’s church was on Ocean Ave., and it was called Church of God with Christ. He was an actor turned pastor. The art form that

46 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

really happened was when they put plays on in the church.”

These days Luke performs in 13 Reasons Why. “13 Reasons is about the miscommunication of teens,” he says.

The controversial series deals with themes like suicide and rape. Luke plays the high school guidance counselor, Mr. Porter, who ignores the major warning signs of his troubled students.

“I think we’re in a society where it’s easy to tune someone out,” Luke says. “Mr. Porter, to me, represents a guy who is disconnected and wasn’t really helping himself. If you can’t help yourself you can’t really help others. 13 Reasons Why is like a channel to open up dialog to what’s really going on, on the inside.”

‘Fruit, not the Root’ In real life, Luke is all about opening up that dialog. It’s part of how the Derek Luke Foundation came to be.

“There was a lot of chaos happening and a lot of shifting in the city,” he says “There was a lot of drama between the neighborhoods. You’re usually dealing with the fruit of something and not the root of it. So we went to every corner and basically we were asking guys,

EDUCATION JCM ‘What’s on your heart? What’s wrong?’

We went to every corner spontaneously and invited them to a five-star dinner on the Hudson. We just said, ‘No guns. Dress your best. No weapons. Just come and eat. We want to build you up.’” This grew into a Derek Luke Foundation monthly event called Kings Night, a men’s empowerment forum.

A Day in the Park From the stage in Audubon Park, Derek and Sophia Luke share their platform with a stream of entertainers ranging from singers and dancers to the Jump4Jerry double Dutch team. Luke literally jumps into the action.

Between acts, Luke shakes hands and takes selfies. Educational booths are woven in with the fun and the food. Sophia Luke researched activities for kids that would both build them and encourage the connection between parent and child. What looks like a simple arts and crafts project is designed to build motor skills and self esteem.

“Love, unity and community came out of my family legacy,” Luke says, “My grandmother hadn’t been to the movies in about 50 years. She grew up in the South. She was the holiest, most devout person, and she just cut certain things out from her life. When my first movie came out, she flew out to California.

What she observed is what she told me.

She said, ‘Derek, one thing that I see about fame is that it brings the family together.’”

Luke puts change into the equation.

“When I came back there was this huge thing about gentrification, and for me when I look at gentrification, I think about change and how change is inevitable. Many times people, including myself, are not prepared for change. What do you do and how do you respond to it?

So I realized that as the neighborhoods have changed, our legacy can be upheld, and the legacy was to let the kids remember that I’m from the neighborhood, so that they can look up because I remember never looking up. I used to feel like who am I to try to encourage you or to say that what I do encourages you. So many guys when I’m on the street after I finish a project will say, ‘Hey your movie, that was my story,’ and I felt like let me give back to the community that gives to me.”—JCM

Jersey City Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2019 • 47

Cheryl R. Riley Artist & Model

150 Bay Street

A creative haven honors the promise Photo by Tatsuro Nishimura

Tatsuro Nishimura Photographer

of the Powerhouse

Arts District Story and photos by Cheryl R. Riley

W

hen my wife, Courtney Sloane, and I moved back to Jersey City at the end of 2005 after departing for New York City’s Flat Iron neighborhood in 2000, the neighborhood east of Marin Boulevard was taking on the name “The Powerhouse Arts District,” a well-deserved moniker. At least 170 artists occupied 111 First Street, the former home of the nation’s largest manufacturer of tobacco products. Its illegal colonization started in the late 1950s, seeding a thriving community with a popular gallery and Ground Zero for the annual Jersey City Art and Studio Tour.

48 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

THE ARTS JCM

We’ll Have What They’re Having

Lauren Schwartz-DeMarco Visual Artist

This playbook has been replicated in New York City’s SoHo, Williamsburg, Chelsea, and the Lower East Side (LES); San Francisco’s SoMA; Austin’s SoCo; and countless other abandoned warehouse and manufacturing districts throughout the United States. According to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), as of 2018 the arts contributed $763.6 billion to the U.S. economy, more than agriculture, transportation, or warehousing. The arts employ 4.9 million workers across the country with earnings of more than $370 billion. The arts exported $20 billion more than it imported, providing a positive trade balance.

Edifice Complex Despite these favorable indicators, Jersey City’s mayor from 2004-2013, Jerramiah Healy, opposed the saviors of this economic dead zone who contributed to the local economy in this very diverse city. His ears and hands were open only to the New York-based developers’ plans for blocking the sun with high rises, with no requirements to contribute to public amenities like green spaces, dog parks, traffic lights, upgrades to the already overflowing water mains, or transportation improvements.

Had a small percentage of their construction budgets gone to the arts, our museum might have been saved.

Members of the Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association (PADNA) sat in frustration during Planning Board meetings with developers. We were blatantly ignored when we warned about the shadows and wind tunnels their high rises would cause. After smiling and nodding agreement during these fractious presentations, board members picked up their phones or left their seats to laugh and yack with the representatives of capitalistic greed during the short speaking time allotted to the community.

Robert Koch Visual Artist

Jersey City Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2019 • 49

Enter 150 Bay Street Jaqlin Medlock Dancer

Lucy Rovetto Visual Artist

My introduction to 150 Bay occurred during a visit to our storage facility in 2005. Our friend, Ron Aigle, a popular fitness trainer who lived nearby, alerted us that the building was renting loft apartments. These live/work spaces would occupy the warehouse building’s North, South, and West sides. I was handed the floor plans for the 7th and 8th floors which were almost complete and the 9th floor that was under construction. The timing was perfect because our art collection was outstripping our Flat Iron District apartment. I was tiring of creating art on the bedroom floor or vacating the kitchen table for meals. Courtney was looking to incorporate her interior design business into our home. The open floor plans promised space for her work, my art-making practice, as well as private quarters. Double wide doors, concrete floors, 15-foot ceilings, a freight elevator, lots of windows, and a beautifully equipped kitchen were just what we needed. It was close to public transportation and Courtney’s elderly mother. Having grown up in the area and attended the famous St. Anthony on a basketball scholarship, Courtney was quite familiar with the area. When we first met, she had occupied a huge loft with a work space on Barrow and Newark Avenue for five years.

She was already at home in the neighborhood. Though it did not offer the excellent restaurants and fresh food venues that now grace the area, it was a short trip through the Holland Tunnel to all our favorite providers.

Landlord Love In those first years, a community of supportive, congenial and lucky artists began to form in the converted A & P warehouse, then owned by Newmark Properties, now Gural Family Properties. Its website states, “Our values set

50 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

THE ARTS JCM

us apart in the marketplace. We treat our tenants with the same care and thoughtful attention we would our family members. We are dedicated to providing them with the best-in-class buildings.” They’ve lived up to this pledge. We have wonderful concierges who know our children, pets, friends, and us by name; receive and notify us of packages, deliveries, or guests; and keep us safe. The lobby has three 40’ x 40’ steel frames that are available on a three-month rotation to exhibit tenants’ artwork. The Gurals supplement the cost of production with a stipend for materials. Tenant Robert Koch’s sculpture, “Untitled,” was commissioned to anchor our spacious courtyard. It sprouts from a surrounding bench that is one of our gathering places, along with the roof where we talk to and actually get to know our neighbors, bond, sunbathe, and marvel at the gorgeous sunsets.

Karen Fuch Photographer

Drawing Artists The Gural’s support is unwavering. Their small and large gestures are appreciated, like providing entertainment in the courtyard during the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour to draw more attendees and buyers or serving coffee and refreshments in the lobby so new tenants can meet their neighbors. If you’ve visited our building for the Studio Tours, you may have seen some of the works by our talented tenants. We have a dancer, a choreographer, photographers, opera and pop music singers, composers, musicians, ceramicists, painters, sculptors, a hair stylist, a designer of fine cashmere apparel, a florist, videographer, furniture designer, fashion stylist, professors, teachers, and our own Ayurveda healer, an artist who keeps us healthy all year and cold-resistant in winter. 150 Bay Street is a haven for the creative class and those who appreciate us.

—JCM

Muriel Favaro Designer & Visual Artist

Jersey City Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2019 • 51

Bar & Grill

C O R KS C R E W

By Tara Ryazansky Photos by Maxim Ryanzansky

C

orkscrew Bar & Grill is a relaxed neighborhood bar with notably upscale offerings.

“We’re just the local Cheers around here,” says Manager Nicole Krygowski.

“We’re a sports bar, but we like to cater to the community.”

This means that they feature local talent not only during their weekly open mic nights, but also on tap. “We have a lot of items from local New Jersey breweries and distilleries,” Krygowski says. “They’re big supporters of ours, and we’re big supporters of theirs. Many of their brewers hang out at Corkscrew.”

It’s a fun and lively scene at this Heights watering hole, just minutes from the 9th Street light rail station.

Games like Jenga and Connect Four are stacked in the corner. Various sports play on nine flat screens, easily seen from all the high top tables

and cozy booths. It’s the perfect place to cut loose with friends or make new ones. The crowd is friendly, and everybody seems to know each other.

Newcomers are quickly brought into the fold.

There’s a schedule of weekly events.

On Tuesdays and Saturdays it hosts open mic nights. Wednesday night is karaoke. Thursday night is generalknowledge trivia. “They cover all kinds of interesting topics on trivia night,” Krygowski says.

Every other Friday night is live music. Brunch on Saturdays features singer/songwriters.

Weekend brunch is a must. The food is amazing, and so is the laidback atmosphere. And the Man-Mosas flow.

That would be Blue Moon and vodka with a splash of OJ, topped with champagne. It’s Corkscrew’s beefed-up version of a mimosa.

When it comes to the menu, Corkscrew emphasizes high-quality ingredients for creative takes on classic pub food.

52 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

“Burgers are our thing,” Krygowski says. “We get fresh-butchered meat here every day.” Create your own burger or choose from one of three signature burgers like the $13 Jersey Burger.

This includes an eight-ounce Pat LaFrieda burger covered in all things Jersey, such as gooey American cheese, a fried egg and Taylor ham (or pork roll depending on where you grew up). It’s these deliciously indulgent offerings that keep the regulars coming back.

The bar is also known for its wings, and it serves vegetarian options as well; the wraps and waffle fries are to die for.

Wash it all down with a flight of four beers for $16. You can pick from 18 beers on tap. Knowledgeable bartenders, like Rachel and Carlos, will help you find something you love. Try a lineup of New Jersey beers from Ghost Hawk, Bolero, 902, or Departed Souls of Jersey City for some local flavor.

If cocktails are your thing, try a Cosmo, or an Old Fashioned, made with house Bulleit bourbon poured straight

WATERING HOLE JCM

Manager Nicole with bartenders Carlos and Rachel

from the barrel behind the bar. Garnished with orange peel and a house-made dirty cherry, it has a smoky, spicy complexity despite its classic simplicity.

The Corkscrew crew isn’t reinventing the wheel; they’re just making the best possible version of the wheel that already exists.

Corkscrew Bar & Grill was established in 1976, and has been under current ownership for about 15 years. Over that time, the neighborhood has changed.

“As more and more people are moving out here, the area is growing and changing,” Krygowski says. Corkscrew has grown up along with The Heights.

“Everyone needs a neighborhood bar, and we’re it.”—JCM Corkscrew Bar & Grill 61 Congress St. 201 239-0087 thecorkscrewjc.com

Jersey City Magazine ~ FALL | WINTER 2019 • 53

Snow globes galore Dan and Kris

Photos by Beth DiCara

S

ometimes you go to a restaurant because you’re hungry. Other times, you go because you’re starving—for comfort, for contact both human and humane, and for inspiration, not Instagram. That’s what we felt when the husband-and-wife team of Chef Daniel Latham and coowner Kris Yettra pulled up chairs and kept us company during our visit to Latham House.

I quickly realized that this wasn’t an assignment, it was an interaction, and I put away my pen. Our talk ranged over family—Beth, Dan, and Kris had much in common, including daughters named Emma. We talked about life, loss, pleasures, pain, and future plans. News flash. They will be opening a new restaurant on Journal Square’s PATH Plaza called Emma’s.

The couple’s philosophy about food isn’t so much expressed as ingested. You get the idea that they like good, honest food that’s adventurous enough for modern tastes. From time to time, Dan got up and disappeared into the kitchen. Soon a server would appear with something for us to try.

The first was a stupendous offering from the “Entrée/Salad” portion of the menu. This Asian Chicken Salad is a virtual mound of delectable ingredients: greens, cabbage, scallions, almonds, sesame seeds, cilantro, and crispy wonton rice noodles with a sesame-ginger dressing.

Kris and Dan intuited that when a writer and photographer visit a restaurant, we don’t want a tsunami of choices. We can’t eat dozens of entrees that end up in a doggie bag.

With that in mind, the only other dish was a wonderful crispy calamari from the “First & Share” department.

54 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019

It comes with a spicy roasted pepper tomato-serrano sauce. The great thing about these two dishes is that they paired beautifully. We ate both with chopsticks.

You can go online for the full menu.

Suffice it to say, it has everything from hangar steak to chicken pot pie, a sophisticated blend of American, Italian, and French, with a decidedly Asian flair. But it’s not frou-frou.

Nothing vertically plated. I love the way the menu refers to dinner as supper. It’s a friendly word that brings back childhood memories of a simpler time.

Sunday brunch, Kris says, is a real event. It could be packed, so set your alarm.

I accompanied our meal with a robust bottle of Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, and Beth had a Latham Bloody Latham, made with Tito’s Vodka and homemade spicy bloody Mary mix.

EATERY JCM It was a total work of art with olives, cucumber, an umbrella and other stuff accessorizing the slender glass.

Dessert doesn’t even appear on the menu. Kris is a baker by trade, so you never know what she has up her sleeve. We were served her signature dish, chocolate chip bread pudding with dulce de leche ice cream. This should be devoured, not described.

Latham House is fairly intimate with a modern, clean décor of wood and metal with hanging lights, including an antler chandelier, a deer trophy, slender bookshelf, and an artsy wall of wine. Water comes in a Mason jar.

A compact bar offers a partial view of what’s going on behind the scenes.

Kris says the bar is “food-driven.”

Indeed, one regular is eating alone, chatting with Phil, the friendly bartender, and advising me on my beer choices. I take that back. He’s not alone. He’s with friends, old and new.

One of the restaurant’s most distinctive features is a huge collection of snow globes that lines the entire front window. They come from all over the world, from Jordan to Vermont; gifts from regulars and newcomers, charmed by the fanciful tradition.

It’s just another sign that when you go to Latham House, you’ll be filled and fulfilled—Kate Rounds Latham House 299 Marin Blvd. | 201 479-8432 lathamhousejc.com

Phil the bartender Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WiNtER 2019 • 55

DATES JCM from page 43

7 ASPI Merry Makers and Artist Market, The Church of St. Paul’s & The Incarnation, 38 Duncan Avenue, 12-7 p.m. Artists and makers from Jersey City and beyond offer their unique creations for you! Browse through a wonderland of artworks and handmade goods, from natural essential oils to one-of-a-kind accessories. Check @ASPIArts for more information.

Jersey City’s Premier Dining Destination

Jersey City Ukulele Meet Up, JC Studios, 143 Christopher Columbus Dr., 2-4 p.m. Do you like playing the ukulele, or are you interested in picking one up? Want to practice your skills, work on songs in a supportive setting, and jam with others? This may be the group for you! We do strum-alongs: we have songbooks, and you’re invited to bring copies of songs you’d like people to strum along with. It’s a low-key, friendly group.

If you don’t currently have a uke of your own, just let us know; we can be sure to have a couple extras on hand. RSVP at JerseyCityUke.Club or by e-mailing admin@JerseyCityUke.Club.

8 NJCU Holiday Choral Concert, Margaret Williams Theatre, 3 p.m. Enjoy a variety of classical and tradition music to welcome the holidays.

Featuring NJCU Concert Chorale and Chamber singers under the direction of Dr. Robert Prowse.

Free admission with RSVP. Check njcu.edu for more information.

11-22 Offering two elegantly appointed dining rooms and a classic Prohibition era bar, Edward’s is the perfect venue for intimate evenings and larger gatherings.

Call today to book your corporate or family party or stop in for lunch or dinner.

Private dining is available for groups of up to 40 guests.

A Christmas Carol, Art House Productions, 272 17th Street, A live mash-up of nearly every movie version of A Christmas Carol ever made. Funny, fast-paced and moving. Tickets are $18-$30.

Find more details at arthouseproductions.org.

Open for Lunch Monday - Friday • Open for Dinner 7 Days a Week 239 Marin Boulevard • Jersey City, NJ • 201-761-0000 • www.edwardssteakhouse.com 56 • Jersey City Magazine ~ Spring | Summer 2019

see page 57

AUTHENTIC MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE

DATES JCM from page 56

13 Jersey City’s 23rd Annual Toy Drive, Residence Response Center at City Hall, 280 Grove Street, Starting on November 13th register kids ages 1-12 who are Jersey City residents to receive a gift at this great holiday event. Drop off donations if you want to help make the holidays fun for a local child.

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

14 Annual Mayor’s Holiday Concert, Landmark Loews Theatre, 54 Journal Square, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Enjoy music for the holiday season at this free event.

15

201-839-5115

Fax 201-839-5039 187 Newark Avenue Jersey City, NJ (Near Grove Street Path & Jersey Avenue)

Laura Stevenson at Monty Hall, 43 Montgomery St., 7 p.m. Laura Stevenson puts her incredible song writing skills on display. Adult Mom opens in rare solo form. $15.

Shawarma

31 New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Iron Monkey, 99 Greene Street, 9 p.m. until January 1st. Ring in the new year in Jersey City’s stunning waterfront neighborhood.

Watch the ball drop in NYC on a projection screen. Three floors of fun. $45 for open bar and festivities.

JANUARY

Falafel . Hummus

2 Jersey City Ukulele Meet Up, JC Studios, 143 Christopher Columbus Dr., 2-4 p.m.

Do you like playing the ukulele, or are you

see page 58

Open 7 Days

FREE DELIVERY UPON LOCATION Minimum $20

Downtown Jersey City Only Jersey City Magazine ~ Spring | Summer 2019 • 57

DATES JCM from page 56

Elevating the ice cream cake experience!

Order cakes at tOricOcakes.cOm @tOricOcakes

201-432-9458 20 erie street jersey city, Nj

interested in picking one up? Want to practice your skills, work on songs in a supportive setting, and jam with others? This may be the group for you! We do strum-alongs: we have songbooks, and you’re invited to bring copies of songs you’d like people to strum along with. It’s a low-key, friendly group. (If you don’t currently have a uke of your own, just let us know; we can be sure to have a couple extras on hand.) RSVP at JerseyCityUke.Club or by e-mailing admin@JerseyCityUke.Club.

APRIL 4 Liberty State Park Salt Marsh Cleanup. folsp.org. pensinliberty@earthlink.net. 201-792-1993.

MAY 5 Liberty State Park Annual Luncheon folsp.org. pensinliberty@earthlink.net. 201-792-1993.

JUNE 20 Liberty State Park 5K Run and Fun Run. pensinliberty@earthlink.net. 201-792-1993.

58 • Jersey City Magazine ~ fall | WINTER 2019

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From live music to incredible art, boutique shopping to delectable cuisine, Jersey City’s got something for everyone. shop, dine, hang local—make JC yours!

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