HOW WE LIVE

By Tara Ryazansky Photos by Max Ryazansky

A Downtown Vibe

Lynn Hazan might be best known as Chicpea around Jersey City, but in her downtown apartment, she’s mom to 9-year-old Mia and soon-tobe wife to fi ancé Tony Bush. The trio invited Jersey City Magazine over to show us their place.

“I’ve never done a house tour before,” Hazan says as she welcomes us into her bright kitchen.

The two-bedroom apartment has an open fl oor plan that leads into a comfortable living space.

She isn’t new to the building. Hazan lived downstairs in a smaller place with Mia for years. Then, around a year ago when her lease was up and she was getting serious with Bush, the couple decided to move in together.

“We went to see a few apartments and this one was perfect,” Hazan says.

Even though the new place was just an elevator ride away, the move wasn’t as easy as one would think.

“It made it harder in a lot of ways simply because we didn’t have to pack everything properly and put it in a truck and move once,” Bush says.

He recalls bringing items up by the armful. “It became more drawn out.”

But now they’re mostly settled in, though Bush, who works in NYC real estate, has a few DIY projects on the agenda. He wallpapered the bathroom and, next, he will build some Lego displays to showcase the Harry Potter sets he creates with Mia.

“When we moved in together I didn’t want for it to be just my stuff and my aesthetic,” Hazan says that the pair picked some new furniture together and always work on customizing their space. “The most recent addition is Tony’s little studio. It’s his music area where he gets in the zone.”

Bush was in a band called Scenes From A Movie that played Warped Tour years ago. He and his former bandmate still release music under that name.

“We also recently made a little meditation space,” Hazan says, showing me the area in the bedroom. “The city can get stressful with all of the hustle and bustle so I try to have balance.”

The space includes a kneeling desk where Hazan can journal or meditate. She has candles, sage and a Tibetan singing bowl ready to go. Above that is a collage board of photos that look like a more personal version of her Instagram page. One photo of Hazan and Bush looks like a frame from a movie.

“One of our fi rst trips to gether when we fi rst started dating was to California. That’s where that picture is from,” Hazan says. “I think a lot of our apartment is almost inspired by that trip. It was a beach, boho vibe. We always talk about that trip. It really solidifi ed our relationship.”

The couple, who are planning a summer wedding, met on Hinge.

“I had never had any experience with online dating before,” Bush says.

He joined the app because his friend met his fi anceé that way.

“I was dating for a couple of years since my divorce,” Hazan says. “It was just always so stressful.”

Hazan saw Bush’s profi le and reached out.

“I was only on it for literally a day and a half when she messaged me,” Bush says. “The rest is history.”

“It was very unexpected. We met and it was just instant best friends,” Hazan says.

The couple became serious quickly.

“We made big decisions about the relationship early on,” Bush says.

“But it wasn’t fast and intense. It was an inner knowing. We’re right for each other,” Hazan adds. “I think our relationship has made us better and we motivate each other.”

Home is also a workspace for Hazan, who has grown from local blogger to infl uencer. But that’s not all that she does.

“I run a marketing agency,” she says.

Hazan is the founder of AIM Media. “We run about 15

social media accounts. We’re posting every day and responding to DMs. It’s a lot.”

Her dining table doubles as her desk, but in the evening all of the technology gets hidden away in a storage basket.

Hazan continues to work as a culture, lifestyle and food writer as @lynnhazan_ on Instagram as well. She still focuses on Jersey City, but she features everything from international travel to fashion.

Hazan says that she’s grateful for her platform and her followers, but as her content has grown, so have her boundaries.

“I’m subject to a lot of online trolling and bullying,” Hazan explains. “Unfortunately it’s always been this way. People are haters. Especially of a woman who is unapologetically herself, who’s opinionated, who takes care of herself, who travels. Haters are gonna hate.”

“It can get very brutal,” Bush says.

“Especially when it’s misogynistic, racist and antisemitic,” Hazan says. “Recently, because I made these boundaries, when someone makes these comments I just block them right away. I’d rather have less followers than have that kind of energy around my page. It comes from a place of self-love. I am much happier now that I have boundaries around my social media.”

The couple has a strict rule. No phones in the bedroom. “At night we leave the phones out here and it’s our time to hang out. We have our nightly routines. That keeps us centered and it helps our relationship connect after a long stressful day. We try to make this place a sanctuary away from stress.”

The couple created a chill ambiance in their room and the common area of the apartment. Hazan says they were going for a “Zen and spa-like” vibe. But I see a pop of color in another corner of the house. It’s Mia’s room.

“Mia’s room is so cool,” Bush says.

“It’s very eclectic,” Hazan adds. “Whenever she’s here this becomes her place. With toys everywhere!”

“My old room was small,” Mia says.

“In our last apartment it was just me and her kind of starting over,” Hazan says. “Mia went from a tiny room to a lot of space.»

Now it’s time for dinner. The dining room has transitioned from workspace to family table.

I ask Hazan if she could ever see herself leaving Jersey City.

“Our life is here. Mia’s school is here. My business is here. We love Jersey City,” Hazan says “We have everything downtown. You can walk on the waterfront. We have Van Vorst Park, which is such a pretty and whimsical park.”

While the couple doesn’t plan to move to the suburbs anytime soon, they say that this isn’t their forever home. They hope to buy something a little bit bigger in the future. They might need an extra bedroom.

“You know the scene from My Cousin Vinny? Well, my biological clock is ticking,” Hazan says.

“We might need to do another house tour next year,” Bush adds.

Hazan says, “We can do a part two.”—JCM