FALL 2015
➧ En
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➧ Jersey ¶ Hired
Beer
Hooves
¶ Fulla’ Beans ¶ Storage
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providing intelligent & sophisticated real estate services TAT E ES
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nmatched sophistication on Castle Point Terrace with world class New York City and Hudson River views. The innovative design of this unique home incorporates mid-century HIWMKR GLEVEGXIVMWXMGW JSV XLI WX GIRXYV] LEVQSRMSYW MRHSSV SYXHSSV ÂS[ I\TIVX YWI SJ
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201.420.7393 R E C I P I E N T OF THE 2014 HOBOKEN CHAMBER OF COMME RC E B U S I NE SS AWARD FOR RE AL E STAT E OF F I C E OF T H E Y E A R
CONTENTS JCM
FEATURES 14 NEW CITY KIDS Sea worthy
18 JC FAB LAB Makin’ stuff
22 GOYA Fulla’ beans
30 HIRED HOOVES Goats punch in
64 WHAT’S THE FORECAST Winter wonderland
DEPARTMENTS 10 CONTRIBUTORS
14
62 ON THE WATERFRONT Beaches
12 EDITOR’S LETTER 58 THE STUDIO Victory Hall
66 THE HOOD Lincoln Park
68 WATERING HOLE NJ Beer Company
75 POINT AND SHOOT Greetings from Jersey City
COVER 71 EMERGING The pedestrian mall Cover Photo by Alyssa Bredin | tbishphoto
72 DINING OUT Raval
72 26 WORKING OUT WITH
76 RESTAURANTS Listings
Colin Egan
33 DATES What’s goin’ on
34 EDUCATION Educational Arts Team
38 SPORTS AND FITNESS Fencing
42 HOW WE WORK Small businesses
46 ON THE JOB WITH Lee Fahley
50 HOW WE LIVE New and improved
54 PEOPLE POWER Storage Pirates
4 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
58
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FA L L 2 0 1 5 Vo l u m e 1 2 • N u m b e r 2 A Publication of The Hudson Reporter
PUBLISHERS Lucha Malato, David Unger EDITOR IN CHIEF Kate Rounds GRAPHICS STAFF Terri Saulino Bish, Lisa M. Cuthbert, Alyssa Bredin, Mike Mitolo, Pasquale Spina COPYEDITING Christopher Zinsli ADVERTISING MANAGER Tish Kraszyk ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Melissa Bridda, Toni Anne Calderone, Ron Kraszyk, Jay Slansky CIRCULATION MANAGER Roberto Lopez CIRCULATION Luis Vasquez ACCOUNTING Christine Caraballo
Jersey City Magazine is published two times a year by The Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P., 1400 Washington St., Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (201) 798-7800, Fax (201) 798-0018. Email jcmag@hudsonreporter.com. Subscriptions are $10 per year, $25 for overseas, single copies are $7.50 each, multiple copy discounts are available. VISA/MC/AMEX accepted. Subscription information should be sent to JCMagazine Subscriptions, 1400 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other unsolicited materials. Copyright ©2015, Hudson Reporter Associates L.P. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.
Jersey City Magazine is a publication of The Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P. 1400 Washington Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 phone 201.798.7800 • fax 201.798.0018 e-mail: jcmag@hudsonreporter.com jerseycitymagazine.com
6 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
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LAUREN BARBAGALLO
TERRI SAULINO BISH ALYSSA BREDIN
MELISSA HEULE
MICKEY MATHIS
VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ MAXIM RYAZANSKY
J
C O N T R I B U T O R S
C M
TARA RYAZANSKY
LAUREN BARBAGALLO
is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in New Jersey Monthly, Parents, Boston Magazine, AM New York, the Provincetown Banner and VegNews, among other publications and websites. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and their rescue dog, Patches, in Hamilton Park.
TERRI SAULINO BISH
began her career as a graphic designer and digital artist. Expanding into the area of photography, she not only creates images but captures them with her camera. Her work has appeared in many publications, including Best of Photography. Her art currently includes digital paintings and photos that can be viewed at tbishphoto.com.
ALYSSA BREDIN
is a graduate of Saint Peter’s College, Jersey City, with a degree in graphic arts. She is pursuing a career in photography. Her work can be seen at tbishphoto.com.
10 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
AL SULLIVAN
GAIL ZAVIAN
MELISSA HEULE
TARA RYANZANSKY
MICKEY MATHIS
AL SULLIVAN
is a North Jersey native and a graduate of Ramapo College. She is a freelance writer and the editorial assistant for the Bayonne Community News.
is a freelance photographer who studied at the International Center for Photography in New York City. A Jersey City resident, he can be seen wandering around town with his dog and a camera slung around his neck.
VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
has studied publication design, photography, and graphic design. “I’ve been fascinated by photography for 18 years,” he says. One of his jobs as a construction project manager is to photograph job sites.
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.
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.
has been a staff writer for the Hudson Reporter newspaper chain since 1992. He was named journalist of the year in 2001 by the New Jersey Press Association, and photographer of the year in 2005 by the Garden State Journalists Association. In 2001, Rutgers University Press published a collection of his work, Everyday People: Profiles from the Garden State.
GAIL ZAVIAN
is a lifelong Jersey City resident with a degree in photography. A loyal park patron, she has photographed every aspect of Liberty State Park for more than a decade. She is the author of Liberty State Park.
Life just got healthier in Hudson County.
Jersey City Medical Center now part of the Aetna Network.
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PHOTO BY MARIE PAPP
EDITOR'S LETTER JCM
No Need to Look Both Ways
T
he new pedestrian mall on Newark Avenue epitomizes what’s fresh and positive in Jersey City. Alyssa Bredin took some great pictures of the scene as folks stroll down the middle of the avenue, relax at a table with an umbrella, or drop into any of the restaurants or shops along the way. The bustling, upbeat atmosphere sets just the right tone for many of the edgy, forward-thinking ideas that are taking root in town. Check out Victor Rodriguez’s pictures of the New City Kids sailing on the Hudson. Or his pictures of Jersey City’s “beaches,” hidden or otherwise. see page 29
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NEW CITY KIDS GET A LIFE LESSON IN SAILING
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Young sailors learn communication skills that will be useful in later life. BY KATE ROUNDS PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
I
t’s a beautiful mid-summer evening. Photographer Victor Rodriquez and I have been invited to join a group called New City Kids for a twohour City Sail. This free school teaches kids how to sail on the Hudson River, everything from tacking to reefing a mainsail in a thunderstorm. Fortunately, on this Thursday afternoon, no storms are in the forecast. Like everything in the New City Kids program, these sailing classes are also life lessons. In this case, young sailors learn communication skills that will be useful in college and in the workforce. New City Kids is a nonprofit in town whose mission is to promote academic, leadership, musical, and spiritual development. The organization, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, works with kids in first grade through college. Its mantra— that kids are valuable—has led to unprecedented success. We start at the New City Kids center at 240 Fairmont Ave. The place is bustling with summer campers playing out front. Inside, City Sail kids are learning sailing techniques, the parts of a boat, and knot-tying. New City Kids alumnus Bryan Julot is teaching knot-tying. A sophomore in college, he’s been sailing with the group since the summer of eighth grade. “I was intrigued,” he recalls. “It was a new experience,” not only for him but for lots of Jersey City kids. He’s majoring in business management and sociology at New Jersey City University, two disciplines that should prepare him well for the future. He wants to start his own nonprofit sailing program.
SETTING SAIL After this 45-minute indoor tutorial, it’s down to Liberty Harbor Marina. Development Director Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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If it weren’t for City Sail, most of these kids would not be on the water. Gabriel Stiritz is our host. Sitting on D dock, he remarks that this might be the most beautiful day of the entire summer. It is utterly clear with no humidity. “The water is beautiful on a sunny day with lots of wind and New York City on the horizon,” Julot says. For him sailing’s most valuable lesson is patience. “It takes a lot of time to learn,” he says. “The first couple of times you don’t get it.” Michael, age 16, waits on the dock for the sail to begin. “It’s a great experience,” he says, “and a great opportunity because it is not expensive for kids.” Giselle, 13, says it’s fun to be with friends and to make friends. Ahmad, who has been in the program for five years, wants other kids “to follow in his footsteps,” learning how to sail and working toward their life goals. Mirna, who’s in her fifth year with the program, echoes what most participants feel: Without this program, these kids would never, ever experience a sport that would be too costly for most of them to participate in. Tony Hincliff, cofounder of City Sail and pastor of Redeemer Hoboken church, is skipper of the Freedom 133, where students are gathering for their all-hands-on-deck sailing lesson. Other students will be boarding a smaller Colgate 26, donated by the Offshore Sailing School. “This is not just a boat
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ride,” Stiritz says. “We believe in putting action behind our words.” Our photographer, Victor Rodriguez, followed them in a speeding Zodiac. Enjoy his beautiful pictures of New City Kids sailing on the Hudson.
TEENS TEACH Sailing is just one of the many learning experiences offered by New City. The Teen Life Internship is a year-long, paid, part-time, in-depth leadership development program. The teens tutor, lead music classes or other activities, or manage other teens. Each participant takes job training, life skills, and college prep. They visit working professionals and get one-on-one coaching. All the teens in the program have entered college in the last five years, and 90 percent have finished or are still enrolled—this in a city where 33 percent drop out of high school and 51 percent do not attend college. New City uses cutting-edge techniques to get results. Teens help younger kids, who are part of a team. They might chant a rap to help with a geography lesson. Most important, trained staff is on hand to deal with personal problems or adversity at home, or to intervene in a crisis.
COLLEGE BOUND In the college readiness program, kids participate in academic tutoring, SAT prep, and parent-student workshops, and they take college tours. Alumni come back to share their experiences of applying to, attending, and graduating from college. The New City After School Center invites kids in grades one through eight to take part in an academic and arts enrichment program, which blends English, math, and geography with performing, arts, music, and other cultural offerings. A spiritual component comes in the form of the X-Change youth ministry, led by teens in the X-Crew. Poetry and sketches, which may tell stories of disappointment and pain, are exchanged for messages of healing and hope. Summer camp also focuses on spiritual development in addition to traditional day-camp activities. Biblequizzing games might be followed by dance, chants, and raps to aid self expression, and field trips that include hiking and swimming and visits to zoos and parks. “It’s not just talk,” Stiritz emphasizes, and City Sail is proof. He says, “We value kids”.—JCM
Makin’ Stuff Jersey City Fab Lab is the go-to place for homegrown innovators
O
BY KATE ROUNDS PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
ver the last decade, the Maker culture has been percolating around the world, across the nation, and right here in our own backyard. It attracts folks who want to make things themselves but often need a space, equipment, and water-cooler comrades for support and inspiration. A number of “hacker spaces” have sprung up to accommodate these makers and the machinery they need to realize their dreams. One of them is the fab lab, or fabrication laboratory. The movement started in 2001 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and now there are hundreds of fab labs worldwide. One of them is JC Fab Lab, at 195 New York Ave.
Fabulous Lab On a warm Thursday afternoon in mid-July, a couple of guys are doing their thing, and JC Fab Lab’s Eric Nadler is on site to show us around. Housed in a brick factory building in the Heights, the fourth-floor space is pleasantly untidy in a factory-ish kind of way. To the uninitiated, the machines seem mysterious. There are a laser engraver, 3-D printer, and others that have a nice industrial feel. A pleasant burning smell comes from the Epilog Laser Fusion machine, which etches a design onto plywood made from an image on a laptop. Speaking of laptops, a Fab-made wood laptop holder offers an artsy and organic alternative to the usual metal holders. Machines and blowing fans provide a backdrop of white noise in the un-airconditioned room. Through open windows, a painterly cityscape is visible. One of the things made here was a sign for a local restaurant. Nadler made a surfboard for himself. It’s on the wall over a table that displays the pieces and products made by members.
18 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
On another table are popsicle-stick creations made by kids, including, cars, cranes, and something that looks like a trebuchet, but may not be. Kids learn how to use saws, drills, and hammers, and to fashion things from toiletpaper tubes. On hand are books with helpful titles like “Japanese Woodworking” and “Manufacturing Process,” along with more obscure ones like “Flux,” “The Third Teacher,” “Ingenious,” and “Spoon.”
If You Make It… The initial fab lab concept “was that it would operate like a franchise,” Nadler says. “The goal was to create a space where you could make anything. They wrote software and came up with a collection of tools.” The original team was a collaboration of scientists and artists, which was appropriate for their creative, out-ofthe-box mission. The worldwide network of fab labs has inspired innovation and resourcefulness. Nadler tells the story of a fab lab in Norway that had created a design for a traditional Norwegian sandal. Adhering to fab lab practice, they shared the design with the network. A fab lab in Kenya picked up the design but adapted it to make use of local materials: in this case, automobile tires.
ERIC NADLER
Homegrown Handiwork The 2,000-square-foot Jersey City facility opened in January of this year. Nadler says that the building is known as the mattress factory, though old-fashioned accounting ledgers were apparently manufactured in Fab Lab’s space. At first, the lab was mobile. “But the limitations became clear,” Nadler says, “and we searched for an established space in an industrial building.” The New York Avenue space, in the Riverview Arts District, already had artists and craftspeople who could share resources, including furniture restorers, woodworkers, brass workers, and a person who creates museum installations. The lab also buys and leases equipment. “We’re trying to create community,” Nadler says. “The main drive of the Fab Lab is for people with design and engineering experience to come here, meet each other, and work together to create products to bring to market. We’re very design oriented. We create space for people to think and draw. We are very much proponents of that process.” The lab has 40 members, some in house on a regular basis, others on a project-by-project basis. Another sector of the business offers profesJersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
19
sional services, such as engraving and laser cutting, to fine artists, designers, architects, and clothing designers. “We’re very convenient to Midtown,” Nadler says. The lab also offers workshops and programming for adults and kids, and after-school programs. “We’re pretty happy with our growth so far,” Nadler says. “We’ve had a great response.”
Nadler’s background is in digital design. In fact most people now inhabit a digital world, and the allure of the Fab Lab model is bringing back tangible, physical, crafted objects. Nadler says, “It’s satisfying to see physical work, and people interacting.”—JCM
Widgets, trinkets, gadgets, doohickeys, and the machines that help make them
20 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
in Our Family Friendly Neighborhood
ovick HARDWARE
Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING 2015 •
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Look familiar? The ubiquitous logo dominates the new headquarters.
Fulla’ Beans On location at Goya’s gargantuan distribution center BY KATE ROUNDS
I
t’s hard to drive past Goya’s new headquarters on County Road and not be struck by the vastness of the structure. That’s what inspired me to request a tour, which took place on a rainy Thursday morning in mid-July. The familiar blue Goya logo dominates the building. The sidewalk leading to the front entrance is also blue, as are many of the flowers in the beds on either side of the doorway. Inside, everything is sleek and cool and modern. Grocery, advertising, and retail magazines are arranged on coffee tables. A crystal container bears a plaque reading “1999 ProGro Award Ethnic Foods.” A video loop on a wall-mounted flat screen TV is the most obvious sign that we are at ground zero for beans—and some 2,200 other Goya products. We see happy families and couples eating beans and delicious-looking Spanish dishes featuring coconut milk, fish, rice, and special Goya seasonings. Two running gags fantasize that if kids eat their beans they will become champion weightlifters and Nobel laureates.
Looking Around Director of Public Relations Rafael Toro starts the tour at the business end of the building, which looks like a set for a movie about a major newspaper, like the New York Times or the Washington Post, with inner cubicles and large windowed offices on the outside. Through the windows, these
22 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
employees enjoy a unique industrial landscape of marshland, towers, the latticework of distant bridges, and trucks moving slowly on the highways beyond. A big loop of the office floor takes us past marketing, public relations, finance, legal, national sales, and then on to HR, logistics, operations, traffic, IT, the nutritionist, test kitchen and lab, executive chef, and health and fitness room. At 10 a.m., there is no one in the exercise room. From this floor you enter the warehouse. Nothing, I mean nothing, can prepare you for the magnitude of this facility. The space looks like it could fit dozens of airplane hangars. It also has an Andy Warhol vibe, as if his Brillo boxes and Campbell Soup cans had decided to breed and inhabit this vast world. The floors are so clean and shiny, you could eat a Goya meal off them. It’s surprisingly quiet. Forklifts hum around the place like little Zambonis, and the operators don’t seem to do much talking. Every single package is accounted for, so if you’re thinking of filching even one shaker of Adobo, forget it.
Fusion Culture President Bob Unanue touts the company’s “door-tostore” delivery, meaning that the goods do not go to a warehouse first. That truck, delivering your Goya products to your local deli, starts at 350 County Road in Jersey City. The company was founded in 1936 in Manhattan, later moved to Brooklyn, then Secaucus, and then Jersey City. A packaging facility is still in Secaucus. The locale is ideal because it’s a major trucking hub, close
to major markets. “The Northeast is a very big market for us,” Unanue says. He figures they won’t outgrow the facility for another two decades. You can’t talk about Goya products without talking about the huge Latino population in the United States, at last count close to 60 million people. Unanue trumpets its diversity, citing immigrants from the Caribbean, Central America, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South America, and Spain. “With intermingling and intermarriage of diverse cultures,” he says, “comes a diverse and incredibly varied cuisine that’s found its way into the American culture and fabric. The three things that immigrants bring are their language, music—and food.”
Spilling the Beans The company’s “biggest-moving” item is beans, particularly black beans, which Unanue says have more antioxidants than blueberries. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg contacted the company about adding low-sodium products, and First Lady Michelle Obama asked them to reach out to the Latin community because of its high rates of obesity and diabetes. The government’s “My Plate” program divides meals into four categories: fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins, with some dairy. “Beans occupy two of the four categories: protein and vegetables,” Unanue says. “It’s a great opportunity for us to eat healthier and enjoy great
Just the Stats Distribution center is 600,000 square feet. Corporate headquarters is 42,000 square feet. Eleven acres of rooftop hold 12,000 solar panels. Employs more than 4,000 people worldwide. New facility ensured retention of 500 existing jobs and 100 new positions, with 150 construction jobs. 26 facilities are located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Spain Donates to local food pantries and has donated funds to The Golden Door Charter School in Jersey City and the Hudson County School of Technology-County Prep High School Culinary Program. cuisines.” Lentils, for example, which are very healthy, are favorites with Jersey City’s large Indian community. A popular indigenous product is quinoa seeds from the Andes in Peru. Unanue observes that when Latin immigrants assimilate into U.S. culture they go from soaking their dried beans
The test kitchen
overnight to opening a can of beans and adding their own spices, to eventually buying frozen prepared foods. Goya supplies every iteration of the bean.
Garden State Goya Unanue can sound like a nutritionist or a truck driver, depending on what department of the company he’s discussing. “I learned on the job,” he says. “I’ve worked in the company since I was 10 years old—it was required by my parents and grandparents. I worked on the production line. When we were in Brooklyn in 1964 I was making 50 cents an
This distribution center is vast.
hour. I’ve done every job from production to loading trucks, the whole gamut. I also studied business and accounting.” His work for Goya has brought him to California and Puerto Rico. He studied accounting at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., and also attended the University of Seville, in Spain. But his Jersey roots run deep. He was born in Teaneck, studied at William Paterson University in Wayne, and sits on the board of directors of New Jersey City University. He says, “New Jersey is critical for the distribution industry, so we want to stay where we are.”—JCM
Office workers have spacious new digs.
Welcome to the Goya reception area.
24 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
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Colin Egan leads Al Sullivan on a daredevil backstage climb.
UP and DOWN WORKING OUT WITH
COLIN EGAN —
PHOTOS BY TERRI SAULINO BISH
Al hands letters to Colin for the marquee.
BY AL SULLIVAN
F
or years, Colin Egan has been telling people that he doesn’t need to go to a gym to work out; he gets all the exercise he needs working around the theater. That theater is the historic Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre in Journal Square, where he has become something of a fixture, helping to lead the movement to restore the movie palace to some of its former glory. “I still do a lot to keep in shape,” says Egan, who is executive director of the theater and a founder of Friends of the Loew’s (FOL). This is no exaggeration. Following him around the theater for his daily routine is like tailing an acrobat. He climbs a platform outside the theater to put up letters on the marquee one minute, next he’s rushing down an aisle, running upstairs to one of the numerous alcoves off the balcony, or climbing the metal stairway behind the stage. I watch anxiously as he ventures onto the scaffolding high above the stage, a daredevil feat. Egan is too busy to look down or worry about falling. A former teacher and publicrelations professional, Egan now breathes and bleeds show business. In 1987 he happened to be passing the theater with an architect buddy when local residents were protesting its imminent demolition. The old theater had become a victim of its own excess at a time when home video and multiplexes made such movie palaces obsolete. Yet venues like the Loew’s speak to the part of the human psyche that craves nostalgia and grace. As with an old cruise ship, no amount of decay can mask its luxurious bones. Egan didn’t think at the time that he could save it, but he wanted to try. “So when my friend suggested we go to the Planning Board that night, I went,” he says. “I never thought we could do it, but as it turned out, we didn’t actually lose.” The city refused to give the developer the permits to raze the building. Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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WORKING OUT JCM
Egan’s DIY philosophy keeps him active.
ACT TWO It was a different Journal Square back then; the city envisioned tall office towers that would draw workers, similar to Newark’s high rises. “The problem was they couldn’t find tenants for the building they had already proposed,” Egan says, “and so they would have demolished this building and ended up with a vacant lot.” The theater was in terrible shape but had potential. Sewerage, water, and electric service had been cut. The stage and lobby were filled with trash. Prior management had divided the once elegant interior into mini-theaters in an attempt to increase profits by running simultaneous movies. The developer allowed Egan and other volunteers access to the theater. Peggy Giodan, one of the earliest volunteers, says they petitioned to get services restored and then slowly began cleaning the interior. They started with the magnificent lobby, as big as a mansion’s ballroom, with grand ornamentation that seems to glitter in the dark. “We held our first functions in the lobby,” Egan says.
The city eventually purchased the building, but money for restoration was hard to come by. Volunteers, meanwhile, invaded the place like an army of ants, carrying away debris bit by bit. The theater eventually got grants from the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund and other sources, but restoration is expensive, requiring expert consultants. Egan became his own expert and relied on the expertise of volunteers, who often came up with innovative and inexpensive solutions. He claims that previous administrations failed to live up to their financial obligations, but earlier this year, the city attempted to wrest control of the theater from FOL and transfer it to corporate production companies. The court ruled that the city’s contract with FOL was valid, and FOL retained control. But Egan says he and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop want the same thing. “We just don’t agree on how to get there,” he says. “We are willing to let a big entertainment producer get involved. We just don’t want local artists to suffer.”
28 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
ACT THREE Egan acknowledges that the theater is far from what it ought to be. It lacks air conditioning, which would allow programs to run during the summer. “Most of the money we get from the county goes toward bringing us up to code,” he says. So he, Giodan, and other volunteers continue to get exercise by doing things the old-fashioned way: fixing what needs to be fixed, installing what needs to be installed, and staging shows that will keep people interested in the theater. Educating the public is a big part of the restoration process. The more people he can reach by teaching them about the history of the theater, the more incentive there will be to restore it to its original grandeur. He leads tours and hosts weddings and receptions. In fall, winter and spring the theater shows movies. Egan will have no shortage of exercise for the foreseeable future as he puts up letters on the marquee or climbs stage stairs or balances on narrow scaffolding high above the stage. He says, “If you love something that much, you want to do it.”—JCM
EDITOR'S LETTER JCM from page 12
The goats in Liberty State Park, who were hired to eat their way through some unwelcome vegetation, seemed to be having a grand old time dining and taking siestas. We look at our Lincoln Park community in “The Hood” section. Lincoln Park itself is beautiful in the fall, with its many tennis courts packed, the fountain offering a cool spritz when a breeze is blowing, and the new golf course just across the way. Our married team of Tara and Max Ryazansky headed over to Liberty Island to observe Statue of Liberty guide Lee Fahley “on the job.” And on the southern end of Liberty State Park, Melissa Heule reported on campers with Camp Liberty’s Educational Arts Team who were performing a play in an outdoor pavilion. Back inside, Lauren Barbagallo takes a fun look at our very own “Storage Pirates,” and Al Sullivan “works out” with Colin Egan, director of the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre. (If running up and down stairs constitutes working out.) It’s hard to think of fall without thinking of Octoberfest. Tara and Max were off to the New Jersey Beer Co. to, well, drink beer, I assume. So, suds in your eye, folks!
Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
29
HIRED hooves Liberty State Park recruits four-legged groundskeepers Photos by Victor M. Rodriguez
OK,
I don’t want to get these goats in trouble, but the first time I caught sight of them near the Interpretive Center in Liberty State Park, they were literally lying down on the job. One was even relaxing on a bench. All she or he needed was a cold beverage and a book. They’ve been hired by park officials to eat the weeds. More precisely, “to help us clear out invasive plants in upland sections of the natural area.” Thank you, Deputy Superintendent Jonathan Luk. “After Hurricane Sandy and other storms over the last couple of years, invasive plants started to take over the area and affect the ability to use the upland hiking trails.” After the goats have eaten their designated dinner, the section will be restored with native plants. Lori Garth is the park’s resource interpretive specialist. “Some of the invasive plants that the goats will be removing are white mul berry, tree of heaven, Russian olive, tartarian honeysuckle, porcelain-berry, and mugwort,” she says. “Our restoration plan includes the following species: white pine, red cedar, American holly, serviceberry, bayberry, and lowbush blueberry.” Why not just bulldoze the place? “We wanted it to be environmentally sustainable without machines that use gas,” Luk says. “Heavy tires through the area would cause more destruction.”
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Photos by Victor M. Rodriguez
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Photo by Gail Zavian And humans? “The area has lots of thorny bushes and poison ivy, so it would be difficult to send people in.” Luk describes his workers as a “diverse group of goats.” One is known to be 11 years old. They don’t have names, except those the visiting public gives them. Luk reprimanded me for accusing his team of lying down on the job. “They start eating early in the morning,” he says, “and eat the vegetation until they can’t anymore and then they take a siesta.”—Kate Rounds
The goats come from Larry Cihanek of Green Goats. Photo by Jonathan Luk.
Photo by Gail Zavian
32 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
Photo by Jonathan Luk
Avenues. Sundays 9 a.m.– 2 p.m. through Nov. 1. Paulus Hook Farm Stand, Washington Street South of Essex Street in Paulus Hook. Saturdays 11 a.m.–4 p.m. through Dec. 19. Riverview Park Farmers Market, Palisade Avenue between Bowers and Griffith Streets.
D
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RTNA / NJCU Farmers Market, Culver Avenue near New Jersey City University John J. Moore Athletic Center. Wednesdays 1–7 p.m. through Oct. 25.
S
Want your event listed? Please email us at jcmag@hudsonreporter.com and put “calendar listings” in the subject line.
ONGOING IndieGrove, Free Coworking Fridays, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Try out the space and meet the community. For information go to indiegrovejc.com/calendar. Friends of Arlington Park Farmers Market, Ocean and Arlington Avenues. Saturdays 9 a.m.–2 p.m. through Nov. 21.
Hamilton Park Farmers’ Market, Hamilton Park, McWilliams Place and West Hamilton Avenue. Variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, baked goods, breads, and prepared food. Wednesdays 3–7 p.m. through Dec. 9.
and Thursdays 4–8 p.m. through Dec. 21.
Historic Downtown SID Farmers Market, Grove Street PATH Plaza, Mondays
Lincoln Park Farmers Market, Inside park near fountain. Enter at Westside and Belmont
Journal Square Farmers Market, Journal Square Fountain near Journal Square PATH Plaza, Wednesdays and Fridays 7 a.m.–8 p.m. through Dec. 23.
Van Vorst Park Farmers Market, Jersey Avenue at Montgomery Street. Saturdays 8 a.m.– 3:30 p.m.through Dec. 19. Holiday Market, Grove Street PATH Plaza, Mondays and Thursdays, 4–8 p.m. from Nov. 16 through Dec. 21 Friggin Fabulous Open Mic, Trolley Car Bar, 328 Palisade Ave., (201) 360–3233. Signup begins at 8:30 p.m. Musicians,
poets, comedians welcome. Free. Let There Be… LIVE!, Grassroots Community Space, 54 Coles St., grassroots communityspace.com. 9 p.m. Open performance series welcoming poetry, comedy, song, magic, dance, and more. Sevenminute performance slots and a guest host every month. $5. PMJAMNITES, Dorrian’s Red Hand, 555 Washington Blvd., (201) 626-6660, pmjamnites.com. 9 p.m. Multigenre singer, songwriter, and band showcase. Second Fridays of the month at Dorrian’s; last Friday of the month at place TBA. Free. Wordsmithing Wednesdays, 7 p.m., IndieGrove, 121 Newark Ave., (201) 589-2068, word smithingweb.com. Poetry, song, spoken word, and creative explosions of all kinds. Open mic and performance by a featured artist each month. Fee: $5. SJC Monthly Meeting-EAT, MEET, TALK!, First Tuesday evening of every month 7-9 p.m. Program includes networking over local see page 45
JERSEY CITY APAR TMENTS R E N TA L S AVA I L A B L E 201.434.1000 info@SilvermanBuilding.com SilvermanBuilding.com
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H A PPY CA M PER S
EDUCATIONAL ARTS TEAM NURTURES JERSEY CITY KIDS STORY AND PHOTOS BY MELISSA HEULE
I
t’s hidden on the grounds of the old Skyline Cabana Club, away from commercial buildings and recreation areas surrounding Liberty State Park. In the distance, the Freedom Tower looms, and Lady Liberty can be seen through the bulrushes. A dirt road leads to Camp Liberty. Today is performance Friday, when parents visit painted-faced and costumed campers onstage under a large pavilion. This week’s show is “Prezzemolina,” an Italian fairytale about a Parsley girl and her encounters with goblins, witches, and a handsome prince, directed and narrated by the organization’s executive director, Carmine Tabone. Tina Nacrelli watches her kids, Milo and Luke Carson, ages 6 and 8, perform in the play. Afterward, the campers have lunch and then choose swimming, drawing, and other activities for the rest of the afternoon. “They like the looseness of the schedule and choosing what they want,” Nacrelli says.
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Born and raised in Jersey City, Evette Gaetan is there with her daughter Caridad, age 8, who sits with her mom, patches of green paint still on her face. This is her daughter’s first summer at the camp. She enjoys singing, art, swimming, and playing a percussion instrument in the play. “I like the way they put the play together,” Gaetan says. The camp is much more than a kids’ hideaway for summer fun. The performances help them learn and build social skills.
CUTTING-EDGE EDUCATION Camp Liberty is one part of Educational Arts Team, which has served city kids for the past 41 years. Its mission is to help students from underperforming schools and at-risk communities find academic success, increase self worth, and create a vision of a positive future. Educational Arts is active during the school year with Dramatic Impact, a nonprofit initiative for third through eighth
EDUCATION JCM
Left to right: Luke Carson, Tina Nacrelli, Milo Carson, Kate Lester and Jay Frohwirth
graders that seeks to improve language arts and math skills. The organization also offers hands-on professional development for public-school teachers, giving them strategies to increase student engagement, cognitive development, and social skills. Children participate in highly interactive workshops in the classroom, which help them stay motivated, retain information, and improve analytic skills and social interaction. In a study analyzing the effectiveness of the program, 63 percent of students from the sixth and seventh grades who were in the program for two years and who participated in a Theater Strategies project passed the New Jersey ASK Standardized Test in math in 2008, compared to a control group that did not participate. Only 19 percent of the control group passed that portion of the test. In classrooms where teachers employ Dramatic Impact strategies, 76 percent of fourth- and fifth- grade
Evette (left) and Caridad Gaeton
Dom Buccafusco (left) and Isadore Haviland
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The play’s the thing at Camp Liberty.
students scored at a proficient level on the state ASK Test in Language Arts, compared to only 50 percent of a control group. Second and third graders who were involved in a Theater Arts and Literacy program from October 2011 to May 2012 improved their pre-cognitive and pre-social behaviors by 15 percent over the school year. They were rated on understanding their work, showing motivation and initiative, and accomplishing more than expected.
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“At Prep, everyone was my teammate.”
DEDICATED TEAM Tabone sits on a bench surrounded by kids as they wait for the bell that alerts them to the start of the next activity. They’re on a first-name basis with him, and he says he knows many of them as well. As one of the founding members of the organization in the 1970s, he previously worked for the city and saw the camp through its meager beginnings with only 50 to 60 kids. Today, seasoned staff members mentor younger ones, some of whom had been campers. With word of mouth and little advertising, the camp now sees around 200 kids on any given weekday. Brittany Cavanagh was a camper who had been involved with the program for 10 years. She’d been a lifeguard but now is health director and plans to become a pediatric nurse. “It really is a nice space, and you can’t find that anywhere else,” she says. One of the buildings houses art rooms. Jersey City native Dom Buccafusco has spent 35 years with the program. A former teacher at New Jersey City University, he staffs the Comic Room where he teaches students to draw anime, cartoons, still-lifes, and other artistic styles. Student creations hang around the room, where art counselor Christine Zingalis is in her first year. Bob is another longtime participant who’s been with NJCU’s media arts department since 1981. Tabone says, “We’ve seen a lot of kids really mature here,” pointing out a once-shy camper who has improved her social skills. The organization hopes to mature as well, with rebuilt rooms and maybe even satellites in other communities, such as Camden, where the need is great. “We want to expand outside of Jersey City,” Tabone says. “But right now we have a waiting list just to get in here.”—JCM For more information, visit educationartsteam.com.
That’s why it’s
Saint Peter’s Prep New Jersey’s Jesuit High School Since 1872
144 Grand Street | Jersey City, NJ 07302 | spprep.org
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Ten-year-old champion Lola Possick
En Garde
!
“LIKE THE COBRA, THE FENCER MUST BE ABLE TO STRIKE SO
THE TOUCH IS FELT BEFORE IT IS SEEN.”—FENCER ALDO NADI BY TARA RYAZANSKY PHOTOS BY MAXIM RYAZANSKY
Th
e Cobra Fencing Club occupies a bright open space in the Lackawanna Warehouse. Light streams through enormous windows that overlook Jersey City and Hoboken. The place is full of people ranging in age from children to middle-aged adults. They are participating in sword fights, known within the sport as bouts, their faces obscured by mesh masks. “Lola is the best in the county at her age level,” says Kaplan.
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SPORTS CORNER JCM Cobra holds classes for kids as young as 6. Students begin with plastic weapons under the close guidance of instructors. The sport is ideal for children because it enhances agility and concentration. “It’s a civilized, ferocious make-believe sword fight,” Cobra founder Steve Kaplan says. “It came from killing and blood and death but it evolved into a sport that is, for the most part, a very safe sport. There’s no collision. You fight like crazy and at the end of it you salute and shake hands.” Kaplan was a bit older than his beginner students when he first picked up a sabre. “I grew up in Queens and I was 13 and I was a baseball player,” Kaplan says, so he tried out for the high-school baseball team. “There were probably 300 boys at tryouts and I didn’t quite make it,” he says. “I thought my life was over. I tagged along with a friend and decided to try out for fencing. You didn’t need any background. Eleven years later both of us were on the Olympic team.” That was the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and his highschool buddy was Martin Lang who
competed in Montreal for the foil team, referring to another type of fencing weapon. Though Lang currently lives in Florida, the two men are still in touch. “It was a dream come true,” Kaplan says. “I placed 28th, which didn’t put me on the cover of Sports Illustrated.” He did score the sole point the U.S. team earned against the Soviets in their 1:9 match, earning Kaplan a mention in the New York Times. The Russian victory came at a time when the Soviet Union dominated many sports. “I trained with a great Hungarian coach named Csaba Elthes,” Kaplan says. “The Hungarians are to sabre fencing what the French are to Impressionism. Csaba came from this tradition from Hungary and brought it to New York. In my last years as a student I told him that I wanted to coach. I very much have adopted his method and style of teaching with some adaptations because all sports must evolve.”
raise his family in Jersey City before beginning his coaching career. “In 1980, my wife and I wanted to own our own home,” he says. “Jersey City was affordable, and we saw potential in the downtown area.” The approach may be traditional, but Cobra is modern. Protective gear is made of metallic material that senses the touch of the opponent’s blade. During each bout the gear is plugged into tethers that connect to the scoreboard so each point is accurately recorded. Tournaments at Cobra are streamed online so parents and fans can see the action.
GIRL MAKES GOOD Kaplan retired in 1979 when President Carter announced his boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Kaplan took time to
Instructor Dan Bailey-Yavonditte gives some pointers.
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SPORTS CORNER JCM One student to watch is Lola Possick, who at age 10 has been competing for two years. “She used to spend a lot of time in the club watching her brother Owen,” Possick’s mother Cathy Villa says. “One day she said, ‘I think I want to try it.’”
After spending a year learning, Lola competed in her first tournament at Cobra and won. Now she competes locally, regionally, and nationally, attending one or two tournaments a month. She recently placed first in the 2015 USA Fencing National Championships in the women’s “sabre” division. “It felt like I had achieved my dream and I felt very, very happy,” Lola says. “I had tears of joy in my eyes.” She hopes to one day compete in the Olympics. Villa says that fencing is a great activity for her children. “It keeps them active, it keeps them exercising, and really focused. It just makes them think,” she says. “They say it’s like a physical chess.”
SABRE RATTLING “Lola is our first national champion. She is really, clearly the best in the country at her age level. Now if she holds that position into her teens, we’ll see,” Kaplan says, hinting at Olympic potential.
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“It felt like I had achieved my dream,” Lola said. Fencing is a lifelong sport, with fencers competing into their 80s. “No one gets automatically discounted,” Kaplan says. “As long as you’re able to get out on the strip, you can fence. Let’s say your daughter wants to be a gymnast and when she’s 8 or 9 she has a growth spurt and it becomes clear she’s going to
be a big strong girl. Her chances of taking it far are over. Let’s say you have a child who wants to be a basketball player but they’re not really tall. In fencing we have world champions who are 5 foot 7, we have world champions who are 6 foot 7.”
The French American Academy A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES, BEYOND WORDS
• Bilingual, accredited, academic program • Well-rounded and challenging curriculum • Low teacher-student ratio • Private, safe, nurturing, multi-cultural environment
JERSEY CITY CAMPUS TOURS | PRE-K THROUGH 4TH GRADE Oct. 17, 2015 at 10am • Nov. 19, 2015 at 8:30am Dec. 12, 2015 at 10am • Jan. 28, 2016 at 8:30am MIDDLE SCHOOL INFORMATION IN JERSEY CITY Oct. 28, 2015 at 7pm 209 Third Street | Jersey City, NJ 07302 | 201 459 6462 faacademy.org | admissions@faacademy.org Steve Kaplan
A C OL L E GE PR E PA R AT ORY S C HO OL
Be More. Be Marist.
“Why not try it yourself?” Kaplan says, gesturing toward a fit man fiercely thrusting a sabre at a helmeted mannequin. “He walked in recently and said he had always wanted to give fencing a try. He comes here instead of a sports club now.”—JCM
Visit us during one of our upcoming events
Open House: October 4, 1-4pm Information Night: October 20, 7pm To schedule a personal tour, please call 201-437-4545 1241 K Kennedy ennedy Blvd. • Bayonne, NJ • www.marist.org Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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BUSINESSES MAKE JERSEY CITY WORK
BY KATE ROUNDS PHOTOS BY ALYSSA BREDIN
GRACE CUTRI
DC TRAVEL BUREAU 2 Lincoln St. (201) 205-2805 dctravel.com
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our trip around the world starts on Lincoln Street in Jersey City. Though DC Travel Bureau holds all the promise of future adventure, it also embodies a nostalgic look back. Even the word “bureau” has a kind of old-country feel to it. We’re talking about life before the Internet, when your corner travel agent held your hand all the way to terra incognita. On a sultry summer morning, photographer Alyssa Bredin and I find the shop just as we expected. It’s cozy, quiet, and welcoming, with tons of travel brochures around, wonderful pictures of cruise ships on the walls, and a nice school map of the world behind the proprietor’s desk. Grace Cutri has been minding the store since 1970. An Italian native, she found her way to Jersey City because “I got married to an American guy,” she says. She acknowledges that there was a blip in travel after 9/11, when terrorists had scared the daylights out of people, and airport security was driving them crazy. But it was really online booking agents like Orbitz, Expedia, Kayak, and Travelocity that turned every traveler into a homegrown agent. “Before 9/11, airlines paid us a commission to sell products,” Cutri says. “After 9/11 they cut down on commissions, and the explosion of big internet companies is killing the local travel agent.” Well, not exactly. DC Travel Bureau offers something online searchers could use more of. “Service and integrity,” Cutri says,
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noting that she knows her clients and can steer them away from inappropriate destinations, hotels, or flights that are not nonstop. Online customers, she says, may save $50 on a flight but use up that money on the time they spend searching for that cheaper deal. The biggest bugaboo for DIY travel agents, she says, is finding themselves on flights that make two or three stops before their final destinations. Another advantage of a personal travel agent is demystifying the penalties that airlines impose for changed, cancelled, or missed flights. “Agents can explain all this in advance because there are huge penalties if you change or cancel,” Cutri says. “It’s also a problem if there’s a mistake, and they need to get in touch with someone, and there’s nobody around.” DC handles travel to any destination. Most of its clients are personal vacationers, though five percent are commercial accounts. Services include bookings on airlines, cruise ships, hotels, and escorted tours. Family trips, she says are very popular, especially to Disneyland and Disney World. “Families go together and plan a reunion as part of their vacation,” Cutri says. Cutri owns the building on Lincoln Street where DC is located, which is a big cost saver. She also works on her own, which is another way to save money. She’s very comfortable with Jersey City’s diverse population. “I have clients coming in who speak Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Arabic,” she says. “I can deal with anybody, and 99 percent speak English.” Cutri’s last word on doing business in a virtual world? “Anyone who is looking for personalized service should frequent local merchants,” she says. “That’s when they get service.”
HOW WE WORK JCM
ERIC GIRERD
L’ATELIER DU CHOCOLAT 321 Marin Blvd., Unit #8 (201) 332-9220 egchocolates.com ow, you may think you’ve stumbled into a chocolate shop, but it could be an art gallery. These gorgeous confections are truly works of art. Chocolates in every shape and flavor, pastries, and cakes are arrayed in a sumptuous still life. The frosting on one cake is so intense it literally shines. Every once in a while, the media will report that chocolate is good for you. It raises metabolism! It fends off fat! It lowers stress! And most of the world goes home happy. The reason, of course, is that chocolate is a magical substance. At the very least, it really does raise your spirits. And if you receive a gift of chocolate, you feel romanced and loved. L’Atelier du chocolat certainly understands this, judging by the delectable offerings of Master Chocolatier Eric Girerd who is said to “combine the finest selected ingredients and artisan techniques” in creating his chocolate confections. The phrase “haute couture” has been uttered in relation to these chocolates, which use up to 72 percent cocoa beans. Girerd is vice president of the U.S. chapter of L’Academie Culinaire de France, which works with suppliers and farmers to improve the quality of ingredients that go into making
superior chocolates and other food items. An award-winning pastry chef, he has worked at the Tavern on the Green in New York City and many other restaurants in Europe and Asia. He also has a L’Atelier du chocolat at 59 West 22nd Street in New York. Now he has added Marin Boulevard in Jersey City to his exceptional resume. How did so distinguished a chocolatier end up in Jersey City? “It’s booming,” he says. “It needs something nice, and I am so happy to be here.” The shop sells coffee and is a wonderful spot for a café au lait and a sweet. I know from experience that it’s a fun place. When I stopped by on a Saturday afternoon, I tried out my highschool French on Monsieur Girerd. Très drôle. The chocolates are distinguished by “flavor signatures” in “families,” such as Balsamic, Herbal, Fruity, Floral, Marine, Roasted, Spiced, and Citrus. Other sweets and products include truffles, pastries, tarts, chocolate-covered fruits and figs, cheesecake, spreads, jams, hot chocolate, snacks, bars, wedding favors, and chocolate art. The company also specializes in corporate gifts, featuring elegant chocolates in elegant boxes, gift baskets, and samplers. Visit egchocolates.com, and you’ll find chocolate classes, chocolate facts, events during Chocolate Week, and information about the best techniques for roasting cocoa beans. L’Atelier du chocolat could have you convinced that chocolate is the new kale.
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HOW WE WORK JCM
OWNER MOUDY RAZEK AND STAFF
GYPSY GRILL 187 Newark Ave. (201) 839-5115 gypsygrillny.com Looking for a little bit of Egypt right on Newark Avenue? Stop in at Gypsy Grill. Now that the car-free pedestrian mall has opened on the avenue, checking out the action is easier than ever. You can order takeout or eat in—there are tables both inside and outside on the sidewalk. The ambience is bright and friendly, and word about the great food is getting around. Owner Moudy Razek, an Egyptian native, has been working at and managing restaurants in and around New York City since 1979, including top-of-the-line spots like the Rainbow Room and the Top of the Sixes, as well as the Sphinx Grill in Amsterdam. He has a big family in Egypt, most of whom are in the restaurant business; he is a third-generation restaurateur. He learned the culinary arts in London, Cairo, and the United States, studying restaurant management at Manhattan Community College. He’s owned a restaurant in Florida and Doc’s steakhouse in Sparta, N.J., and was the general manager at Lantana, an Italian spot in Secaucus frequented by Frank Sinatra. Razek currently lives in Secaucus.
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There’s a Shawarma Mania in Queens, and Razek is planning to open eateries in Greenwich Village and in Dubai. He opened the Newark Avenue location seven years ago. “Everybody loves simple, tasty food,” he says. The shop features a Middle Eastern menu in the Egyptian style, including shish kabobs of all kinds and specializes in shawarma—chicken, lamb, or beef marinated and grilled on a skewer. “We do anything on the grill,” Razek says. “All kinds of kebobs and barbecued chicken.” Customers can order specials, entrees, or a “Gypsy Box,” either vegetarian or with meat. Other offerings include grape leaves, hummus, rice, pita sandwiches; falafel; lentil/vegetable soup; salads that can include grilled items; tahini, garlic or hot sauce; natural Egyptian juices, American sodas, and Snapple; and desserts, such as baklava, kunafa, and basbousa. Gypsy Grill also does a robust catering business. “We’ll cater anywhere in the county, Long Island, and all the boroughs of New York,” Razek says. He says Jersey City is getting better and better. He has accounts with large corporations on Washington Boulevard in the Newport area, and Gypsy Grill is attracting customers from Manhattan and Staten Island. Razek prides himself on the quality of the food, his customer service, and the cleanliness of the restaurant. “I love different foods,” he says. “I love the food business, and I love dealing with people.” —JCM
DATES JCM from page 33
fare, SJC business update, community org/expert presentations. Visit sustainablejc.org for more information. Elevate, Port-O Lounge, 286 First St., sirelo entertainment.com. Sirelo Entertainment and Friends present live percussion with pure energy and music by DJs. Fridays, 11 p.m.3 a.m. Free. Modern Sage Living Well Workshops, Various events each week. For more information, contact editor@modernsage.com, or go to modernsage.com. Living health educator Leah Guy discusses organic health, alternative wellness and green living. Grassroots Community Space, 54 Coles St., (201) 500-5483, grassrootscommunity space.com. Various arts workshops, fitness events, dance classes held weekly. The “space for hire” also features special events monthly. Groove on Grove, Grove Street PATH Plaza. Local artists showcase their music. Wednesdays 6–9 p.m. through Sept. 4. Le Grand Bazaar JC, Grove Street PATH Plaza. Featuring local entrepreneurs selling vintage clothing, records, handcrafted jewelry, bonzai trees, furniture, antiques, African art, and much see page 49
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LEE FAHLEY
ON THE
JOB
WITH
BY TARA RYAZANSKY PHOTOS BY MAX RYAZANSKY
T
he view from the ferry to the Statue of Liberty National Monument is beautiful. Sunbeams glance off the New York City skyline and the water. The statue towers over us. As the boat gets closer, I can see the faint outline of the rivets that hold her together. The trip is well worth the $18 price tag, which includes access to Ellis Island and the statue grounds, as well as free tours guided by knowledgeable park rangers, like Lee Fahley. Fahley, a mild-mannered, Midwestern transplant, greets me as I disembark. He has been giving tours of the monument for five and a half years. Prior to that he was a history teacher in Bayonne, where he lives and cofounded the Bayonne Historical Society. His interest in history makes him a great tour guide. His curiosity about the background of the island and the monument are contagious. Fahley leads me through airportstyle security and into the former Fort Wood part of the grounds. The original torch shines brightly in the entryway. He explains the symbolism in the metalwork, which features a corn motif and other Native American emblems such as spears and arrows. Obviously accustomed to stairs, considering the statue is 377 steps from ground to crown, he ascends a short flight of steps to the museum area. An audio tour is available in nine languages, but Fahley and the other rangers offer a broader experience. “We give a lot more details,” Fahley says. “You get to ask questions, and we’re in living color.” In fact, some of the most fascinating parts of the tour happen when Fahley goes off script. Though it is well known that Frédéric August Bartholdi designed the statue, we discuss the early design ideas that French abolitionist Edouard de Laboulaye proposed, which were rejected as too politically controversial, such as Lady Liberty holding a broken chain, a not very subtle reminder of one of our country’s most shameful legacies. The museum shows the monument’s rise from mere concept to American symbol. On display are everything from blueprints to vintage souvenirs.
Lee Fahley on the pedestal which offers a panoramic view of Hudson County and downtown Manhattan.
The pedestal offers a panoramic view of Hudson County and downtown Manhattan. Without a reservation to visit the pedestal and crown (nps.gov), this is as far as we go today. With a tiny bit of jealousy, I watch visitors descend one of two spiral staircases after their climb to the crown.
HUDDLED MASSES The park grounds are crowded by noon. Large tour groups wear matching T-shirts and grin up at selfie sticks. I realize, maybe for the first time, that it’s important to approach your own city like a tourist instead of taking it for granted. “At this time of year we get anywhere from 22 to 24 thousand tourists a day,” Fahley says. “They come from all over the world.” Sometimes those guests are celebrities; guides give private VIP tours to prominent visitors. Fahley recently gave a tour to a count from France who was a descendant of Lafayette. Fahley has a deep interest in genealogy, but it’s iconic Lady Liberty herself that has Fahley star struck. “This is an American icon, and engineers took the basic idea of what Bartholdi did with the internal framework, and they built skyscrapers,” he marvels. “It was built with nothing but experience and a slide rule.”
Lady Liberty’s face recreated for the musuem
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ON THE JOB WITH JCM “My curiosity in how things are built comes from my agricultural background,” he goes on. “How things work and how they put them together.” Fahley grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he worked on a dairy farm through high school. He later joined the U.S. Navy, where he worked as a parachute rigger. He was stationed at Lakehurst Naval Station (site of the Hindenburg disaster) when he met his future wife, a Hudson County girl, at a dance. His military background gives him a special connection to the site. He feels privileged “to walk around where U.S. Army soldiers used to walk around defending the harbor, manning the cannons,” he says, pointing out ridges in the stonework where cannons once stood. Fahley urges everyone to “come over to see Lady Liberty up close and appreciate her magnificence. Take a tour to learn about the history, construction, and symbolism that make her an American icon. By visiting the Statue of Liberty, you too become part of her history.”—JCM
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DATES JCM
from page 45
more. A variey of tasty food is also offered. Fridays 1–9 p.m. Titanic: The Artifacts Exhibition, Oct. 31, 2015 – May 30, 2016 Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd. See over 250 remarkable artifacts recovered from the ocean floor. Explore recreated portions of the ship’s interior, learn about the passengers and their lives, see some of their actual belongings, and touch a cold iceberg display that dramatically demonstrates extreme conditions in the North Atlantic on the fateful night the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. Nickelodeon’s Dora & Diego-Let’s Explore!, Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd. Kids ages 2–8 meet Dora and her cousin Diego from Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go! Oct. 3 – Jan. 24, 2016 Geeks who Drink Pub Quiz Night at Pint, 34 Wayne St. Eight rounds of eight questions each, including a music round, an audio round, and a picture round. Free to play, with prizes for the top two teams and bonus
prizes throughout the game. Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Free. Karaoke at the Brightside Tavern, 141 Bright St. Every week the Brightside turns the mic over to you. Come show off your stuff. Singers get their 2nd drink on the house. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m.–12 a.m. Free. Comedy Dopeness, The Dopeness, 332 2nd St. (862) 703-8454. 8 p.m. Watch New York City headliners right here in Jersey City. $15. Second Saturday of every month.
OCTOBER 2 Jersey City Art & Studio Tour Kick-off Party, Lackawanna Center, 234 16th St. 6–11 p.m. Features over 60,000 square feet of visual artwork, installation, sculpture, film, live music and murals. Interactive activities for creative kids of all ages. Free.
3-4 Art House Productions Gallery, Your Move Dance Photography Exhibition & Competion, Art House Productions, 136 Magnolia Ave, (201) 915-9911, arthouseproductions.org. 12– 6 p.m. Awardees will be posted at the opening reception on October 3. Jersey City Art & Studio Tour Kick-off Weekend, Citywide, thejcast.com. Featuring nearly 1,000 participating artists in hundreds of venues that include private studios, galleries, local businesses, and pop-up and public spaces.
8-11 Is That Danny DeVito?, Art House Productions, 136 Magnolia Ave, (201) 915-9911, arthouseproductions.org. 8–10 p.m. Art House and Box Colony Theatre presents a new play, written in the style of the absurdist comedies of Samuel Beckett. $20.
16-18 Jersey City International Television and Film Festival,
Various Locations, (732) 2365963, jcitff.org. Festival events include screenings, workshops, and conversations with prominent members of the film and television community.
dancers, musical performers, chefs, a cook-off in front of City Hall, giant paella prepared in front of City Hall.
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IndieGrove Women’s Group, 7 p.m. This group provides a place for women who are either entrepreneurs in business or currently planning and pursuing a new entrepreneurial project/idea/venture to connect and support one another.
IndieGrove Lunch & Learn - Get Your Business Ready for Tax Time, 121 Newark Avenue, indiegrovejc.com. 12:30–2:30 p.m.
22-25 Your Move Modern Dance Festival, Art House Productions, 136 Magnolia Ave, (201) 9159911, arthouseproductions.org. Annual dance festival featuring emerging movement artists in the tri-state area.
24 Festival of Light, Exchange Place and Grundy Pier, (551) 221-7000, 12–6 p.m. Live Performances, Great Vendors, Raffles, Delicious Food, Henna, Facepainter and more. Free. New Jersey Paella Festival, City Hall Park, (908) 955-3082, paellafortheworld.org/. Flamenco
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30 Journal Scare! A Halloween Eve Bash, Art House Productions, 136 Magnolia Ave., 7–11:30 p.m. Live music, food, drinks, costume contest, door prizes, and more. All proceeds benefit Jersey City Ties. $10.
31 Family Halloween Bash on Newark Avenue, Newark Avenue Pedestrian Mall, 2–6 p.m. Programming will include face painting, entertainment and games, arts and crafts and more. see page 82
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PHOTOS BY MICKEY MATHIS
PIER HOUSE
W
hen these condos went up on the Paulus Hook waterfront 12 years ago, their lowrise elegance caught the eye. Lal Vaghji got in on the ground floor. He owns a software development consulting company in Jersey City at Exchange Place, so you couldn’t beat the convenience. “It was a brand new building near the marina only five minutes from work,” Vaghji says. “It was simple to say, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’” He‘s a transplant from Stamford, Connecticut, who chose downtown Jersey City because many of his clients were in Midtown Manhattan, so it was nearby and a less expensive alternative. He and his wife Janice will be raising their twins in their sleek condo overlooking Liberty Harbor and Liberty Landing marinas. By new-construction standards, the unit was old, so Vaghji hired Jersey City architect Lycel Villanueva to make some upgrades, which she did with the help of structural engineer Rich Christie. She and her team extended the loft over the dining area and opened the kitchen, adding a peninsula with a waterfall drop counter, which serves as a dining table. When you first enter the unit, the enormous three-quarter views of the canal and two busy marinas are breathtaking. The feeling of the space is contemporary, minimalist, and airy. Vaghji collects art, and the pure white walls are tailor-made for showcasing colorful artworks and Indian carpets. “The white background brings out the vibrant colors,” he says, “and gives the impression of brightness and light.” Vaghji travels frequently on business and picks up pieces in, among other places, Argentina, Bali, Brazil, Colombia, El LAL AND JANICE VAGHJI
How We
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HOW WE LIVE JCM
Salvador, and India, which is his home country. A recent acquisition is a very unusual standing Buddha statue from Bali. “It reflects the peace and tranquility and purity of the environment,” Vaghji says. “It’s different from the traditional China chubby guy with a big belly. LED lighting gives a peaceful feel in the evening when the sun goes down.” Villanueva created three niches in which to display his sculptures. Vaghji also favors glass tabletops and handrails because they add to the impression of openness that he’s striving for. Villanueva supported the glass handrails with a system of stainless steel cables suspended vertically between the floor and the ceiling. All the furniture is white. “People can also be very comfortable sitting on the floor with pillows for chitchat,” Vaghji says. The three-level unit has two bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, as well as a large bathroom on the second floor next to the living room. White stone was used for the floor of this bathroom, and the flooring in the main spaces was used for the finish on the walls. The loft space upstairs is used as a family room and for entertaining. The Paulus Hook neighborhood lends itself to entertaining clients in the evening. “You can grab a drink and dinner on short notice,” Vaghji says. He frequents Amelia’s, Komegashi, and the White Star. It’s also an easy walk to some of his favorite Italian, Korean, and Vietnamese restaurants on Newark Avenue. Vaghji loves the many transportation options close by. Right next door is the yellow water taxi, which docks at the end of Warren Street. It hops across to Liberty State Park before heading over to the World Financial Center. Three light rail stations and the Exchange Street PATH station are also within walking distance. Vaghji says of his beautifully renovated home, “With the location on the waterfront, it could potentially grow in value.” Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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PHOTOS BY KEREN VERED
How We KEREN VERED, LIRAN NEHUSHTAN, AND KIDS
CHARLES & CO.
T
alk about hot off the press! When I caught up with Keren Vered, she and her husband and kids had been living in their new home for only a couple of days. Theirs is an increasingly familiar story that reflects well on our town. Keren’s husband, Liran Nehushtan, works in Midtown, and Keren works in Tribeca. They were living in Tribeca, too, and then: “We wanted more space and something accessible to downtown New York,” Keren says. “We could do that from downtown Jersey City. I felt connected to the moms’ network in Tribeca, and I wanted to be as close to that as possible. I could just jump on the ferry and see everyone. It felt nice to me.” Their first Jersey City home was at Warren and York, where they stayed for a year. The biggest surprise for Keren was the
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easy transition from Tribeca to JC. “I became immersed in the Jersey City community, and that was a pleasant surprise,” she says. By now, they had a newborn in addition to their toddler. “The moms group here is really great,” she says. “There’s a fantastic network of great women.” Keren plans to tap into that demographic with a mobile application she’s developed for families and mothers to network with each other and the community. “Think Facebook profile meets online messaging, specific to Jersey City,” she says. The app will be ready in 2016, with a blog to launch earlier. The couple thought that they would be making frequent forays back to the city for date nights. “But we found that our friends from the city would come out here,” she says. “We were not trying to do the hard sell. The city sells itself.” The move to Charles & Co. was to give them even more
HOW WE LIVE JCM
space. When they were at Warren and York, she says, “We had two full bedrooms and a washer/dryer, and all of a sudden we grew out of it.” In the new place on the third floor of Silverman’s brand-new rental property they have three bedrooms and “multiple walk-in closets.” Like a true New Yorker, Keren waxes awestruck over the closet space and jokes that these closets are bigger than their bedrooms in New York. “You can’t put a price tag on that,” she says. The floor plan features an open kitchen, dining room, and living room, two bathrooms, and “amazing light,” helped by the fact that it’s a corner space, looking out on both Montgomery and Grove streets. The unit has many of the amenities typical of new construction, such as hardwood floors and quartz countertops. “It’s pretty modern and pretty simple,” Keren says. “Very clean and contemporary.” They do have artwork on the walls. “I don’t like clutter,” she says. “It’s a beautiful apartment that speaks for itself.” Keren also loves the extra space in Jersey City itself. “In Manhattan we were inundated with kids, elbow to elbow,” she says. “Now you walk down the street and people say hello. There’s more space to breathe and relax here.” She loves the fact that there’s room for her toddler to push her doll’s stroller down the sidewalk. When the building is complete, there will be public spaces for the tenants, including a playroom, gym, roof deck, and workspace for freelancers. The family enjoys nights out at Razza, Carrino Provisions, and Satis Bistro. “It feels like home,” Keren says. “We’re really focused on being involved in the community.”—Kate Rounds Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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Reel to Real
Just ask the Kardashians, anyone has a right to be famous. So why not the Storage Pirates of New Jersey?
BY LAUREN BARBAGALLO PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ
T
hese days, Alan Mruvka, founder of the E! Entertainment Network, is in the self-storage business. His Jerseybased company, StorageBlue, is headed for a national expansion this year. But he hasn’t completely abandoned showbiz. “The Storage Pirates of New Jersey,” the debut series on the StorageBlueTV’s YouTube channel, features local junk mongers, who come with reality-TV nicknames like “The Gambler” and “The Cuban,” bidding against each other at auctions on abandoned self-storage units. “It’s like Storage Wars meets The Jersey Shore with the personal competition of The Real Housewives thrown in,” says Mruvka. “And the fact that these guys aren’t pretending to dislike each other? You couldn’t cast it better.”
FROM J.C. TO L.A. AND BACK The son of Polish immigrants, Mruvka was born and raised in the Bronx and headed to Jersey City after finishing an architecture degree from The University of Miami, “the only school that would take me,” he says. Obsessed with MTV, he dreamed of becoming a Hollywood screenwriter. But he got a hard dose of reality—reality TV, that is. “My father was in the garment industry and looking for a warehouse, so I came to check out some properties in Jersey City. I stood on the waterfront and took one look at the view, and then looked at all this vast space and beautiful buildings, and I knew this place was something special.” He went on to buy 253 Palisade Ave. and later sell it to the city to become the City Hall Annex. He also bought a string of brownstones in Paulus Hook, a 50,000-squarefoot warehouse on Coles Street, and waterfront property, including an old firehouse at 155 Morgan. Fun fact: He eventually sold it to Queen Latifah, who set up
shop there with her film production company. (Queen Latifah sold it last spring for $2.2 million.)
ONE VISION FEEDS ANOTHER As a real-estate agent, Mruvka was ahead of the curve. No surprise, then, that at the same time, he was working on an idea that would completely change the entertainment industry. The idea for the E! Network came to him when, as a young, aspiring screenwriter and successful realestate agent, he was flying back and forth from New York to L.A. to attend work-
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shops on how to break into the business. He heard film company execs bemoan the cost of promoting movies and how limited the options were. “These companies were spending $50 million to produce a movie,” he says. “Back then, the only way to advertise was in black-and-white local newspaper ads, a couple of weeks before your film premiered. There was no way to protect your investment.” The lightbulb moment struck when he went home and clicked on MTV, the 24hour channel of music videos, artist interviews, news, and profiles. “I realized that was the kind of mass platform I wanted to create for the movie industry,” he says. While it took years to sell his idea to potential investors, his early investment in Jersey City kept his dreams afloat. “The whole time I’m working on real estate, I’m trying to get my idea for E! off the ground,” Mruvka recalls. “I’m working here for a week, and flying to L.A. for three weeks trying to figure out how to break in. I was running out of money and realized that my warehouse was sitting empty. So we turned it into storage, and it kept me going until I got investors interested in E!” An audience hungry for details on celebrities, movies, and gossip soon followed, and E! was a breakout success. In 1992, after 12 years, E! now had more than 1,000 employees and had been acknowledged as the fastest-growing cable network startup. Mruvka had become super-corporate, with little time for creative projects. “I just got really tired of living in a suit,” he says. He was ready to move on. Off came the suit, and a career as a successful TV and film producer followed. Among his credits are the 2000 David Mamet film State and Main and USA Networks’ Pacific Blue (1996-2000).
FROM REEL TO REAL In 2001, Mruvka was restless again and took a clean break from the entertain-
Photo courtesy of StorageBlue
PEOPLE POWER JCM
ALAN MRUVKA
Photo courtesy of StorageBlue
Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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hoboken
PEOPLE POWER JCM ment world to refocus on real estate and architecture. He spent more than 10 years overseeing major renovation and development projects in Riverside, Calif. Then a struggling enterprise brought him back to the East Coast. In 2012, American Self Storage, a joint business venture with 15 locations, was dissolving, and Mruvka walked away with four storage facilities in Jersey. With another lightbulb moment and the uprooting of another industry, he began building the StorageBlue brand. “I created StorageBlue because I wanted to turn the self-storage industry on its head and completely disrupt it,” Mruvka says. “I really like the business, but it’s notorious for the worst customer service. And this is for customers who are mostly coming in from a negative situation. Maybe they’re getting divorced, or they’ve lost their job and are forced to downsize. And then they’ve got to pack up their stuff, get it into a truck, and then unload it all again. So we are going to take everything horrible about this experience and make it as painless as possible.” Services include free curbside pickup, the ability to view storage units online and custom-pick the size of the unit, flexible payment dates, and delivery assistance.
MIXING BUSINESS WITH BUSINESS In today’s reality-TV world there’s a limitless connect between entertainment and the everyday. Who better to capitalize on this than Mruvka? At press time, “Flea Market Treasure Hunters” is the next show to premiere on StorageBlueTV. Future offerings include “Celebrity Closets” and “Red Carpet Storage,” in which celebrities on the carpet will be asked offbeat questions about their storage experiences. But don’t be surprised if a Kardashian shows up. “I’m probably partly responsible for creating this aggressive paparazzi culture,” Mruvka says. “But I am not responsible for Kim Kardashian. When she came along, I was long gone.”—JCM
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Want to list your venue? Or update your entry? Email jcmag@hudsonreporter.com and put “Arts Listing” in the subject line. Call ahead or look online for schedules.
The Brennan Gallery, Justice William Brennan Court House, 583 Newark Ave., (800) 542-7894, visithudson.org. The Brunswick Window, 158 Brunswick St., (201) 978-8939, brunswickwindow@rogersayre.com. 140 Gallery, 140 Bay St., (908) 296-7679, myspace.com/ 140gallery.
Curious Matter, 272 Fifth St., (201) 659-5771, curiousmatter.org
Abaton Garage, 100 Gifford Ave., abatongarage.com. By appointment.
Gallerie Hudson, 197 Newark Ave., (201) 434-1010, galleriehudson.net.
Actors Shakespeare Company, West Side Theater, New Jersey City University, 285 West Side Ave., Box office: (201) 200-2390, ascnj.org.
The Gallery Space at Grace Church Van Vorst, 39 Erie St., (201) 659-2211, gracevanvorst.org.
ARTBUILDERS, 193 Montgomery St., (201) 433-2682.
Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery, New Jersey City University, Hepburn Hall, Room 323, 2039 Kennedy Blvd., (201) 200-3246, njcu.edu/dept/art/galleries.
Arts on the Hudson, 282 Barrow St., (201) 451-4862, webspawner.com/users/grigur.
Jersey City Dance Academy, 107 West Side Ave., (201) 435-8943, jerseycitydanceacademy.com.
Beth DiCara Ceramics Studio, 11 Monitor St., (201) 388-7323, eveningstarstudio.net.
Jersey City Museum, 350 Montgomery Street John Meagher Rotunda Gallery, City Hall, 280 Grove St., (201) 547-6921, jcnj.org.
Kearon-Hempenstall Gallery, 536 Bergen Ave., (201) 333-8855, khgallery.com. The Kennedy Dancers, Inc., 79 Central Ave., (201) 659-2190, kennedydancers.org. The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre, 54 Journal Square, (201) 798-6055, loewsjersey.org. Lex Leonard Gallery, 143 Christopher Columbus Dr., Suite 2, lexleonardgallery.com. Mana Fine Arts Exhibition Space, 227 Coles St., (800) 330-9659, manafinearts.com. NY/NJ Academy of Ceramic Art, 279 Pine St., (201) 432-9315, nynjceramics.com. Pro Art, 344 Grove St., (201) 736-7057, proartsjerseycity.org. The Upstairs Art Gallery, Inc., 896 Bergen Ave., (201) 963-6444. Visual Arts Building Gallery, New Jersey City University, 100 Culver Ave., (201) 200-3246, http://www.njcu.edu/Visual_Arts_Gallery.aspx.
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CALL TODAY 2O1 798 78OO Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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Victory Hall Brush Work
Installation by Kate Dodd for Drawing Off the Wall Exhibition, September, 2014
Yarn installation by Ellie Murphy for Drawing Off the Wall Exhibition
T
he building is a fixture in Jersey City. Indeed, it has been there so long and has become so rooted in downtown’s landscape that it often goes unnoticed. It has the look and feel of a grange or VFW hall, and in fact, it started life as an Elks Club that hosted dances, weddings, and a theater. By 2001, Victory Hall had become a center for a mixed bag of activities, including art exhibits, poetry readings, dance performances, film screenings, fencing, mixed martial arts, arts-education programs, and an entertainment venue for Art House Productions, and it collaborated with the Jersey City Museum on annual themed exhibits. But in 2007, it closed. “It was getting too big, and the OLC [Our Lady of Czestochowa] School, which owned the building, needed the space for preschool programs,” says Victory Hall Inc. Executive Director Jim Pusterino. “We needed to find another way to survive.” It 2004, the organization got funding from Hudson County and was presenting events in various venues in Jersey City, Hoboken, and New York City. It staged an art fair at the Beacon in Jersey City, sponsored large-scale sculpture exhibitions at Mac-Cali, established a summer gallery at South Street Seaport, taught art at the Jersey City Museum, worked with MLK HUB to produce murals and street art, and established the Victory Hall Press.
Greg Brickey with his paintings
Greer Garver at Spin art project at Milosz Kosiej room, Multiplicities Exhibition, July 2014
“But ultimately, we realized we needed a permanent space,” Pusterino says. “We needed a public space to promote artists and give them a foundation and the permanence they needed.” Conveniently, the convent that OLC owned adjacent to Victory Hall had become vacant. The owners, Pusterino says, “were receptive to the idea of us getting into the building. They needed
rent to keep the building going.” Inconveniently, the group took over the space in October 2012, just two weeks before Hurricane Sandy hit. The storm dumped eight feet of water in the basement. It took eight months of repairing the furnace, the wiring, and electrical panels before they were back in business.
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Home for Artists
SAV E T H E DAT E S
DEC 04 MARCH 4 2015
By May 2013, a true artists’ community was beginning to form, made up of wellknown local artists and curators, including folks with studios at Neumann Leather in Hoboken. “We needed to run it like a mini version of the Jersey City Museum, with salaries, utilities, rent, and promotion,” Pusterino says, “though we had only 10 rooms and a hundredth of the budget.” Right away, the group became what is now known as Victory Hall Drawing Rooms. Though they lost Victory Hall in 2007, it was important to maintain the Victory Hall brand. “The name carries a positive message to the community,” Pusterino says. “We’ve been able to create an art space that not only exhibits Jersey City-area artists but also attracts and involves artists and the public from across New Jersey, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Connecticut.” To keep the organization afloat, Pusterino was visiting the Foundation Center in New York City and successfully pursuing the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, which approved funding in 2014. Reaching out to the community was key in maintaining this funding. The organization works with churches and nonprofits in Bayonne, Hoboken, and Jersey City, collaborating on art, music, and special-ed programs. Currently it works with developmentally disabled adults in partnership with
Artist Gerri Gaines, second from left, in front of her work at Big Small Exhibition 2013, with artist Alberte Bernier, left, and friends
Bayonne’s Windmill Center. (See a story on that collaboration in the summer issue of Bayonne: Life on the Peninsula, which is available at 170 Broadway, Bayonne; 1400 Washington St., Hoboken; or online at hudsonreporter.com.) These combined programs have a ripple effect beyond 180 Grand St. One of the biggest benefits, Pusterino says, is that “many people new to us are discovering Jersey City.”—Kate Rounds
Victory Hall Inc. 180 Grand St. info@drawingrooms.org drawingrooms.org
2016
Installation by artist Suzan Shutan for Drawing Off the Wall Exhibition
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Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING 2015 •
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Tale of Two Beaches
“B
PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ each” can mean many things in Jersey City, but it doesn’t usually mean the sun-surf-and-swim variety. In this photo montage, we show you the yin-yang of JC beaches. Near Liberty National and the nature preserve is a little stretch of sand which some folks call “hidden” beach. It is definitely that. You would never guess that a path overgrown with beach grass and vegetation would open on to a sandy expanse with views of Liberty State Park, lower Manhattan, and Port Liberte. The beach is often strewn with refuse, but it is also home to horseshoe crabs, which have been spotted clawing their way along the shore. The species is 20 million years old.
ON THE WATERFRONT JCM
A far cry from hidden beach is Newport Beach, on the waterfront walkway, just before you get to the Hoboken line. This white sandy beach is strewn with Adirondack chairs, umbrellas, laptops, smart phones, and bikiniclad sunbathers playing hooky from Wall Street West. Behind it is an upscale kids’ playground complete with a carousel. Barriers keep beachgoers from getting anywhere near the water, but the overall feel is that you’ve channeled the Jersey Shore—not the show, but the shore.— Kate Rounds
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WINTER 64 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
ail Zavian’s book, “Liberty State Park,” was a hit when it debuted in the summer of 2014 as part of the series, “Images of Modern America,” from Arcadia Publishing, the well-known publisher of our nation’s local and regional histories. Zavian took a number of the pictures featured in the book. Not in the book were her many images of the park in winter, shown on these pages. Here’s a foretaste of the winter wonderland that is Liberty State Park.
Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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Bergen Avenue townhouses
St. Aloysius Church, West Side Avenue
West Bergen-East Lincoln Park Historic District A real mouthful but well worth a look STORY AND PHOTOS BY AL SULLIVAN
C
harlene Burke knows the west side of Jersey City like the back of her hand. Driving through the newly established West Bergen-East Lincoln Park Historic District, she rattles off details like a seasoned tour guide. Burke, along with a number of other local residents, has been credited with helping establish the new district. “This is a large historic district,” she says, driving toward the northern edge at Montgomery Street and Kennedy Boulevard, where St. Peter’s University ends. The towers of the First Baptist Church and large Victorian home known as The Guarani House mark what she calls “the gateway” to the area. The district, which runs from a sliver of Montgomery Street in the north to both sides of Harrison Avenue on the south, is the first historic district outside of downtown. Though West Side Avenue between Kensington and Harrison Avenues marks its western boundary, the district includes St. Aloysius Church, and sever-
al associated buildings. The eastern section includes most of the west side of Bergen Avenue, with a few buildings on the east side.
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“Some of these were problematic for us,” Burke says, referring to a number of residents who opposed the historic designation, even though they lived in historic buildings.
A Wide Swath
Turret on Bergen Avenue
The 107-acre district at the crest of Bergen Hill is mostly a residential neighborhood composed of historic, upscale, single-family houses and multi-family apartment buildings interspersed with attractive period churches, clubhouses, schools, and a firehouse. Not as compact as downtown historic districts, this district has about 587 buildings that vary in style and were constructed from 1861 to 1945. For almost a century Bergen Hill was the fashionable section of town, home to the city and state political and professional elite. A U.S. senator, two New Jersey governors, and two State Supreme Court Justices lived in the district, as did prominent politicians, lawyers, doctors, journalists, bankers, businesspeople, and industrialists. The
THE HOOD JCM
Classic Duncan Avenue apartment building
Historic First Baptist Church;
Fairmount Apartments and the Jersey City YMCA have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Though an upscale neighborhood, Duncan Avenue had its fair share of working-class residences, with a small commercial center not found elsewhere in the district. Before Jersey City incorporated in 1870, this section was part of Bergen Town, a rural township near the Dutch colonial village of Bergen with a farm and large country estates. Many of the existing streets still follow the long, narrow Dutch Colonial blocks. “These were large estates, which is why the blocks are like they are today,” Burke says.
century revivals. But Gothic, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Shingle Style, Renaissance, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival, Tudor Revival, Late Gothic Revival, Italian Renaissance, French Renaissance, Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival, Art Deco, and modern can be found. The brownstone was not widely built in this part of the city. More popular was a cross-gabled brick
A Mosaic of Styles New residential development came late in the 19th century, driven by an influx of people. Large apartment houses were built mostly from the 1910s to the 1930s, reflecting further growth. In 1905, Hudson County established West Side Park at the base of Bergen Hill on the Hackensack River. It was renamed Lincoln Park in 1930 following the dedication of a statue of Abraham Lincoln by noted sculptor James Earle Fraser. Most of the buildings are considered late Victorian and late 19th and 20th
Bentley Avenue house
Victorian with gabled brick dormers and decorative brackets. Upscale developers and homeowners tended to maintain setbacks and other architectural features of their times. The only building over seven stories is the 10-story Duncan Apartments at 2600 Kennedy Blvd., better known as “The Hague,” partly because its penthouse was home to legendary Jersey City Mayor Frank Hague. St. Dominic’s Academy, at 75 Duncan Ave., is currently a girls’ school occupying the site of the former Carteret Club, an exclusive men’s club built in 1917. “Men’s clubs were popular then,” says Burke. The clubhouse was a hub for the business and political elite to gather for cards, billiards, tennis, and other diversions. Along Bergen Avenue was the Home for Aged Women and the Bergen Lyceum, built in 1915 as a private library, now a church. Down Bergen Avenue is the Gothic Revival-style Emory Methodist Church, sold in 1965 to the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the town’s oldest African-American congregation. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech there on March 27, 1968, days before he was assassinated.—JCM
Metropolitan AME Zion Church Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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Belly Up to the bar FOR SOME HOMEGROWN BREW
WATERING HOLE JCM
“There’s something for everybody,” says General Manager Kevin Napoli (left). BY TARA RYAZANSKY PHOTOS BY MAX RYAZANSKY
At
the entrance to the New Jersey Beer Company are large metal tanks and machinery in a section called the brew house. Further on is the tasting area with repurposed wine-barrel tables and a wooden bar built by head brewer Brendan O’Neil. The brewery is appropriately situated in an industrial neighborhood—in North Bergen just off the light rail at Tonnelle Avenue. “We always knew we would be in Hudson County, and being near the light rail was important for us,” says General Manager Kevin Napoli. “Our postcards that we give out everywhere we go show that you can jump on the light rail and get here and not have to worry about getting home.” Napoli, who lives in downtown Jersey City, was an early investor in the company. The operation is full of Jerseycentric offerings and Jersey City connections. Real estate developer Paul Silverman is a major investor, and brewers O’Neil and Dave Manka are from McGinley Square and The Heights respectively. Even the art is Jersey City-based. Around the brewery are portraits of Silverman, Napoli, O’Neil, and staff
members disguised in animal masks by street artist Sean Lugo. Bottle labels and merchandise are currently designed by Holly Tienken of Jersey City’s Design Grace. The brewery offers tastings and tours during which patrons observe the entire process from brew to barstool. Because it’s a small business, guests get to meet the brewers and ask questions. “There’s something for everybody,” Napoli says, “whether you’re a craft beer nut or you’re new to it.”
BRING ON THE BEER MENU Year-round offerings include LBIPA, 1787 Abbey Single Ale, Garden State Stout, and Hudson Pale Ale. LBIPA is brewed to evoke memories of the Jersey Shore. “For us, the whole idea of this beer was about sitting on the beach and enjoying a beer,” Napoli says. A portion of the sales from this one go toward Alliance for A Living Ocean in Ship Bottom, N.J., which is devoted to maintaining a healthy coastal environment. It would be hard to find a more aptly named town for beer booty than Ship Bottom.
“We were doing test batches for an IPA, and it was right at the time that Sandy happened,” Napoli relates. “Having three feet of water in your business is horrendous, in your home, I can’t even imagine how much worse that was.” 1787 Abbey Single Malt is a crisp, Belgian-style ale, named for the year that New Jersey became the third state in the union. “It’s kind of like a Stella,” Napoli says. Garden State Stout is full-bodied and chocolate. “It’s a really, really tasty beer,” says Napoli, who admits to sneaking bits of the real Belgian chocolate with the other guys while they brew it. The bright and hoppy Hudson Pale Ale gets its share of teasing. “There are a lot of jokes to be made, like people say, ‘Oh, Hudson Pale Ale, do you make that from water from the Hudson River?’ We say, ‘Absolutely! Every employee has to fill two buckets a day!’” But, he says, “There’s a lot of pride in New Jersey. We try to honor it; we think it’s a big deal to call yourself New Jersey Beer Company. You don’t want to make bad beer, and then you’re representing the whole state. “As much as there is a ton of pride for being from New Jersey, there’s a little bit Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015 •
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Because it’s a small business, guests get to meet brewers and ask questions. of self loathing as well,” he acknowledges. “I think people expect that a beer from Colorado or Vermont is going to be better just because. That’s not the case. We’ve got talented brewers, we buy awesome ingredients, great equipment, we’ve been at this a while. I think New Jersey, especially Northern New Jersey, is making beer happen.”
SILVER MAN
Portraits by Sean Lugo include owners, brewers, and staffers in animal masks.
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The beer was impressive enough to make Paul Silverman take notice. He teamed up with New Jersey Beer Company four years ago. “He came to us for advice on how to open a brewery, and at that time we were starting a fundraising campaign,” Napoli says. “At a certain point it became obvious. ‘Hey, you have money and an interest in starting a brewery, and we have a brewery, and we have an interest in getting some more investment.’” Silverman, for his part, says, “The beer is delicious, and the guys are great. I love the name. It’s also much easier than starting my own.” If you want to grab a New Jersey Beer Company brew, Silverman says, “Lots of great bars and restaurants in Jersey City serve our beer, including GPs, Park & Sixth, Razza, Hamilton Inn, Pint, Porta, Light Horse, Liberty House, Tap Haus, Max’s, Mantra, and Liberty Prime, to name a few.” For Silverman, brewing and building go hand in hand. “We are returning to our cities and to all things wholesome and hand-crafted,” he says. “Beer and beautiful places to live can both bring you happiness.”—JCM For more info, visit njbeerco.com
PEDESTRIAN MALL PHOTOS BY ALYSSA BREDIN
F
or years, folks have been talking about creating a pedestrian mall in J.C., much like the ones at Times Square and Union Square in New York City. Well, this summer it happened—on the block that runs from Newark Avenue to Erie Street. On the Wednesday afternoon when photographer Alyssa Bredin and I were there, kids from the summer works program were painting planters, under the guidance of professional artists. The large number of restaurants, the proximity to the PATH station, the family-oriented neighborhood, and the traffic patterns all coalesced to make it a good idea, according to Councilwoman Candace Osborne. She says, “We’ve gotten tons of positive feedback.”—Kate Rounds
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PHOTOS BY TERRI SAULINO BISH
E
ating at Raval on a summer evening gives you the full picture of the fresh energy and excitement on Newark Avenue downtown. The new pedestrian mall is crowded with strollers, cyclists, and shoppers. A guy balances on his bike, texting while folks stream past him. Raval, which opened last spring, is brought to you by the same folks who operate the very successful Satis Bistro in Paulus Hook. The façade has a nice, natural-wood feel that draws walk-ins off the mall. But Raval has made a big splash since its debut, and a lot of folks are making reservations or coming early to get a seat in front. And those three front “booths” are truly remarkable. They’re made from colorful handmade mosaic tile that echo Gaudi’s Barcelona. Two are adorned with mosaic figurines in the shape of a bull and a lizard. The bullfight and flamenco motif is on display in original paintings on the walls above the tables and in hand-painted murals throughout. In the back are the bar and additional seating with red banquettes and black-and-white photos on the walls, and in the basement is another bar and dining room.
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Raval has an extensive wine list, as well as sherry, sangria, ciders, and beer. The cocktail menu features an array of colorful mixes with some interesting ingredients. We order the raspberry gin and tonic, a pink, summery blend of Brooklyn gin, raspberry, and Jack Rudy cocktail tonic, garnished with fresh raspberries. Raval is noted for its extensive tapas menu. Cisco, the manager, helps us choose four “small plates” from a list of 23 offerings. First up is salpicón, a refreshing seafood salad of octopus, prawns, mussels, and citrus olive vinaigrette. The octopus and vinaigrette is an especially appealing pair. Next up is espinaca, sautéed spinach, dried figs, and toasted almonds. This is a really textured combination of savory and sweet, with the sweet figs hidden at the bottom and crispy almonds on top. Ensalada rusa, a blend of potatoes, carrots, peas, poached tuna, tomato and onion confit, with dill dressing and olive oil, topped with a quail egg, is not your familyreunion-picnic potato salad. The last of the tapas dishes is pulpo gallego, Spanish octopus, fingerling potatoes, garlic, and smoked
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paprika. The paprika gives it an allover burnished-copper look, the texture supplied by the two contrasting ingredients. The entrée takes 35 minutes to prepare, so if you are thinking of ordering the paella valenciana, (chicken paella), tell your waiter right away so that it can cook while you enjoy cocktails and tapas. The paella, made from bomba rice, bone-in all-natural chicken, and chorizo, arrives in a hot frying pan. The chicken is so tender it falls off the bone, and the rice has a crunchy, tomato-y texture. Chef de Cuisine Edward Radich shows up to inspect his creation. For some reason, he is brandishing a very unlikely kitchen utensil—a shiny new wrench. For the sake of the photograph, he fluffs up the paella a bit, but not with the wrench. The dish doesn’t need much fixing. It’s absolutely delicious the way it is. One warning: Don’t order so many tapas dishes that you are too full for the entrée. Other entrees include seared chicken with tomato, sauteed spinach, and garbanzo beans; prawns and chorizo with saffron garlic vinaigrette; seared market fish, romesco sauce, summer pole beans, radish and spiced almonds; heritage pork tenderloin with salsa verde, charred corn, and asparagus; flatiron steak, pan roasted fingerling potatoes, piquillo pepper and piri piri sauce; vegetarian paella with braised spinach, piquillo, and garbanzo beans; and paella with market shellfish and seafood. As we leave, the sounds of Groove on Grove can be heard a couple of blocks away, adding to the lively, festive vibe that personifies the new Newark Avenue.—Kate Rounds
Raval 136 Newark Ave. (201) 209-1099 ravaljc.com
POINT&
SHOOT
GREETINGS!
This mural is behind The Home Depot, a block from the Holland Tunnel. Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
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CONFUCIUS ASIAN BISTRO 558 Washington Boulevard (201) 386-8898 confucius558.com Confucius Asian Bistro is a perfect mix of ambiance, excellence, friendly service, delicious food served with an attractive presentation, large portions, and affordability. Stop in for lunch and take advantage of the specials or for dinner to experience a tasty meal in a serene environment.
DELENIO 357 Seventh St. (201) 798-9539/2233 deleniojc.com Delenio is a neighborhood Italian eatery in the Hamilton Park district, serving the best Italian cuisine and homemade ItalianAmerican favorites using the freshest ingredients. If you are looking for delicious pizza, calzones, or pasta that evoke memories of grandma’s kitchen, Delenio is the place to go. Come enjoy your meal in a gorgeous renovated dining room or seasonal al fresco dining area. You can always take advantage of our fast delivery service. Catering is also available.
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ADVERTISE WITH US 201 798 7800
EDWARD’S STEAK HOUSE 239 Marin Boulevard (201) 761-0000 edwardssteakhouse.com Edward’s Steak House offers steak, seafood, and other sumptuous fare with an elegant bistro flare. Tucked into a historic townhouse in downtown Jersey City, Edward’s is comfortably upscale. The menu includes all the classic steaks and chops— aged prime sirloin, porterhouse, filet mignon, and more. You’ll enjoy the atmosphere whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or stopping by for a steak sandwich at the bar.
TAPAS & COCKTAILS FEATURED DJs (FRI. & SAT.) 136 NEWARK AVENUE | RAVALJC.COM
FINE DINING & WINE BAR 212 WASHINGTON STREET | SATISBISTRO.COM
GYPSY GRILL 187 Newark Ave. (201) 839-5115 gypsygrillny.com Gypsy Grill uses the finest, freshest ingredients to create delicious Middle Eastern dishes designed to appeal to everyone from vegetarians to the most devout carnivores. Whether you take advantage of the summer outdoor dining or have your meal delivered, the mouth-watering culinary creations with unique European/Mediterranean flair at reasonable prices will make this a favorite dining choice. Catering is available, so be sure to call on Gypsy Grill for your next party.
CLASSIC DIVE BAR DAILY DRINK SPECIALS 322 2ND STREET | LUCKY7TAVERN.COM
SOM ET HI N G F OR EV ERYON E IN DOWNTOWN JERSEY CITY
see page 78
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from page 77
HELEN’S PIZZA
HONSHU RESTAURANT
183 Newark Avenue (201) 435-1507 helens-pizza.com Helen’s Pizza, a family owned restaurant, has been serving downtown Jersey City since 1968. Using only the finest ingredients they provide customers with the best tasting pizza, dinners, sandwiches, salads, and now a wide selection of homemade desserts. They have earned their reputation for the best pizza in town. Come taste the difference at Helen’s Pizza. Open seven days: Mon. – Sat. 11 a.m.- 11 p.m. Sun. 3-11 p.m.
31 Montgomery Street second floor (201) 324-2788/0277 honshulounge.com When craving an exciting Japanese dish or looking for new cuisine with an enjoyable atmosphere, we have the answer—smoking appetizers, sizzling entrees, fresh seafood, noodles, and sweet desserts. No matter your selection, rest assured we use the finest and freshest ingredients to bring out the unique taste of our superb menu items.
HOT POT BEST 95 Montgomery Street (201) 333-6866 hotpotbest.com Hot Pot Best is happy to celebrate the more than 1,000 year Chinese history of cooking the finest quality frozen meats in hot broth to create a delectable meal that instantly warms bodies and lifts spirits. Jersey City residents are grateful that Hot Pot Best has brought this tasty and hearty tradition to our town.
THE IRON MONKEY 97 Greene Street (201) 435-5756 ironmonkey.com The Iron Monkey features a craft draft beer bar whose mission is to provide you with delicious craft beer in a laidback atmosphere. It has been sticking to its roots, staying connected, and giving back to the community for 19 years. Now the The Iron Monkey is proud to introduce Chef Angelo Panageas whose deep appreciation for cuisine started at a young age growing up in Jersey City. He’s bringing his 37 years of experience, including a 14-year career as Chef de Cuisine at the famous Delmonico’s in Manhattan; and it’s reflected in the original menus he’s designed specifically for the The Iron Monkey.
TOURS & TASTINGS AT THE
BREWERY WED.—FRI. 5-9 PM SAT. 1-6 PM
4201 Tonnelle Ave. enter on 43rd street
North Bergen, NJ 07047
njbeerco.com 2 0 1 . 75 8 . 8 34 2
INFO@NJBEERCO.COM
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KOMEGASHI 103 Montgomery Street (201) 433-4567 komegashi.com Located in Jersey City’s financial district, Komegashi offers fresh, well-presented sushi along with traditional Japanese favorites and an extensive selection of fresh shellfish. Locals and visitors from around the world find this a perfect spot to dine in casual elegance. Open seven days.
KOMEGASHI TOO
LUCKY 7 TAVERN
99 Town Square Place Newport Financial Center (201) 533-8888 komegashi.com Komegashi too offers an authentic Japanese dining experience with a spectacular view of the New York Skyline. The menu includes perfectly prepared sushi and sashimi, kaiseki, teriyaki, and tempura. Located on the river at Newport Financial Center, Komegashi too is open seven days.
322 Second Street (201) 418-8585 lucky7tavern.com Lucky 7 Tavern has been a fixture in downtown Jersey City for years. People come to Lucky 7’s to have a drink and listen to the best jukebox in town. Lucky’s offers excellent bar food, including authentic Southern BBQ. It also provides a large selection of bottled beer and 14 beers on tap. Catch all the sporting events on any of Lucky 7’s seven flat screen HDTVs while you enjoy a fantastic happy hour, food, and drink specials.
L’ATELIER DU CHOCOLAT 321 Marin Boulevard, Suite #8 (201) 332-9220 egchocolates.com Master Chocolatier Eric Girerd combines the finest selected ingredients and artisan techniques to bring the most delectable chocolate treats to Jersey City. L’Atelier Du Chocolate serves scrumptious truffles; bars; snacks; spreads and jams; and authentic French coffee and pastries.
MORE EXPRESS 281 Grove Street (201) 432-1673 morenj.com More Express offers a wide selection of Thai and Japanese offerings, and more. Whether you stop by for a meal or take one to go, the experience will be satisfying. More Express is across the street from City Hall. see page 80
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RAVAL TAPAS BAR AND COCKTAIL LOUNGE 136 Newark Avenue (201) 209-1099 Ravaljc.com Gaining inspiration from his food and culture journey through Barcelona and Sevilla, Raval’s Executive Chef, Michael Fiorianti, creates modern Spanish tapas and adds to downtown Jersey City’s growing culinary diversity. He is joined by Chef de Cuisine, Ed Radich, former owner of Ox, to fashion a menu of tapas, charcuterie, paella, sangrias, and much more.
RUSTIQUE PIZZA 611 Jersey Avenue (201) 222-6886 rustiquepizza.com Welcome to Rustique Pizza! The Rosiello family warmly invites you to wake up your taste buds with our delicious food in the casual, friendly atmosphere of our dining room. If you’d rather enjoy your meal at home, we offer free delivery or the option of picking up your entrées or pizza. Our bread, dough, and mozzarella are made fresh daily in-house, ensuring satisfaction each time you dine with us.
SATIS BISTRO 212 Washington Street (201) 435.5151 satisbistro.com Tucked away in the Paulus Hook neighborhood, Satis is Jersey’s City’s best-kept dining secret. Satis is a foodie haven with a fantastic wine bar that serves dinner daily and brunch on weekends. The cuisine is modern European with an emphasis on French, Italian, and Spanish specialties. Menu changes are made seasonally, and specials are run weekly. Reservations are recommended. see page 81
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SHANGHAI BEST 97 Montgomery St. (201) 333-6661 shanghaibestjc.com This Chinese restaurant offers a full menu of Chinese specialties— crispy noodles, fried rice cakes, dim sum, cold and hot appetizers, noodle soups, flat-rice noodles, and fried rice, as well as vegetarian dishes, lunch specials, chef specials, beverages, and Chinese desserts. Shanghai Best offers catering and free delivery and is available for parties.
SKY THAI 62 Morris Street skythaijc.com This new Jersey City eatery near Exchange Place serves traditional Thai cuisine in a warm and beautiful atmosphere. Enjoy a cocktail before dinner and get ready for an authentic Asian feast.
TORICO 20 Erie St. (201) 432-9458 toricoicecream.com Torico Homemade Ice Cream is Jersey City’s destination for ice cream and desserts. While classic flavors are popular, Torico’s specialty is unique homemade flavors that reflect its founder’s love of the tropical tastes of Puerto Rico. Over the last 46 years, Torico has become a local institution. It also offers ice cream social packages, custom ice-cream cakes, pies, pints, and mini-scoop samplers to take home.
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DATES JCM from page 49
Halloween on Newark Avenue, Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza, 6–10 p.m. Get your costume and party on Newark Avenue. Look forward to vendors of art, vintage, crafts as well as psychics & Tarot Card readers, Day of the Dead activities and much more.
NOVEMBER 4 IndieGrove SPARK, with Freelancers Union, 6 p.m.
5-15 Speranza Theatre Company presents: Janey Miller’s World Tour, Art House Productions, 136 Magnolia Avenue, (201) 503-6194. speranzatheatre company.com. 8 p.m.
8 A Parade of Veterans and Heroes, City Hall, (201) 547-4900, jerseycitynj.gov, 10 a.m. Parade starts from City Hall to the Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery. Followed by a musical tribute.
18 IndieGrove, Women’s Group, 7 p.m.
DECEMBER 2 IndieGrove SPARK, with Freelancers Union, 6 p.m.
3 Christmas Tree Lighting, Grove Street Plaza, 5 p.m.
add ADVERTISING
4
to the menu
6
JC Fridays, Citywide, (201) 915-9911, jcfridays.com. Seasonal citywide series with art, music, film, and JC Fridays business discounts. Art House Productions Gallery, Broadway: A Costume Journey Art exhibition. Opening reception 12–3 p.m.
10-13 Art House’s Stages!, Theater Company for Youth presents: James and the Giant Peach. Art House Productions, 136 Magnolia Ave, (201) 915-9911, arthouseproductions.org. 7 p.m. (2 p.m. on December 13). $15 for adults ($18 at the door) and $8 for youths and seniors ($12 at the door).
12-13 Jersey City Dance Academy Christmas Show, 107 West Side Ave., (201) 435-8943, jerseycitydance academy.com.
14-19 Jersey City Dance Academy Winter Extravaganza Week, 107 West Side Ave., (201) 435-8943, jerseycitydanceacademy.com.
Contact the Hudson Reporter Advertising Department
201 7 98 780 0 82 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ FALL 2015
MONDAYS & THURSDAYS | 4PM-8PM Local farms, multiple vendors and extensive selections
www.jcdowntown.org
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