JERSEY CITY MAGAZINE by Hudson Reporter Assoc., LP

2 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

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4 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

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Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 â&#x20AC;¢

CONTENTS JCM

FEATURES COVER

18 POWERHOUSE An exclusive look inside COVER PHOTO BY CAMILO GODOY

22 HOW WE LIVE House Proud

32 HOW WE WORK Small businesses: the city’s lifeblood

40 CHEERS! The corner bar

43 9/11 Memorials A sad anniversary

46 THE SILVERMANS

Brother builders

50 THE MILWAUKEES Local band

64 THEATERS Stage struck

DEPARTMENTS 10 CONTRIBUTORS

53 VANISHING JERSEY CITY

Tatsuro Nishimura

12 EDITOR’S LETTER

55 EDUCATION

14 LETTERS

McNair mystique

31 EMERGING JERSEY CITY

Precocious author

38 SPORTS CORNER Public golf course

68 THE STUDIO

63 PEOPLE POWER 66 NICHE Botanica

6 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

70 DATES 73 THE ARTS DINING OUT 74 Rita & Joe’s 76 Restaurant listings

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PUBLISHERS Lucha Malato, David Unger EDITOR IN CHIEF Kate Rounds ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Martiak GRAPHICS STAFF Terriann Saulino Bish, Lisa Cuthbert, Mike Mitolo, Pasquale Spina COPYEDITING Christopher Zinsli ADVERTISING MANAGER Tish Kraszyk SALES STAFF Joe Calderone, Toni Anne Calderone, Paul Cohen, Ron Kraszyk, Christine M. Youngclaus 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 ©2011, 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

For more information or to schedule a tour please call Marianne Alfano 201-716-8000 330 Ninth Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302 • 201-716-8000 Facility Licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services

8 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

e-mail: jcmag@hudsonreporter.com jerseycitymagazine.com

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

LAUREN BARBAGALLO

TERRIANN SAULINO BISH

is a freelance writer. Since 2008, she’s lived in Hamilton Park with her husband Vassily, her daughter Carolena, and her cat, Webster. She can be reached at lcbarbagallo@yahoo.com.

MAX DI BIAGGIO

LAUREN BARBAGALLO

discovered photography at a young age, which led to studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He’s photographed top models and celebrities, including Joumana Kidd and Johanna Krupa, named Sexiest Woman Alive, and has stepped up as a producer on various projects, including music videos, commercials, and films. maxdibiaggio.com

TERRIANN SAULINO BISH began her career as a graphic designer more than 15 years ago. She not only creates images but captures them with her camera. Her work has appeared in many publications including Best of Photography 2006 & 2007. She currently works for the Hudson Reporter. tbishphoto.com.

MAX DI BIAGGIO

ALYSSA BREDIN is a graphic arts major at Saint Peter’s College, Jersey City. She hopes to pursue a career in photography. Her work can be seen at tbishphoto.com.

JOSH GERRITSEN CAMILO GODOY ALYSSA BREDIN

is a portrait and editorial photographer. Since graduating from Skidmore College, he’s photographed across Southeast Asia, Mongolia, and Russia. He’s lived on a sailboat at Liberty Landing and currently lives in the Bergen Square area. joshgerritsen.com

CAMILO GODOY lives in Jersey City. He is the artist-in-residence for Jersey City’s Lenapeeps Gallery. Currently he studies photography at Parsons the New School for Design in New York City. camilogodoy.com

JIM HAGUE has been the sports columnist for the Hudson Reporter Associates for the last 19 years. A native of Jersey City, he landed a job with the Hudson Dispatch in 1986.

JOSH GERRITSEN

ANTHONY SAINT JAMES has worked with some of the biggest names in entertainment. His photographs have been published in magazines and ads all over the world. He is pictured here with his greatest creation, his son Cosmo. More of his photography can be seen at anthonysaintjames.com.

DIANA SCHWAEBLE JIM HAGUE

DIANA SCHWAEBLE is an award-winning reporter and the former managing editor for the Hudson Reporter Newspaper Group. Her series of stories, “Home Sweet Hoboken,” won second place for feature writing in 2006 in the competitive New Jersey Press Association statewide contest. She is currently working on her first collection of short stories.

AMANDA STAAB

is a recent graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School. A New Jersey native, she currently lives in Hoboken with her husband and daughter.

ANTHONY SAINT JAMES JENNIFER MERRICK MARTIAK is art director for the Hudson Reporter Newspapers, which includes Jersey City Magazine. She has worked for the company for 16 years. Her work has won annual awards for the past ten years. Though her design credits are eclectic, fashion print is her passion.

10 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

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EDITOR'S LETTER JCM

Recurring Theme the development of the Powerhouse Arts District. In this issue Camilo Godoy’s haunting images take you inside the Powerhouse for a view of this iconic structure that you have never seen before. Amanda Staab’s profile of the Silverman PHOTO BY MARIE PAPP

Seems like we’re always talking about the ongoing push and pull of old and new in this town. Sometimes it’s an agreeable blending of style and thought, and sometimes a clash of opposing ideas. Nothing is more emblematic of old and new than

brothers reveals developers who have made a career of creating new construction that preserves the charm of our traditional buildings and historic neighborhoods. While Diana Schwaeble sits down with the homegrown band, The Milwaukees, Jim Hague tries to plumb the mystique of McNair Academic, a high school that consistently rates among the best in the state. From the corner bar to the corner botanica, there is much to explore in this issue. In a semiannual publication we often find ourselves thinking about summer in the midst of winter. You may remember that last winter was one of the worst on record. Let’s hear it for our intrepid photographers—Max, Terrinann, Alyssa, Josh, and Camilo—who more often than not were freezing cold and trudging through the snow to bring us the very beautiful pictures you see in these pages. We leave you with one sobering thought. Unbelievably, we are coming up on the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. To mark this sad milestone, photographer Terriann Saulino Bish and her daughter Alyssa Bredin share with us their poignant images of some of the memorials that honor Jersey City residents who were lost on that day. We dedicate this issue to their families, friends, and neighbors.—JCM

12 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

LETTERS JCM

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14 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

This letter intends to respond to the article, “Fringe Element,” which appeared in the Fall & Winter 2010/2011 issue of Jersey City Magazine. Initially, I was pleased to find stacks of the magazine on my building’s doorstep. I know several of the folks listed in the article personally, and I was excited to see my community photographed on the glossy pages of this inward-gazing magazine. Upon reading through the article, however, I was disappointed to notice the clear exclusion of people of color. To me, one of the most exciting aspects of life in Jersey City is its diversity. I consider myself lucky to live in company with so many people who cook using different spices than I do and speak languages I don’t. Jersey City taught me the value of diversity through its cuisine, its music, and its poetry from the day I moved here in 2003. Jersey City also taught me about segregation in a way that I didn’t know or understand, having grown up white in a white suburb of Rochester, NY. As a child, I didn’t realize that all of my neighbors and most of my classmates were white. As an adult, I am conscious of my surroundings. Because of the way the city is laid out, and the patterns in which folks tend to gather, Jersey City carries extreme dividing lines, both racial and economic, in its identity. I moved to Jersey City because a unique group of poets invited me to participate in an ongoing poetry event. The event was hip, young, relevant, and multi-racial. I was excited to be a part of a community of artists that was talented, committed, and

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

LETTERS JCM

brought with them the stories associated with their varying identities. Jersey City taught me about the work required, and the benefits of the ability to move toward integration. I feel so blessed to be a part of this community. Sadly, this article does not forward an impression of the community of artists and poets who welcomed me to this city full of people living on the fringe. The article does not contribute to the elimination of the aforementioned dividing lines. Further, it perpetuates notions of gentrification that lead to feelings of resentment at best. My intention is not to create chaos, or accuse the editors of maliciousness. My intention is to acknowledge and affirm the diversity in this community of artists and weirdos. And to count my blessings. ONWARD, MEL KOZAKIEWICZ

I’m a die-hard Jersey City citizen and absolutely love your magazine. The “How We Live” section has always intrigued me, and other unique and interesting flats throughout the neighborhood. I’m a commercial fashion designer and fine artist. After migrating to downtown Jersey City from Manhattan I’m always trying to get more involved in its up-and-coming art community. For the past few years I’ve lived alone in a small but cute brownstone. After recently moving in with my partner I’ve been able to express my midcentury modern/industrial decor. With an artist and doctor living under the same roof I’ve been able to incorporate a lot of our aesthetics really well.

SHAWN MICHAEL LANG Editor’s Note If you would like your space showcased in the “How We Live” section, e-mail me at krounds@hudsonreporter.com and put “How We Live” in the subject line.

16 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

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18 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

I nsi de

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Powerhouse FACELIFT FOR THE GRANDE DAME PHOTOS BY CAMILO GODOY

This marks the first of an ongoing series of photo essays charting the progress of the powerhouse renovation and the retail and entertainment district that it will anchor. Bob Antonicello, executive director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, gave Jersey City Magazine unusual access to what is arguably Jersey City’s most iconic structure. Photographer Camilo Godoy and I visited on a cold, damp morning along with JCRA Project Manager Mary Pat Noonan and John Burkhard of the Port Authority. We could hear water dripping from the rooftop, bits of debris dropping into a net looping from the ceiling. We stooped through jagged arched doorways and ascended Dali-like stairways until we reached the upper floors, exposed to the ele-

ments, an urban landscape visible through the huge opening. Camilo’s hauntingly beautiful images capture it all. Bob Antonicello is a man on a mission. That mission? To bring to fruition the Powerhouse Arts District and to articulate the vision for this ambitious project to the press and the public. I met with him and Noonan at their downtown offices. The conference room was lined with pictures of the powerhouse, and he unrolled huge schematics of the area where the complex will be located. Both are Jersey City natives who have an obvious love for their hometown and its possibilities.

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

“Saving the building from the wrecking ball and saving it for posterity are two separate issues,” Antonicello says. The effort to save it from the wrecking ball should be obvious to anyone walking by or viewing it from the light rail. The window openings have been enclosed with colorful boards. “We did not want them to be black and austere,” Antonicello says. “You can see them from New York and the river,” adds Noonan, “and they put a smile on the faces of people walking by.” The first step in the ongoing stabilization phase is to stanch the deterioration and make the structure safe and weather tight. The building is jointly owned by the city and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The next step is for the Port Authority to move the substation. This is the business end of the building, where the electrical transformers that power the PATH system are located. The stabilization of the structure and removal of the substation are like repairing the hull of a ship to make it sea worthy. The fun part comes later. Though plans are sketchy at this point, the building is expected to house restaurants, shops, a lounge, a small theater, and other entertainment options. The Powerhouse Arts District will encompass eight blocks of retail and entertainment space. It won’t be a “sleepy arts district,” says Antonicello, with just the powerhouse. “That would not generate business.” Rather, the powerhouse will be the “thumping

heart” of an area with retail space, “off off Broadway” live entertainment venues, galleries, and “a budding restaurant row” that will attract not only locals but New Yorkers and the many tourists and business travelers who stay in nearby hotels. Antonicello calls it a “lifestyle center.” He also likes to talk about “branding.” An easy cost-effective branding option is to “cobrand” the Harsimus Cove light rail stop as the “Powerhouse Arts District.” Antonicello is a guy who has lived and loved the two Jersey Cities: “The ladies in their house dresses in the tax assessor’s office in City Hall and the financial services firms that reach every corner of the globe.” The grand vision of the Powerhouse Arts District—with its seamless confluence of preservation and progress—is to pull everybody into its magnetic field. Antonicello wants to “expand the base of support for this Jersey City icon.” JC Mag will be documenting in pictures this years-long project.—Kate Rounds

20 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

HOW WE LIVE JCM

PHOTOS BY MAX DI BIAGGIO

FOUNDRY Six years ago Raymond Egleston and Edoris Head moved from Tribeca to the Foundry on Communipaw Avenue, right near the Liberty State Park light rail stop. It was a great move “financially and space wise,” Egleston says. “I always wanted a loft space.” Their search had taken them from Tribeca to Brooklyn, Harlem, and downtown Jersey City. They didn’t want a cookie cutter look, and carpeting was a deal breaker. The Foundry, home to the former American Type Founders Company, is certainly not cookie cutter, and the units feature hardwood floors. “The Foundry has 14-foot ceilings and an industrial feel,” Egleston says. The building, which offers both rentals and condos, has paid parking, a gym, and a shared laundry room. Egleston and Head have an easy commute into Manhattan via light rail and PATH. Their unit is also home to Fiona, a Yorkie; Luca, a rat terrier; and Lightning, a parakeet. But there’s room for everyone. High ceilings and large windows make the space look bigger than it actually is, and a bedroom hidden behind French doors makes it perfect for entertaining. A large galley kitchen features all the latest appliances. “We’re really good cooks,” Egleston says, “and I make a mean pasta sauce.” Both creative and corporate folks live in the building. “With the nontraditional layout and setup, a lot of them have a creative soul even though they’re corporate,” Egleston says.

22 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

HOW WE LIVE JCM Speaking of creative, the space is filled with original art and antiques. Some units offer fabulous views of the park, the statue, the city, and the waterfront. “On clear days you can see Staten Island and cruise ships,” says Egleston, “and one family’s living room faces the statue; when the lights are up at night it’s beautiful.” The Foundry is just minutes from Liberty State Park. “The park was a great coup for us,” Egleston says. “When I saw a rabbit I knew I was finally home. You can also hear birds chirping, and it’s calmer here than in Tribeca.” Since 2005, he says, there’s been a “tremendous change for the better with new blood taking advantage of pricing. Within the Foundry compound, people watch out for each other, and there’s a community feeling.”

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HOW WE LIVE JCM

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HAMILTON SQUARE CONDOMINIUMS Frederick Aquino’s road to condo contentment has led him from Los Angeles to San Francisco to Brooklyn to Dixon Mills to Van Vorst Park to York Street to Hamilton Place to Schroeder Lofts and finally to Hamilton Square Condominiums. “You name a condo, and we’ve looked at it,” he says. And what drew him to his new digs? A 1,000-square-foot, one-bedroom, third-floor condo with 12-foot ceilings. “It has five closets, two walk-ins, one with a washer/dryer,” Aquino says. A professional chef, Aquino requested a six-burner Wolf convection oven. The space also has recessed lighting and lots of natural light. “It faces east, and we have great morning light. The morning sun keeps it warm.” Aquino was pleased that there was some privacy despite the loft feel to the space. “The kitchen is only partially open, and when you walk in, there’s a huge living room and dining room but you don’t actually see the bedroom.” He also loved the double vanity in the bathroom so he and his partner, Joseph Maloney, each have their own separate areas. The convenience can’t be beat. Aquino works at the Standard Hotel on the High Line in Chelsea, so it’s really just one subway stop from the Pavonia PATH station. “Brooklyn has come and gone, and Jersey City is up and coming,” he says. “It’s home to me. I’ve created a routine. There are a lot of great restaurants on Grove. I go to Basic every day to get coffee, lattes, desserts, pastries.”

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HOW WE LIVE JCM The neighborhood is a perfect fit as well. “Hamilton Park is such a comfort to me,” he says. “It’s family oriented, it’s quaint, and we’ve made many friends.”

NINTH ST. Faith and Jeff Luby always wanted a brownstone in Jersey City. They’d lived in a condo on Van Vorst Park and sent Achim Borkeloh from Weichert Realtors on a quest for their dream house. “He wore out the treads on his sneakers looking,” Faith says. But when he showed them the building on Ninth St., they knew they’d hit pay dirt. “It was a gloomy day in late December,” she recalls, “and there were three college girls living there. It was a total mess, and there were no light bulbs, but we could see that the house had what we wanted.” What they wanted was a classic brownstone with an “original staircase, original plaster ceilings and moldings, and medallions all the way around.”

26 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

HOW WE LIVE JCM

The kitchen and living room are on the main level. You go up the stairway to their son’s nursery with the master bedroom in front. Their four-year-old daughter’s room is on the next level. “We call it the princess room,” Faith says. “She has a playroom and her own bathroom. She doesn’t know how lucky she is.” Altogether, the house boasts four bedrooms, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. It also has a back garden, but only the downstairs tenant, who describes his apartment as “small and cozy with its own little courtyard/backyard,” has access to that. He self identifies as “utilitarian,” drafting his sister to help decorate. As for the Lubys’ décor, Faith calls it an “eclectic mix of old and new.” They have traditional oriental carpets and silk draperies, along with some “modern pieces” left over from a makeover by the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy folks. That’s right, Jeff ’s old “Luby Lounge” stuff, which included neon signs and a brass rail, got the queer eye treatment. For Jeff, a New York City bartender, the bar décor resonated. “Drinking is a pastime of ours,” Faith acknowledges. “We know a lot of restaurant and bar owners. That’s our culture. We even take our kids to the bar.” She says she has a lot of “Jersey pride.” They frequent the Hamilton Inn and shop at Madame Claude’s

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Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

everyday • occasions • weddings • events

Hamilton Square 23 McWilliams Place Jersey City, NJ 07302 Te l 2 0 1 . 3 0 9 . 9 9 5 9 w w w. a n t h e i a . n e t

Michelle Arlotta Photography michellearlotta.com

HOW WE LIVE JCM

Wines. Faith’s father grew up in Jersey City. She thinks he would probably remember the old Harbor Casino. “They all hang out at the Golden Cicada now,” Faith says. “Ever since I was a kid, I watched This Old House,” Faith relates. “I like character and charm. I don’t like cookie cutter. I wouldn’t go to Crate and Barrel and get the whole setup.” What’s next for the Lubys? The house has four fireplaces. “They were originally coal, but are not active now,” Faith says. “We’d have to line the chimneys. That’s something I’d like to do as a gift in the future.”

SOLEIL LOFTS

365 Grove St. Jersey City, NJ 07302 www.grovestreetbicycles.com (201) 451– BIKE

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28 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

Soleil Lofts, near the McGinley Square section, was converted from a historic art deco police precinct built in 1925. The 38-unit, sixstory condominium features original palladium-style windows, indoor parking, oversized closets, virtual concierge, and gorgeous views of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and the Verrazano Bridge. Terraces and balconies also offer great views, and some units have patios. All spaces are well-insulated for a peaceful living experience and have a washer/dryer and wide-plank flooring. Kitchens feature cherrystained maple cabinetry and black granite countertops with tiled limestone backsplash.

HOW WE LIVE JCM

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Bathrooms are large with custom vanities. One prospective buyer who wanted to take advantage of the amenities and art deco charm was artist Stephen Cimini. “Three years ago I moved to Jersey City and rented an apartment in the neighborhood where Soleil is,” he relates. “I had a painting studio up here and a realtor contacted me about using my art to stage an apartment in Soleil.” Cimini, who does abstract architectural paintings, is an art director in advertising. The unit he chose has one bedroom with a “nice size” kitchen, two bathrooms, and a deck. He paid for indoor parking in the garage behind the building. Cimini first moved from Manhattan to Jersey City to save money when the economy tanked and he was briefly laid off: “I didn’t mind it here at all, and I found the commute was very simple. It’s a ten-minute walk to Journal Square, and there are buses to Hoboken, Newport, and Manhattan.” The lofts are in the South Journal Square area, which is becoming known as “SoJo.” The price, views, and privacy all figured in Cimini’s decision to live at Soleil Lofts. “I love the deck,” he says. “This is a living space for the long term.”

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

HOW WE LIVE JCM

PHOTOS BY CASSIE KING — CASSIEKINGPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

BAY ST. After living in Jersey City for six years it was time for Shawn Lang to fulfill his dream of living in an “industrial loft space.” Enter 150 Bay St., an artists’ live/work building. Lang’s 1,000-square-foot loft is a rental unit. A designer and fine artist, he lives with a doctor. “It’s all open space with a bathroom and kitchen, and we created a bedroom,” Lang says. “We looked at historic buildings and high rises, but we didn’t like what high rises had to offer.” Formerly an A&P grocery store and warehouse for 8 O’clock Coffee, it’s on the

National Register of Historic Places. Lang says he loved the historic/industrial look “as opposed to high rises that resemble hotels.” The eighth-floor unit “looks west,” Lang says. “We see all of downtown Jersey City to Journal Square and the Heights, and we see the sunset every night.” Lang’s tastes run to mid-century modern. “With an industrial feel,” he says. “We have vintage pieces as well as newer things, and we built a couple of pieces.” Lang, who does printmaking, silk screening, and illustrations, has adorned the walls with his own work. “One whole wall has my artwork and whatever I’m working

30 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

on,” he says. “Our unit serves as our own gallery. We show a lot of art here, and we open the loft to the studio tour. We love it.” The neighborhood was also a draw. “We love L.I.T.M. It’s a great bar with phenomenal art shows. We go to 58 Gallery, the Star Bar, and we love the Hamilton Inn.” Rocco, the dog, enjoys being walked around the neighborhood. “We love it because there are so many diverse people, restaurants, and unique stores, like Smith and Chang. We’ve bought a couple of pieces from there.” What does the future bring? “We’ll probably stay here for a long time,” Lang said. —Interviews by Kate Rounds

EMERGING JC JCM

Varoom! Pole Position Raceway, a Californiabased chain of indoor kart tracks, chose Jersey City for its first East Coast facility. Located at 99 Caven Point Road not far from Liberty State Park, it features two quarter-mile tracks and high performance electric karts that reach speeds of 45 mph. The mayor thinks the raceway, which opened in December, will keep us on track for becoming “a premier tourist destination.” It certainly rounds out our options. In the shadow of worldrenowned historic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and professional sports venues like Liberty National Golf Course, indoor karting gives JC the razzle-dazzle, Vegas-style attraction it’s long been missing.—Kate Rounds

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

HOW WE WORK JCM

BY DIANA SCHWAEBLE

MARIANNE ALFANO

PHOTOS BY JOSH GERRITSEN

As a city grows, so does the need for many services—and Jersey City is no exception. Beyond grocery or clothing stores, a thriving community must meet the needs of many. Highlighted this month are groups that offer quality care as the cornerstone of their business.

THE ATRIUM AT HAMILTON PARK 330 Ninth St. (201) 716-8000 “Promoting independence” is one of the credos of the staff of the Atrium. The assisted care facility has a home environment for seniors who need some type of assistance but are not critical care patients. For Administrator Marianne Alfano the best part of her job is seeing how residents thrive. “People who were isolated before become part of my family,” she says. In addition to the Atrium, on the campus they have skilled nursing, sub-acute rehab, dialysis, and an outpatient wellness center.

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HOW WE WORK JCM

GIOVANNI D’ITALIA SHOE REPAIR

GIOVANNI D’ITALIA

121 River Drive South (201) 420-1639 There is no shoe that can’t be fixed, says Marcus Thomas, manager of the shoe shop. While the store has been in Jersey City only two years, the sister store in Hoboken recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. They take pride in their work, whether it’s a pair of loafers for former Gov. Jon Corzine or a regular citizen, Thomas says: “It’s definitely a work of art in each pair. We meet people from all walks of life, from the New York Jets to the average Joe.”

EUROPEAN WAX CENTER 389 Washington St. (201) 239-6200 When we first caught up with Dara Eisenman, the European Wax Center had not yet opened. The franchise, which she co-owns

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Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011•

HOW WE WORK JCM

AMY BURNETTE

with husband David, offers bikini wax, Brazilian wax, eyebrow wax, full leg, half leg, you name it—for men and women. They have a retail background and swear by repeat business. “If you wax you’re a waxer,” Dara says. Nervous types should rest assured that they use the low-heat, stripless, roll-off method. A stay-at-home mom for five years, Dara was really looking forward to dealing with customers. “I can’t wait for the doors to open,” she says. “I want to have a party!”

MASSAGE ENVY SPA 389 Washington St. (201) 427-7997 “All the daily pressures of life stay outside the door,” says owner Vinnie Vero. As a long-time client of Massage Envy, opening his own franchise was a natural progression because he loved the experience and dreamed of owning his own business. “I’m very into health and wellness,” he says. Vero believes that massage used to be viewed as a luxury but now is seen as a great way to manage stress and improve quality of life. “It’s really like a mini-vacation,” he says. “The experience will rejuvenate and relax you.” VINNIE VERO

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HOW WE WORK JCM

KRYSTYNA GODOSKA (RIGHT)

NEXT STEP BROADWAY 233 Ninth St. (201) 706-3025 “If you want to kick high you have to be limber,” says former Rockette and dance studio owner Amy Burnette. The professional actress says that today’s performers need to be a “triple threat” and need dance, voice, and acting instruction. Burnette wanted to bring the professional feeling of Manhattan to Jersey City. While the studio was initially geared toward children, they’ve recently added adult classes to the roster. In addition to classes, the studio offers summer camp and recitals for students. “We don’t do competitions, but I think it’s really important for them to perform,” she says.

POLSKI SKLEP POLISH MEAT STORE 425 Central Ave. (201) 795-0558 “We make a lot of pirogues,” says proprietor Krystyna Godoska. The family owned and operated store has had a loyal following for 13 years. Whether you need a fresh cut of meat or dinner, they will cook it fresh on the premises. In addition to traditional items like kielbasa, homemade bacon, and stuffed cabbage, they also prepare fresh homemade soups including tomato, chicken noodle, and cucumber. A taste of homemade goodness is available seven days a week. “I make everything—soups and dinner to go,” says Godoska.

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011•

HOW WE WORK JCM

SHAMPOO JC HAIR SALON 107 C. Columbus Drive (corner of Grove) (201) 395-0045 “I wanted to do something that would let me be who I was,” says rocker Harley Di Nardo, who opened the salon in January 2010. The musician said cutting hair was a job he could do in addition to music. “I meet a lot of cool people and they come to your shows,” he says. With music posters on the wall, and rock and roll on the speakers, Di Nardo combines his passion for music, hair, and fashion. Shampoo participated in the last JC Fridays and plans to hold an art opening on every solstice. But hands down the best part of the job is the people: “I get to be artistic, meet great people, and listen to cool music,” he says.

HARLEY DI NARDO

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HOW WE WORK JCM

(L.-R.) SISTER BARBARA MORAN, CSJP, DIRECTOR OF THE NURTURING PLACE; SISTER HARRIET HAMILTON, CSJP, DIRECTOR OF ST. MARY'S RESIDENCE; SUSANNE M. BYRNE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF YORK STREET PROJECT; MARLEEN O'CONNOR, PRINCIPAL/DIRECTOR OF KENMARE HIGH SCHOOL; AND SISTER ROSEMARY COFFEY, CSJP, DIRECTOR OF ST. JOSEPH'S HOME

YORK STREET PROJECT 89 York St. (201) 451-8225 Breaking the cycle of poverty has been the goal of the York Street Project since 1989. Executive Director Susanne Byrne says it works because they simultaneously provide housing, education, and child care to women and families in need and often with no other recourse. The project is part of the ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, who have served at the current site since 1885. An estimated 300 women and children are helped each year and, there is an overall success rate of 85 percent. “To know that we are making a positive difference in the lives of these women is extremely rewarding,” says Byrne. She says women often come back and tell the teachers “this place changed my life.” Volunteers are always welcome. “I see it with the volunteers,” she says. “They have a lot of compassion for women in that situation. I see them want to make the lives of these people better, and it’s inspiring.”

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011•

SPORTS CORNER JCM

Duffer Dreams! Fairway Fantasies! NEXT SUMMER THAT JC DUFFER COULD BE YOU MANY OF YOU MAY REMEMBER IT—OVER ON ROUTE 440 in the tangled shadow of the Pulaski Skyway, a batting cage and driving range. And years before that, up the road a bit the acrid bouquet of burning tires wafting over the highway. But this isn’t a story about what was but what is about to be. By next sum-

38 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

mer that sketchy stretch could be a public golf course—yes, public. Jersey City already has one spectacular course, Liberty National on the southern edge of Liberty State Park. Only problem is, unless you plan to be hitting a few balls with Tiger Woods, you’re not going to find yourself on that course. The lovely, wind-

SPORTS CORNER JCM

swept Bayonne golf course a little farther down the road is also pricey and only for residents of Bayonne. Ours will be an affordable nine-hole course right across from Lincoln Park, which together will form an inviting urban oasis. Tom DeGise, Hudson County Executive and avid golfer, has been instrumental in implementing the plan. “My whole life I’ve played sports,” he says, “but now that I’ve turned 60 I don’t play basketball or softball anymore. I played my first round of golf at 47 and got hooked.” But he couldn’t satisfy his golf urges right here in Hudson County. “I always had to get in my car and travel, and it cost a lot more to play.” Now, he says, “kids won’t have to wait ‘til they’re 47 to play.” And this will be no pitch and putt. “It will be a real links-style golf course with lakes and dunes.” He’s glad, though, that “there will be no trees to hit.” His spokesman Jim Kennelly says, “The nine-hole course is compact and a terrific fit.” He envisions business folks from downtown taking off for a couple of hours in the afternoon and heading up to Lincoln Park for “a quick nine holes” on a course that’s “accessible, attractive, and nestled in the heart of a metro area.” Kennelly also sees the public course as a boon to urban renewal. “It’s an opportunity for organizations to promote greater access to golf in underserved communities, and it’s good for health because with more green space, there’s less traffic and lower rates of asthma.” He points out that nearby Lincoln High School already has a golf team. “Today, golf is another arrow in your quiver in the business world; you can get out to the links and build a career and social relationships.” THE PULASKI SKYWAY ITSELF IS A stellar urban icon that will form part of the golf course’s cityscape. Says Kennelly: “It will be an urban experience coming over the Skyway and not seeing landfill but the green of the golf course down there.” But before we enjoy the beauty and recreational benefits of the new golf course, some underlying structural work needs to be done. The landfill which had been used as an informal dumping ground needs to be closed, capped, and cleaned. Dirt dredged from an earlier wetland restoration project that restored tidal creeks and created a walking trail will be used to close the landfill, along with clean sand from a channel near the Verrazano Bridge. To the naysayers who bash golf as a froufrou sport that doesn’t belong in Hudson County, Kennelly begs to differ. The new,

RENDERING OF THE PROPOSED CLUB HOUSE affordable course, he says, “will be a boon to people who had not considered it before and want to take up the game. It’s low key and not formal or crusty.” The charm and challenge of the course stem from its unique locale. “With Newark Bay and the Skyway, it will be very scenic,” DeGise says. “And the architects say that controlling the wind should be difficult and challenging”—Kate Rounds

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MONAGHAN AND RENNER

Cheers! PHOTOS BY JOSH GERRITSEN

It’s as if someone had created a template. They’re all over town. Dark, nondescript, the furnishings look like found objects, the bartenders are friendly, the patrons steadfast, the beer cheap, and the atmosphere convivial. In these images we pay homage to a fast-disappearing Jersey City staple—the corner bar. Want to see more? Turn the page.

40 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

CORNER BARS Astor Bar & Grill 725 Montgomery (201) 333-9595 Lucky 7 322 2nd Street (201) 418-8585 Mojo Lounge 130 West Side Ave. (201) 333-0990

Monaghan and Renner 225 at Sanford Place Hutton St. (201) 653-9111 Park Tavern 575 West Side Avenue (201) 434-9253

LUCKY 7

MOJO LOUNGE Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

ASTOR BAR & GRILL

PARK TAVERN

42 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER

9/11

Memorials

A Sad Anniversary PHOTOS BY TERRIANN SAULINO BISH AND ALLYSA BREDIN

It’s hard to believe that ten years have passed since that bright September morning. We got up, got dressed, and followed our usual workaday rituals unaware that by day’s end, just across the river, thousands of people would live out their last Tuesday on earth. Many were our Jersey City friends and neighbors. With these images of some of the city’s 9/11 memorials, we honor their memories and celebrate their lives.—Kate Rounds (To view more images, please turn the page.)

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

CLOCKWISE — EXCHANGE PLACE, LIBERTY STATE PARK, JOURNAL SQUARE

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SILVERMAN BUILDING

Silver Ware TWO BROTHERS DEDICATE DECADES TO RAISING COMMUNITIES FROM THE STREETS BY AMANDA STAAB

REAL ESTATE GURUS PAUL AND ERIC SILVERMAN ADOPTED JERSEY CITY 30 years ago. They’ve watched it grow from an abandoned port with a colorful past to a thriving city with an edgy arts scene. “The beauty of a city is that it’s always changing,” says Eric. And as Jersey City has evolved, so have their projects, from a four-story walkup to an entire community with schools and an organic food co-op. The Silvermans attribute their success to their reputation, an asset they’ve cultivated even in hard times. They’ve been praised for their restoration work and adaptive reuse of the old Majestic Theatre and other historic buildings, for attempting to preserve the past while shaping the future. With Paul heading management and Eric mastering design, they say there’s still quite a bit of work to be done. THE SILVERMANS HAVE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT IN THEIR BLOOD; THEIR grandfather ran a warehousing business in Bayonne and their father owned a trucking company in Kearny. As kids growing up in Bergen County, Paul and Eric ran several small operations, including a landscaping company and photography business from home and a print shop headquartered in the graphics department at the local high school. After college, Paul thought he’d start a burglar alarm company or manage a sports team. Then, in 1980, his younger brother called him with a proposal. At that time, Jersey City wasn’t a place people bragged about, says Eric. At its zenith in the 1930s, it was the Hudson River’s main port. Many residents worked as stevedores, and local factories like

46 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

HAMILTON SQUARE PARK

Colgate and American Can employed hundreds more. But that all changed after World War II. Businesses and homeowners wanted cheaper land and more space, and with the advent of the interstate highway system, both found satisfaction in the suburbs. Modern methods of shipping also rendered Jersey City inadequate and jobs moved to Port Elizabeth, spurring a steady decline. But in the 1970s, real estate became critical to Jersey City’s resurgence. A brownstone revival took root as developers and others looking to make a quick buck bought devalued properties in the rundown city. “It was really untapped at that time,” says Eric. Architectural gems, he says, were selling for $25,000. Eric saw it for himself on the day he called his brother in 1980. He had taken his first job with a New York developer who had two ongoing projects in Jersey City, and in his spare time, Eric explored the neighborhoods by car and came across two burned-out row houses on Sussex Street. He was 21, bright-eyed and ambitious, he says, and he called his brother with the idea that they buy the property. When Paul, who’d taken over the family trucking company, saw the crumbling vacant property, he was skeptical, but Eric was convincing. The brothers offered double what the owner had paid for it and spent the next year as general contractors at 128-130 Sussex St. The finished project yielded one storefront and 13 apartments that were rented in just three weekends. Paul says he remembers thinking, “This is easy.” And while big names like Newport developer Samuel LeFrak focused on the waterfront, the Silvermans set their sights inland in downtown Jersey City.

HAMILTON SQUARE

ERIC SILVERMAN

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

AFTER A DECADE OF STEADY GROWTH, THE ’90S proved difficult. It was the height of the savings and loan crisis, a major collapse of financial institutions nationwide. “Everything came to a screeching halt,” says Eric. “Banks pulled out. People weren’t willing to purchase or start a business. It was a total liquidity crisis and consumer confidence crisis.” And developers in Jersey City felt it. “We lost almost everything,” says Paul. Among the three family businesses—warehousing, trucking, and real estate—the Silvermans lost the majority of their assets in just two years, and the pressure wasn’t letting up. They had about 150 employees who would be jobless if the businesses collapsed, and Paul says he had his own family to consider. His children were small, his son just a baby, and he was beginning to feel like a failure. At the office, checks were bouncing, lawsuits were rolling in, and the phones kept ringing with creditors looking for money. One day, Paul couldn’t take it anymore. He left the office without telling

anyone where he was going and drove to a park overlooking Manhattan. “I sat in my car and I cried for three hours,” he says. “It was a real low point.” It was also when he decided it was time to take drastic action. The brothers closed the trucking company and started giving back property and other assets. It took them years to settle with everyone. The losses, says Eric, were devastating, but they served as a lesson. “It’s a risky business,” he says. “It doesn’t always go up.” BY MID-DECADE, THE NATIONAL FINANCIAL CRISIS subsided. Growth in Jersey City’s real estate market resumed and eventually gave way to what has been dubbed the “teardown phenomenon.” Again there was an influx of people looking to get rich in the real estate game. “A lot of times that meant it was cheaper to tear down than it was to preserve,” says John Hallanan, president of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, a nonprofit organized in the late ’90s to protect the local architectural, cultur-

PAUL SILVERMAN

48 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

al, and environmental heritage. In the Heights, he said, some buildings dating back to Dutch settlers were demolished to make room for box houses with more square footage and thus more profit potential. Though the conservancy doesn’t have a say in what developers do with the properties they buy, Hallanan says the group can raise public awareness by recognizing those who work to preserve local history. In 2001, the Silvermans received the Excellence in Preservation Award for their Park Foundry project, a rental building on the site of the former Edward Schroeder Lamp Works factory on 10th Street. On an adjacent lot, the brothers later built the Schroeder Lofts, new construction made to mimic old. “People come in the building and ask what it was before,” says Paul. “That’s our biggest compliment.” The Silvermans were also recognized for their restoration of the Majestic Theatre, which had been boarded up for years along with three nearby structures. The project included old and new construction, condos, apartments, restaurant and retail space, and underground parking—a combination the Silvermans attribute to “sensible preservation.” Though the brothers enjoy restorations, they say they do them within reason. “I don’t think we look at the buildings as antiques that you don’t want to improve,” says Paul. “We’re happy to sand and paint and fix them up.” Hallanan said the conservancy realizes that adaptive reuse, the restoration of a building for a new purpose such as living space, a niche the Silvermans seemed to have carved out for themselves, is the wave of the future. “People will start to realize historic preservation doesn’t have to be an impediment to development,” says Hallanan. THE SILVERMANS SAY THERE’S NO DOUBT the current recession has slowed the banks as well as fellow developers. “Look,” says Eric, pointing to a window facing south from Hamilton Square Condominiums, the brothers’ latest project created from the former St. Francis Hospital. “There’s not one crane up right now. There were probably 15 cranes up four years ago.” The local government, he says, needs its own stimulus plan to get people interested in building and buying in Jersey City again, and the Silvermans are willing to help. WHILE THE BROTHERS TRY TO ATTRACT quality retailers to their buildings, they also attempt to get the outside world to recognize Jersey City as an up-and-coming place. For example, in the Majestic Theatre and Hamilton Square lobbies, they display the work of local artists. “You look anywhere in this country and anywhere in the world, cities that have good art movements are successful cities,” says Eric. Last summer, the Silvermans invited 15 artists to help them create a miniature golf course on an empty lot in Hamilton Square where they once stored construction equipment. The event, a fundraiser for the ailing Jersey City Museum, got national attention, attracting more than 3,000 players, kids and suits alike, and raising $90,000 through sponsorship and ticket sales. Paul says his next idea has nothing to do with the arts. He and a few local partners have plans for the Jersey City Brewing Company. “I’m not a big drinker,” he says, “but it’s something else to put Jersey City’s name on.” Holding strong to the belief that successful projects require community involvement, the Silvermans added the tagline “Building neighborhoods” to their business cards with their new company name, Silverman, formerly the Exeter Property Company. They say only a fraction of their dreams have been realized in a city that still shows potential. “There’s so much opportunity here,” says Paul. “We could work our lifetimes here.” And the brothers plan to do just that.—JCM HAMILTON SQUARE Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

aking their own

THE

sound

MILWAUKEES

PONDER THE MERITS OF ORIGINAL MUSIC BY DIANA SCHWAEBLE PHOTOS BY ANTHONY SAINT JAMES IN A SHIFTING INDUSTRY

brain off and let go. But those simple ideas spark full songs in a second. Melodies are all done beforehand. I wait for the words to come.”

I met with Clark and Nordstedt To some, word that the Milwaukees are preparing to release their long anticipated album isn’t news; it’s more like a cold drink after a long hike. Fans who follow the Jersey City-based rock band have heard about the album since 2008. The last few years have brought personal changes for lead singer/guitarist Dylan Clark, guitarist Jeff Nordstedt, bassist Donovan Cain, and drummer Patrick Fusco. All four are married and have shifted focus toward their families. But when not playing gigs, they were writing some 30 new songs, enough for two albums. While Clark is the gregarious front man, he’s very private about the creative process; even his wife has never heard him write a song. “I don’t really think too much about songs,” he says. “I sort of turn my

50 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

on their home turf in downtown JC at the bar Lucky 7. Tucked into a corner by the window, they’re still recognized by fans who call out to them. Both offer cheerful replies, belying the label “charmingly arrogant” that has dogged their past. “One thing I’ve always loved about this band is that we’re really good at making friends with our fans,” says Nordstedt. “I wonder if we’ve removed the mystery.” Yet for all their draw, they do very little with new media. “We realized we’re actually pretty boring when not talking about music,” says Nordstedt. “We’re recording podcasts, but if we tried to Twitter or Facebook everything it’s actually worse than not doing anything.” People will follow giant celebs like Radiohead or John Mayer on Twitter but it’s different for the Milwaukees. “Write a song that people care about,” says Nordstedt. “Play a show that people can’t help but post about. That’s what works.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, DYLAN CLARK, JEFF NORDSTEDT, DONOVAN CAIN, AND PAT FUSCO

After the success of their album

American Anthems in 2008, they had enough material for Volume 2, but they obsessively rehearsed and rewrote the material. “Some bands stop practicing,” says Clark, “but we always practice twice a week and if we can fit in another we do. People will say, ‘you

guys sound really good.’ And we say, ‘well, we practice enough.’” At press time the band had not been touring. “We’re going to do some insider shows at our old studio,” says Nordstedt. “It’s going to be about us hanging out with people who like what we do.” It’s the work that keeps them together. “Usually guys join bands because of the models or the houses in Spain,” says Clark. “I don’t Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

(L.-R.), DONOVAN CAIN, PAT FUSCO, DYLAN CLARK, AND JEFF NORDSTEDT

know if that ever entered any of our heads. But usually when bands get to the place we are at they break up, because they say, ‘shit we haven’t hit the big time.’” Adds Nordstedt, “There are probably 500 to 700 people in the world who care what we do.” Some people think it’s glamorous to go on tour for a month, says Clark. “People think you’re doing good.” Nordstedt jokes, “By doing good, do you mean sleeping on a stranger’s couch?”

Yet being on the road gave the

guys a chance to discuss their favorite topic. “We talk about music in ways you could not imagine,” says Nordstedt. “We came up with our own game on the road. We became so in tune with radio programming, someone would say, ‘I think they are going to play the Talking Heads.’ And I would say, ‘You’re a moron! They don’t play Talking Heads in Mississippi.’ Giant debates would break out.” Clark and Nordstedt forged their camaraderie during 10 years of playing together. “I think we come from the Kings of Leon world,” says Nordstedt. “Or Springsteen or Petty,” says Clark.

52 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

“I don’t think we pull that off,” says Nordstedt. “You have to think about the cycle of music,” says Clark. “We’re influenced by Bruce Springsteen, but Bruce is influenced by Bob Dylan. Yet that doesn’t come across in our music. We can’t be Bruce Springsteen, because he was a kid in the ’60s. We were kids in the ’80s. Of course we don’t sound like him, we didn’t grow up listening to Hank Williams or whoever.” Adds Nordstedt, “I would love it if we sounded like Tom Petty, but we don’t, so we’ve accepted our failure at being the Heartbreakers. We’re somewhere between the Kings of Leon and Eddie Money and that’s fine.”

While they tour widely in the States and abroad, they also have gigs at the Bar Majestic, Groove on Grove, and other local spots. Since the famed Uncle Joe’s closed down, Jersey City no longer has a large music venue. “I love playing in Maxwell’s,” says Nordstedt. “We’ve played in a bunch of different countries and it’s still one of the top five, if not three venues around. You could go there pretty much any given night and know it’s going to be good.”—JCM

VANISHING JC JCM

JERSEY CITY

PHOTO BY WILL KUBERSKI THE OLD ST. JOSEPH’S SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

SEND US YOUR VANISHING JERSEY CITY PHOTO PHOTOS MUST BE 300 DPI, OR THE IMAGE SIZE MUST BE 1500 X 995 OR HIGHER. FILES LARGER THAN 8 MB MUST BE ZIPPED. E-MAIL JCMAG@HUDSON REPORTER.COM. BE SURE TO WRITE “VANISHING J.C.” IN THE SUBJECT LINE. SNAIL MAILERS PLEASE SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO: “VANISHING J.C.” JERSEY CITY MAGAZINE, 1400 WASHINGTON STREET, HOBOKEN, N.J. 07030

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011•

SUMMIT AND FAIRMONT AVENUES

PHOTO BY CHRSTOPHER ZINSLI

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW JERSEY ROOM

THEN AND NOW JCM

54 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011/10

EDUCATION JCM

C lass

I ts elf

PLUMBING THE MYSTIQUE OF MCNAIR ACADEMIC STORY AND PHOTOS BY JIM HAGUE

McNair Academic High School has been a downtown staple of academic excellence for almost 40 years. A public high school that selects its students from all over the city, McNair is the United Nations of education, its diverse student population representing some 57 ethnic backgrounds. The school, which moved to its current location at Second and Coles in1997, gets more than 1,000 applications every year from which 200 are chosen. Named for astronaut Ronald E. McNair who was killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, the school is consistently ranked among the best in New Jersey and in 2008 received the national Blue Ribbon of Academic Excellence by the United States Department of Education, a distinction given to only 100

schools nationwide. One hundred percent of its students graduate and go on to college. Both New Jersey Monthly Magazine and Newsweek ranked McNair among the top five schools in New Jersey for 2010, marking the third straight time that McNair made the NJM list, which is updated every two years. While our town boasts many wonderful schools, teachers, and students, a state takeover of the public school system in 1989 opened a window on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational challenges. How did McNair triumph? To find out, JC Mag talked to eight players, from administrators and educators to students and support staff. See next page.

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 â&#x20AC;˘

EDUCATION JCM

Alice Barone

has spent the last 20 years at McNair arriving as a guidance counselor and moving on to a vice-principal position: “We have leadership that has never lost focus of the mission, which is civic responsibility and academic excellence. We have 23 different AP [Advanced Placement] courses that can eventually turn into college credits. Many of our students start college as sophomores because of the credits they’ve attained by taking so many AP classes. One student went right into his junior year at Rice University. Providing these opportunities makes this school attractive. “When students leave and come back, I always ask them, ‘Did we do a good job preparing you for college?’ They always say that they’re not only doing well, but that they’re excelling. Everyone cares about each other and they have respect for each other. Intelligence is loved and cherished here, and we give applause to everyone equally.” Barone recalls two overachievers: Graduate Jessica Rosero, who was blind, and Athena O’Garro, who suffered from meningitis and used a wheelchair but still graduated and went on to St. Peter’s College.

56 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

Amira Dardir

was born in the United States but her parents are of Egyptian descent. She attended P.S. 25 in the Heights, where there were not a lot of Egyptians or Muslims. A practicing Muslim, Dardir covers her head: “The other students were definitely receptive of me and accepted me right away. I didn’t see a problem being different. Sure, some had a few questions about my clothing, but it always made things more interesting and insightful. I never minded answering the questions, because I know it was mostly out of curiosity. “It’s pretty cool and I’m used to it now. It doesn’t hold me back. This is a place where people constantly support you, both athletically and in other clubs.” Dardir, a member of the National Honor Society and Future Educators Association, is a standout in track and field and cross country, competing while keeping her head covered. She hopes to attend Rutgers University and become a chemistry teacher.

Joelle Lingat

is a senior who came to the school after graduating from downtown’s

EDUCATION JCM

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Golden Door Charter School. She was born and raised in the West Side neighborhood, the first in her family to be born in the U.S. Her parents are from the Philippines. Though her mother is a chemistry teacher at St. Dominic Academy, Lingat chose McNair: “When I came here, it was so different than what I had in grammar school, where we had only two and a half Asians. It was so refreshing to see all the different races and backgrounds. I was able to learn so much and that went beyond the classrooms. We could be discussing something and everyone is able to put so much into it. Our school is a microcosm of the entire city. I was always one of the smart ones in grammar school, so it was good to come here and be with my kindred spirits.” Lingat is a member of the National Honor Society, junior ROTC, environmental club and international cultural dance committee, and is in the running to be crowned Miss Academic. She’s applied to Rutgers, the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, Princeton, and Yale to study environmental studies and journalism.

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Mike Reilly

has taught history and social studies at McNair for 28 years. He also coaches boys’ basketball and girls’ tennis.

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

EDUCATION JCM

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58 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

“When I first came here, it was different. It was nice to have something to motivate the kids and give them the environment to step up and achieve. But I never thought it would turn out like this. I think it begins with the kids. They’re the kind of kids who you want to work with and enjoy working with you. They’ve already been with so many people of different backgrounds. When the time comes, you never know who you’re going to be working with. But they’ve already been introduced to all of that here. “It’s a small school with an advanced selection process, so we have the cream of the crop. The teachers want to be here. Coaching here and teaching here, I’ve been around terrific kids who don’t have egos.” Reilly recalls Kareem Edwards, a threeyear varsity basketball player who went on to play at Stevens Tech. “He always wants to come back and work with us. I got to work with some great people over the years, like Danny Waddleton and Mike Rooney, basketball legends. People recognize me all over Jersey City and Hudson County as a coach and they respect me and the school. It’s all better than anything I could have ever imagined.”

A third of the 2010 graduating class were accepted to McNair Academic High School.

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60 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

is one of three McNair originals, who have been there from day one. He graduated from Lincoln High School in the 1960s. He teaches social studies and coaches the mock trial team that recently won the Hudson County championship. He also is advisor for the model U.N. and the Student Council: “We have so many races, religions, and cultures that it forces you to learn. Because of it, I’ve been to China twice. I never would have gone to China without teaching here. When we went to Washington, D.C., on Amtrak, people were looking at us and wondering who we were. I’m always learning something from the kids. “We have such good interaction that we had kids come in on a Saturday to put up the holiday tree and the kids were all Muslims. And they were thrilled to put it up. There’s such a comfort level here that is unique in terms of education. I don’t think it can ever be replicated. “This place works because people like Ed [Slattery, the principal] and Alice [Barone] treat these kids like they were their own. It’s all part of a tremendously caring and really competent administration and staff. It trickles down to everyone else. Plus, we like it here and sometimes don’t want to go home. The kids pick up on that as well. “A lot of us have been around long enough to now teach the children of former students. I’ve also taught colleagues’ children and it worked out well.”

EDUCATION JCM

Edward Slattery was born and raised in the city’s West Side neighborhood. In 1976 he joined the ranks of what was then called Academic High School and has followed McNair from its various rented locations—on Sip Avenue, then Bentley Avenue—to its current location. A vice-principal for many years, he’s been principal for the last five. One of the remaining three originals, he’s an academic lifer: “The main point was that we wanted to integrate students that were once racially segregated. In the beginning, we were 1/3 white, 1/3 black, and 1/3 Hispanic, but as the geographic diversity changed in Jersey City, so did we. Putting all these cultures together blends remarkably well. The students are able to bring their home environments and cultures into the classrooms. “We’re also almost like having a college experience right here, because our students come from all over the city. They develop new relationships and friendships. When the freshmen come in, they get to see how the seniors interact and they realize that this is how we do things here. The kids do like it here and want to be here. They’re here to celebrate education. “It’s a big responsibility for us to maintain the standards and rankings we’ve received in the past. It’s a big reputation we’ve developed over the years.” Slattery

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EDUCATION JCM

recalls Hao Dingh, who was a refugee from Vietnam. “He came here and had trouble with the language, but by the time he graduated, he was his class salutatorian and had the highest English average in the school. He was our first student to go to Harvard and he’s now a cardiologist in California. That’s what makes your job rewarding.”

Michael Tirado

a Jersey City native, attended St. Peter’s grammar school and Ferris High School. He’s been a security officer in the Jersey City Board of Education for 10 years, most of the time at McNair: “Everyone is like a family here. The kids all come to me and talk to me. You see things in this school that you don’t see anywhere else. You bring all these kids together. It’s great to see them all get along so well, which really makes my work enjoyable. It makes it easier, too. There are hardly any troubles here. They show so much discipline and respect and thank you for everything you do. It’s the way life should be.”

Fernando Titus

is a senior who came to the school after graduating from St. Patrick’s/Assumption-All Saints School in Jersey City. He currently lives in the Greenville section in the Society Hill complex: “I came to McNair because of the reputation it had as one of the top schools. I knew that I was very goal oriented, that I wanted to go to McNair and then go to college. I always wanted to go to Penn State and study pre-med and dentistry. I thought I had the best chance to accomplish that goal if I went to McNair.” A National Honor Society student, Titus is also a member of the volleyball and swim teams. “When I came in, I tried to be confident and act like I belonged here. It was a different environment than what I was used to in grammar school, but I wanted to branch out a little, because I knew that there were more people on this earth other than African Americans. This place changed my perceptions about everything. There were different faces, different dialects. I learned a little bit about every one of them. “I never worry about coming here and not feeling comfortable. It’s a home, a safe place to be. Other students shouldn’t pass this chance up, because they won’t find this anywhere else. We’re all put together. It works.” Titus has applied to Penn State to study dentistry.—JCM

62 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

PEOPLE POWER JCM

Pr ecocious

Author A TEEN WRITER PUBLISHES A SERIES OF BOOKS FOR KIDS PHOTO BY TERRIANN SAULINO BISH

ALYSSA PIERCE WAS 17 WHEN SHE PUBLISHED HER FIRST children’s book, Carolyn and Rebecca: Rebecca gets into trouble (Tate Publishing & Enterprises). But the idea had been marinating for years. “My mother told me random bedtime stories to teach me a lesson,” she recalls, “and I had dolls named Caroline and Rebecca.” In the book, Rebecca stays out too late and learns a lesson about disobeying her mother. Pierce wrote the first version at age 10. “I didn’t like it, at age 13 I changed it up a bit and made it into a rhyme and then put it in a drawer.” By age 17, she was ready to tackle it again, polish it up, and start looking for a publisher. After contacting about six publishers she hit pay dirt, and the rest is history. Pierce, a Rutgers sophomore, has lived in Jersey City all her life. She, her younger sister Kristen, and her mother, a paralegal secretary, share the house in the Heights that her father was born in. Pierce’s father died when she was 16. Pierce is majoring in English and psychology. “I went down the psychology path because knowing how people think is really important for a writer,” she says. “It gives more to the story, makes it more consistent. I’m fascinated by psychology. I’ve been taking it since junior high school.” Pierce graduated from St. Nicholas grammar school and Saint Dominic Academy. She says she’s been writing “since I was able to hold a pencil. I started out scribbling and copying names. My mother gave me a journal. I wrote poetry and short stories and it escalated from there. St. Nicks had no newspaper, but my fifth grade English teacher entered me in a poetry contest, and I had two poems published in an anthology.” Her poems were published in her high school literary magazine all four years and in her senior year she became editor. “A few people said I’d never make it as a writer, I was dreaming too big, it will never happen,” Pierce says. “Well, I tried, I did it, and they were wrong.” Pierce insists she is not in it for the money. “People are under the assumption that writers make a lot of money,” she says, “but the royalty checks barely cover a Dunkin Donut run.” THAT SHE WAS SO YOUNG WHEN SHE FIRST STARTED writing helped her understand what would appeal to five- and six-yearolds. But, she says, “I don’t think I really had a secret process that made it come together. I’ll say what I want to say in the first sentence of the stanza and then rhyme the next sentence around that.” When she gets stuck, she’ll occasionally use online websites like rhymezone.com. “It sometimes takes five or six tries before I complete a rhyming stanza that makes sense with regards to the plot,” she says. “It’s really all about revision. It could actually be a very complicated process, but because it’s a children’s book, you try to be as direct as possible. You really don’t have the option of adding fluff or big words to a kid’s book.” Pierce plans a Caroline and Rebecca series. Next installment? Caroline and Rebecca: A Day at the Beach. Look for it this summer. Also in the works is a novel for teens—Kate Rounds Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011•

ACTORS SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

PHOTO BY CINDY BOYLE

Drama Queens STAGE STRUCK IN JC BY LAUREN BARBAGALLO

With its proximity to New York City, it’s no wonder that Jersey City is home to many talented writers, directors, and performers. From classical to cutting edge plays, Jersey City’s theater scene is thriving. You don’t get more serious about Shakespeare than Actors Shakespeare Company (ASC), the professional company in residence at New Jersey City University. Walk into its black box theater on the university’s West Side campus expecting a student production and you’ll be quite surprised. These are formidable, classically trained actors on a mission to make Shakespeare accessible and enjoyable to the masses. Indeed, I never realized how funny Romeo and Juliet was until I saw ASC’s production. Artistic Director Colette Rice was a drama school graduate and

64 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

struggling opera singer in New York City when she signed up for a Shakespearean acting class in New York. She soon left opera— and a lucrative day job—behind. “I did an unpaid production of Much Ado About Nothing that I knew about 25 people would see. I thought, OK, if these are my priorities, I really need to do something about that.” ASC teaching artists also work at city schools like the West Side’s A. Harry Moore School for the Disabled, where JC resident and ASC member Seth Reich led his class through lines for their condensed version of Romeo and Juliet. “I didn’t want to focus on what they can’t do, but what they can,” Reich says. “I don’t dumb things down. You want to know a word I use? Look it up.” One student observes, “A lot of players today could learn something

RESOURCES Actors Shakespeare Company New Jersey City University West Side Theater, 285 West Side Ave. (201) 200-2930 ascnj.org Art House Productions 1 McWilliams Place, sixth floor (201) 915-9911 arthouseproductions.org Attic Ensemble Barrow Mansion 83 Wayne St. (201) 413-9200 atticensemble.org Hudson Shakespeare Company (973) 449-7443 hudsonshakespeare.org JCity Theater St. Michaels Church 252 Ninth St. jcity.org The Embankment and Hamilton Inn offer deals to JCity patrons on show nights.

ART HOUSE PRODUCTIONS

PHOTO BY LAURA DESANTIS-OLSSON

from Romeo.” Another says, “Love hurts, but it’s better to have loved and lost than not at all.” The beauty of Van Vorst Park in summer, resplendent with peonies, roses, and hydrangea, is a perfect backdrop for Hudson Shakespeare Company’s plays, a new work each for the months of June, July, and August. The shows are free and open to the public. Artistic Director Jon Ciccarelli revels in the “campfirelike” feel of rehearsing and performing outdoors. Like ASC, HSC also works in schools, presenting Shakespearean study and sword demonstrations to a very active audience of students at St. Mary’s High School. The Attic Ensemble’s cavernous first floor room at the Barrow Mansion might not look like your typical theater space, and auditioning actors have been dubious. “I tell them to use their imagination,” says Ensemble member Judith Moss. This close-knit group recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. “Every year we quit,” jokes Moss. “We say we’re done.” The Attic, says Moss, is not averse to adult content or nudity, as in a recent performance of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Saturday afternoons are for kids, though, when member Billy Mitchell directs his original plays for young audiences (4-12) for the Attic Junior Series. JCity Theater presents its plays in the basement of St. Michael’s Church on Hamilton Park, where the wife-and-husband team of Sandy and Clay Cockrell stage ambitious productions like the mid-20th century political drama State of the Union, which was

praised by the New York Times. The morning after closing, they were decorating the walls in bright wrapping paper, prepping for A Tuna Christmas, their annual holiday show about a wacky Texas town. JCity’s intimate space allows the audience to watch the actors up close, and it’s engrossing. Sandy, JCity’s artistic director, makes great use of music, sets, and costume design. But she’s devoted to great plays, above all else. “When Sandy says we have to do a play … it’s not that we want to, it’s that we have to,” Clay says. Though they previously staged shows in New York, they love Jersey City. “There’s a real sense of community,” Sandy says. Christine Goodman originally founded Art House Productions in response to 9/11. What began as an open mic night is now a full-blown performing arts collaborative. Executive Director Goodman and Artistic Director Jack Halpin stage an original, multi-media play each spring and regularly provide opportunities to local musicians, artists, dancers, and actors. “We really like collaboration,” Goodman says. “It’s a real creative environment without a lot of the pressures that I’ve experienced as a performer and producer in New York.” Art House shows, staged in its theater space inside the old St. Francis Hospital building in Hamilton Square, regularly play to packed crowds. Local audiences are grateful for the influx of theater, and the feeling is mutual. As Sandy Cockrell says, “We just like it here.” —JCM Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

NICHE JCM

From

Here to

Eternity AT THIS BARROW STREET BOTANICA, YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOU

WALKING INTO THIS LITTLE CLUTTERED SHOP ON A cold winter afternoon, you’re warmed immediately by a large gas heater blasting heat from one wall. The smell of incense pervades the place, and the big front window is so steamy you can’t see out. This is a botanica, a shop that sells all manner of religious artifacts. This equal-opportunity spiritual outlet serves wiccans, Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, practitioners of Santeria—or any other religious persuasion. Merchandise includes perfumes, incense, soaps, oils, dried plants, flowers, statues, beads, beeswax, herbs, teas, bath salts, and, says owner Peter Bianco, “prayer candles for almost any saint—Saint Mary, Saint Clare, Saint Jude, Saint Anthony, Saint Michael, and the baby Jesus.” Saint Anthony is the patron saint of justice and correction, and, Bianco believes, of unemployment as well. Saint Michael is the guardian angel. The saints can handle anything from jinx-removing to moneymaking. You can buy a $2 prayer candle or a statue for $1,400. Bianco, whose family has been in the business for 25 years, says that rab-

66 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

NICHE JCM

bis come in to buy beeswax candles because they don’t believe in the commercial ones, and artists buy the statues. “They love the way they’re made by villagers in Nigeria from porcelain, wood, or chalk, and they also love the handmade masks from Haiti.” Bianco’s grandmother insisted on installing a webcam in the shop. “She likes to sneak in and look at the clients,” he says. Indeed, the botanica is more than a shop. It’s also a gathering place for spiritual consultations. “We bring in readers who come in by appointment,” says Bianco. “The highest priest in Santeria lives in Brooklyn. It’s a gift they’re born with. They’ll tell you about your social life, spiritual life, love life, or if you will have a financial crisis.” Some read tarot cards and others read cowry shells. Bianco reports a reading in which he was told exactly when his girlfriend would leave him, a prophesy that unfortunately came to pass. A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE world of botanicas in the last few years. “Botanicas used to be taboo for the public,” Bianco says, “a no-no place for Voodoo, mischief, and evil. As the years went on, and the economy changed, the world changed.” Botanicas, he says, became new age, and judges, doctors, attorneys, and white collar people started stopping by. “When people come in here, they feel comfortable,” he says. “There’s a lot of light and positive energy and no negativity. We take pride in that.” Some folks come into the botanica for a quick prayer. “You don’t have to pray at home or at church,” Bianco says. “You can pray anywhere—in the closet—and God will hear you. We have a prayer mat here. People come in on their way from work, they’re stressed out, they kneel and pray, they feel better, they say ‘thank you,’ and walk out.” Spiritual counselors are on hand to help clients. “They’ve lost their jobs,” Bianco says, “they’re going through divorces and attempting to suicide themselves, and we’re the first person they tell that to.” The spiritual coach “turns them around, tells them how great life is,” Bianco says. As a gesture of thanks, people give offerings of money, cigars, liquor, and toys to their favorite saint.—Kate Rounds

PHOTOS BY KATE ROUNDS

Botanica 332 Barrow St. (201) 309-0909

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011•

THE STUDIO JCM

Tatsuro Nishimura LIFE, BOTH STILL AND ALIVE Tatsuro Nashimura is a man of few words. But really, when you’re brilliant with a lens, who cares about language? I met with him in his small apartment in a secondfloor walkup downtown. The place “says” photographer. His work is on the walls and on the floor leaning against the walls. There’s also a guitar on the wall. A Led Zeppelin fan, he’s been strumming for 15 years and describes his playing as “really bad.” The space is filled with cameras, lighting equipment, tripods, and portfolios. His refrigerator is crammed with old-fashioned rolls of film—you remember film. It’s not surprising that there’s more film than food in the fridge. Nishimura is a wraithlike, bespectacled, ponytailed 29-year-old who found his way to Jersey City in 2007 by way of Tokyo and Hoboken. “I never expected to stay here this long,” he says. His specialties are portraits and still lifes, “not landscapes,” he emphasizes. His portraits depict “a lot of people in Jersey City from babies to older people. I have no preference. I don’t try to be creative. I just put the person in front of the camera and have fun.”

He opens his portfolio of black and white portraits. “People like taking off their clothing,” he comments. Especially, it seems, hairy guys with guitars strategically placed or with robust bellies, tattooed, and haberdashed. “I have no idea why they take off their clothes,” he says. One of his clothed subjects is a “neighbor guy from the pizzeria on Monmouth Street. I asked if I could photograph him and he finally came. I asked him to wear a hat and he doesn’t smoke but I gave him a cigar. He looks like a gangster or something like that.” Another subject who apparently kept his clothes on was Red Sox pitcher Hideki Okajima.

68 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

ROLON’S KEY HOLE BAR ON ERIE STREET

Nashimura says he makes prints in the dark room. What dark room? “It’s here,” he says, “the whole apartment.” Like a lot of visual artists he finds it hard to put his process into words. When it comes to still lifes, he says, it’s just “objects I see through the finder; it’s hard to explain. I look at it and try to find a way to make it interesting. I don’t know how I do it.” He studied photography in Tokyo and at the School for Visual Arts in New York. “Students try to make something artistic and they never get it,” he says. “My thing is I don’t try to be creative. If I think too much to make something different it doesn’t work for me. My background is already different so I try to be neutral.” Recently he embarked on a series of self portraits, which he says “might help me discover what photography is to me. I don’t know yet. It’s hard to express.” The self portraits are beautifully primitive and sculpted like masks or Easter Island faces. One thing Nashimura does know is that he wants to stay in Jersey City. He hangs out at Rolon’s Key Hole bar on Erie. His New Year’s resolution is to learn Spanish so that he can communicate better with the Puerto Rican patrons. “I like it in Jersey City,” he says. “I feel at home.”—Kate Rounds

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011•

PHOTO COURTESY OF CURIOUS MATTER

PHOTO BY TATSURO NISHIMURA

Want your event listed? Please email us at jcmag@hudsonreporter.com and put “calendar listings” in the subject line.

ONGOING

display goods. Fridays 2-8 p.m.

Swimming at Pershing Field, Central and Summit Ave., Jersey City Heights, (201) 547-6921, cityofjerseycity.com. Hours vary in spring and include after-school and adult programs. Open daily 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. June, July, August.

Performance series by Art House Productions, Hamilton Square, 1 McWilliams Place, sixth floor, (201) 915-9911. Monthly series first Thursday of the month with nationally recognized poets, writers and musicians. 8 p.m. $5 admission.

Friends of LSP’s Volunteer Garden Program, Liberty State Park, (201) 915-3418, folsp.org. Saturdays, 811 a.m., throughout the year except holidays. Art market, Grove Street PATH plaza, (201) 547-6921, cityofjerseycity.com. Local artists

JC Drawing Club, LITM, 140 Newark Ave. Free unstructured drawing group hosted by Emily August. Tuesdays, 8-11 p.m.

APRIL 1-30 Energy Quest, Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd.,

(201) 200-1000, lsc.org. Exhibit featuring the future of energy, including coal, gas, nuclear, and others.

1-10 Actors Shakespeare Company, West Side Theater at New Jersey City University, 285 West Side Ave., (201) 200-2390, ascnj.org. “The Tempest.” Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m.

14 Movies on the Wall at the Warehouse, 140 Bay St., (201) 420-8882, thewarehousejc.com. Free movie screening of “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid.” 7 p.m.

28 Music by Jessica Rose, Zeppelin Hall Biergarten, 88 Liberty Hall, zeppelinhall.com. Live music by Jessica Rose featuring popular

70 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

rock cover songs. 7 p.m.

29-30 “Dancing at Lughnasa,” The Attic Ensemble, 83 Wayne St., (201) 413-9200, atticensemble.org, info@atticensemble.or g. Brian Friel’s masterpiece about a struggling family in Ireland. April 29-May 7. Shows: Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets $20 for adults. Loew’s film series, The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre, 54 Journal Square, (201) 798-6055, loewsjersey.org. Classic films shown monthly in this historic theatre.

30 The Attic Junior Series: Wonders, Inc., The Attic Ensemble, 83 Wayne St.,

(201) 413-9200, atticensemble.org, info@atticensemble.or g. A young boy discovers wonders he’s never seen. 1 p.m. $5 for kids, adults free.

MAY 1-31 Skyscraper! Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., (201) 200-1000, lsc.org. Interactive exhibit. Experience how these tall buildings face high winds. Weekdays 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

1 Sunday Night Film Forum, Jersey City Art School, 326 Fifth St., jcartschool.com. Film series featuring unusual films. Hosted by writer Yvonne Vairma. 7:30 p.m. Free.

Saturday at 3 p.m., Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

14 Jazz Brunch, Skinner’s Loft, 146 Newark Ave., (201) 915-0600. Featuring Bryan Beninghove and Saul Rubin. Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

20-21 Classic Film Weekend, The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre, 54 Journal Square, (201) 798-6055, loewsjersey.org. Classic film screenings. Call box office for times. $6 general admission.

18 Chilltown Open Mic, Hudson Pride Connections Center, 32 Jones St., hudsonpride.org. Open mic performance series. 7:30 p.m.

JC Slam, 54 Coles St., jerseycityslam.com. Poetry slam series hosted by Broken English. 9 p.m. sign-up, 10 p.m. start.

JUNE 1-30 Our Hudson Home exhibit, Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd., (201) 200-1000, lsc.org. Exhibit that explores life in the Hudson River. Mini-lab experiments 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

2 Art House Open Mic Night season finale, Hamilton Square, 1 McWilliams Place, sixth floor, (201) 915-9911. Performance series with nationally

PHOTO BY TATSURO NISHIMURA

5 Music by Jessica Rose, Zeppelin Hall Biergarten, 88 Liberty Hall, zeppelinhall.com. Live music by Jessica Rose featuring popular rock cover songs. 7 p.m.

7 The Attic Junior Series: Wonders, Inc., The Attic Ensemble, 83 Wayne St., (201) 4139200, atticensemble.org, info@atticensemble.or g. A young boy discovers wonders he’s never seen. 1 p.m. $5 for kids, adults free. Cooking Class, Culinary Arts Institute, 161 Newkirk Ave., (201) 360-4639. Cooking class teaches fundamentals of pastry making. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Newport annual 10,000 race, 100 Newport Town Square Place, newport10k.com. Annual 10k race along

the waterfront with cash prizes. May 7. Starts 7:30-11:30 a.m. Race time 8:30 a.m.

10 Comedy at the Lamp Post Bar & Grille, 382 Second St., (201) 2221331. Well-known comics perform in the “Shut Up and Laugh” series. 9 p.m. Free.

13 Comedy at the Stockinette, (201) 7925648, 581 Jersey Ave., stockinette.com. Featured comics from New York in this live show hosted by MC Jason Youner.

13-15 “The Millionairess”, West Side Theater at New Jersey City University, 285 West Side Ave., (201) 2002390, ascnj.org. “The Millionairess” by George Bernard Shaw. Friday at 7:30 p.m.,

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

PAINTING BY ARIANA MIRABLILE

recognized poets, writers and musicians. 8-10:30 p.m.

3 JC Fridays, Citywide, (201) 915-9911, jcfridays.com. Art, performances, music, film, and JC Fridays’ business discounts. Presented by Art House Productions. All day. Free.

3-4 Classic Film Weekend, The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre, 54 Journal Sq., (201) 798-6055, loewsjersey.org. Classic film screenings. Call box office for times. $6 general admission.

5 “The Melting Pot”, West Side Theater at New

Jersey City University, 285 West Side Ave., (201) 200-2390, ascnj.org. “The Melting Pot” play and discussion. Sunday at 1 p.m.

15 Chilltown Open Mic, Hudson Pride Connections Center, 32 Jones St., hudson pride.org. Open mic performance series. 7:30 p.m.

17 JC Slam, 54 Coles St., jerseycityslam.com. Poetry slam series hosted by Broken English. 9 p.m. sign-up, 10 p.m. start.

22-26

West Side Ave., (201) 200-2390, ascnj.org. “Arcadia.” Play directed by Bethany Reeves. 7:30 p.m.

25 Cooking Class, Culinary Arts Institute, 161 Newkirk Ave., (201) 360-4639. Cooking class teaches fundamentals of ice cream and sorbet making. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

JULY 1 JC Slam, 54 Coles St., jerseycityslam.com. Poetry slam series hosted by Broken English. 9 p.m. sign-up, 10 p.m. start.

“Arcadia”, West Side Theater at New Jersey City University, 285

72 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

4 July 4th celebrations, Citywide, (201) 547-6921, cityofjerseycity.com. TBA. July 4th celebrations, Liberty State Park, Morris Pesin Drive. Fireworks and performances. Time TBA.

(201) 915-0600. Featuring Bryan Beninghove and Saul Rubin. Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

10 Sunday Night Film Forum, Jersey City Art School, 326 Fifth St., jcartschool.com. Film series featuring unusual films. Hosted by writer Yvonne Vairma. 7:30 p.m. Free.

Music by Jessica Rose, Zeppelin Hall Biergarten, 88 Liberty Hall, zeppelinhall.com. Live music by Jessica Rose featuring popular rock cover songs. 7 p.m.

Jazz Brunch, Skinner’s Loft, 146 Newark Ave.,

Gypsy Jazz at Madame Claude’s Café, (201) 876-8800, 364 Fourth St. madameclaude cafe.com. Live jazz series at 8 p.m.

Chilltown Open Mic, Hudson Pride

Connections Center, 32 Jones St., hudsonpride.org. Open mic performance series. 7:30 p.m.

AUGUST 4 Music by Jessica Rose, Zeppelin Hall Biergarten, 88 Liberty Hall, zeppelinhall.com. Live music by Jessica Rose featuring popular rock cover songs. 7 p.m. Gypsy Jazz at Madame Claude’s Café, (201) 876-8800, 364 Fourth St. madameclaude cafe.com. Live jazz series at 8 p.m.

6 Jazz Brunch, Skinner’s Loft, 146 Newark Ave., (201) 915-0600. Featuring Bryan Beninghove and Saul Rubin. Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

9 Comedy Night, Star Bar, 34 Wayne St., gostarbar.com. Open mic comedy

night hosted by Rich Kiamco. Sign-up 7:45 p.m. Starts 8 p.m.

14 Sunday Night Film Forum, Jersey City Art School, 326 Fifth St., jcartschool.com. Film series featuring unusual films. Hosted by writer Yvonne Vairma. 7:30 p.m. Free.

18 Erie Gallery, 18 Erie St., (201) 369-7000, balancehair.com/18_er ie_gallery/18_erie_galle ry.htm. 58 gallery, 58 Coles St., fifty8.com. 140 Gallery, 140 Bay St., (908) 296-7679, myspace.com/140gall ery. 919 Gallery, 150 Bay St., (201) 779-6929, 919gallery.com. Abaton Garage, 100 Gifford Ave., abatongarage.com. By appointment. Actors Shakespeare Company, West Side Theater, New Jersey City University, 285

JC Fridays, Citywide, (201) 915-9911, jcfridays.com. Art, performances, music, film, and JC Fridays’ business discounts. Presented by Art House Productions. All day. Free.

Sunday Night Film Forum, Jersey City Art School, 326 Fifth St., jcartschool.com. Film series featuring unusual films. Hosted by writer Yvonne Vairma. 7:30 p.m. Free.

Hudson County LGBT pride flag raising, City Hall, 280 Grove St., (201) 963-4779, hudsonpride.org. 6-8 p.m.

9/11 memorial services, City Hall, 280 Grove St., (201) 547-6921, cityofjerseycity.com. TBA.

Hudson County LGBT pride festival, Exchange Place, (201) 963-4779, hudsonpride.org. Annual festival. 12-8 p.m.

Afro-American Historical Society Museum, 1841 Kennedy Blvd., Top floor, (201) 547-5262. ARTBUILDERS, 193 Montgomery St., (201) 433-2682. Arts on the Hudson, 282 Barrow St., (201) 451-4862, webspawn er.com/users/grigur. The Attic Ensemble, The Barrow Mansion, 83 Wayne St., (201) 413-9200, atticensemble.org. Beth DiCara Ceramics Studio, 11 Monitor St., (201) 388-7323, eveningstarstudio.net. The Brennan Gallery, Justice William Brennan Court House, 583 Newark Ave., (800) 542-7894, visithudson.org.

25 Newport annual half marathon, 100 Newport Town Square Place, newporthalf marathon.com.

Annual race for charity along the waterfront. 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Race time 8:30 a.m.

Chilltown Open Mic, Hudson Pride Connections Center, 32 Jones St., hudson pride.org. Open mic performance series. 7:30 p.m.

West Side Ave., Box office: (201) 200-2390, ascnj.org.

Call ahead or look online for schedules

SEPTEMBER 2

JC Slam, 54 Coles St., jerseycityslam.com. Poetry slam series hosted by Broken English. 9 p.m. sign-up, 10 p.m. start.

PAINTING BY BONNIE GLORIS

The Brunswick Window, 158 Brunswick St., (201) 978-8939, brunswickwindow@ rogersayre.com.

Jersey City Dance Academy, 107 West Side Ave., (201) 435-8943, jerseycity danceacademy.com.

Mana Fine Arts Exhibition Space, 227 Coles St., (800) 330-9659, manafinearts.com.

Curious Matter, 272 Fifth St., (201) 659-5771, curiousmatter.blogspot .com

John Meagher Rotunda Gallery, City Hall, 280 Grove St., (201) 547-6921, jcnj.org.

NY/NJ Academy of Ceramic Art, 279 Pine St., (201) 432-9315, nynjceramics.com.

Fish With Braids, 521 Jersey Ave., (201) 451-4294, fishwithbraids.blogspot. com.

Kearon-Hempenstall Gallery, 536 Bergen Ave., (201) 333-8855, khgallery.com.

Pro Arts, 344 Grove St., (201) 736-7057, proartsjerseycity.org.

Gallerie Hudson, 197 Newark Ave., (201) 434-1010, galleriehudson.net. The Gallery Space at Grace Church Van Vorst, 39 Erie St., (201) 659-2211, gracevanvorst.org. Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery, New Jersey City University, Hepburn Hall, Room 323, 2039 Kennedy Blvd., (201) 200-3246, njcu.edu/dept/art/ galleries.

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.

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, njcu.edu/dept/art/ galleries. Windows on Columbus, Christopher Columbus Dr. near Washington St., (201) 736-7057.

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

DINING OUT JCM

Rita & J o e ’ s This Italian favorite sits on the corner of Route 1 & 9 and Broadway. Though near a busy thoroughfare, its green façade is welcoming, and once inside you feel the warmth created by the amber walls, convivial bar, and owners Rita and Isabel Pane. This family-owned landmark was started by the Pane family—Rita, Joe, and their son Michael. Later, Michael’s wife Isabel came on board. Both women have lost their husbands, and the restaurant is now in their capable hands. On the cold, slushy night we visited, the cozy milieu was much appreciated. We were also grateful for the parking lot right out front. No circling the block or braving the elements. Lots of friendly waiters were on hand offering extremely efficient service. They were quick with the basket of warm bread, cold Peroni on draft, and a glass of Pino Grigio for Jersey City Magazine contributor Diana Schwaeble. I liked the fact that a small bowl of grated parmesan stays on the table at all times. You don’t have to ask, so you’re free to sprinkle it liberally on whatever you want. Rita’s homemade dishes are legendary. Be sure to ask your waiter about them. We started with a serving of stuffed mushrooms— moist spheres, offering a potpourri of tastes but with a distinct mushroom flavor made better by a dusting of parmesan. You’ll be generously fed at Rita & Joe’s. All entrees come with soup or salad and pasta or vegetable. As a prelude to the entrees, we ordered tossed salads with balsamic dressing. I ordered Veal Milanese—tender scallopine of veal, egg dipped and breaded with seasoned crumbs. The waiter reminded me that it was fried. That was fine with me. It was crispy but not at all greasy. And trust me when I say there was plenty for a veal sandwich the next day. It came with a side of fresh vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. Diana ordered Steak Giuseppe—prime sliced steak with sweet red vinegar peppers, onions, potatoes, and sausage in a roasted garlic and white wine sauce. The meat was very tender. The

74 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

whole effect was of a kind of stew, perfect for a winter night. It came with a side of rigatoni and marinara sauce. For dessert, we turned to Isabel for advice. She was perched on a bar stool, chatting with the locals, adding to the feeling of com-

DINING OUT JCM fort and fun. She didn’t even hesitate—Rita’s homemade tiramisu, which proved to be light and creamy with nice chunks of chocolate, and as Isabel pointed out, “not too rich.” We paired it with smooth but robust cappuccinos. There’s a good chance you will be visiting Rita & Joe’s in summer, in which case you might want to take advantage of their outdoor patio. And keep Rita & Joe’s in mind for your private parties or business events. They do a rip-roaring business in both on- and off-site catering. Between their catering hall and banquet room, they can host anywhere from 15 to 100 guests for buffets or sit-down dinners. Or they can bring their traditional Italian specialties to you. Rita & Joe’s—fine dining since 1985. —Kate Rounds Rita & Joe’s 142 Broadway (201) 451-3606 rita-joes.com

Edward’s S

T E A K

O U S E

LOCATED IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN

239 MARIN BOULEVARD, JERSEY CITY

PARKING AVAILABLE CALL FOR RESERVATIONS 201.761.0000

www.edwardssteakhouse.com

NJ MONTHLY Top 25 Restaurants in NJ CRITICS CHOICE for Best Steakhouse Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

DINING OUT JCM

BAJA/HOBOKEN

104 14th Street (201) 653-0610 bajamexicancuisine.com

BAJA/JERSEY CITY 117 Montgomery Street (201) 915-0062 bajamexicancuisine.com

Baja offers a new experience in charbroiled Tex-Mex specialties. With the best mojitos and margaritas around and happy hour every day, it’s a fun place with a happening bar. Private parties of up to 60 can be accommodated in Jersey City.

BOX ASIAN BISTRO

176 Newark Avenue (201) 432-1670 boxjc.com

Come and experience the finest Japanese-Thai fusion cuisine in the downtown Jersey City neighborhood. Box offers a wide array of Japanese-Thai cuisine from Japanese miso soup, tempura and yaki soba to Thai kar-hhee curry, chuchee curry and pad thai. Box provides each and every customer with a comfortable and inviting environment and savory meals.

CONFUCIUS ASIAN BISTRO 558 Washington Boulevard (201) 386-8898 abcpos.com/confuciusbistro/

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.

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.

s ’ n e l e H PIZZA

Owned Family 1968 Since

OPEN 7 DAYS 11AM-11PM SUNDAY 3PM-11PM

FAST DELIVERY MIN. $1O FOR DELIVERY .75 DELIVERY FEE

183 NEWARK AVENUE, JC CALL OR ORDER ONLINE WWW.HELENSPIZZA.NET

201.435.1507

76 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

DINING OUT JCM

HELEN’S PIZZA 183 Newark Avenue (201) 435-1507 helens-pizza.com

Helen’s Pizza, a family owned restaurant, has been serving downtown Jersey City since 1968. Using only the finest ingredients they provide customers with the best tasting pizza, dinners, sandwiches, salads, and now a wide selection of homemade desserts. They have earned their reputation for the best pizza in town. Come taste the difference at Helen’s Pizza. Open seven days: Mon. – Sat. 11 a.m.11 p.m. Sun. 3-11 p.m.

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

99 Pavonia Ave. 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.

LA CONGUITA

351 Grove Street (one block from the Grove Street PATH) (201) 435-6770 laconguita.com

La Conguita restaurant opened in 1980. The small space held only seven tables and a small counter but soon became a neighborhood favorite with its authentic Latin food. Since then the restaurant has grown and looks a lot different but the food is the same. La Conguita continues to serve good food in big portions for low prices—simple but flavorful.

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

DINING OUT JCM

LITM

140 Newark Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07302 (201) 536-5557 info@litm.com LITM.com

Every day is new and exciting at LITM, acronym for Love is the Message. This popular neighborhood destination is a restaurant, bar, art and video gallery. Known for their creative and seasonal cocktails, they also offer an extensive beer list. Recently awarded the Judges Choice 2010 for “Best Mac + Cheese in Jersey City,” Chef Alexander Diaz serves nightly orders of American food. Host to monthly art exhibitions and film screenings by local and international artists, LITM delivers on events of the moment. A different daily theme special, plus a generous happy hour that lasts until 8 p.m., LITM is open every day at 5 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Music on Thurs, Fri and Sat.

MARTINI GRILL

187 Hackensack Avenue Wood-Ridge (201) 939-2000 martini-grill.com

The restaurant received three stars from the Bergen Record. Bergen Health & Life Magazine awarded it the best chef, best martini, best wine bar and best calamari. The Record Readers Choice awarded it the bet martini and tapas menu. Drink specials are offered Monday-Friday, noon-7 at the bar. Enjoy

78 • Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011

DINING OUT JCM

B I S

GRAND OPENING ALL ENTREES & SET DINNERS $9-$15

boxjc.com Mon-Thurs 11:30am-10:30pm Friday 11:30am-11:00pm Saturday 3:00pm-11:00pm CLOSED DAILY FROM 3:00pm-5:00pm Except Saturdays

live entertainment Wednesday-Saturday. The Martini Grill is just minutes from Teterboro Airport. If it’s good enough for Britney Spears, Steven Spielberg, Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, Martha Stewart, and executives of the world’s top companies, then it might e worth checking out. Live jazz Friday and Saturday.

176 NEWARK AVE., JC (201) 432-1670 Next to Municipal Parking

MICHAEL ANTHONY’S 520 Washington Blvd. (201) 798-1798 mar-jc.com

From the moment you step into Michael Anthony’s you can’t help but be impressed by the nautically inspired décor. High ceilings, boat-shaped bar, ten-foot sails for the indoor and outdoor bars, and waterfall walls separating the banquet room and restaurant enhance your fine Italian dining experience. Enjoy a cordial on the deck overlooking the spectacular Manhattan skyline. Join us for happy hour, dinner, or a private social event.

281 Grove Street (201) 309-0571 morejc.com

CALL

tel 201 798 1798

Dining Hours OPEN 7 DAYS 11:30AM — CLOSE Sunday Brunch

On Pier Parking Street Parking, Courtesy Validated Parking (in Weston Hotel Garage)

website

Michael Anthony’s WATERFRONT RESTAURANT Heated Glass Enclosed Patio Spectacular Views of Manhattan Sunday Brunch Late Night Lounge (Friday And Saturday) Live Entertainment Large Banquet Party Hall Can Accomodate all Functions

502 WASHINGTON BLVD., JERSEY CITY (AT THE NEWPORT MARINA PIER)

www.mar-jc.com

Located on Grove Street scene, More offers a wide selection of Thai, Japanese offerings, and more. Whether you stop by for a meal or take one to go, the experience will be satisfying. More is located across the street from City Hall.

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

DINING OUT JCM

THE POINTE AT PORT LIBERTE’ 2 Chapel Avenue (201) 985-9854 thepointerestaurant.com

Drink up the ambience along with your favorite cocktail while indulging yourself with the great cuisine of this fine waterfront restaurant. This popular Jersey City eatery boasts unobstructed views of downtown Manhattan and The Statue of Liberty and offers outdoor dining in warm weather. Call about our Sunday brunches and private parties. Open seven days for lunch and dinner.

The Food… The View… The Mood…

the

INTE at port liberté

Savor the Cuisine and Soak up the Atmosphere of this Popular Waterfront Bistro Open Tuesday through Sunday Live Music on Friday Nights Private Parties

2 Chapel Avenue, Jersey City • 201.985.9854 Call for Availability of Our SUNDAY CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH 11AM-3PM www.thepointerestaurant.com

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THE RESTAURANTS AT NEWPORT J.C. Waterfront District www.newportnj.com

Overlooking the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline is the newest dining destination on the New Jersey Gold Coast—The Restaurants at Newport. Located among the luxury apartments and office towers in the Newport section of Jersey City, The Restaurants at Newport include 14 fine establishments: Komegashi too, Dorrian’s Red Hand, Raaz, Cosi, Starbucks, Hudson Café, Confucius, Bertucci’s, Azucar, Babo, Fire and Oak, Boca Grande Cantina, and Michael Anthony’s.

DINING OUT JCM

Restaurant • Bar • Lounge

Rated The Record 2/25/2005. “If it's good enough for Britney Spears, Steven Spielberg, Johnny Depp, Denzel Washington, Mary J. Blidge, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, Martha Stewart and executives of the world's top companies, then Martini Grill in Woodridge might be worth checking out.” Live Jazz Friday and Saturday.Minutes From Teterboro Airport. Extensive Martini Menu and Wine List. AMEX, MC, V, $$, Ç

RITA & JOE’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT

187 HACKENSACK ST., WOOD-RIDGE NJ • (201) 939-2000

142 Broadway (201) 451-3606 ritaandjoes.com.

A Jersey City favorite, Rita and Joe’s is the next best thing to Mama’s Italian cooking. This family-run restaurant serves delectable homemade dishes served in the comfort of a cozy and intimate dining room. On- and off premises catering are available.

SAWADEE

137 Newark Avenue (201) 433-0888 sawadeejc.com

Offering exceptional Thai cuisine, Sawadee is a dining experience that will please both the eye and palate! Enjoy lunch, dinner, or a refreshing cocktail in an inviting atmosphere. Sawadee is conveniently located just steps from the Grove Street PATH.

SKINNER’S LOFT 146 Newark Avenue (201) 915-0600. skinnersloft.com

This long-awaited restaurant was created by the former owners of the popular Hamilton Park Ale House. A chic, loftstyle eatery, it features a warm, spacious interior with exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and total attention to detail. It’s a perfect spot to enjoy a cocktail and a fine meal.

Jersey CITY Magazine ~ SPRING & SUMMER 2011 •

DINING OUT JCM

SKY THAI

62 Morris Street skyjc.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.

TENEAST

125 Lefante Way Bayonne, NJ (201) 437-1212 teneastdining.com

TenEast Restaruant offers a hibachi-Asian fusion/sushi sake lounge that delivers hibachi and beyond in a stylish waterfront setting that redefines Japanese dining. Hibachi cooking mixes with fine Asian fusion cuisine in an open, airy space with killer New York City views and dramatic decor. The interior design and creative menu create an ambience and experience that combine traditional with modern, contrasting the warmth of stone and wood with contemporary glass chandeliers and tiles. The central hibachi room’s state-ofthe art ventilation offers smokeless, odorless dining. The space also transforms into a club/lounge on weekends, featuring a DJ, sound system, lighting, and dance area.

ALSO SERVING A FULL CHINESE MENU

FULL BAR SERVICE HAPPY HOUR MON-FRI 5pm-7pm 1/2 PRICE DRINKS & APPETIZER SPECIALS FREE DELIVERY TAKE OUT & CATERING AVAILABLE

MON.-THUR. 11:30am-10:30pm FRIDAY 11:30am-11:00pm SATURDAY 5pm-11pm CLOSED 3-5PM DAILY AND SUNDAY

137 NEWARK AVENUE,JERSEY CITY (seconds from Grove St. PATH)

201-451-3606

(201) 433-0888 (201) 433-0889 www.sawadeejc.com

Paid for in part by the NJ Urban Enterprise Zone

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