Grab a Sunday morning mimosa because it’s time to catch up on all the news in Hoboken and Jersey City. Both cities are getting new pizzerias — Sage Eats in Jersey City and Verizza Porta La Pizza — and a Brooklyn-based lobster restaurant is also coming to Hoboken. That and more below — keep reading for all the news you missed this week in Hoboken and Jersey City:

Join Us for the Hoboken Wellness Crawl – 30-Day Event Kicking Off Sept 13th!

In virtual news, the Hoboken Wellness Crawl is also headed online this year. Hoboken Girl will donate 20% of all ticket sale profits to the Hoboken Relief Fund. Tickets also support the Hoboken Girl team! Purchase your tickets here today and get set for 30 days of online engagement with Hudson County businesses.

This year’s event kicks off September 13th and will run through October 13th. Crawlers can take advantage of exclusive deals and giveaways via really exciting virtual options {stay tuned for the Jackraffit app} and in-person activities at their leisure, if desired/allowed by the government regulations during the 30-day period. Come help us help our local businesses thrive! Purchase tickets here.

Hoboken Pilsener Haus Now Under New Ownership 

Hoboken Pilsener Haus is now under new management. Vince Crysler, who also owns Kolo Klub, announced on Facebook that he is taking over the Mile Square’s uptown Biergarten.

The FB post reads, “For those of you who I haven’t talked to in a while, I am so proud to announce my new endeavor! I, along with a team of partners, have taken over ownership of Pilsener Haus and Biergarten! This is a dream come true opportunity and I am honored to be leading a team of professionals in this iconic location…”

It continues, “COVID can challenge the best of small business owners but I am proud to be fighting this fight. With now Pilsener Haus and the Kolo Klub, we can serve the public in our large outdoor spaces and cater to all off-site events as well.”

Sage Eats Neopolitan Pizza Place Opens in Jersey City

{Photo credit: @sage.eats}

Sage Eats, a new healthy Neopolitan pizza, salad, and rice bowl spot opened in Jersey City earlier this week. Open Monday through Sunday from 11AM to 9PM, Sage Eats even makes their own homemade mozzarella. Other pies on the menu include the White Pie, Mushroom Pie, and more. Located at 485 Marin Boulevard, Sage Eats is now open for takeout and outdoor dining.

Headspace and Timing Comedy Hosting Resurrection Comedy Fundraiser for Historic Jersey City Cemetery

On August 18 at 7PM, Headspace and Timing Comedy is hosting a fundraiser for the Historic Jersey City Cemetery at 435 Newark Avenue. Tickets are $25 and face masks and social distancing practices are required for all attending. Tickets are available on HSNTcomedy.com.

‘Keep Jersey Arts Alive’ Campaign Seeks Support for the Arts

The ArtPride New Jersey Foundation has partnered with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts on a new digital campaign— Keep Jersey Arts Alive — with the aim of supporting the state’s arts institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the global pandemic, theatres, museums, galleries, dance studios, and performing arts centers have lost an estimated $30 million in revenue. However, the campaign claims that the arts generates $662 million for the NJ economy.

“Arts workers and organizations are valued members of the New Jersey family, and their recovery from the impact of COVID-19 is essential to our shared future in the Garden State,” said New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way, Esq. “New Jersey’s arts sector and artists enrich our lives and communities, and I’m thrilled that the Keep Jersey Arts Alive initiative will celebrate our arts industry.”

Adam Perle, president and CEO of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation, added, “The arts contribute greatly to our communities, and, while most physical doors are still closed, cultural groups continue to find creative ways to keep our minds and bodies strong. We look forward to when we can all gather safely, but, until then, we must work together to keep Jersey arts alive.”

For more info and resources about toting the economic importance of the arts, visit KeepJerseyArtsAlive.org.

BK Lobster Opens Its First NJ Location

BK Lobster, a Brooklyn-based restaurant known for its lobster everything — lobster rolls, pasta, mac, and more — is opening its fifth location right here in Hoboken. No official grand opening date has been announced, but a sneak-peek video from BK’s Instagram account revealed that BK will be taking over the former Total Nutrition Kitchen at 322 Washington Street.

Developer Commits $500K for Downtown Redevelopment Plan for Underutilized Park Space

A developer has committed $500,00 to a proposed downtown redevelopment plan to revamp a currently underutilized park space on the corner of Newark and Garden Streets in Hoboken. Spearheaded by Councilman Mike DeFusco, who secured the commitment from a local developer, the new space will feature a coffee kiosk.

“Since first moving to Hoboken, I’ve always believed there was a more appropriate way of activating park space for the neighborhood, one that isn’t locked off from the community and is more inviting and enticing to residents,” DeFusco said in a statement. “I’ve long envisioned this underutilized space as a place where residents can not only enjoy much needed green space, while also creating an attractive neighborhood destination. The plan I’ve proposed will accomplish this by creating a coffee kiosk to create a place where residents can enjoy a peaceful day in the park while supporting a local business.”

DeFusco chairs the Southern Development Committee and initiated conversations with Equity Apartments, owners of the current property that offers only limited access. Equity has agreed to expand access to the area, so all Mile Square residents can enjoy the space.

Man Found Dead in JC Heights Apartment Last Weekend

A 23-year-old man was found dead in an apartment in Jersey Heights last Sunday. Yuting Gee was found by police at 12:30 PM in an apartment on New York Avenue near Hutton Street after responding to a report of suspicious condition, according to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez. NJ.com reports that Gee had “multiple lacerations” on his body and was pronounced dead at 12:55 PM at the scene.

The case is now under investigation. Anyone who may have information is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip.

Jersey City Issues a Water Boil Advisory After Samples Reveal E. Coli

Residents of Jersey City were told to boil their water as a precaution, according to CBS News, through 5:00PM. The entire city is under a boil advisory after Suez Water samplings in Jersey City’s drinking water came back positive for E. coli.

Mayor Fulop tweeted, “We do regular testing, there was an irregularity isolated near Christ Hospital yesterday. It subsequently tested ok, we then test upstream/downstream which we’ve been doing – Until all test results come back OK, we’re advised to implement a boil advisory.”

Still, residents are concerned, as many have been drinking water from the tap on a regular basis. For more information about the safety of the tap water, listen to an episode of Tea on the Hudson here and here, or click here to read our 2019 piece on the safety of our water.

 

HBKN Art Tour Places Artwork Around Mile Square’s Storefront

{Photo credit: @fieldcolony}

The HBKN Art Tour is a citywide initiative featuring curated art exhibits on local storefronts across town. The purpose is to expose Hoboken residents to art and encourage them and guests to buy local and to support local artists and artisans. Every Friday, a new location will open, adding to the walking Art Tour. Then every three weeks, each location will launch a new exhibit.

Ricardo Roig Film Featured in Monmouth Film Festival

A Ricardo Roig film, Making Michael Chang, is to be featured in the Monmouth Film Festival. Streaming Saturday, August 15 from 11:45 AM to 1:45PM, the film follows Roig, an innovative New Jersey artist, in a race against time to finish creating a four-story mural in honor of the 20th anniversary of Hoboken tennis star Michael Chang’s unexpected victory at the 1989 French Open.

Locals Launch Fundraiser for New Parents Struck by Tragedy

Jennifer Romero and Daniela Solano have launched a GoFundMe page on behalf of Eddie and Estefania Argueta. On July 19, Estefania, who was pregnant, went to the hospital after experiencing contractions. She went in for an emergency C-section but went into cardiac arrest. Now in a coma, Eddie and Estefania are facing expensive medical bills, as well as Estefania’s unforeseeable health complications.

The GoFundMe reads, “We do not know exactly what caused this but right now, our main concern is helping Estefanie recuperate so she has the possibility to raise her beautiful baby girl Emma next to her partner Eddie and her family. We love you, Estefania, and we will fight for you.”

The fundraiser page has already raised over $52K of its $60K goal. For more information and to donate, visit GoFundMe. Eduardo was a waiter at Tutta Pesca for the last two years and now works at Il Tavolo di Palmisano.

Hoboken Parking Garages Get Technological Update

Hoboken’s municipal parking garages are getting a technological update for the first time in 20 years. The City is installing a new system featuring license plate recognition cameras, a new online account portal, and an E-merchant validation system that allows merchants to better organize their discount parking validations for customers, according to Hudson Reporter.

The online portal will grant permit holders easier access to make monthly payments, and allow for auto-pay. The recognition cameras and RedStorm Parking Guidance System will track parking space occupancy, letting potential parkers know how many spots are available.

These updates are estimated to take 1-2 weeks and Garage G at 315 Hudson Street will go first, starting updates earlier this week. Updates at Garage D at 215 Hudson Street will begin August 24, then Garage B at 28 Second Street on September 7, and the Midtown Garage at 371 Fourth Street on September 21.

If permit holders change their license plates, they will be required to update the license plate numbers in their online account or contact the Hoboken Parking Utility garage office at 201-653-7333.

Auto-payments will start on September 1 for Garages G and D and on October 1 for Midtown and Garage B.

If you are a monthly garage user, you will have to re-verify your license plate and contact information.

Hoboken Fire Department Awarded FEMA Grant

According to the City of Hoboken’s official website, the Hoboken Fire Department has been awarded $122,000 in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s {FEMA} 2019 Assistance to Firefighters Grant.

Plans to use the funds include modifying all four of Mile Square’s firehouses with new diesel exhaust removal systems, as the current ones are outdated.

“New Jersey’s brave first responders in municipalities like Hoboken keep our families and our communities safe,” Senator Cory Booker said in a statement. “As our firefighters risk their own lives to protect those of others, particularly in the midst of this public health crisis, we must ensure they have the resources they need to remain out of harm’s way.”

The FEMA grant account for 90 percent of the system and the City will cover the cost of the other 10 percent.

The new systems are expected to be installed over the next 12 months.

Councilwomen Giattino and Fisher Sponsor Extending Hoboken’s Business Recovery Programs To 2021

Hoboken City Council President Jen Giattino and Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, who is Council liaison to the Hoboken Business Alliance, are introducing legislation to extend Hoboken’s outdoor dining and shopping programs to 2021. They sent out a press release this past week about the legislation. The ordinance will be introduced for a vote on first reading at the Hoboken City Council meeting on Wednesday, August 19^th at 7:00PM.

“Extending the existing programs in Hoboken, which are currently scheduled to expire this fall, will give local businesses the confidence they will have sufficient space to operate going into the colder months. Like in most municipalities, small businesses and restaurants in the City of Hoboken continue to struggle with the many occupancies and other limitations being imposed relating to the COVId-19 pandemic,” according to the press release.

“The business recovery programs have added a lot of value to Hoboken businesses and to our residents as well,” says Giattino. “It is important that we are constantly assessing what more we can do and when our businesses asked us if we could extend the term of the programs now, it was an easy ‘yes’,” the press release continued.

Office of Constituent Services in Hoboken Officially Closes

On May 20, 2020 the Hoboken City Council voted to abolish the Office of Constituent Services by a 6-3 vote. As a result of the City Council’s decision, which was opposed by Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, the Hoboken Office of Constituent Services has been eliminated and is no longer in operation. Former Chief of Constituent Affairs, Caroline Caulfield has chosen to depart City Hall as a result of the City Council’s vote and is no longer working for the City of Hoboken, according to the city’s press release.

“I’m very grateful for the services Caroline Caulfield provided to the residents of Hoboken over the past two years,” said Mayor Bhalla via the press release. “Since we established the Office of Constituent Services in 2018, Caroline has been the go-to person for our most vulnerable populations, assisting with critical issues including unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, housing needs, and initiating critical changes such as our mold ordinance to protect residents. I wish Caroline well and know that she has an incredibly bright future ahead of her. We will do everything we can to maintain constituent services despite the unfortunate elimination of this office and Caroline’s departure.”

Longtime Hoboken High School Football Coach and Educator, Lou Taglieri Passes Away

{Photo Credit: @hobredwings}

Lou Taglieri was and always will be a Hoboken legend. He led the Hoboken Redwings football team to win several titles, including four sectional championships during his 12-year run as coach. Taglieri died unexpectedly at the age of 59 earlier this week while on vacation with his family. He was a loved member of the community and his contributions to the city will never be forgotten. Read more about Lou Taglieri’s life on NJ.com.

Got a news tip? Let us know — email us at [email protected]! We appreciate it.

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