No Sunday Scaries here, Hoboken and Jersey City. As usual, this week was a blur of exciting news — it’s only the 1st of July and yet, so much has happened within our small, tightly-knit communities, especially in the way of new shops opening up at various locations. From a new bakery in Jersey City, several openings and re-openings going on in Hoboken, there’s a lot to catch up on! Our favorite story of the week though isn’t hard to guess. We’ll give you a hint: it involves NJ firefighters and a couple of baby ducklings. Keep reading to check out the top news stories in Hoboken and Jersey City this week {and if you haven’t read this yet, check out the top places to watch the fireworks on July 4th!}. Happy Sunday 💚
Prato Bakery Opens Up in Jersey City
{Photo credit: Instagram}
Jersey City has welcomed yet another small business! Prato Bakery is now located at 471 4th Street in Jersey City, offering everything from focaccia bread, pizza, and sweets like pan brioche with Nutella and their signature cookie cantucci. “New location looks great,” Mayor Steven Fulop tweeted about the opening. “Small business is the backbone of the economy and I’m glad Jersey City leads NJ.”
Green Rock Tap & Grill Posts Update on Reopening
{Photo courtesy of Green Rock}
Gone but not for long! Green Rock Tap & Grill, the bar across from the PATH known for its $0.50 wing nights and super cheap drink specials, recently updated Hoboken on its return. {You may recall the bar has been closed for several months now.} A new sign in the bar’s windows reads, “Green Rock Re-opening Soon! Updated menu, updated look, same good times!” In an exclusive with Hoboken Girl, representatives for Green Rock said management was hoping to open its doors by mid-August.
Local Musician Brett Altman Releases Single “Come Find Me”
{Photo courtesy of Brett Altman}
Local Hoboken musician Brett Altman is making waves with the recent release of his first single. “Come Find Me” is available on all streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and more. Brett’s journey is a familiar one, as he’s a self-proclaimed “late bloomer.” {He didn’t start singing publicly until he was 20 years old.} Hoboken Girl chatted with Brett about his songwriting process and how the Mile Square City affects his creativity.
“There are also many creative influences in Hoboken, outside of the music scene, that I find influence my writing. For example, I can’t get enough of Pier A,” Brett admits. “Whenever I have writer’s block, I’ll go for a walk or jog along the Pier, and find inspiration by people watching or simply taking in the city skyline. Additionally, I often write while sitting next to my bedroom window, so I can look out on the architectural layout of Hoboken and be inspired by the different shapes and colors of the city.”
“‘Come Find Me’ is an upbeat pop, acoustic-guitar driven pop song that I wrote to spread a positive message of supporting your family and friends during life’s many unexpected decision points,” Brett continues. “During the recording process at Silver Horse Sound in Hoboken, the producers Maxwell Feinstein and John Roccesano, suggested we try group vocals for the final chorus of the song. We had 10 of my close friends come into the studio and sing their hearts out. None of them would describe themselves as ‘singers’ individually but together, they sounded pretty damn good.”
Inspired by guitarists like John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, and Jason Mraz, Brett’s single “Come Find Me” already has nearly 3,000 streams on Spotify alone. His first EP, a joint venture with Max Perkins, is set to drop sometime in 2018.
Battello Reopening Pushed to Early Fall
“Per our latest update, the progress of the project has been delayed due to harsh winter months, but is anticipated to be near completion, with latest estimates pointing towards early fall,” the statement read. “Once our team receives the green light to move back in, we will share the great news, along with a date for our grand reopening, with all.”
500 Calls for Alcohol, Drugs, and Poison Made in Last 5 Months
Jojo Maman Bebe Now Open on Washington Street
Hoboken Ambulance Volunteers Deliver a Baby
{Photo credit: Twitter}
In exciting baby news: Hoboken ambulance volunteers DaShawn Mitchell and Dev’Anna Francis delivered a baby on June 26. While not many specifics are known about the birthing scenario, it’s clear the mama-to-be hadn’t made it to the hospital in time. Luckily, DaShawn and Dev’Anna were there to bring the baby safely into the world.
“‘Back in the day’ we used to deliver babies all the time,” the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps’ official Twitter wrote. “These days with better healthcare systems we only deliver a few every year. Yesterday DaShawn Mitchell and Dev’Anna Francis helped deliver our first baby of 2018. Nice job!”
Newspaper Boxes in Jersey City Affected by New Ordinance
{Photo credit: Unsplash}
Jersey City now has regimented rules for newspaper boxes and the newspaper brands that use them {aka ones that sit on the streets and offer free newspapers}. A new local ordinance requires publishers to apply for a news rack permit. Following the issuing of the permit, publishers are then required and expected to stock them weekly and maintain the boxes. This comes after Mayor Fulop ordered the removal of hundreds of newspaper boxes. According to the mandate, newspaper boxes will also be banned from historic areas and there are now more specific criteria for where the boxes can live. Boxes must be three feet away from fire hydrants, parking meters, benches, bus stops, or any area with “flowers or shrubs” and 10 feet away from crosswalks.
PATH Closings on Weekends: What You Need to Know
{Photo credit: reddit}
According to a crafty local Reddit user, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey staff members were handing out pamphlets on PATH closures at the Exchange Place stop. According to the pamphlet, the PATH will experience closures almost every weekend from July 6 to October 29. Labor Day Weekend, however, is the exception.
Firefighters Rescue Ducklings in Hudson County — Up for Adoption!
{Photo credit: Facebook}
What a cute rescue! Firefighters rescued six orphaned ducklings from a storm drain in Bayonne earlier this week. Now, the little babies are looking for a permanent home.
“The firefighters went down into the catch-basin and pulled up the baby chicks, but no mother to be found,” the Facebook post detailed. “If anyone wants to adopt, let us know!”
Hoboken Resident Publishes First Book, “Times Square”
{Photo courtesy of Rich Walls}
Rich Walls, a longtime resident of Hoboken, has published his first book. Times Square follows a woman as she goes on an unexpected scavenger hunt around Manhattan, which forces her to confront both former flames and current loves. Times Square is a novella that romanticizes and perfectly pinpoints what it means to both live in a city and love it. Rich’s debut book is available on Amazon.
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