Word on the {Washington} Street- March 15 {2015} Edition: Safe on St. Pat’s, the Ainsworth Opens, and Goodbye to Bella Ro

Lots going on in our square mile city in the last few weeks. Here’s the latest word on the {Washington} street —  the one stop shop to everything news in Hoboken. Happy Sunday!

City Announces Plan to Fix Potholes

The City of Hoboken announced they will be using a cheaper, safer, and more efficient way to fill the potholes in the streets.  The City has signed a contract with “Pothole Killer” trucks which fill potholes in 90 seconds using new technology that allows for a quick, permanent solution. In the past, the potholes would be fixed temporarily until the weather was warmer and asphalt could be used. This new solution fixes the holes for good. More the 50 blocks are currently scheduled for repair. You can see the full list on the City of Hoboken’s website. This is very very good news!

Elysian Charter School Moving Uptown

Since its opening in 1997, Elysian Charter School has been split between two buildings at 301 Garden Street and 158 4th Street. This September, the school will be moving uptown and joining under one roof when it moves its students to the new mixed-use “Park Place” at 1415 Park. According to NJ.com, the school signed a 30 year lease with Bijou Properties, owners of the new building.

Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Safe but Expensive

Hoboken’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration took place on Saturday, March 7th. This year marked the lowest amount of crime and ambulance calls ever received. Since the banning of the parade in 2011, the amount of tickets and summons has also steadily decreased. According to hobokennj.org, “This year there were 39 ambulance calls, a 58% reduction since 2011, 11 arrests, a 68% reduction since 2011, and 95 summonses issued for quality of life violations such as open containers and urinating in public, a 68% reduction since 2011.” The bar crawl does come at a cost to the city, however. The event reportedly costs the city an estimated $94,000 in overtime pay for the extra police officers put on duty.

The Ainsworth opens on the Waterfront with Little Town moving into The Pourhouse

The Ainsworth opened this weekend, taking the place of Little Town on the waterfront. The new spot features a creative cocktail list and classic American menu items with an exotic, upscale twist. They’ve redecorated the interior of the building and it definitely has a cool new vibe. They have lots of TVs, making it a great spot to watch the games while enjoying an alternative to typical “bar food.” With the Ainsworth opening, Little Town will be taking the place of The Pourhouse. Our sources tell us they’re hoping to re-open later this spring and are looking to do a revamping of some menu items with an increased focus on locally grown ingredients.

City of Hoboken Recognized by UN

The City of Hoboken became one of 45 cities worldwide recognized by the United Nations as a Role Model City for its flood risk management practices. San Francisco is the only other US City to receive this recognition.  German Velasquez of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction wrote a letter announcing the dedication acknowledging the city’s “efforts in enhancing its physical infrastructure to improve its capacity in dealing with flood risk have been well-recognized. Moreover Hoboken’s attention to land use regulations and expansion as well as its efforts in informing public through the city website and social media have stood out as exemplary.” The City plans to use federal funding awarded to build a boathouse/resiliency center to help resist flooding and protect Hoboken, Weehawken, and northern Jersey City.

Jaret’s Stuffed Cupcakes Coming to Hoboken in April

Jaret’s Stuffed Cupcakes is opening a new location at 14th and Grand. This will be the fourth location for the delicious dessert company. Their cupcakes have been featured by Good Morning America, O! Magazine, Huffington Post, and Martha Stewart’s Bridal Market Party, to name a few. We were lucky enough to serve their cupcakes at our Hoboken Girl Social back in February and can attest to this being excellent news for Hoboken. Initially slated to open April 1st, it looks like we may have to wait until April 15th according to Jaret’s Twitter account. Add this to the list of things to look forward to this Spring!

 

Flatbread Grill Opening in Hoboken

Flatbread Grill will be opening at 517 Washington Street this Spring, most likely late April/early May. Flatbread Grill was started in 2007 by three sisters who had a passion for spreading their love for Mediterranean food. Their menu features healthy ingredients free from artificial flavors and hormones. They offer foods focused on fresh, natural flavors. Can’t wait to welcome them to the neighborhood!

Bella Ro Closing

We are so sad about this news. Bella Ro will be closing this Spring. We believe they’ll be open until the end of April. The only good news is everything is currently 50% off. Make sure to stop in to get some great deals on new additions to your Spring wardrobe + wish them well!

Little City Books Opening

Little City Books will be opening on May 2 in Hoboken. This independent bookstore is owned by local Hoboken residents who are excited to bring a book store back to Hoboken. According to shelf-awareness.com, the three owners plan to work with Hoboken’s schools and other community organizations to host book fairs, bring authors into town, and host other events. The store will be located at 100 Bloomfield and will have a children’s section as well as literary fiction, memoir, history, local interest, cooking and art sections as well. YAY!

Hoboken Residents Earn Big and Pay Big

A recent article reported that Hoboken is ranked at number 41 on the list of the highest earning cities in the country. The list, posted on nerdwallet.com, found that 54% of Hoboken’s households have a median income of $100,000 or more. 33.2% make over $150,000 and 19.5% make over $200,000.  While all of that seems like a lot of money, our town boasts one of the highest costs of living in NJ, which is also ranked as one of the most expensive states to live in in the US.  Average residential property values have more than tripled in Hoboken over the last 10 years with the current home price averaged at $522,107. Keep up the hard work, Hoboken!

And that’s the word for now. Let us know if you hear anything newsworthy-  email hobokengirlblog@gmail.com!

*Bella Ro is now closed.