Hoboken Hero

dozzino gots the pizza skills

2011-07-19T11:38:00.006-04:00

Totally loving this video from the crew at Dozzino, the new(ish) wood fired artisanal pizza joint on the corner of 6th and Adams. If you haven't stopped by Dozzino yet, give it a try. Indoor/outdoor dining, chill aesthetics, delicious fresh simple food, with a touch of hipster. Plus Mr. Fancy and Mr. Flour Face aka Stickboy Sasso. Enjoy ...

DOZZINO
534 Adams St
Hoboken
201-656-6561
Follow DOZZINO on Twitter
BYOB

in and out in under a month

2009-07-30T17:01:00.000-04:00

The Star-Ledger is reporting that our young Mayor Cammarano will announce his resignation tomorrow. Looks like the Dawn of Zimmer is upon us...

The Star-Ledger: Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano will resign after N.J. corruption sting arrest

don't panic, it's not a hoboken meltdown

2009-05-14T15:18:00.000-04:00

On Friday, May 15th at 9am The Hudson County Office of Emergency Management will test its new emergency alert system.

So when you are rushing your ass out the door in the morning, hung over and running late because Thursday nights always get the best of you, just ignore what you hear and keep struggling. It's just a test. No danger. Just testing.

taxes a little high?

2009-03-03T14:00:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow evening the grassroots organization Hoboken Revolt is holding a rally outside city hall to protest for change. Literally. We need some more loose change in our pockets. If you too are feeling the tax pinch, please come down and voice your support. We're all in this together, and the fastest way to progress is to get involved. Tomorrow, Wednesday March 4th @ 6:30pm outside city hall on the corner of Washington and 1st Street.

Click here for more information, or if you would like to become a member of Hoboken Revolt.

Click below to view / right click / and save the poster graphics for the rally:

Hoboken Revolt Poster 11 x 17

Hoboken Revolt Poster 8.5 x 11

Force Change Rally Flyer

nw hoboken runs on dunkin'

2008-12-20T10:04:00.009-05:00

What could wake up Hoboken Hero from his extended slumber? What could push through the paralyzing mire of economic uncertainty? What could possibly get HH to venture out into the wintry landscape all bundled up with eyes half shut?

A brand new neighborhood Dunkin' Donuts! Behold my dear brothers and sisters! We now have a local place for coffee! A place to go when you're too lazy to make your own! A place to get your dependable fix! A place your buddy will drive 200 feet to in his SUV when hungover while you run in in wearing track pants and yesterdays sweater to get an egg and cheese and hash browns! A place to surprise the kids with one of life's little pleasures!

Much to the surprise of local residents, work began a little over a month ago on this tiny little corner shop, nestled inside one of the Upper Grand buildings at the corner of 12th and Adams. It's one of their small footprint locations that doesn't actually cook anything, yet there they are all fresh and hot each morning (all goods get delivered each morning from a local distributor)...

And just my luck they opened this morning. Stopped in and met the two ladies running the place, both of whom had big smiles to welcome me. The windows were fogged, there was snow covering their pink and orange signage, yet the glow of donuts and coffee beckoned. There have been a few delays getting this baby open (shocker!) but they are very excited to be a new addition to our neighborhood. So come on down, introduce yourself, and swipe that credit card for a cup what many say is bar none the best coffee there is.

Oh, and I must point out if you haven't yet tried their new egg white flatbread bfast sandwiches, (only 280 calories) you don't know what your missing!

Dunkin'Donuts
1200 Grand St
(really the corner of 12th and Adams)
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 217-8778‎

welcome to the nabe everyone!

2008-09-21T11:32:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago, Metrostop eased open the doors to its new owners. It's been months since HH has profiled the tallest building in northwest Hoboken, so I figured it was time to share with you some new (and a few old) pictures. And for those of you who recently moved in, I know you're dying to forward on some pics to your friends and family. So here you have 'em. Ready, set, GO:

Below is the official front entrance for residents. Seems a bit understated for a building of this magnitude, but nonetheless it's clean and fuss free:

The doors open to reveal a minimal lobby - elevators on the right, mailboxes on the left. They've chosen interesting lighting fixtures that are quite modern, and some extremely attention grabbing furniture:

A very commanding presence! When I first saw the new sitting areas, I imagined the furniture coming alive in the middle of the night ala Beetlejuice sculptures to terrorize residents. Probably won't happen. But you know once the sun goes down those chairs are going to scare the hell out of the children who live there.

"MOMMY CHAIRY'S GOING TO EAT ME MOMMY! AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Back outside on Jackson Street, we can see plenty of large growth trees that were planted, both on the curb side, and along the building. They've also mushed in boxwoods and some other fledgling shrubbery. This foliage will help disguise the two story parking garage (above and below ground). I've been trying to overlook their decision to put in such old school depression era bush bed borders that couldn't be more wrong for such a modern building, but I'm still having a hard time coming to terms:

The trees are going to be gorgeous in a few years, but I am a little worried about how close they were planted to the building. The maintenance man is going to have fun pruning back these babies:

Pachysandra was planted in very large swaths all over the place. Teeny tiny ones. Should fill in nicely and eventually will work towards conveying the 'green' message - it will spread everywhere in a few years:

Here's a great example of the trees that were chosen to line the sidewalk. They are common to the area. They also get to enjoy free skies above, and will be spared the chainsaw in future years, because there are no power lines above them.

Ever wonder why trees are always planted on sidewalks DIRECTLY beneath power lines? Makes absolutely no sense. Anyway, I digress:

May take a few to provide some adequate shade though :)

A little farther south are very long steps, for loitering, sunning, and relaxing:

And also apparently, for skateboarding:

Here's the southeastern view. Notice the unique shape of the building, and the very wide sidewalks. This is a major thoroughfare for foot traffic, so it was necessary to keep it open and roomy. Soon the official Metrostop signage will be installed to the right at this corner:

Here's the new 8th Street oversized sidewalk that leads to the entrance to the light rail. To the right, a cornucopia of greenery, bordered by hand laid stonework. A nice touch:

Love a good grass plant. They should plant many more of these to soften things up:

At the top of the steps is a new raised area that takes up a large portion of the southern half of the property. Beautiful pavers have been put down, with a chic border stone, and some random street lights scattered about:

Extreme paver closeup, taken during installation:

There's a grassy area that gets great sun. I think this is supposed to be the official sculpture park, but there's no sculpture yet. I can't believe we have grass in the neighborhood! If you squint your eyes and plug your ears it almost feels like the suburbs!

There are, however, several large stone benches, that look very cool, except I feel like a four year old when I sit on them. They are SO HIGH my feet don't touch the ground. It's actually pretty funny. I wish they had sunk them lower into the ground:

It's still a beautiful touch though. I can see people hanging here in the warm weather, relaxing after work. And the south side of this building, which you can see in the image below, will be home to Amelia's Bistro - a restaurant that will offer brunch, lunch and dinner, complete with outdoor seating. The neighborhood is dying for this restaurant to open. Any updates on this, please drop HH an email:

Supposedly Amelia's Bistro is opening in October, but something tells me they are behind schedule. Here's how the restaurant looks these days. Even with a kitchen build-out, it's a pretty big space. And all the windows are actual swing doors that fully open up to the outside air. Next summer is going to be heaven when this thing gets going. To wet your appetite, click here to drool over the menu of their Jersey City location:

Along the rear of the building - it's very clean and architectural. I love the lines of the building, and the interesting use of glass and brick. There's an additional entrance to the light rail, which is very convenient. And they exterior lighting, seen below, creates a beautiful glow at night, all around the building. Great job:

Also in the back, not exactly visible in the below picture is the gym on the second floor. You can also catch glimpses of parked cars both above and below you, especially at night when you can easily see through the tinted glass.

On to the north side of the building - and clearly the most commanding:

When we first saw the renderings for the building, we figured this would be the official residence entrance, because of the sheer scale of it, but it's actually an additional retail space, long rumored to be the future home of Starbucks:

Hopefully one way or another, we'll get confirmation on when and what will be going into this space. Developer and Starbucks are both mum at this point. Beautiful double height columns that overlook the future park going in on 9th Street along the light rail. Meandering pathway, dog run, etc.

A perfectly symmetrical facade which I love. I get lost staring at how perfect it is:

Back on the ground after a quick shake of the head, we see that the north side of the property also features the new 9th Street light rail entrance, and a maze of hand rails, fencing, and twisty turns. A month ago, it looked ... uh ... ummm ... just a tad bit restrictive:

But since unlocking the gates, and with a few steps back and a nice deep breath - the entrance, complete with stairs and a handicap ramp, actually looks very pleasing to the eye:

Stepping back even further to the street, perspective really sets in. This building is large and in charge. But it's well done, with lots of glass, interesting nooks and crannies, and tons of details to keep your eyes full. There are lots of balconies hidden all over the place. And remember, the views above 7 are all of New York City. And along the western side of the building - every single view is of simply ... trees. Big beautiful green lush trees. Pretty rad, considering no other condo building in Hoboken has such a unique view. It must trick your mind into thinking you are in the woods. What peace it must afford...

Metrostop is a beautiful addition to the neighborhood. Each day, as more and more owners move in, the building is slowly coming to life. As we ease into fall it will be exciting to see how the neighborhood continues to transform itself. There are some units left for sale, and now that the building is open, there are open houses and tours going on each day.

Can anyone say block party?

story of the week

2008-09-19T16:30:00.004-04:00

Click here to read all about an unfortunate light rail ticket experience that ended up in jail time!

NJ Transit has yet to install a ticket machine and stamper at the 9th Street entrance to the light rail, which is the entrance HH uses. Boy if I ever went through a similar experience, I can tell you with all confidence that I wouldn't be as patient.

Do you think they will ever install a ticket machine?

green living has its privledges

2008-09-09T11:40:00.006-04:00

Seems as though Metrostop, the newest luxury condo building to come online in our quickly redeveloping neighborhood is providing more shade than previously anticipated. Click here to learn more.

UPDATE! Thank you NJ.com for shedding some light on this topic!

time to practice our back stroke!

2008-09-05T17:52:00.005-04:00

Good luck this weekend everyone, try and stay out of the flood waters.

We're going to go enjoy a nice meal outside somewhere, before the rain encroaches this evening. Then we'll either look around for Noah's Ark, or just go to Target and buy life vests. Or maybe those little floaty things you put on your arms when you're three.

park it here

2008-08-04T14:54:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow at 7pm in the ground floor conference room at City Hall (94 Washington Street) there is a very important Planning Board meeting to vote on a new ordinance that essentially creates a new 'Park' category for zoning in Hoboken. If approved, it would pave the way for our City Council to designate the so-called SW6 site along First Street for a future park. A proposed mock-up of said park appears below:

Click here for a larger version that you can zoom in on, courtesy of Hoboken Now.

Now how does this apply to our dear northwest area of Hoboken? Well if this passes, than that same zoning ordinance can and will be applied to our giant abandoned square on 12th and Adams, seen below in a handy little Google map.

So the moral of this story is - if you want a park on 12th and Adams, then you better get your booty over to City Hall tomorrow (Tuesday 8/5) and show your support for for SW6.

This is the only way to voice your opinion. Otherwise a very small group of people will continue to make all the important decisions that directly affect your quality of life. Why not break off a piece of that power for yourself?

What would I ask for? An installation of super tall Redwoods in the shape of the letters 'HH' and of course a giant sculpture of my head that houses a small burger stand and beer hall. You know, for when the weather's nice.

a boat of a different name

2008-07-06T11:49:00.005-04:00

For those of you spending your time speculating about HH instead of shutting down your computer and enjoying the holiday weekend with those you love, I will respond with the following:

The name of this blog comes from this story on Salon.com, which I found while researching Hoboken before my partner and I made the decision to move here. The name is catchy, easy to remember, and pays homage to one of Hoboken's greats. A perfect storm if you will.

And as to my motivations for starting this blog in the first place - I thought it would be a great motivator for us to learn more about the city we were moving to. We wanted to engage and explore our new community, instead of just falling into the pattern of 'sleeping' in Hoboken, and 'living' in Manhattan, which so many people tend to do.

To date we've been living here over a year and do not regret our decision. In fact, I think we're happier than we've ever been.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend everyone!

hero quote of the day

2008-06-26T09:36:00.000-04:00

"Still, most indications are that Mr. Roberts is the biggest loser so far in a process certain to include sizable tax increases next year."

Click below to read more!

The New York Times: Hoboken, an Economic Success That Can’t Pass a Budget

western edge redevelopment meeting on wed 7pm sharp!

2008-06-23T12:34:00.007-04:00

Click the below image to enlarge!

Do you like to give your opinion? Yes, of course you do! Well stop by City Council Chambers at 94 Washington Street at 7pm this Wednesday to discuss the future of the Western Edge Redevelopment plan. Now's your chance to have your voice heard.

Do you want good restaurants? Quality retail? Open space covered with real grass? Perhaps a bicycle fast lane along Monroe Street? Community pool? Do you want to make sure that future retail spaces are larger than what's currently zoned in our Upper Grand buildings, which sit empty because they are not large enough for businesses other than nail salons and dry cleaners? Thought so. Come and hang out on Wednesday evening!

Afterwards, we can do a conga line together back to our neighborhood.

hoboken weathering the storm

2008-06-22T12:02:00.007-04:00

Great piece in this weekends New York Times about the Hoboken market weathering the real estate storm, with specific references to our neck of the woods, new developments like the west side's first high rise building (9th and Monroe) and 800 Madison, and of course our new movie theater. A must read. Click here.

Shockingly no mention of Metrostop. Again.

hill valley circa 1955?

2008-06-20T09:05:00.003-04:00

No, not exactly. But Marty McFly would definitely have something to be excited about. You are not looking at fresh farmland being turned over for next season's croppage. What you are actually looking at, is quite possibly the beginning of Mr. Hoda's long delayed / future parking garage / condo / retail / current eye sore in all its newly flattened glory. Join me as we take a step back, as we stumble past Dirty Danny Earth Mover. Looks like he's had a busy day:

Gone are the canisters, barrels, miscellaneous galvanized cages, soda cans, hub caps, 5 foot weeds and wild trees that have stagnated on this property for the last few years. Could we be witness to the rebirth of 800 Monroe? A little late in the game but definitely worth the wait?

FYI - the deal the developer has with the city, as part of the Monroe Center of the Arts redevelopment plan that was passed deems this plot of land to be built out first, before any other condo buildings can go up on plots to the south and behind the arts center. Future development calls for hundreds of condos and additional retail where the parking lot currently is. But enough about that. For right now, let's focus on the 800 Monroe block four story garage (which butts up against Fields Crossing) and the attached mixed use residential tower (along the south end of the parcel facing 8th Street). The top of the garage will be 'green space'. Open to the public 'green space'? Who knows.

Could this really be the start of something?

It is also worth noting that the burned out old Bronco is gone as well. While the auto sculpture garden was an interesting idea, something tells me a beat up Chevy with the windows blown out was most certainly frowned upon by the neighbors.

Time to rejoice? Hope so! Pretty soon our little bedroom community is going to wake the hell up and smell the coffee. Starbucks can't be that far behind (wink, nudge) !

Also I'd like to give a shout out to the flux capacitor. Happy Friday everyone!

9th street light rail area has 'most potential' for development

2008-06-02T14:44:00.000-04:00

"The detailed study focused especially on five of the station areas — those that researchers considered to have the most potential for development. They are Port Imperial in Weehawken; Ninth Street in Hoboken; the area between the Essex Street and Jersey Avenue stations in Jersey City; the Bergenline Avenue neighborhood of Union City and West New York; and the 34th Street area in Bayonne."

- An exert from a story in The New York Times yesterday about how the light rail has irreversibly changed the course of development along the coast of NJ, and the positive changes that have occurred in people's lives since it's inception.

Our 9th Street / Congress Street stop was mentioned as an area with the most potential for continued development. Very cool.

Do you hear that Starbucks Corporation? Make the smart decision and commit!

clearview cinemas hoboken is actually happening!

2008-06-02T10:47:00.000-04:00

Today is quite possibly the most exciting day that HH has had since moving to our quaint little corner of Hoboken. Today is the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Clearview Cinemas Hoboken located on 14th and Adams Street. Everyone will be there, except of course, for me. Because someone has to pay the bills around here and I can't just simply blow off the day job, no matter how excited I may be about this. Seriously, HH is a big movie buff, and the idea of walking a few blocks to see my favorite movies, blockbusters, independents and art house films, gets me as excited as a kid getting to eat two desserts after dinner.

Let's hope Mayor Roberts isn't expensing a giant pair of platinum Tiffany scissors and hand sewn red silk ribbon flown in from Paris for this ceremony, because frankly if anything else gets crammed into our Q4 tax bill, then we won't be able to afford $13 popcorn and Diet Cokes come springtime!

Stay tuned for a full report...

nyc'ers flocking to the gold coast

2008-05-08T13:54:00.000-04:00

Anyone catch Max Gross's huge piece in the New York Post's real estate section on Thursday about Hoboken, and our neighboring towns to the north and south? We should all be beating our chests like King Kong, it's a winner. Our massive Upper Grand redevelopment project was mentioned. Sadly, Metrostop was not.

They need a publicist, stat!

Click here to read the article.

take my kids please

2008-05-06T17:36:00.000-04:00

There have been rumors floating around, and various inquiries regarding the Monroe Center for the Arts and whether or not a KinderCare Learning Center would be leasing retail space there. Well, HH has on good authority that YES, a KinderCare is indeed moving into our neighborhood this Fall.

I received verbal confirmation several days ago that they would be moving in, and also that it would be a two floor facility, opening sometime in October 2008. After checking KinderCare's website, it is all but certain.

So all of you over-achieving busy bees in double income families with expensive eating habits who occasionally splurge on luxury handbags while also paying large mortgages for new construction condos - COME! ON! DOWN! This Fall, you'll have a place to stash your young ones during the day and after school.

Seriously though this is great news - there are plenty of parents with young ones who would use their services in a heartbeat.

tough day at the office

2008-04-26T13:10:00.000-04:00

Looking a little rough on 13th and Adams. Time to replace the linoleum. Maybe new bamboo flooring? I hear it's very environmentally friendly.

This is a giant piece of land, directly across from the Upper Grand development. It's basically a double wide, and cuts Jefferson Street in half. Would be an awesome park, no?

well hellooooo neighbor!

2008-04-26T13:09:00.000-04:00

A year ago I introduced you to one of our favorite northwest Hoboken residents - the famous corner ranch mystery. Well, it seems my argument to relocate now has a stronger case. A new neighbor has just popped up, right next door, and boy are they an over achiever or what?! Six stories of wonder!

Progress marches on, and there's something, just....well...I don't know.........oh maybe a weeee little bit awkward about the low-rise scale of this cute one story ranch. Although well maintained, we feel even stronger now that it may be time for her to pack it in and retire to Florida.

Just Sell Already! Or, maybe install a pool on your ranch roof, and the next door neighbor can put up a cool slide from their 6th floor perch? At least for summer maybe? Pool parties rule.

the washington post loves hoboken

2008-04-26T12:04:00.000-04:00

Click the link below to read an awesome piece about Hoboken from The Washington Post. You'll want to forward it to all those skeptical friends of yours, because it clearly explains the lure of living here.

The Washington Post - Hoboken, N.J.: Start Spreading The News

snoozefest strip mall

2008-04-20T14:24:00.000-04:00

Our new 1 story shopping center going up across from our future movie theater, and next to the 14th Street viaduct, is moving at a glacial pace.

That big mound of dirt on the north side will be the parking lot area:

It's spring, let's get this party started already!

Maybe someone needs to stop by with her blow torch and light a fire under the contractor's keister!

sunblock please

2008-04-20T13:42:00.000-04:00

800 Madison has put up some official renderings, tied along the fence around the property. Looks more modern than the other buildlings they have put up, and we like what we see!

One concern though - HH has received several emails about these signs and how they are currently blocking sight lines along Madison when crossing 9th Street. Could cause an accident if drivers aren't careful.

Brick work is moving along nicely! We love the north and south sides, which will be all gray bricks. Very cool. Here's a shot of the Madison Street side:

And of course, our favorite detail so far - the amazing all window corner units:

The renters who move into these corner spots will most definitely be either a) horny exhibitionists, b) 'greenies' who like to use less electricity, or c) those who enjoy getting tan while working from the their home office.

in honor of earth day

2008-04-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

Saw this sign the other day - the name change is official. Free tree with each unit rented!

Why do people do this? Just in time for Earth Day!

would you like room for milk?

2008-04-14T10:55:00.000-04:00

An astute reader of Hoboken Hero pointed out that the renderings of Metrostop being used on the developer's website include Starbucks on the ground floor. HH thinks these might be old renderings, but nonetheless, for Metro Homes LLC to continue to use them as the real deal is interesting, isn't it?

The mystery continues...

a galaxy of goat cheese

2008-04-14T10:40:00.000-04:00

HH had the pleasure of attending a cheese tasting at The Cheese Store recently. This particular tasting was all about the myriad of cheeses produced from our friend the goat. It was fascinating, and quite tasty. It's funny how enjoyable food can be when you actually pay attention to what you are eating.

Whether you are an on-and-off cheese beginner, an obsessive compulsive hoarder, or the refined wino, you will love the monthly tastings that Chung hosts at his store.

$30 bought HH an enormous plate of cheese - pictured above. Plus all the bread, crackers, nuts, dried fruits, and jams that you can cram into your mouth. It was suggested that we each bring a favorite bottle of white wine to compliment our cheeses, and also to loosen up the crowd. Here's Chung getting everything ready:

After taking our seats and getting comfortable, we journeyed through our plate in a clockwise fashion, tasting, sipping, mmmmmming, nodding our head and rubbing our tummies in delight. Chung briefed us on what we were trying, where it came from, why it tasted like it does, and I have to say it was simply fascinating.

From a basic Chevre (what you find in the supermarket), to a Selles sur Cher (heaven with mold on it!) that was so perishable it was flown in to his store and aged right there on Monroe Street in his refrigerated cases. We tried many different types of goat cheeses - a blue cheese (who knew?!), a Kunik (has a touch of cow's milk for smoothness), and the Midnight Moon, a personal favorite.

After answering all of our questions, from the basic to the more complicated, we were free to wander the shop and marvel at the refrigerated cases full of cheese from all over the world, as well as the spreads, fruits, nuts, jams, meats, sweets and dry goods - basically anything you can think of to complement cheese.

In addition to fresh sandwiches each day, Chung also specializes in party platters and other entertaining options for when you have people over and want to impress.

I recently ordered a cheese/prosciutto platter that my guests just raved about. I was able to taste before buying, and each cheese came with a nifty paper sign that described the name, taste, and region. So chic. And after the party was over and we nursed our hangovers, I took all that leftover cheese and melted it down into a $75 gourmet mac & cheese, which we enjoyed until our bellies hurt. Then I froze the rest in individual portions for when I want to be lazy, and then took a nap.

Who knew cheese could provide so much bliss?

The Cheese Store
720 Monroe Street
@ the Monroe Center for the Arts
201-683-8162

spring is alive and kickin'

2008-04-13T15:20:00.000-04:00

Spring is here everyone. Have you stopped to notice the birds chirping, and all of our flowering trees in bloom?

free fun at monroe center today

2008-04-13T14:17:00.000-04:00

The Monroe Center for the Arts today is throwing open its doors for some creative inspiration. Beginning at 12 noon today - there will be all kinds of free things to check out, including dance performances, local studio tours of artists, a live music workshop and a reading by the Mile Square Theater. Click here for more info. Also the Shades bar will be open for the day to nourish and give you a buzz.

The weather's beautiful, come out and enjoy your neighborhood!

P.S. There's been some recent action on Monroe Center - they have recently demolished a structure connecting the two existing buildings, seen from the rear (pictured above) and the front:

This open space area between the two buildings will eventually be a charming courtyard. All retail will have windows and entrances onto this public area. A piazza of sorts. Let's hope it becomes usable this spring/summer so we can enjoy it sooner rather than later.

They've also built a sexy new luxury condo on the property. It's a bit small, and only has one window, but it's fabulous! Just kidding, it's a ticket booth for the parking lot:

starbucks coming to nw hoboken metrostop?

2008-04-09T18:02:00.000-04:00

OMG is it really true?

small print, large opinions

2008-04-08T20:20:00.001-04:00

No, you are not reading the above flyer all the way from the moon, nor are you a 95 year old who forgot their glasses. This itty bitty super tiny teensy weensy pretty much unreadable listing (taken directly from the official Hoboken website) is actually a public meeting announcement to invite local citizens and people with strong opinions to come to the next City Council Meeting and discuss the future redevelopment plan for the western edge of Hoboken. Clearly they do not want any of us showing up. Why don't we prove them wrong and show up en mass? Bring your noise groggers and megaphones and confetti and make tell 'em what you want in your neighborhood.

For example, if I was there I'd say - any future retail spaces must be at least twice as large as the ones currently existing in the Upper Grand buildings - because those retail spaces are so small no businesses can actually use them - other than nail salons and dry cleaners. This is a problem that should be corrected on all future developments. Why keep making the same mistake? Have you noticed how many unrented retail spots there are in the Upper Grand buildings? It's because the square footage of the spaces availalbe are TOO SMALL. Kind of the like the flyer above.

Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 @ 7pm
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CITY HALL
94 Washington Street

Unfortunately HH is not in town tomorrow night - so if any diligent and caring NW Hobokeners would like to file an official report with HH on what went down at the meeting, I will publish your report and make you a local honorary junior celebrity. You may not be as popular as Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie, but you'll feel good about being one of the few who care enough to improve your own community. Please email me by clicking here.

Thanks Eddie, for the tip!

back to school kegger at monroe center

2008-04-01T17:48:00.000-04:00

RealHoboken.com has the scoop on the new 'Liberty Too' sports bar (name not 100% confirmed) coming soon to Monroe Center for the Arts. This new second location of the very popular Liberty Bar on 14th Street will open this September, in the old Shades of Hoboken space. To read the full story, click here!

Ever since Shades closed, we in the NW Hoboken area have been hurting for a good place to unwind. HH was sad when Shades closed, but to be honest it didn't seem like it was going to succeed from the beginning. When I went there the first time there was a fire alarm malfunction and we sat there trying to drink martinis while a ferociously loud fire alarm and strobe lights went off uncontrollably for at least 15 minutes. By the time our entrees were served and the fire department showed up, our ears were bleeding and I couldn't feel my face. At the time I thought to myself, "this can't be a good sign," and my hunch was right. I also never understood why a restaurant called 'SHADES' couldn't take the extra effort and straighten out the blinds hanging in their windows - they were a complete mess going every which way and it drove me crazy. The success of life lies in the details.

Have been saying all along that a more approachable type of comfort food restaurant/bar would be a huge success at Monroe Center - a place that offered decent food and drinks at the friendlier price point. Looks like Liberty Bar owner Dawn Kaplan has made the right move. Cheers and bottoms up! Fall can't come soon enough. Here's to hoping she adds Stella Artois to the draft beer selection!

the arts + sports x alcohol = strange fit / also kind of hot

And about that bar name, 'Liberty West' has a much better ring to it than 'Liberty Too'. You are not The Limited trying to go after children, you are a bar. A bar for men! Manly men! And the women and mo's who love 'em.

mmmmmmmmmmm cheeeeeeeeeeeese ...

2008-03-28T16:18:00.000-04:00

Chung is hosting a very special goat cheese tasting this Sunday March 30th @ 6pm at The Cheese Store, our local cheese palace at the Monroe Center on Monroe between 7th and 8th Streets. If you'd like to attend, just email info@thecheesestorehoboken.com to get your name on the list. Tickets are $30. Not too bad a price for goat cheese heaven, which franky, is priceless in my opinion. Tell him HH sent you...

The Cheese Store
720 Monroe Street @ Monroe Center for the Arts
201-683-8162

Just a general note - if you haven't stopped by yet to check out his goods, you are missing out big time.

taxi please! please? please i beg you, take me home

2008-03-28T14:47:00.000-04:00

I am very happy that I moved to Hoboken. The space, the peace, the proximity to NYC - love it all. I really have no complaints. Except for one major one. Late at night, when I'm in the city and JUST WANT TO GO HOME, it pains me to no end to hop into a cab (if they let me in, of course) and then pay $50 - $60 to get home, even though it only takes 5 minutes to get there. This makes no sense. Really, it's my only major complaint since my move out of Manhattan that I really care about.

Purely and simply - if we had a more economical taxi option home at night, Hoboken would be a much more desirable 'borough' to reside in. But because we are not part of New York state, we get the shaft by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. Well, to open a discussion on this problem, our Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, sent off a letter to the TLC Commissioner/Chair to see if we can improve things. Letter is posted below for you to read. If you would like to add your two cents, click here to send an email to Commisioner Daus yourself. It's quick and painless. And as we know from experience - the only way to affect change is to speak up yourself. Thanks Ruben for reaching out, now let's see if we can get somewhere. I know there are thousands of you who feel exactly like I do. So go ahead and send the TLC an email.

To read related posts on this subject from Hoboken Now (hi Carly!) and New York's Sixth, click the links below. I also encourage Hoboken411 to write about this too - I'm sure his readers would LOVE to chime in on the subject...(ahem, cough, cough)...

Hoboken Now: Ramos calls for cheaper taxis from NYC

New York's Sixth: Just a Cab Ride Away

***************************
March 27, 2008

Mr. Matthew W. Daus
Commissioner/Chair
New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission
40 Rector Street
New York, NY 10006

Commissioner/Chair Daus:

I write hoping to work in conjunction with your office, to address an issue that affects a multitude of residents who reside in the New York City metro area. Specifically, my office has received numerous calls regarding exorbitant fees for taxi rides from Manhattan to New Jersey municipalities that rest immediately outside of both the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, such as Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken and Jersey City.

In many instances, New York City taxi drivers charge $50 for rides that are only a few short miles and minutes away from destinations within very close proximity to the New Jersey side of the tunnels. Clearly, these fees surpass what a metered ride would cost.

Moreover, the fee for a ride to New Jersey far exceeds the cost for a longer trip within the five boroughs of New York City. Therefore, it is evident that riders to New Jersey are charged rates that are not commensurate with that of riders who stay in New York City, creating an unfair circumstance.

Furthermore, a reduction in taxi fare for riders from New York City to New Jersey makes rides more accessible, offering many benefits such as increased commerce in New York City, reduced driving while intoxicated and raised revenue through toll collection to New Jersey. Also, drivers would not lose money, as additional riders would utilize this service, thereby allowing for more income.

In closing, please note that this issue is one of importance to my constituents, as we continue to share an economy with New York City.

I look forward to your response. Thank you for your attention to this mater.

Sincerely,

Ruben J. Ramos, Jr.
Assemblyman

Cc: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, The City of New York

7 to 11 shops, not a seven eleven among 'em

2008-03-07T18:13:00.000-05:00

The mystery has been solved. Northwest Hoboken is soon to get a new shopping center at 13th and Adams Streets, directly across from our future 5 screen Clearview Cinemas. The shopping center will be one story, seven to eleven stores including a bank (eyes rolling), a liquor store (eyes cross-eyed) and a national coffee chain (eyes not blinking, ever) along with 50 parking spots for all those local residents who like to drive 35 feet from their condo to buy a nice cold 40 ounce and the New York Post. Open by this summer.

Michael Gorman, the developer, mentioned he had the option of going up to 5 stories, including doctors offices, activity centers, etc., however he felt there was a more pressing need for parking.

I've heard comments that this seems misguided. That this is not smart city planning. That this is not encouraging the idea of 'living local'. HH tends to agree. Whatever happened to walking? Every city dweller knows an empty parking lot at night only encourages mischief. Nonetheless, it will be nice to have the additional retail available to us locals.

Also for all your movie obsessives out there - if the DEP approves the movie theater plan shortly, the theater will be built and open for popcorn goodness by the end of the year.

Click below to read the full article in this weeks Hoboken Reporter:

New shopping center near uptown movie theater

finding your quarters in the dark

2008-03-07T17:12:00.000-05:00

Two major bits of action at the Monroe Center for the Arts recently. Number one - both buildings received brand new awnings, which are looking very chic and lend an air of consumerism to the area. Above is a pic of the south building's awnings - in burgundy. The northern building, pictured later on in this post - has hunter green awnings. So there is a uniform look, yet a mix of color. Looks good. They need to take some of the shrink wrap off them, but overall, a major aesthetic improvement. Number two, the entire block surrounding the center has just received some shiny new parking meters - which seals the deal on the arrival of our burgeoning new far west retail landscape. Congratulations, we have arrived:

I would like to address a little thorn in my side that I've been thinking about. I've been living in the northwest area for over a year now, and as I've watched all of these large scale developments take shape, which has been so exciting - it is upsetting to see that there are several blocks in my neighborhood that are still without street lights, even though construction has been finished for months if not years. Yet the second the cement dries at Monroe Center, in go parking meters, to help fill up the city coffers. What about the hook ups for new lamp posts? They are STILL EMPTY. Why are we still in the dark?

And another point - why do such a crap job with the cement? Did you put these in during our St. Patty's Day parade after a few sixers of Pabts?

I know it's Friday afternoon and we're about to be hit with a major nor'easter so I may be little bit off today, but I think I have a right to be cranky. Why such a crazy delay in getting in new street lights? Bringing in new revenue for our city is clearly more important than the safety of Hoboken citizens. At least that is the message they are sending.

If only they doubled as espresso makers. Or gumball machines. Then we'd be talkin'...

everyone bring a shovel

2008-03-07T16:41:00.000-05:00

Spotted a takedown recently, directly across from the Monroe Center for the Arts. Wonder what's going in its place?

Probably some synthetic turf and a few skinny trees that prevent small children from playing whiffle ball.

900 monroe architect info / renderings

2008-03-03T17:41:00.000-05:00

Here are the complete renderings of the newly announced 900 Monroe development. East facing facade above. North facing facade below:

The architect who designed this is Minno & Wasko Architects & Planners, based in Lambertsville, NJ. Click here to visit the 900 Monroe page on their website. Apprently this design is considered to be 'sustainable design' with the hopes of an eventual LEED certification for green building. Two more renderings below - the view west along 9th Street, 900 Monroe in the distance:

West facing facade, which is closest to the light rail platform:

This company was also involved in an Englewood, NJ Extreme Makeover Home Edition episode. Click here to learn more about their good deed!

the feel good story of the year

2008-02-26T16:59:00.000-05:00

Our little city council / not-so-open government snafu has made it into the New York Times today!

a gift from the construction fairy

2008-02-26T15:31:00.000-05:00

Before I went to sleep last night I put under my pillow, a brick stolen from 800 Madison - the latest Upper Grand development, some concrete shavings from Metrostop, a dash of rain water from our last flooding debacle (chased with whiskey, of course), lit a yartzeit candle purchased from Shoprite, and prayed hard for a bountiful gift from the ether. When I awoke this morning, alas! my! prayers! were! answered!! The almighty construction fairy came to visit us last night and pounded into the ground a giant 20 foot sign announcing the pending arrival of some brand spanking new luxury residences. Ladies and gentleman, I give to you Upper Grand's latest arrival, coming soon to the corner of 9th and Monroe Streets:

The west facing facade (the rendering on the right) is mostly townhouses with the large 13 story tower on the right. The left hand rendering is of the south facade, which will be a full 13 story tower along the entire block of 9th Street between Jackson and Monroe Streets. The low level townhouses styles portions will run along Monroe Street, just behind Shoprite, and along the back portion next to the light rail tracks, which will become part of the new Western Edge Greenway.

The height of the tower is two floors higher than what currently stands at Metrostop. While some might frown at the height of this new project (especially those above the heights whose views of Manhattan will be blocked), HH welcomes the new development. Yet another project breathing new life into Northwestern Hoboken! And more people means greater chance of meaningful new retail for our neighborhood.

Not sure if this is going to be rental or condo (plans may be up in the air considering the state of the market), but from what I wrote about last April it is all but confirmed there will be nearly 8000 square feet of new retail space, as well as new cafe! BOW TO OUR GLORIOUS HIGH AND MIGHTY DEVELOPER OVERLORDS! They are bestowing upon us a gift from the heavens.

* I guess my original wish for a giant chocolate roller coaster and/or new parkland isn't really coming to fruition, but I'm still not giving up hope...

snow day for the doozers?

2008-02-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

Here's one more shot of 800 Madison. Notice the new brick work in various colors, and of course the dusting of snow. Pic doesn't do it justice, but it's very charming in person.

6 to 10 = party 24 / 7

2008-02-22T11:09:00.000-05:00

Just heard they upped the forecast - 6 to 10 inches today! Enjoy...

absolute power corrupts absolutely

2008-02-21T18:54:00.000-05:00

Once again there's some shady business going on in Hoboken. And when local officials are hesitant in being honest, it usually means they are hiding something.

Click the link below to read an article in today's Star Ledger outlining the current battle between Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason, and our City Counsel, over full access and disclosure of public documentation that our local government is apparently refusing to hand over, even though they are required to do so. These documents have to do with developer agreements, conditions, and promises, tied to tax abatements and other redevelopment activities. Additional paperwork on our police department and other financial documents were requested. These records, and the overall argument at hand, affects every single person living in our neighborhood, and the future of northwestern redevelopment.

Case in point: Tarragon recently disclosing they were never obligated to build a community center and town pool, even though they had a sweetheart construction deal with the city to redevelop large swathes of the northwest portion of our neighborhood, a job that was tied to the center / pool / obligation. These were two items, along with our movie theater, that were highly publicized deals by both the developer, and our photo-op-loving Mayor David Roberts.

The only way to change the sad state of affairs of our local government is for us, the ordinary citizens, to get involved. Talk, email, write, and be vocal with those that make the decisions. This town is full of people who love to share their opinions on just about anything, but unless your words turn into action, nothing gets improved. HH may not agree with everything Beth Mason does, but we sure stand behind her fight for full disclosure, and for making sure our government works FOR US, not behind our back while simultaneously sucking our wallets dry.

The Star Ledger: Jersey court to decide how open public records are

See also:

Hoboken Now: Beth Mason's Fight for Transparency at City Hall

Hoboken 411: Mason on Public Records in Hoboken

northwest hoboken in the news!

2008-02-20T00:25:00.000-05:00

I guess my prayers are beginning to be answered? Our little neck of the woods got some much needed attention last week in The New York Daily News. The article pretty much sums up why us pioneers are so lucky to be moving into Northwest Hoboken. The neighborhood offers value, convenience, diversity, space and Chung Park's famous cheese store. Not to mention one of the cities premiere new condo buildings, Metrostop. Enjoy the glow by clicking below:

Hoboken is Under Construction

spaceship madison blasts off

2008-02-18T16:02:00.000-05:00

800 Madison is moving so fast that sometimes I think there might just be thousands of Fraggle Rock doozers working secretly at night to put up this new rental building, and when I wake up each morning to survey the progress, I just can't believe how quickly things are coming together. Believe it or not, the brick work has already begun! Using mid - range shades of light browns, the tones are similar to Metrostop, but with more texture. Images below:

Stacks of concrete litter the adjacent property, which is being used for storage and parking during construction. Eventually, this lot will be built as well, into 900 Monroe, a 13 story mixed used building...

And if that wasn't considered jumping the gun, windows are also being installed at a fast clip. Large window openings will provide plenty of natural light, and the angled bay windows will let you enjoy long distance street views:

Stone and brick work along the garage floor:

800 Madison is so huge, it takes up the entire block. From certain angles it gives off an 'eastern bock' kind of vibe, which is not necessarily a good thing. Hopefully with the added textures of brick, stone, and stucko, it will break up the long lines and soften this beast a little...

follow the yellow brick road

2008-02-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

If you live in the 3rd ward like HH - your voting place is inside Columbus Gardens. It's absurdly hard to find - so just in case you need a little help today, I've posted some visual aids. Below, the view of Columbus Gardens from Jefferson Street between 8th and 9th Streets:

Just walk up the path, then hang a left, then it's down through a basement entrance past the American flag, through a corridor and into a little room with tons of water pipes running along the ceiling and bad lighting. There are a bunch of pleasant women helping voters sign in and cast their ballot. My favorite was the one pushing everyones tickets through a pinhead, and onto a piece of string tied to the voting booth. Low tech, of course, but gets the job done when you need a place to keep everyones receipt.

If you still need clarification - the voting location entrance is directly across the street from The Nail Bar Salon:

I'm sure if our voting place offered a 10% discount for mani/pedi's at The Nail Bar, there would be an instant stampede to cast votes this afternoon. Ahhhh the democratic process!

register to vote, yo

2008-01-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

If you are planning on voting in the upcoming primary elections on Feb 5th - you must be a registered voter! The deadline to register is tomorrow. It's easy, just click here and scroll down to download the form - then mail it in! Simple as pie.

coming soon: the strip mall of our dreams?

2008-01-14T12:01:00.000-05:00

No, the above pic is not the result of deforestation in the Amazon. Nor is it a used Christmas tree farm. All good guesses, but no.

This is the lot across the street (directly west) from our new Clearview Cinemas, currently slated to be built on 14th Street between Adams and Grand Streets. A year ago there had been a sign up on the chain link fence that said "Coming Soon: Retail and Parking". The land sat dorment forever, and now all of a sudden it's half covered in wood pilings! I wonder what's really going up here? Anyone have any further info? Time will tell!

Some worker bees are on site:

One seems a little deflated from the tepid real estate market as of late:

Here's the current state of our glorious Clearview Cinemas, below. This past summer it was announced that Tarragon/URSA, the Upper Grand developer who owns most of the land in the northwest redevelopment zone, was leasing this land to Clearview, which would in turn build their own 5 screen movie theater. It was slated to open Summer 2008. Something tells me this project is not on schedule. Just a hunch...

monroe center for the arts: open studio day today!

2008-01-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

The Monroe center is flinging open it's doors today for a free day of snooping. Want to check out some Sunday creativity? Walk on over and do a little exploring. Plus, it's free. Plus - The Cheese Store is now open on Sundays - (rejoice!) so you MUST stop in and hang out with Chung for a while - he sells the finest cheeses known to humankind, and also sandwiches and other yummy things.

Click here for more info.

P.S. The rendering above is what the owners of Monroe Center plan on turning Monroe Center into - a giant mixed use property with 30 retail shops, luxury condos, parking, studio space, etc...

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-01-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

Interested in ditching work early this afternoon to enjoy happy hour with Barack Obama in Jersey City? Click here to learn more!

you live next to whaaaaa??!

2008-01-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

HH hears a lot of talk around Hoboken about the far west side of town about how people can live so close to public housing, or on top of trains, etc. and be ok with it. On many web-sites including my own, reader comments have been quite negative about this aspect of city living (check out some comments from my Velocity Hoboken posts). I myself don't agree with such close-minded people. As I said from the beginning of our move, it's common place in Manhattan to have multi-million dollar condos right next to things like public housing, and most New Yorker's don't think twice about it. Because in reality it is no big deal. I think there's more of a stigma to this in Hoboken because many new residents of our square mile aren't coming from across the river. They're coming from suburbs farther away and are not used to this aspect of city life.

To further enhance my little Monday evening topic, please click below to read a New York Post article about recent new buildings going up smack dab next to what many people would think of as horrifying neighbors, such as prisons, garbage dumps, and porno shops. Yet there they are, selling at $2000 a square foot to live on top of the BQE, and it's no big deal:

The New York Post - Views You Could Lose

northwest hoboken redevelopment all but ignored by our local media

2007-12-30T03:23:00.000-05:00

Our most recent local paper has just debuted their 2007 year in review, out today, and has a section devoted to the continued redevelopment of our famous gold coast. The story, written by Michael D. Mullins, quickly points out that major projects continue to move ahead in our area despite the national real estate downturn. This is because of our proximity to Manhattan, which insulates us to a very large degree from the larger ups and downs of the market.

HH is very disappointed, however, with Mr. Mullins' coverage of the 'action' in Hoboken. Most of his story centers around Toll Brother's waterfront projects and the new W Hotel that is being built. While those are obviously important projects in our square mile, he only mentions two very small projects in the northwest area of Hoboken: the Emsee, which he unfortunately misspells and Ariel Square, both of which are very small scale developments when compared to other projects in our area. He also writes about Velocity, and how it has gone rental after failing to sell out after a disastrous 2 year construction delay which crippled the original projects momentum. I ask Mr. Mullins - these are the highlights you choose to mention?!

For some odd reason he completely ignores such major projects as Metrostop (the first ever 10 story luxury residential building in our neighborhood) and the most recent Upper Grand buildings (1000 Jefferson and 800 Madison) both of which will have added more than 400 rental units to our burgeoning neighborhood. Not to mention the Monroe Center and their plans for 5 new mixed use buildings, including a parking garage and spaces for 30 retail locations, and a 13 story mixed use building that is about to break ground at 900 Monroe. Why would he choose to ignore such major residential progress in a former industrial area that is arguably the largest residential evolution Hoboken has ever gone through, behind the waterfront transformation? We are completely shocked by his lack of coverage of our neighborhood.

There are not many opportunities to get noticed in the world of real estate, and we all know that media exposure is a crucial stepping stone in the sometimes difficult launch and slow pace of redevelopment. It's a shame we do not receive the exposure we deserve. There are many many people putting lots of time, effort, and money into making our neighborhood a viable place to live. It's a shame that a real estate reporter like Mr. Mullins, who enjoys a very large readership and who is very influential, failed to accurately report the progress of our great neighborhood.

HH can only hope that he his saving his secrets for a much larger story devoted solely to northwest Hoboken, come spring time. Here's to hopin':

Below is the excerpt on Hoboken. To read the entire piece, please click here.

**************************************

Redevelopment was the word in '07
By Michael D. Mullins

Along Hoboken's northern waterfront, Toll Brothers continues to dominate the area near the city's border with Weehawken.

At the town's formerly industrial northern end, a slew of large, boxy factories are slowly being converted to condominiums. They will soon join the already converted 525-unit "Tea Building" at 1500 Washington St., a former Lipton Tea factory. That waterfront property was converted approximately five years ago, and now is home to notables including Gov. Jon Corzine and Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Just west of the "Tea Building," the neighboring buildings are still being developed. Toll Brothers completed the first phase of its 10-story Harborside Lofts building at 1500 Garden St. this past November, with move-ins beginning this month. Of the 116 units completed to date, over 80 percent are already sold, according to Axiom Communications representative Jillian Marano.

Once complete, the condo complex will consist of 748 residential units as well as a 1,250-car garage.

Further down the waterfront, Toll Brothers' third major development is an upscale complex in place of the sprawling former Maxwell House coffee factory. Located in the area of 11th and Sinatra Drive, the first of "Maxwell Place's" four separate buildings was completed this past September, yielding 169 condos of which 97 percent are sold.

By 2010, all four Maxwell Place buildings are expected to be completed, adding a total of 832 units to Hoboken waterfront.

On the southern waterfront, the city's three-block South Waterfront Project has already replaced a former port area. The two piers are being used for park space, and the Applied Development Company is continuing construction on the much-anticipated W Hotel, to add to their already built condo complex and office building nearby.

The 25-story W Hotel will contain 225 rooms once complete, as well as an 11,000-square-foot ballroom. The hotel is expected to open in late 2008 and will be operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

There are also many developments inland and far west, even near the public housing projects.

A four-story, 21-unit condominium known as Ariel Square was completed this month at the corner of Fifth and Jackson streets. Only a few hundred feet away is a four and five story condominium known as the Emcee, which consists of 12 units and will be completed in March of 2008.

Both buildings were constructed by the New York City-based TreeTop Development. Adam Mermelstein, a principal of TreeTop, said in a press release that nearly 50 percent of the combined 33 units between both residencies had been sold as of this past week.

One block away on a much larger scale, locally-based Remi Companies has transformed what once was the city's towing yard into a 128-unit condominium called the Velocity. Located at Sixth and Jackson, the four-story residential complex was completed last June.

Remi CEO Eric A. Kaiser said the development initially began as condominiums, but since August of this year, it changed into a rental facility after observing that "sales were sliding." Most of the units rent for between $2,800 and $3,100.

The city also saw residents and politicians arguing over proposed parameters for several redevelopment zones in formerly industrial areas. After months of debating plans for the city's southernmost border, the City Council asked the Planning Board to incorporate new features of a revised "Southwest Redevelopment Plan." The City Council has not formerly adopted the new plan. After it does, the next step is to seek out developers who will conform to the guidelines.

The city also has other redevelopment regions in the works.

With development occurring in every corner, park activists made sure that the remaining undeveloped land should stay that way.

The Maxwell Place Waterfront Park, a 5-acre community amenity from Toll Brothers, opened this past November.

The city expects two other parks to be completed by the late spring of 2008, which are 1600 Park and 1500 Park, located near the Hoboken-Weehawken border and totaling an additional 4 acres of space.

800 madison is coming together

2007-12-20T11:29:00.000-05:00

Here are a few shots of 800 Madison, the very large rental building being build on the entire block of land between Madison and Monroe, and 8th and 9th Streets. Sections are being delivered and installed on site - and work is moving very fast.

Compared to other URSA / Tarragon projects, which are all part of the 'Upper Grand' redevelopment project, this one seems to be a bit more modern and comtemporary. one major similarity, and a signature that is being carried over, is the townhouse style entrances on Madison and Monroe. The building is set very far back from the street, to allow for staircases. Everyone's favorite!

Has anyone heard of a completion date?

digging for gold

2007-12-20T11:27:00.000-05:00

Remember everyone's favorite princess who's been sitting on a mountain of cash all these years? Yes, that's her ranch house on the corner there, next to 1000 Jefferson. Well whomever owns the empty land next to her has smartened up and is about to build! Check it out...

thank god almighty, we're free at last

2007-12-16T14:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the scaffolding was taken down at the 9th Street light rail stop - which is great news for all us commuters. The back of Metrostop, which is very close to the light rail platform, is pretty much complete with exterior work, save for the first and second floor windows. The last few months has been frustrating, and at times, unnerving. With scaffolding support poles that were installed right in front of the opening light rail doors, it was difficult to get on and off the trains during peak hours. And with reduced lighting and visibility, I know many of us haven't felt safe getting off at 9th Street in the evenings. HH is very happy the scaffolding period lasted only a short time.

When do you think the northern entrance to this light rail stop will officially open??

Also strange yesterday - all trains were all running on the south bound track for some reason. What a juggling act that must have been!

Here's the latest shot of Metrostop for your veiwing pleasure:

man down! man down!

2007-12-16T13:45:00.000-05:00

A mysterious tree vandal? Or simply a case of a shallow root system and absolutely no tree stake support? We'll never know for sure, but there's a casualty on 9th Street outside of Fields Crossing. Can she be saved? Let's see how many days it takes to get someone over to repair or replace!

oh baby she's a grand ol' dame

2007-11-24T12:30:00.000-05:00

So many of us make such a big deal about the Upper Grand redevelopment, and all the great work they are doing to transform unused, abandoned, and generally not so attractive or safe land into successful new living spaces. And although our new community is growing, and has along way to go, I thought it would be a nice idea to show you all some of the beauty that can be found in the older sections of Grand Street, just north of Columbus Park. They don't build 'em like they used to, huh? Pretty amazing like the residential courtyard above, and the old light posts below:

To even older apartment buildings:

Where the garage doors...

Match the Fall foliage perfectly...

Old school factory buildings, like the metal manufacturer, have been kept up and preserved:

To old growth trees that provide so much beauty. Our generation will probably not live to see the young trees planted on all our new streets ever get this big, but our children probably will:

And the last gasp of our old Hoboken - the original cobble stone streets. I wish that developers would incorporate cobble stones into their new construction - from sidewalks or edging the landscaping, it would be nice to connect with the past in a way that is modern. If you look closely around town under all those potholes and craters, you can sometimes see the old cobble stones peaking through...

Enjoy the rest of the long weekend everyone...

exclusive first look: 800 madison & 900 monroe

2007-11-19T11:55:00.000-05:00

I've received numerous questions regarding what 800 Madison will look like when complete - and HH is now here to answers your prayers. These two images were captured from marketing materials in a window at one of our local Realtor offices on Washington St. The first is a rendering of 800 Madison (above) which is located on Madison between 8th and 9th streets, and takes up the entire block. It looks as though this Tarragon/Ursa project will be somewhat more modern looking than their previous efforts (1000 Jefferson and numerous other Upper Grand buildings). It will be 6 stories, with corner retail spots. Not sure if those famous 2nd story stoops will be included in this new project. Also no word on whether this is going to be a rental or a condo. Given the current state of the market, my guess is that it's going rental. We'll have to wait and see. 800 Madison is currently under construction.

900 Monroe (below), the first 12 story high rise mixed use condo project in northwest Hoboken will feature condos as well as a restaurant. This new project is located adjacent to 800 Madison, just off the light rail on 9th and Monroe. You are looking at the view up 9th Street towards to Palisades Cliffs and trees. The Liquor Store side of Shopright and the video store is on the right. Work has been done to clear the site, but there's been no word when construction will begin. Look at all that shiny glass!

The quality of the images are obviously poor, my apologies. The renderings were very small to begin with and I had to snap them with my blackberry at night through glass. Also HH had one too many martinis before taking these photos, so please don't shoot the messenger! (Just in case we have a few Hooters girls who may be reading this morning :)

we're famous! but at what cost?

2007-11-19T11:52:00.000-05:00

Here's a little Monday morning treat for you - our little Hoboken S.W.A.T. Team / Hooters snafu has made the front page of cnn.com and ABC. We're going national, baby! Click here to watch, giggle a bit, and then slowly lower your head in shame.

Or if you'd prefer to hang out with the Gray Lady, click here.

Oy.

a brisk day in the park

2007-11-16T12:06:00.000-05:00

Here's a look at the middle of Columbus Park. The city has planted a ton o' mums. Below, a few shots of my favorite type of tree, the Sycamore.

Today: sunny, windy, high of 47. Looks like Fall is finally upon us...

the hoboken definition of s.w.a.t.

2007-11-15T13:34:00.000-05:00

S.W.A.T. (Shotguns Waving Around Titties)

They didn't even mention how yummy the buffalo wings are! You simply must click here and watch for yourself.

beware of the shady cable man

2007-11-14T17:54:00.000-05:00

From today's Joursey Journal:

Police say watch out for phony cable guy
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
By CHARLES HACK

HOBOKEN - Cops are warning residents to be on the lookout for a suspicious man posing as a cable television technician.

A woman who lives on Adams Street near Seventh Street said a man about 6 feet tall, with a tan hat and coat, knocked on her door on Friday at 1 p.m. and claimed to be making a service call for Cablevision.

He said he had to replace "chips and wires" in the basement of the four-story apartment building, and that the company was doing repairs in the area. After asking him to come back later, the woman called Cablevision, who told her that they were not in the area and the man was not their employee.

Hoboken Police Department Detective Sgt. Samuel Williams said the woman did the right thing and he recommended always asking for an ID of an uninvited visitor, and contacting the party he or she claims to represent.

isn't this just a given?

2007-11-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

11th and Jefferson...

spill in isle grand st

2007-11-10T12:17:00.000-05:00

MIA shopping cart alert!

let the sun shin in

2007-11-10T12:09:00.000-05:00

The sections of Metrostop that feature large floor to ceiling windows have been going in this week! Here area few pics:

Veeeeeery fancy!

hey mom, i got a b+ !!

2007-11-09T14:32:00.000-05:00

Interesting story in today's New York Times about how the flailing home sales market is being negatively influenced by too many doom and gloom news stories that keep appearing in the media. And that a turn around would happen at a quicker pace if we just stopped talking about all the bad news. HH tends to agree with Toll on this one. A positive outlook attracts a positive life. Here's the piece:

Blame for Poor Home Sales? It’s the Press, a Builder Says

By FLOYD NORRIS
Published: November 9, 2007

The housing market is horrible in most parts of the country, says the chief executive of the luxury home builder Toll Brothers, and he fears it will not get better until the newspapers stop saying how bad it is.

Work continues on Toll Brothers luxury homes in the Brier Creek Country Club development in Raleigh, N.C., despite record cancellations and plummeting sales, down 36 percent.

Toll Brothers, which has operations in 22 states, said yesterday that it expected to take a write-down of $250 million to $450 million because of declining land values when it reports results for the quarter that ended Oct. 31. The company said sales for the quarter fell 36 percent, to $1.17 billion, and that customers backed out of 39 percent of their orders, the highest rate ever.

Robert I. Toll, the chief executive, handed out grades for 37 markets that the company operates in, and most got a mark of F or worse.

“The fact that I differentiate between F, F-minus and F-minus-minus” shows just how bad things are, he told analysts during a conference call. He said those grades “go from miserable to outright purgatory.”

The lowest grade went to Las Vegas and Tampa, Fla.

“Perhaps as the presidential campaign heats up and moves to the front page, negative articles about housing will move off the front page,” he said. “Then, hopefully, the positive underpinnings of low interest rates, low unemployment and a decent economy will raise new-home-buyer confidence.”

The company said many of the canceled home purchases were for its more expensive homes. The average price of new orders in the quarter was $646,000, but the average price of canceled orders was $788,000.

He said a survey of Toll customers who canceled contracts showed that only 11 percent reported trouble getting mortgages. More either had personal financial problems or were unable to sell the homes they already owned. “People who just wanted to walk” accounted for 17 percent of the cancellations, he said.

“Translation, they’ve read one too many Times articles, and decided now is not the time to buy a home,” he said.

Nearly all the decent grades went to markets in and around New York City, while some of the worst grades were given to once-hot second-home markets.

The best grade, B-plus, went to Toll’s “city living” apartment projects in the New Jersey suburbs of New York, while similar projects in the city received a B, as did Princeton, N.J., and the states of Delaware and Connecticut. The suburban New York counties of Dutchess and Putnam, which he views as one market, earned a C-plus.

The F-minus grade went to the vacation communities of Hilton Head, S.C.; Palm Springs, Calif.; the Maryland shore; and the Poconos area of Pennsylvania, as well as to Michigan and Atlanta.

The F grade was the one most often given, going to Arizona, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Minnesota and Southern California outside of Palm Springs. The cities of Chicago; San Antonio; Charlotte, N.C.; and Reno, Nev., got the same mark, as did the eastern and northern parts of Florida. Mr. Toll noted that Minnesota had improved to get its grade up to an F.

Another area that has improved, he said, was the western part of Florida, which moved up to a C, although he said that might reflect Toll’s aggressive price cuts. He also awarded C’s to the Texas cities of Austin and Dallas. Colorado got a C-minus.

Raleigh, N.C., fell to D-plus, while D’s were given to most of New Jersey and to Northern California, as well as to Washington and its Maryland suburbs, and the Philadelphia suburbs. D-minus was the grade for West Virginia and central Florida, including Orlando.

Mr. Toll said the downturn was worse than the one in the early 1990s, adding “the growth in the rate of cancellations, the decline in new contracts, and the weaknesses we observed in October suggest that we still have tough times ahead.”

Click here to read the article on The New York Times website.

if you don't speak up, no one will hear you

2007-11-06T12:04:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to vote today. I did and it only took 30 seconds. I even had a chance to flirt with the ladies behind the official polling desk.

Click here to find your local polling place. Just type in your info and it clearly lists where you should go.

Polls are open till 8pm tonight!

yes it is really november

2007-11-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

Strange sight for November, huh? Remember all those trees and shrubbery that 1000 Jefferson planted last month? Well all the trees along Madison Street have started flowering:

Global warming may be royally screwing up the planet, but at least things look pretty while we're on our way to hell in a flower basket.

what, no face paint?

2007-11-05T14:05:00.000-05:00

Hungry Shoprite shoppers recently enjoyed an exuberant display of Washington Redskins fan worship. He's really into it! If I was a Hoboken traffic cop I would give him special treatment and let him park in the yellow area.

HH does the same thing with our car, except we like to display images of Oprah!

crate & barrel fire sale

2007-11-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

Sunday afternoon there was some sort of problem on the roof of our local Shoprite. The Hoboken Fire Department was called into action to investigate. These are some pics taken on Monroe Street.

Then a brief traffic jam appeared when Crate & Barrel tried to deliver a couch to someone. They couldn't squeeze under the fire truck ladder. Home delivery horror! Lucky after a few minutes the truck was able to pass, and everyone was happy again.

let there be light!

2007-11-03T14:07:00.000-04:00

It seems there may be some new lamp posts going in around Fields Crossing. HH wonders why this has taken so long, considering this building was finished in 2006? Regardless, this is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

More light = safer streets at night!

let freedom cash registers ring

2007-11-03T13:50:00.000-04:00

Window logos are up on Liberty Gourmet!

halloween belated

2007-11-03T13:24:00.000-04:00

Here are some belated Halloween pics from around the hood...

Boo!

love me render love me true

2007-10-31T12:46:00.000-04:00

Here are some fresh renderings of Metrostop. This first one above, is of the south end, where Amelia's Bistro will be. I have a few questions:

1 Will there really be an access point to the light rail from this area, or will residents have to walk around the block? There are pretty tall permanent black iron fences up along the light rail, which will probably stay put for safety reasons. Will we have another Maxwell Place park fence debacle on our hands come springtime?

2 Are those really grass plants going in along the sitting stairs? I hope so, we at HH are totally obsessed with grass plants.

For the record, I have to say it is awesome to see the developer putting so much effort into creating public common areas on this property. It will go a long way towards creating more of a community feeling back there. Lord knows we need it.

Below are images of the two interior finishes available - shaker and contemporary. I like the contemporary with the dark wood and light counter tops.

Below is a living room rendering looking east towards Manhattan. I'm assuming this is from the top floor perspective? The view is so spectatular you can almost see our new 45K northwest Hoboken redevelopment plan from up there!

Tu che!

In case you've been living on another planet and have not heard of this new 'green' condo building going up in northwest Hoboken, here is the link to their official website:

www.metrostop.com

garage level concrete is finished!

2007-10-31T11:59:00.000-04:00

800 Madison has finally finished its concrete flooring! First floor exterior walls are up too. This week they have been delivering the upper floor framing, which is being installed as we speak. More pics soon...

Hoboken in AM New York

2007-10-30T14:00:00.000-04:00

Great piece in AM New York a few days ago - I've reproduced it below. Click here to read the full story, with 7 additional pages of recommendations on eating, drinking, playing, sleeping, relaxing, indulging, buying, selling, etc:

CITY LIVING: HOBOKEN
By Miranda Siegel | Special to amNewYork

October 25, 2007

Long-time Hoboken residents relish the opportunity to rattle off a list of their hometown's firsts: the city's lore includes the first baseball game, the first ice cream cone, the first zipper, the country's first brewery and the world's first ferry service.

As if that weren't enough, Hoboken was the shooting locale for "On the Waterfront" and the boyhood home of Frank Sinatra -- there's even a street named for ol' blue eyes himself.

New Jersey's "Mile Square City" was purchased by the Dutch and Flemish settlers from the Lenape for a few wampum, blankets and guns in 1630. After changing hands several times, it was bought by Colonel John Stevens in 1784, who developed it into a waterfront vacation spot for wealthy Manhattanites. Stevens also founded the Hoboken Land Improvement Company, which laid out the street grid that still exists today.

In the latter part of the 19th century, Hoboken found itself in the center of a number of shipping routes, which allowed it to sprout into a thriving industrial center. In its heyday, the city was home to Maxwell House, Lipton Tea, Hostess, Bethlehem Steel and Todd Shipyards.

Things became difficult for Hoboken after the war, when it became more common to build factories outside of congested urban areas. A number of Hoboken residents packed up for the suburbs and the city fell into decline. It was until the 1970s and 1980s that the area began to revive itself, as artists, musicians and young professionals -- recognizing the charm and good quality of the existing structures -- began relocating there.

Today, Hoboken is largely home to professionals, recent college graduates and families.

"There are college kids all over the place," explained resident Andrew Lang. "You can tell because everyone walks around still wearing their college sweatshirts." Resident Brian Vermeulen observed, "I'm seeing a lot more strollers out on the sidewalks these days."

Though the population has changed, much of Hoboken's history is present in the architecture that has been proudly preserved by the Hoboken District Commission, which must approve any changes made to an historic building. The city's main artery, Washington Street, is a toybox cute commercial strip decked out in wrought-iron street signs and characterized by a series of carefully updated and preserved historic storefronts.

Aside from that, "It's all nail salons, dry cleaners and sushi," mused Vermeulen. According to Lang, "it's all Irish pubs, real estate agents, and restaurants."

But the old population hasn't been completely replaced-yet. "Things are changing, but there are still a few long-time residents around," said Lang. "A lot of older Italian women who sit on their steps and just watch everything happen. It still does have that old feeling sometimes."

"hoboken ... where? what?! what are you talking about??"

2007-10-29T05:00:00.000-04:00

Be proud of where you live! Check out this video from www.intothebox.tv about Hoboken and why we were voted the #1 place to live by Money Magazine. All you Manhattanites, listen up!

the leaning tower of pizzastop

2007-10-23T12:02:00.000-04:00

How's this for a cool shot? The above pic is taken from the south portion of Metrostop, looking east. From this angle, you can see the wide open space that will be used for socializing, lounging, sculpture viewing, and drinking bottle after bottle of vino at the future home of Amelia's bistro. You can also see the slanted upper portion of the building that is currently being put together with metal framing. Not sure what's going to cover this area.

Below you can see another shot of the south end, the rounded end. Most of the slider windows have been put in, and most of the brick work is finished as well:

Here's a closer look at the slanted southeast portion:

And this is the middle of the facade along Jackson Street. This empty portion is where floor to ceiling glass will be installed. Very cool. Also not very common in Hoboken, which lends a sense of uniqueness to the area. Those middle units are going to be sweet.

Here is a closeup of the brick being used. I've read many comments from people who've noted that the brick being used on this project is much darker and redder than on the initial rendering. I happen to agree, however in certain light, they do cast a lighter tone. At the end of the day it looks pretty good though:

Here's a first level door that was installed a few weeks ago along Jackson Street. Looks to be a service entrance?

Here's the north end - the gray end, covered mostly in grey tone brick. My partner is obsessed with this side of the building, and wishes they had covered the entire building in this color. He feels there is too much red brick in this area of town, and we could have used something a little more modern. To each his own...

The construction crew is hard at work framing the condos inside. They really have picked up speed these last few weeks. And they've really lucked out with the great weather we've been having. Here's to hoping they get all those windows installed before the weather turns cold. Otherwise those upper floors are going to turn into one giant freezing cold wind tunnel!

Enjoy the day today everyone, before it rains later on...

mums the word

2007-10-22T17:02:00.000-04:00

You may be still wearing shorts and flip flops, but Fall flowers are starting to pop up everywhere...

self guided artist studio tour starts now!

2007-10-21T15:00:00.000-04:00

Want to explore over one hundred different artist studios today? Well now's your chance. With a very cool self guided walking tour of Hoboken's creative community, today is the perfect Fall day to get inspired. For more information click here!

And just in time, the Monroe Center for the Arts has finally finished their sidewalks, so go ahead and brings the kids, they now won't have to run the risk falling into unfinished sidewalk ditches!

Monroe has also planted some new trees, however they are currently being strangled by low hanging utility wires. So until someone fixes that little unsightly problem, I'll spare you the horrendous pictures.

Enjoy the day today!

sw6 tonight @ 6pm: a greener, greater hoboken

2007-10-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

If it is important to you that we have open park space in Hoboken, then I urge you to attend tonights City Council meeting at the Multi Service Center located at 124 Grand Street in Hoboken. It's open to the public and begins at 6pm.

Tonight you will be treated to such interesting topics such as storm water retention technology, sustainable design, LEED accreditation for new development, and everyone's favorite: The North Hudson Sewerage Authority!

In case you haven't heard of SW6 until just now, it's a comprehensive action plan for southwest Hoboken that including a six acre park, flooding solutions, and other interesting ideas for the future of SW Hoboken.

Click here to download the SW6 official master plan in pdf form.

Or visit www.hobokenspc.org for more info.

Although this is normally out of HH's territory, we felt it was important to bring to light. And besides, Hoboken is a total slacker in the green open space department. It would be a shame to miss out on such an interesting opportunity to completely transform a corner of our city into something truly revolutionary.

And even if you're not up for a revolution, wouldn't you at least like the opportunity to try and spot HH in the crowd?

landscaping excellence award, oct 2007 goes to...

2007-10-09T11:03:00.000-04:00

Seemingly back from the dead, the landscaping around Fields Crossing has been completely reinvigorated. At last count, 30 dying to totally dead dead deadsky (Beatlejuice reference) plants were pulled out of the ground to make room for lively replenishments. After a summer of looking as if Fields was in the midst of a landscaping labor strike, things seem to be back on track. Here's another shot of the front:

The north side of the building is a continuous line of shrubs:

The Jackson street side is now home to a slew of new cypress!

All new mulch was layed down:

To give you a small glimpse of what everyone in the neighborhood has been staring at all summer, here's a little unfortunate taste:

HORROR!

TRAGEDY!

SHEER TERROR!

There was also a slight weed problem:

But those nightmarish images are now a long distant memory. Keep up the good work, Fields. Now break out the water hose!

45k = northwest hoboken transformed into heaven on earth!

2007-10-08T11:59:00.000-04:00

Our City Council recently voted to pay 45K for the creation of a new northwest Hoboken redevelopment plan. The article from The Jersey Journal is below. HH would have done it for 10K. Then we could have then used that extra 35K to buy trees for our new 4 acre park. Or something.

* * * * * * * * * *

Friday, October 05, 2007

By CHARLES HACK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

HOBOKEN - The City Council has approved a $45,000 contract to create a plan to develop 10 acres at the western edge of the Mile Square City.

The City Council, which passed the resolution by a 5-3 vote at Wednesday's meeting, awarded a contract to create the West Side Redevelopment Area study to Manhattan-based planners, Phillip Preiss Shapiro Associates, Inc.

Once complete, the plan will detail how a developer for the area will have to deliver mixed-use residential and retail buildings with a new recreation center, swimming pool and a four-acre park running alongside the Light Rail tracks, Community Development Director Fred Bado said.

As envisioned, the park will include playground equipment, a dog run and a bike-and-pedestrian path. The city's Master Plan calls for the path to one day circle the entire city.

On July 18, a council resolution designated the area - roughly bounded by the railway tracks between Ninth and 14th streets - as the Western Edge Redevelopment Area, based on a study authored by the same consultants.

The area includes the west side of Monroe Street from Ninth to 12th streets, the west side of Madison Street from 12th to 14th streets and the west side of Jefferson Street between 12th and 13th streets.

Apart from a new 12-story condominium development at 900 Monroe St., the area is comprised mostly of vacated industrial buildings, with one trucking company still operating there.

The designated developer will build and then convey the completed pool, recreation center, and possibly the park, to the city, officials said. And the project will also follow the state requirement of making 10 percent of the new housing as affordable housing units.

The planning process will take up to six months before an ordinance goes before the City Council for a first reading.

liberty gourmet coming soon

2007-09-28T11:33:00.000-04:00

In other retail news - Liberty Gourmet (bodega? food shop? specialty meats?) has as sign up on 11th and Adams. No doubt these new stores are springing up to help support the oncoming assault of new neighbors with the opening of 1000 Jefferson. Maybe they should open a pool maintenance store?

chic new dry cleaners multiply

2007-09-28T11:28:00.000-04:00

The corner of 12th and Grand, which is a Tarragon/URSA property, also know as part of the Upper Grand redevelopment, has just opened it's first retail location - and it's none other than the chicest dry cleaner on the block. This is the second location in the area for this colorful clean addition to the neighborhood. Their other location is on 8th and Jefferson.

new email address

2007-09-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

HH has changed our email address. In the future if you have any tips, thoughts, comments, complaints, conspiracy theories, breaking news, jokes, pics, love notes, etc., please email:

hobokenheroblog@gmail.com

1000 jefferson, a lush concrete jungle!

2007-09-25T11:14:00.000-04:00

At last there's some life at 1000 Jefferson! It's mostly green and doesn't speak much, but hey, it's a start! The above view, and the few below, are pics from the east side of the building, where one continuous tree type was used along the entire effect. When they flower in the spring it will be truly beautiful. Below, some grass plants and other ground cover:

Here's the view on the east side, facing north from the last stoop. Pretty cool that the trees enclose the view of the street, giving a treetop feeling. If that was my place, I'd drag a little bistro table and chairs out front and have coffee in the morning and read the paper. Who am I kidding? I never leave time for that in the morning, I'm always rushing around like a moron:

Here's a shot of the northeast retail space, which is one of four retail locations on the block. With such a huge influx of people, and the proximity to Shoprite, it should be no time before each spot is filled:

There are a lot of these trees on the west side of the building - all of their leaves have turned brown or fallen off, but there are tons of little red berries all over them. Must be what happens in fall? Or are they going through plant shock?

Nothin' says lovin' like a good birch tree:

It's hard to tell from the below pic, but they've planted very small leafy ground cover, which will eventually fill in and cover the mulch:

Here's another shot of the west side trees:

On a side note - on every side they've put in these jumbo sized lights!

Signage in the corner windows:

This lux rental building opening it's doors next month! Not sure how warm the pool will be in October, but after a few cocktails you won't feel the temperature anyway!

feels like fall, doesn't it?

2007-09-16T11:25:00.000-04:00

slices and dices no more

2007-09-13T23:58:00.000-04:00

Slices Unique Hair Styles...

Looks like it was once a very cool place to get a haircut. Jackson btwn 5th and 6th.

tick tock you don't stop!

2007-09-13T23:54:00.000-04:00

There's a new emsee in town, and he's living on Jackson between 5th and 6th streets. This new construction is sandwiched between very old structures that should have been bought out to redevelop the entire block, but there must have been a snag. Nonetheless, it's across the way from Velocity Hoboken, and a block or so from the other high profile new building going up that HH loves very much: Ariel Square by Treetop Development. Below is a shot of the Emsee Hoboken.

Here's the pricing structure of the 12 available units:

For more info click below:

www.emseehoboken.com

It seems this place is much more reasonably priced than what was across the street at Velocity Hoboken. Realism can equal happiness after all!

like a ton a.....

2007-09-10T12:09:00.000-04:00

The crew at Metrostop is moving fast these days, with bricklaying having started over a week ago. They are really picking up speed! Below are three pictures of the south end of the building, with the beautiful rounded exterior, and the expansive outdoor stairs cases. Things are looking good. This place is going to turn into a charming social hub for our burgeoning neighborhood.

Here's a shot of the back side which faces the light rail. I must say, after watching the construction so far - it seems as though they are taking extra precautions to make sure the light rail 'noise' is kept at bay. The walls have many layers to them. As long as the windows that were chosen are insulated and thick, there should be little to no noise pollution for those living on the west side of the building. It should also be noted, that since the condos begin on what is really floor 3, all that will be seen out of their windows is lovely green trees blowing in the wind along the cliffs.

Here's a shot of the north end of the building, with the very high columns and balcony overhangs of apartments above. It seems this area is the main entrance for Metrostop, and it also serves as a transient area for access to the light rail. For the time being, that access point is closed, but when it opens, it will be a very convenient access point for home owners and the local neighbors who live beyond Jackson Street.

During their lunch breaks, the construction crew enjoys makeshift wire tire swing competitions:

This is a shot of the east side of Metrostop, along Jackson Street. This corner point, pictured below, will be finished using slick grey brick. A very cool contrast to the reddish brown bricks that are being used on the majority of the building.

I haven't covered Metrostop in a while now. If you are reading and haven't heard of this premiere building that is going up in northwest Hoboken - click below to learn more. When completed in June of 2008, it is set to completely transform this part of town.

www.metrostop.com

P.S. Still no confirmation of a Starbucks going in, in case you were wondering...

heresay: monroe center developer running low on $$$

2007-09-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

Rumor has it the developer of 800 Monroe, and The Monroe Center for the Arts is running low on funds. Which would explain the unfortunate lack of construction progress. HH has also heard they may be trying to unload their undeveloped property.

What have you heard? Please leave a comment...

perhaps a future park?

2007-09-01T18:59:00.000-04:00

Our mayor was quoted as saying Thirteenth and Jefferson could be the perfect spot for a new park. Anyone have some extra grass seed lying around? And something to break up this concrete? And a few million dollars?

Happy Labor Day everone! Sorry for the lack of posting, I've been travelling. HH will be reenergized after the long weekend...

here comes the sun, little darlin'

2007-08-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

Cheers to a sunny weekend!

Pictured is a vintage street sign - white with black lettering, instead of the current green variation. Sort of wish they brought this old school style back into play...

it's all in the details...

2007-08-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

The staircases at 1000 Jefferson are well on their way. They make me jealous. HH wishes he still had a stoop to hang out on! Below, some cool machines:

This one looks like a giant insect to me:

The sidewalks have been installed, and they've done a great job:

They're finishing up the masonry work along the roof line, and it's really beautiful. Can't wait to see the finished building. Hard to believe it's really a rental...

rain, rain, go away

2007-08-20T11:15:00.000-04:00

1201 adams, what happened??

2007-08-20T11:08:00.000-04:00

Some unbalanced person with an electric pruner took a trip to crazy town with the trees boardering 1201 Adams, the recipient of our recent landscaping Awards for August 2007. What a shame. Why would someone prune the trees to such a small state?? HH is very dismayed.

900 monroes and 1 lonely sneaker

2007-08-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Work was finished so fast at the 900 Monroe demo site, people were even forgetting their footwear as they were leaving. Sad, lonely sneaker:

It seems as though this site has now turned into a temporary parking lot and staging area, for the ongoing work at 800 Madison, which is across the street:

Wonder how long they will use this land as a parking lot, and when they will begin construction on the planned 12 story luxury condo? Bets, anyone?

my tire swing is on fire mommy!

2007-08-15T12:24:00.000-04:00

Considering all the hub bub recently about synthetic playground materials, I thought you might be interested in checking out this recent video from cnn.com about a playground that spontaneously burst into flames in Arlington and no one knows exactly why. Check it out:

CNN Video: Spontaneous Combustion Playground

Hey, at least it's a bunch of wood chips that are on fire. Imagine if it was synthetic astro-turf material like in Church Square Park? Toxic melting goo is so much fun to play on!

halibej is sealin' the deal

2007-08-14T13:30:00.000-04:00

The Monroe Center of the Arts. I've called and left messages about possible retail opportunities. Other HH readers have called about possible retail opportunities. And there's been no response. None. At all. So I'm hoping with these new signs that have gone up on every available store front window, that Mr. Halibej is finally serious about filling those available retail spots - pronto!

Come on all you retail powerhouses out there - Pret a Manger, Rosa Mexicana, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, J Crew, Smith & Hawken, Scoop, The Container Store - get on the phone and give 'em a call. We'd love to be your neighbor!