Welcome to the latest Weehawken Gazette. This publication is now two years old and started accepting pledges last July. We have 34 paying subscribers — one more than last issue! We truly appreciate it. And now we have a few ways to express our thanks.

New contributors! New benefits for subs!

We have two excellent journalists who have impressive CVs currently working on pieces for upcoming issues, and they will be paid thanks to people who have opted to support local content.

And… we hired our first illustrator! Check it:

Yes, Matteo Garcia is a young and talented Weehawken artist we ran into at Bagels On Park who was ready to contribute. He produced his piece, seen above, the same day it was commissioned, and so we paid him the same day. He’s the best. We expect great things from him.

And now we have a gift!

1. Paying subscribers can send us a classified ad of up to 150 characters, and as long as it’s not evil, we’ll print it at no charge.*

2. Paying subs can now get a beautiful limited edition Weehawken Gazette postcard with a stamp on it. Just ask, and we will deliver or mail. Learn more about this new postcard and see it here on our Instagram.

Wanna be a super-cool supporter of local info and vibes? Below is the button to subscribe or upgrade, and thank you so much to all free and paying subscribers.

⚰️ 🍟 RIP Coach House Hackensack

In our last issue we wrote about disappearing diners in NJ, and gave a rec for a local one you may have overlooked. So we’re bummed to inform you that the Coach House in Hackensack (not to be confused with their other outpost in North Bergen, which is now CH, a Latin steak house) was one of the last 24-hour diners in the state and employees were surprised and some left “tearful” by its abrupt closure.

According to the Bergen Record, the Coach House looks like it’s been bought by a car wash company. Bye bye 2AM hot wings, hello Toyota hot wax.

Sources: Coach House Diner Sold, by Megan Burrow

Coach House Diner Closes, Employees Bid Tearful (And Abrupt) Farewell, by Cecilia Levine

With Coach House gone, how many 24/7 diners are left in New Jersey?, by Amanda Wallace

☕ Gotan Gotan Gone

Located right next to a Dunkin’ and a stone’s throw from the 495, the Weehawken outpost of Gotan, a super-spare coffee and Mediterranean-ish cafe, is no more. They closed the location recently — exactly when is not clear, but maybe they lost faith in it long ago, because the Gotan Weehawken social media stopped posting in December 2024, a few months after their much much larger Hoboken outpost opened. And about two months ago, the Gotan in Jersey City that opened in February 2023, also closed. Gotan Hoboken and the original Tribeca location are still going.

📣 🌮 Urban Taqueria To Open a 2nd Location

In happier restaurant news, we have the best tacos, made by the best people right on Park Ave in Weehawken. Here’s an early heads-up that they will soon be opening a second location in Union City. You could wait until we can share more, or just follow them on Instagram now, instagram.com/urbantaquerianj, and you’ll be the first to know.

Related: Our piece in May 2025 on the Hoboken Taco drama

Bomb Squad Torpedoes Frat’s Favorite Decor

On Thursday March 26, the same day the FBI raided a Hoboken apartment to foil an alleged firebomb plot, the Jersey City bomb squad was deployed to a fraternity at Stevens Institute of Technology to swoop up a WWII-era torpedo.

Rumors flew. But no one was in danger and there was no ill will behind it. The story in The Stute, the Stevens student newspaper, is hilarious, penned by a talented writer who readers will know as an occasional Gazette contributor and unpaid copyeditor.

Read the story: Bomb’s away: police take missile from Stevens fraternity, by Hugo Holland, staff writer

Big Bird Nerd News

Our Tern is a Hoboken-based bird advocacy organization we admire. We wrote about them in January and made it clear that we think Weehawken should have an honorary bird too. At a recent event at the Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken, the first step in making this real happened, as they unveiled a beautiful new collaboration: they’ve taken a Tern shaped-decoy and used a local Weehawken artist to make it our own.

Why was this project done? We asked Jeff Train, educator and the driving force behind the Our Tern project and his response knocked it out of the park.

“Hoboken & Weehawken may be different cities, but we are one ecological habitat. The duck you spot by the Chart House in the morning settles down for a nap near the Frank Sinatra statue in the afternoon. Our Tern wants to support our common environments, and we want to be good neighbors! That is why we are working with Weehawken’s birders, students, and residents to help tell your avian story. After many discussions and reflections, we connected with Elizabeth McParland, an incredible artist and teacher who has created an iconic decoy. Using Hoboken’s honorary bird as a canvas, Elizabeth has connected WeeHAWKen with the red-tailed buteo that soars up and down the cliffs. This incredible symbol, which perched on high rises as well as trees on the palisades is a reminder that Weehwaken is a city connected to nature: it sits on the magnificent palisades, it soars over the Hudson River, and it rides the winds between. And through it all nature thrives.”

Since meeting, Elizabeth and Jeff have gone birding with students, and they will both be participating in Hoboken’s Earth Day celebrations on Sunday, April 26.

How did they meet? I was dreaming of getting a hawk as our local bird and Jeff was looking for someone to paint one for us. I said, “I know lots of local artists, but in fact I know the perfect artist for this.” Elizabeth is not only a teacher at Weehawken High School, she’s also head of the Climate Club there. And she’s a fabulous artist whose openings I first started attending in 2019.

Related: Alessio’s in Hoboken’s Resiliency Park recently added bird-safety measures. Great video they made about it here.

🚨 🗳️ School & Municipal Elections

From chatting with locals, we have found that few have a grasp of what is happening in terms of local elections, and we are here to say this is not their fault.

Election news is super confusing and hard to find, and because we do not have a newspaper covering Hudson County, how would you even know? Much, but not all, of the information is online but buried in PDFs. Chat GPT, for example, said that Weehawken council incumbent Rosemary Lavagnino was running against a challenger. This is not true: Rosemary is leaving the council voluntarily after many years of service. We only consulted AI because we saw some people are getting their info there, and this is problematic to say the least. So here’s what you need to know:

Elections and dates

April 21: Annual school elections are happening in North Bergen, West New York & Weehawken.

May 12: May municipal elections in Bayonne, Union City & Weehawken

What Ward are you in? Union City has 10 wards, while Weehawken and West New York have 3 each. Don’t know what ward you are in? See: Hudson County election maps.

June 2: Primary election day

June 9: Municipal non-partisan run-off elections (if needed)

Who is running?

Bayonne: Lots of people on the ballot, and it’s available to see here on Bayonne’s website.

Union City: Unlike Bayonne, there are only five people are running for five spots and the ballot is available here on Union City’s website.

Fun fact: Brian Stack is Union City mayor and a New Jersey state senator. Holding two offices is no longer allowed, but as he held two offices as of February 2008, he is grandfathered in.

Weehawken: Only Ward 2 has more than one person on the ballot and there is no incumbent as long-time council member Rosemary Lavagnino is not seeking reelection. The ballot is here. In the previous two elections, in 2018 and 2022, there were no challenger candidates.

Note: Essex County is also holding school elections in Newark and Irvington on April 21, but most of their municipalities moved their school elections to November’s general elections. Belleville, Irvington, Newark and Orange are holding their municipal elections May 12. Learn more about Essex elections here.

Walk ‘Up And Down Hudson’ April 26 at 10A

A new-to-us group called Up And Down Hudson says they have a mission to embrace community while highlighting local businesses.

What it is: You meet at a cafe, which for this one is Parker, in West New York. Then you walk 2-3 miles. Then you get 20% off your check back at Parker. Sign up here and learn more on their Instagram.

🎩 🍽️ Weehawken Supper Club May 2

We did a deep dive into our local gourmet meal delivery service Lorraine’s Table last year, and you can read it here. But they also do “Supper Club,” and it always sells out. Go here on Instagram to see the menu for the upcoming edition, and see the info below:

The dinner is held at The Weehawken Elks Lodge on Blvd. East with a gorgeous skyline view of the New York City. It includes wine and a specialty cocktail. A full cash bar is also available. You will be greeted with passed hors d’oeuvres that will begin to tell the story of the meal to come. Guests are welcome to mingle and enjoy the view. Once everyone has arrived, you will be seated and commence your four-course tasting menu.

Price: $135 which includes gratuity

To make a reservation call 201-598-8878

Bark Your Calendar: Yappy Hour Returns May 15th

The first-ever Yappy Hour in Weehawken took place in July 2024 (that’s our photo of it above). Well, it’s coming back, scheduled for three Fridays: May 15th, May 22nd & June 12. Runs 5:30p to dusk, weather permitting. So bring your well-behaved, vaccinated, leashed pooches to this outdoor gathering that features stunning views and treats for dogs and hoo-mans. PS: Humans should bring cash if they wish to imbibe, but as ever, dogs drink, and get treats, free.

In Brief

• Weehawken Farmer’s Market returns April 22 at 3-7p in Lincoln Harbor.

• West New York is getting a new middle school, set to open in two years.

• No cover Karaoke is May 1st. Cash-only bar, flyer below!

• The $150 train tickets from NYC to MetLife Stadium for the World Cup matches in NJ are really a thing. So is the fact that they can’t call it MetLife and will be known as New York New Jersey Stadium.

  

Bye Bye Love

As Hugo is traveling, we used an unpaid copyeditor this week who would like to remain anonymous.

Feel free to leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

The newsletter is free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the 34 fabulous people who’ve pledged thus far, and consider an upgrade to paid. Goals include: print editions, hiring journalists (which really is happening now!), insurance, expanding the site, and more.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies.

Freebies disclosure: No freebies in this edition!

You can also support by buying a romance by Edith Layton, buying some silly merch from Gimmie Pancakes, or by taking a meeting with Big Noyes if you need a slamming website, PR campaign, marketing plan, brand refresh, social media strategy, email newsletter, pitch deck and more.

Tah for now, nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version.

*What is an “evil” classified? Well if you wanna harass someone, or sell something dangerous or… we don’t know, but you know.

Leave a comment

Hello and welcome to the—

🎂🎈SURPRISE! Happy 2nd birthday Weehawken Gazette! 🎉🥳

Wow. A surprise party? For us? Awww.

📈 Our Stats & Big News

Yeah, we started in April 2024. Now we are 2!

In July 2025, we moved to our own domain and starting accepting pledges.

We said the pledges were so we could start hiring writers, among other things.

Well thanks to the 33 incredibly good-looking, smart people who have pledged some $ to help support this free newsletter, we have hired our first freelancer to produce original articles. He is a seasoned local reporter working on two local pieces that take research and journo chops. The stories are coming soon, and are being funded by the 33 kind people who have pledged a small amount.

But those 33 people? They represent less than 1% of all monthly readers.

Show me the stats!

• Our average subscriber open rate is 69.5% and an average of 25% of email openers click a link. This is considered excellent, yay!

• Moving to our own domain has power… in our first year, less than 3% of traffic was organic. Today, more than 20% of our traffic is coming from organic search. People are searching for NJ businesses and buzz-worthy topics that are under-represented or exist nowhere else. (Yes, most of that is Google, but apparently some people still use Yahoo and DuckDuckGo. Who knew?)

• And today, more than 30% of overall traffic is coming from social media, even though we try to keep our social media boring.

• Conclusion: our core subscribers like to read, and now our reach goes way beyond subscribers.

Wanna help keep a local resource going? One with no AI slop or pay-for-play? Below is the button to subscribe for free or upgrade, and thank you so much to all free and paying subscribers.

🔊 Mystery Manhattan Music Causes NJ Mayhem

In February we noticed many people in Edgewater, Fort Lee and Cliffside Park posting on Facebook about late night/early morning music that was keeping them up at night. From the waterfront to the cliffs, they said it was waking their families and disturbing their pets, and that it seemed like it was right outside their window. But no, it was coming from across the Hudson. In March, people suffering the seismic sound waves shared videos and floated theories.

During this time one restaurant in Harlem, Skinny’s Cantina, was pegged as the culprit. The NY Post said even the local police pointed a finger of blame across the river at Skinny’s. An angry online mob pounced and the restaurant was hit with a wave of nasty reviews from those who were sleepless in NJ. But the thing is, it turned out Skinny’s was not even open. Seems those reviews have since been deleted.

With police in NJ and NYC being contacted hundreds of times, and Skinny’s being cleared, the theories have shifted to it being a souped-up car, a chuchero, that can have 20 or 30 speakers.

So yes, the NY Post wrote about it on March 20, but they didn’t solve the case. It’s still happening, as evidenced by this Facebook post on April 2 at 10:04PM:

“Hello everyone...Does everyone hear the music starting again from across the river? I am posting early so we can start the complaints and possibly not be up til 5:00 am again.”

Water refraction… temperature… science?

Not mentioned in the NY Post is how this music manages to be so clear from so far away that NJ people think it’s right outside their door. We say it’s something to do with how sound carries on water and shoots over to us even more when the temperatures are right, kind of like how you can hear people’s conversations across a lake at night. And if you care to geek out on this, see: Refraction of Sound Waves and if you have any solid info about who or what is causing this, be in touch!

Source cited: NY Post Mystery NYC Noise Torments NJ

Where Your Fondest Dishes Come True

Recently, at the Weehawken Library book club, I learned the term “portal fantasy.” On Wikipedia it’s described a plot device “in which characters enter a self-contained fantasy world through a portal, typically within a quest-based narrative that focuses on exploring and navigating that world.”

Thing is, I love to explore, and much like Alice falling through the rabbit hole to Wonderland, I found a wondrous hidden realm in Union City, and with the right instructions, you can go too, because it’s real and it’s called Jono Pandolfi Designs, a high-end ceramics business located in the old Yardley soap building that supplies to top restaurants around the world, as you can clearly see in their 2026 restaurant guide. And Jono’s plates got some extra hot sauce when they were featured on the hit show The Bear.

‘Wait, Isn’t the Yardley Building Condemned?’

When I told friends about the hive of full-time artisans hand-crafting more than 1,000 pieces a day in a 20,000 sq. ft. space, people looked at me like I was crazy. It’s OK, I get that a lot.

But it’s true that although Jono has been in business for 20 years, and in this NJ location for 15 years, you wouldn’t know it was there unless… you know. The only sign you might see at a glance on the Yardley building is one for Lovely Lioness Pole Dance & Aerial Fitness. Which, actually, is also new to us.

More Pictures, Less Blather

Anyway, I went to their studio for the first time in March with my daughter — and I lucked out. A former co-worker of mine was working there and she kindly gave us a tour. Check it out, and dig that articulated wall showing off their custom glazes:

Jono’s Seconds Sale Is 🔥 & You Should Go

So should you wanna get your hungry hands on the goods, on the first Friday of every month Jono holds an open studio sale with steep discounts on stuff that is either slightly imperfect, or overstock from retail or restaurants, stamped with a custom name or logo. It’s a deal! It’s quirky! And wow is it a scene.

They also had pop-up food vendors at the sale, the most recent one had a table of delights from Choc O Pain, and one from Hank Schwartz’s Delicatessen. Getting to grab a deal on hand-crated ceramics and walk out with a baguette and an egg cream? To me, that’s heaven.

The next studio sale is May 1st and their annual warehouse sale (where they have more inventory and discounts for larger purchases) will be June 5th & 6th. Hours for both will be 10a-5p.

In short, I’m sorry for all the years I didn’t know this existed, but I encourage you to fall down this rabbit hole and hit clay dirt.

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/jonopandolfi

Shop for your home or restaurant: jonopandolfi.com

Shiny UC Spot Solves Diner Drought

Classic New Jersey diners are disappearing at an alarming clip, with approximately 150 closing in the past decade. In August 2025, the Collingswood diner closed after 50 years, only to become a weed dispensary. And locally, ever since the Malibu closed, Hoboken has mourned the loss of its last diner.

To help stem this depressing trend, there’s a bi-partisan bill in the New Jersey senate called the “Saving Our Diners and Protecting Our Past Act,” (a/k/a SODA POP) that aims to give tax relief to historic diners and restaurants throughout the state. Best we can tell, it’s moving along, but not a done deal yet.

But we’re here to point out a diner just a hop and a skip away that people don’t seem to know about. Previously known as the Four Star Diner, it reopened on Black Friday 2025 as Silver Stars Restaurant & Diner. First established in 1951, it retains it’s diner-y charms.

A few readers wrote telling us to try it, and we stopped in. Key highlights include spacious booths, lots of windows, typically massive diner menu, and free parking.

Linger over your coffee and talk for ages in front of your club sandwich. They have room, and the waitress doesn’t care if you sit there forever. Sure, it’s not 24-hours, and honestly we didn’t try enough of the food to pass judgement, but it’s legit. It’s going to sling you a stack of pancakes or a pizza burger — and all the diner vibes. What more could you want?

Silver Stars Restaurant & Diner

43 32nd St, Union City, NJ 07087

Hours: Sun — Wed 7a-8p; Thurs — Sat 7a-11p

Related: Patch, Classic New Jersey Diner To Be Replaced By Medical Practice

New Restaurant Alert

Seen up top and above, Moreno’s opened on Park Avenue in Union City on March 20. Situated right across from the Weehawken Water Tower, it’s their second location, the other being on Summit avenue. We ran into some nice neighbors about to go in and begged them for a quote because, well, why the heck not? They were kind enough to report back after and said:

“Great service, great ambiance, and huge portions! Delicious food with many options to choose from. We had the ceviche and it was some of the best we have had!”

Sounds fab, no? Anyway thanks to our nice neighbors, and you can follow Moreno on social here: instagram.com/morenorestaurant/

In Brief

Weehawken PBA is having a benefit April 24th at 7P and it’s in Union City at Carro Cafe. Here’s the info:

Join us for a night of celebration, community, and appreciation at the Weehawken PBA Awards Dinner!

This event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! All residents, friends and supporters are welcome. This is not just for law enforcement families, this is for our entire community.

Come out and enjoy a great night as we honor the dedication and service of our officers, and recognize the strong partnership we share with Mayor Richard Turner and the rest of the Township council. It is a relationship that continues to make Weehawken a great place to live and work.

Tickets are $100 each and that gets you buffet and open bar. Purchase tickets here.

🗳️ Union City, Weehawken & Bayonne are having Municipal elections on May 12. The last day to register to vote for these is April 21st. April 21 is also school elections for West New York, Weehawken & North Bergen.

More info available on elections and deadlines is on this PDF from the Hudson County Clerk.

And We’ll All Float On, Okay

We had a new unpaid copyeditor this week who would like to remain anonymous. No doubt Hugo will be back when we can guilt him/give him more than 10 minutes notice.

Feel free to leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

The newsletter is free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the 33 top-notch humans who’ve pledged thus far, and consider an upgrade to paid. Goals include: print editions, hiring journalists (which we are now finally doing so stay tuned for their upcoming scoops!), insurance, expanding the site, and more.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies.

Freebies disclosure: No freebies in this edition, all our own sweat and such!

You can also support by buying a romance by Edith Layton, or by taking a meeting with Big Noyes if you need a slamming website, PR campaign, marketing plan, brand refresh, social media strategy, email newsletter, pitch deck, and more.

Tah for now, nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version.

OK now let’s begin for reals…

1000’s Of Readers. 30 Pledges. 100% Independent.

The newsletter is free for all and will stay that way. That said, we wanna start hiring writers, get media insurance, and lots more. Currently 30 people have pledged some $ to help support this newsletter — and we are so grateful. But it’s still less than 1% of all monthly readers.

Would you like to help keep a local resource going? One that isn’t AI slop or pay-for-play? Below is that button to subscribe for free or upgrade, and thank you so much to all free and paid subscribers.

For Whom The Wedding Bells Toll: A Lincoln Tunnel Love Story

“Ryan William Smith and Andrea Marie Gallo met in early October 2022 at Weehawken Stadium in New Jersey.”

We love love stories, and the above is the first line of a recent New York Times article about a North Jersey romance. Smith and Gallo live in Hoboken, got married in Jersey City, and yes, they met in Weehawken, the romance capital of the Northeast.*

And what the NY Times doesn’t mention is that they met in the Hawk thanks to Hive Athletic, who run adult recreational sports leagues in Hudson County. Hive’s Instagram even shared a post celebrating the newly-wed couple.

Read the whole story here on the NY Times: They Took A Swing At Dating Again

Hudson Restaurant Week Is Dead: But Faubourg Is Offering A Steal Of A Deal

Remember Hudson Restaurant Week? It’d been going for two decades but this year it’s gone, and no one knows why. The website is down, the last mention of it was February 2025, and I called the Hudson County Tourism office and they had no answer and never got back to me.

In any case, to fill the reasonable offerings void, Faubourg Weehawken is stepping in with a delicious deal.

✨ $45pp+ three-course prix fixe
🍽 Offered daily starting at 5pm
📅 Menu here for March 2-15

Aside from this, Faubourg has an “Imperial Hour,” which is their happy hour that’s 4-7p at the main bar daily, and in the lounge Fri & Sat. Menu for that is here.

Why we care…

Lately more and more chains have sprouted along the Gold Coast. We try hard not to be neg, but it’s starting to look like an airport food court around here. Do we really want to live in a world of frozen foods and ghost kitchen meals?

Recently, I spoke to spoke to Daniel Boulud alums Dominique Paulin and Chef Olivier Muller, pictured below, the owners of Faubourg, along with their Director of Operations, Liza Stankowski.

We had a chat, and below are some of the highlights of what we learned. Note: this is not an ad, no payola here, just some details. But there is a benefit for Gazette readers at the end.

• Sourcing matters: Faubourg uses high-quality beef from DeBraaga, a local butcher in Jersey City, and seafood from Peter’s Fish in Bergen County, a two-generation family-owned supplier. Plus desserts are all from scratch, and if you didn’t know, Paulin and Muller also own Bijoux French Pastry in Montclair.

• The sommelier: Philip Marchal is a longtime friend of the owners. He has written the wine list, sold wine to restaurants, and has also made his own wine and created his own brand.

• The private dining room: has a separate entrance, and a swanky cocktail lounge that leads to it.

  

• Seasonal ingredients: They stock their menu with what’s fresh in the moment. Like there’s winter chicory now, and ramps coming soon. They are committed to using foods “when they are their best” and say they try to surprise the guests with things they might not have had before.

• Artistry: The Montclair and Weehawken locations have a lot in common, but they have different CDC’s — no, that’s not shorthand for the Center for Disease Control — it’s restaurant lingo for Chef de Cuisines. This means even though some dishes are similar, each chef has autonomy to be creative and serve the interests of their own unique clientele.

Special benefit for Weehawken Gazette readers? Mais bien sûr!

If you go to Faubourg for dinner they are offering a free basket of warm, freshly-baked citrusy madeleines to any patron who mentions reading about the restaurant in the Weehawken Gazette. Ooh la ya! So, race you there?

The Rapping Cyclops of Weehawken: The Interview

Many round these parts know the Weehawken Rap, performed by Daveed Diggs of Hamilton the Musical fame on the hit Apple TV show Central Park. But there was another famous Weehawken rapper before that, and he’s a cyclops. Yes, more than a decade ago the Rapping Cyclops of Weehawken video landed, but it’s new-to-us as a shortened version hit Instagram recently and it is getting shared like wildfire.

On YouTube, one commenter wrote, “This masterpiece has existed for 13 years and I’m only now discovering it thanks to Instagram.” To which another commenter replied, “Bro same.”

We wanted to know more so we reached out to actor/comedian Brian Scolaro, pictured above on the right. Originally from Brooklyn, Brian lived in Hollywood for 21 years before moving back to Queens in the pandemic. He’s appeared on many big shows including Mad Men, Dexter and he was a regular cast member, on FOX’s Stacked with Pam Anderson. He has three comedy specials, and he’s done stand-up on lots of late-night TV shows. Here’s a few questions we had for him about the video.

Why choose Weehawken? Just because it’s a funny name? Have you ever been in Weehawken?

Well, I used to work along the Hudson River when I was in college and High School with The Marist Brothers who had a summer camp there for mentally challenged adults. I wasn’t a camper. I was a counselor. So let’s make that clear. But I fell in love with that whole area. But yeah, mainly I chose the name because it’s funny. Plus, my ex-girlfriend said I had a weehawken too. I don’t talk to her anymore.

When was the video filmed? Who wrote it and who are the people in it?

Four of my friends from college and I formed a video sketch comedy group back in the late nineties back before everyone had a camera in their coat pocket. We would pass out VHS tapes of our skits. We have over 130 of them. We were among the first ever to be featured on YouTube back in 2005. We were called Voodoowop Pictures. I am the only one who went into this professionally. The others had brains and lives.

Anyway, in 2014 area we decided to do a webseries called “Legend Hunters” where three guys searched for monsters, myths, and legends. And then caught them. And then ate them. We found a riddling troll, an extremely kind alien, a shapeshifter, a jive turkey, a racist lobster, and a sasquich — which is half Sasquatch/half sandwich. In this episode, we found a rapping cyclops.

Do you worry this video might offend the actual Weehawken cyclops?

We ate him. He’s dead. But that probably did offend him. Yeah.

Thanks to Brian for his time! Follow him here on Instagram: instagram.com/brian_scolaro

🐉 WHS Theatre Is On Fire!

Speaking of fantastical creatures, Weehawken High School theater presents their musical soon, and we can assure you that this will be the hottest ticket in town. Their Instagram has blown up with millions (literally!) of views on their recent videos and we know it’s going to be a good time. The Sunday Matinee will also have the option to add a “Shrek Tea Party” with treats, crafts, and photo ops for an extra $15, which gets in 1 child and 1 adult.

What: Shrek the Musical

When: 3/13/2026 – 3/15/2026

Where: Weehawken High School, 53 Liberty Pl, Weehawken

Tickets: Only $5 each! Buy them online here and the option for the tea party is explained/offered when you go to make any Sunday purchase.

Paterson Gets Some Schmancy Upgrades 💅

Many years ago I fell asleep on a Manhattan-to-NJ gypsy bus and woke up thinking I’d missed just one stop past Weehawken—but no, I was in Paterson. My phone died soon after, and I walked the streets long after midnight wearing a fancy dress and a velvet cape because I’d been performing in a show. I walked by a crumbling stadium and tried to flag down cabs. No one robbed me, but no one stopped for me either, probably because I looked like a freelance vampire.

Gotta say Paterson did not impress. But thing is, that abandoned stadium? It’s quite historic, now renovated, and reopened in 2023 for games, concerts, and events. It’s called Hinchcliff Stadium and the legendary NY Cosmos soccer club will start playing there in March, as part of the USL. Yes, yet another NJ club with a NY name, but whachagonnado?

And less than a half mile from the stadium, Paterson’s mayor Andrew Sayegh did a ribbon cutting with a particularly giant pair of scissors for a new footbridge at their Great Falls. And just this past Friday, Paterson finished a 5-year $15 million renovation on Lambert Castle. If you haven’t been to Garret Mountain, it’s more than 300 acres and a great place to hike, run and enjoy skyline views and nature. The Gazette team figures our invitation to dine with the Paterson royal family is in the mail.

NorthJersey.com: See inside newly restored Lambert Castle during a reopening ceremony

TapInto.net: New Footbridge Reopens at Paterson Great Falls, Restoring Key Link for Visitors

In Brief

📚 March 23rd at 7p — Weehawken Library Adult Book club is discussing “The God Of The Woods” and on March 30th Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book club is talking about “Every Heart A Doorway.” Heard good things about both so, get reading! Stop by for a copy or reserve yours at bccls.org

🎥 🪦 Luxury IPIC movie theater in Fort Lee is set to close due to (another) bankruptcy. Story via NJ.com: N.J. dine-in movie theater to close, lay off 97 workers

🍴 🍸 Speaking of upscale dining options, West + Co. is a new waterfront brasserie coming to West New York in “late April 2026.” 250 seats, outdoor terrace, and a unique offering called “The Wax Room” which they describe as an “invitation-only, speakeasy-style space hidden behind the kitchen, complete with more than 1,000 vinyl records and a turntable-driven listening experience.”

Millions In Fed Funding for Northern NJ

Rep. Rob Menendez sent an email detailing funding secured for North Hudson. Interesting for us was the $2 million Union City is getting for an elevator which presumably will get you down the cliff? Or maybe just off the footbridge? Anyway, in case you’re interested, here’s slim details on who is getting what from a pot of $19 million and what it’s slated for. Sadly no funicular or wagon elevator for Weehawken… yet! Related: if you care about getting from here to there, HudCoStreets is having a first-ever Transit Forum April 25th.

Toodles & Tah 4 Now

Hugo Holland is our unpaid copyeditor this week. While editing, he was told, “Whatever, whatever just move along!” It’s a drag having someone with standards… Anyway, in case you missed it, he recently wrote about a Shakespeare performance at Stevens.

Feel free to leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

The newsletter is free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the 30 amazing humans who’ve pledged thus far, and consider an upgrade to paid. Goals include: print editions, hiring journalists, insurance, expanding the site, and more.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies.

Freebies disclosure: No freebies in this edition, all our own sweat and such!

You can also support by buying a romance by Edith Layton, or by taking a meeting with Big Noyes if you need a website, PR campaign, marketing plan, brand refresh, email newsletter, pitch deck, and more. Or just follow bignoyesmedia on Instagram.

Tah for now, nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version.

*We made that love capital stuff up, but you can’t prove it’s not true, can ya?

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Before we start, here’s a music pairing for this edition:

📰🌵We Live In A News Desert. Here’s Your News Dessert. 📰🧁

Hello to our long-time astonishingly good-looking smart readers and howdy to all our shiny new subscribers. Here’s a photo to express our love, since we know people don’t love to read big chunks of copy…

So in case you didn’t know… we are the only publication to report on the Hudson hydrangea thieves, the budding DIY music scene, the Edgewater parrot migration, the controversial “corn” growing in a local parking lot, the Hoboken-ish condo that didn’t know what town it was in, the exact amount it costs to put a giant picture of boobs next to the 495, and how much Weehawken gets paid to launch a drone show.

Phew! A lot, right? We also have exclusive interviews and profiles with local notables.

We were also the first to write about the new hipster Houdini cafe and then share a discovery of more magical history along the Hudson.

We now have thousands of readers per issue, but just 29 people who pay to help support this newsletter. 29 is nothing to sneeze at, and it’s one more since the last time (thank youuuuuu!) — but it’s still less than 1% of all monthly readers.

Anyway, below is that button to subscribe or upgrade, and thank you so much to all free and paid subscribers.

Take Another Little Pizza My ❤️ Now Baby

Valentine’s Day is coming. And if you don’t know, my mother was a romance author of over 30 novels, and I adore a good love story. So here goes…

Vincent and Tomijean, pictured, are in their fourth year as the owners of West New York Pizza, and are celebrating nearly a decade of marriage. The restaurant business is hard work, and they are on site — but they get inspiration from a shared a love of food, community, and love for each other.

🍕 The Perfect Slice Hiding In Plain Sight?

I recently discovered West New York Pizza after I saw one of the owners offering to do a good deed for neighbors. It wasn’t even in a place where many people might see it. There was no ad, no flashy social media video, no perfect photo. It wasn’t a marketing play — it was genuine.

So I decided to write to them, and then sashay on down Park Ave to try the pizza. Because why not? I needed the walk. If it wasn’t great? Well I’d still like them for being nice.

But lo and behold — it was excellent pizza, hitting way above its weight for what you expect from a local parlor, with a perfectly thin crust and high-quality toppings. I tried two slices of their “Ultimate Insane Gourmet Pies!” — the spinachoke was particularly divine, creamy and with tang, and enough garlic to send vampires as far away as Hackensack packing.

I then learned there was a good reason for this. Vincent has worked for more than 20 years at landmark NY pizza places like King Umberto, Piola, and Gino’s, honing his skills in Italian cooking and pizza making.

How did they meet?

I love asking how couples met. For Vince and Tomijean, their meet cute was simply walking in New York City — finding they kept stopping at the same corners — and striking up a conversation. Then, when their paths parted, exchanging numbers. This is how you do it without apps, kids! 👈

Love of community

Tomijean worked in the non-profit sector for many years, and that’s maybe one reason why she, and they, are so invested in the neighborhood. West New York Pizza is known for their free slice day in September for Memorial High School, their great teacher / student specials (like $5.50 for 2 regular slices and a soda or water). They’re also known for giving discounts and/or sponsoring tons of school events including Little League, the plays, and the yearbook.

They greet customers by name, and it seems like a home base for many, including two recent high school graduates I talked to. Jasmine touted the Buffalo chicken as a fave, and Evelyn said she appreciates a lactose-free pizza they make for her. Later a high school instructor came in who said he’s a big fan. Vince and Tomijean both had nothing but great things to say about the kids they serve and the ones they’ve hired, describing them as “so nice,” “adorable,” and “polite.”

So if you love pizza and good vibes, do yourself a huge favor and just order from this hidden gem of a pizza place that’s been hiding in plain sight for nearly four years.

Special deal 4 our readers!

The heart-shaped pizza usually costs more, but if you call to order and say Weehawken Gazette sent you, you will get it for the same price AND get 10% off. 🤩

📞 And seriously, call to order… Slice, GrubHub, Uber all take about 20-30%. That passes the price onto you, and takes $ away from the business.

West New York Pizza

5404 Park Ave, West New York, NJ

westnewyorkpizzamenu.com

Call: 201-305-5299

Life Is Sweet For This Bite-Sized Local Business

Have you ever heard of brigadeiros? Pronounced bree-gah-DAY-roos, they are a well-loved Brazilian dessert. But I had never heard of them until I discovered nom nom, a new confectionery brand based in Weehawken.

Here’s their (much better) description:

Straight from Brazil, brigadeiros are bite-sized balls of pure joy—soft, gooey, and irresistibly creamy. Think fudge, caramel, and truffles rolled into one adorable, sprinkle-covered treat. A party favorite for decades, they’re the dessert everyone reaches for first—and the moment your dessert table didn’t know it needed. 🍫✨

I picked up a box in Weehawken, and shared with my family. They are delicious. But you kind of guessed that from the description, right? And there’s now an opportunity for one of our lucky followers to win a box, so go see that opportunity here on our Instagram. They are available in chocolate, white chocolate, strawberry, coconut and dulce de leche.

Lara Maltezinho, the founder, answered some of my questions.

Q: When did this business start? From conception to making it live?

LM: nom nom is still very much a baby brand. The idea had been quietly taking shape for a while, but it officially came to life in October of 2025.

After more than 15 years partnering with large, global brands on their branding efforts, creating nom nom has been an entirely different kind of joy. For the first time, I’m not helping tell someone else’s story—I’m building my own.

Q: Who are you? Meaning aside from the head of this neat venture?

LM: I’ve called Weehawken home for the past four years, where I live with my family and raise my three kids. I’m a millennial mom, and someone who deeply believes that food is one of the purest ways to connect with others. I still have a day job in the branding world, a field I’ve worked in my entire career and continue to love.

Originally, I’m from Brazil, but my identity goes far beyond one place. I spent years moving around the world before landing in New York ten years ago. With every move, I carried pieces of home with me — traditions, learnings, and recipes I either inherited or picked up along the way.

I don’t have formal baking training or professional kitchen experience, but cooking has always been my love language. What started as something deeply personal has turned into a small business rooted in warmth, connection, and the simple pleasure of feeding people well.

Nom nom delivers in Weehawken and adjacent areas, as well as in some Manhattan neighborhoods for $7. Free pick-up in Weehawken is also available.

Orders can be placed on their website, via Instagram @eatmorenomnom or through the email hello@nomandnom.com

❄️ 🪏Snow You Got Scammed?

Facebook exploded recently with a flurry of people in Northern NJ who all claimed they saw the same flier from “Ashly Snow Shoveling Services,” paid for their service, but then nobody showed up. Reports came in on groups from Garfield, Clifton, Edgewater, Fort Lee, and Cliffside Park. The flier looks like it was made using AI design, and yes, the people who got scammed all said they paid for the service in advance. Some said they eventually got refunds.

Lesson learned? Don’t pay beforehand. And if you are a senior, see if your local government has resources to connect you with help, some of which we wrote about here in the last issue.

Signs Of Intelligent Bus Life

Knowing when the next NJ Transit bus is coming is unknowable unless you have the app, and even then it’s no fun looking up the stop number and pulling out your phone every two seconds, especially in the freezing cold. Well a few weeks ago, a clever bus sign appeared in Hoboken that lets you know when the buses are coming. And this month, another appeared.

Are they coming to Weehawken? To the whole of the NJ Gold Coast? A gal can dream.

The scoop was reported by Caren Lissner at Patch, and the full story is here: Mysterious Electric Signs Appear At 2 NJ Transit Bus Stops In Hoboken

No Fancy French NoHu Museum For You!

In 2021 the plans for a Jersey City branch of a famous Paris art museum in our backyard were unveiled, and as recently as October 2024, it was reported that the plans were revived:

“The project to create a Centre Pompidou in Jersey City promises immersive, interactive experiences that centre the local art scene in northern New Jersey, complete with a special focus on education and performance initiatives.” —theartnewspaper.com

It would’ve had “85,000 square feet indoors and 14,600 square feet outdoors for a sculpture garden and deck.” Un brin de folie égaye la vie, amiright?

But flash ahead to today, and Jersey City is $255 million in the hole, and the new mayor just confirmed that the project is indeed dead. It might become a senior home, a rec center… but it won’t be a cultural landmark. Story here on NJ.com: N.J.’s dream of opening branch of world-famous French art museum is officially ‘dead’

Classifieds

👨‍💼 Smart, mature, and personable male college student seeks part-time employment. Prefers in-person work in a group setting. If you are looking for a hard-worker who is ready to go, write to bigwigs@bignoyes.com with “Classifieds” in the subject line.

Bye Bye Love

FYI if you see this in time, there’s a Valentine’s Day Art Festival at the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal 12-8:30P on Thursday 2/12. Jazz, dance, art and more. Details here.

Hugo Holland is our unpaid copyeditor this week. We give him a frenzied few minutes to look at the draft before yelling, “whatever — we need to send it STAT!” He has also started writing and editing for a real newspaper recently.

Feel free to leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

The newsletter is still free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the 29 amazing humans who’ve pledged thus far, and consider an upgrade to paid. Goals include: print editions, hiring journalists, insurance, expanding the site, and more.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies.

Freebies disclosure: We got 2 free slices of pizza and a bottle of water from West NY Pizza. But we were coming to write about them before they offered! nom noms offered us a free box ($30 value), but did not take the freebie, we paid for it.

You can also support by taking a meeting with Big Noyes if you need a website, PR campaign, marketing plan, brand refresh, email newsletter, pitch deck, and more. Or just follow bignoyesmedia on Instagram.

Tah for now, nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version. What’s not to love? Special bonus? We’ll end with a photo this week.

There’s so much wrong in the world right now. That’s why we are thrilled to kick this edition off by presenting some good news, in the form of our very first wedding announcement.

Hear ye, hear ye! Owen Andrejco and Caitlin Du, pictured, were married January 22nd, 2026 at the City Clerks Office in downtown Manhattan.

Owen is an immensely talented animator, illustrator, and producer at Bill Plympton’s studio. He is also a Red Bulls fan.

Caitlin is a positively fabulous illustrator and comic artist. She is also a fan of Canadian geese. 🪿

👉 They moved from NYC to Jersey City last month. Let’s give them a big NoHu welcome, shall we? As a wedding gift, please check out & follow these lovely new neighbors on Instagram:

🤵‍♂️ instagram.com/owenandrejcoart

👰 instagram.com/phantalism

Quick Word About This Here Newsletter

Since April 2024 this newsletter has been free to read and subscribe to. And it’s staying free.

As of today, just 28 people pay the price of one venti caramel brulée latte per month to help grow this newsletter — which is less than 1% of all monthly readers. And we sure appreciate it. Below is that button to subscribe or upgrade, and thank you so much to all free and paid subscribers.

❄️ It’s Snow Joke: Stay Home, Y’all

We made a dumb graphic because the snow totals have been changing every moment. But there is a state of emergency. Most recent forecasts say we could see a foot of snow on Sunday into Monday. Dig out fire hydrants, if you’re fit enough, and keep off the streets. Charge your cell phones, just in case. Hopefully, this is your excuse to overeat, read a book, and catch up on your binge viewing.

😮 A Gutt Deal: Free snow removal for seniors in Guttenberg; $18/hr for H.S. Students

The Town of Guttenberg is hiring high school kids to shovel snow for seniors. And their service to you is free, if you’re a senior in Guttenberg. See details below:

The Town of Guttenberg’s senior snow removal program is currently accepting applications from high school students, with an hourly rate of $18. This is a free program for our senior citizen residents.

Interested students can contact the DPW office at 201-868-2315 extension 240/241 or visit the DPW garage located at 217 71st Street. If you are under 17 you will need working papers.

Senior residents who are interested in signing up for free snow removal should contact Belkis Rubio at 201-868-2315, ext. 152 and bring copies of ID, property taxes, and utility bill. Must be 62 years of age or older, must own and live on the property.

Weehawken creates snow shoveler directory

To the south, Weehawken High School shared the opportunity to be in a directory of kids who might be connected with seniors who need help removing snow. In this case, it’s not free, instead the resident and the high school kid negotiate the rate. Still, it’s cool and it’s new. The signup form is here.

Hoboken reminisces about blizzard of ‘96

Good article here with locals sharing stories about the storm 30 years ago when the mayor at the time, Russo, closed off the entrances to the city to anyone who couldn’t show Hoboken on their driver’s license. Story: patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken/blizzard-closed-streets-hoboken-nj-30-years-ago-residents-remember

🌹 Win A Romantic Retro NJ 🍕 Date

Casano’s Pizza Parlor in Rutherford opened in the summer of 2024 and is a cult favorite known for 70’s decor, chicken parm, and absolutely no slices.

And now they’re launching a very fun promotion that will benefit the winners, and also, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. They are holding a raffle via Venmo in which they promise the winner and their +1 will get a 4-course Valentine’s Day meal, a photographer, and the whole place to themselves for a candlelit meal.Tickets are $5 each, and details can be found on the Casano’s Instagram.

Video: Weehawken Library Celebrates 15 Years Of Wi-Fi

Actually, Weehawken Library probably has no idea it was exactly 15 years ago, but I do, because I was invited there to flip on the switch on a very cold night —Jan 24, 2011 — a Monday, exactly 15 years ago.

Here’s an except from an email I sent my husband on the Friday before the big day.

“HEY GREAT NEWS. Weehawken library called me and ASKED ME TO COME MONDAY AT 7P. THEY ARE HAVING A CEREMONY FOR TURNING ON THE WI-FI AND THEY WANT ME TO FLIP THE SWITCH.

I AM SO EXCITED AND OMG!”

I’m embarrassed by my all-caps email, but I started pestering the town to get Wi-Fi as soon as I arrived, in 2006. At the time, I worked from home for a TV network, and very few libraries had it. When I worked out of the house I worked at Panera (which limited the time you could stay on), and worked from the parking lot in front of Pathmark (now Acme) in Edgewater.

I showed up to a Weehawken Town Hall meeting in 2007 with a baby strapped to me to ask for Wi-Fi. They didn’t bite, but said they’d think about it. And then I showed up again in 2010, with another newly-hatched kid, plus data that showed that it was no longer new-fangled: many other NJ libraries had it. They finally said yes. The news actually made the front page of the (dearly-departed) Weehawken Reporter, with a photo!*

Two friends showed up that night to support, and his wife Janet. And Chris took video of the historic moment. It was only last week that he shared it with me.

I’m embarrassed about how ratty I look, but come on, it was less than 20 degrees, I had to bring the kids because my husband worked late, and I did not know cameras would be there.

But I’m touched by seeing everyone in the library and the chitchat we had. And I’m touched seeing Library Director Philip Greco (RIP).

When Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012, the library retained power, and was packed with people working from there. I was there too, and quietly thanking the powers that be for flipping the switch.

In short, this is the first and last time I’ll ever brag about this. But wanted to share. Also, fun fact, the one on my hip is now taller than me and a 2x Hudson County champion runner.

Related: Here’s a NY Times article from 1998 with Mr. Greco and Mayor Turner describing the addition the library was getting at the time. It includes some cool history.

*After the Hudson Reporter / Weehawken Reporter folded, the people who bought the domain haven’t retained the archive online. Here’s a screen grab of all that can be found of the article I mentioned via Google. The link doesn’t work. This article is one of thousands that is now gone forever. Our local history — poof! — is gone. 😔

In Brief:

💩🕵️ Edgewater Condo’s Dog Poo DNA Testing Catches Caca Culprits

Life can be ruff if your little buddy drops a bomb in Bergen County and you don’t clean it up — because this condo will go all CSI on their furry rump.

Story here on the NY Post.

🖼 Port Imperial Art Fest Call For Artists

The festival is February 12th at the Port Imperial ferry terminal. It’s visual art and music. The theme is love. Here’s the 411:

What to submit:
• Photos of your artwork
• A short description of each piece
📩 Send submissions to:
piartfest2025@gmail.com
📅 Submission deadline: February 5
We welcome painters, photographers, illustrators, mixed-media artists, performers, and more. Let’s fill our neighborhood with creativity and connection.

🗳️ Weehawken Elections May 12: Petitions To Run Available Now

Five positions will be voted on in May in a non-partisan municipal election, two at-large council positions and council positions for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd wards. These five positions are all for 4-year terms. Petitions for nomination can be obtained at Town Hall and are due in by February 26th at 4P. All details here.

👗🎩 Mikie Sherrill Ball In A Mall Pics

New gov who dis? Sherrill was only seen in the helicopter pilot / biz suit outfits for her campaign ads, so we had no idea how glam she could look. Respect.

Story and photos here: northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2026/01/20/mikie-sherrill-nj-governor-inaugural-ball-2026-american-dream-mall/88271500007/

Congestion Pricing = 24 Million Fewer Cars

Lots of articles out investigating the effects of congestion pricing, now that it has been in effect for a year.

In short they found cleaner air, faster commutes, fewer traffic injuries and pedestrian fatalities, and lots of money raised for transit improvements. Story here.

La Gran Via Bakery Gets A Spiff Up

It’s been in Union City since 1981, but was closed for renovations for two weeks at the start of January. Never fear: it’s now open again for all your cake and Cuban pastry needs. Follow: instagram.com/lagranviabakery

Classifieds

Nurturing Educator Seeks Children to Inspire: Warm, creative educator for in-home learning and childcare. NYU Tisch MFA graduate with degrees from the University of Cambridge and University College London. I specialize in sensitive, creative children ages 3-10. Open to governess, private educator, or nanny roles. Based in Weehawken. Contact: Lalit Sritara | ls5507@nyu.edu | (646) 266-8267

Last Things Last

Hugo Holland is on an extended sabbatical from unpaid copyediting. All errors are not his!

Feel free to leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

The newsletter is still free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the 28 amazing humans who’ve pledged thus far, and consider an upgrade to paid. Goals include: print editions, hiring journalists, insurance, expanding the site, and more.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies. You can also support by shopping for gifts at: Gimme Pancakes.

Tah for now, nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version.

Before We Dive In…

“Yesterday, we had a newcomer join us. A sweet woman, who fits right in :). She said she saw the article… Thank you, again. Everyone loved the article.”

The above is from the woman who runs the local knitting group which we profiled in the last issue. And recently, I went to a water aerobics class and someone said she only learned the Weehawken pool was open from this newsletter. Also, many business owners have told me, from pottery studios and bands, to cafes and event venues, that people are showing up, and they say the Weehawken Gazette is the reason they’re there. This is great news. Thanks for spreading the word and supporting local.

Since April 2024 this newsletter has been free to read and subscribe to. Since the last issue, we have two more paying subscribers. Cue: 🎈 drop! 👏👏👏

That’s 28 people who pay the price of one fancy coffee per month to help grow this newsletter — less than 1% of all monthly readers. Below is that button to subscribe or upgrade and thank you so much to all free and paid subscribers.

Fortress Of Solitude Swimitude

Last year we dreamed about what the pool bubble would look like. Now, as you can see, it’s real. When inside, it’s like being under a puffy duvet. Sure you miss the stunning skyline views, but there’s no sunscreen needed and it’s really a dream come true for those of us who were pestering the town for a pool bubble.

If you haven’t heard, the Weehawken pool just announced the continuation of their recreation swim hours and classes. There’s adult lap swim, family swim and water aerobics. In short:

• You need to register, they don’t accept walk-ins

• It’s for Weehawken residents only

• It’s (still) free

There’s also good news and a hair of less good news.

Good news: water aerobics is no longer listed as only for ages 55+. That was silly, and gonna be honest, I snuck into water aerobics throughout the summer. It’s now listed as ages 18+. I doubt any 17-year-olds will try to horn their way in to jump up and down to the tunes of the 60s, 70s and 80s — but part of me hopes they will.

Also good: New shower curtains, less dirt than in summer due to less people, and some locker room mat upgrades that are hard to explain but they look better and it’s probably easier for wheelchair & walker users.

Less good news: You must be registered to go, and people can register for any and all sessions until March 2. The problem is people will register, and then forget or lose interest and not show up. Plus there’s no online way to cancel. This happened in December—seemed there were lots of no shows. We shall see if this leads to people being locked out, but let’s just hope for the best. Register at weehawken.recdesk.com/Community/Program/

🐦 To Everything, Tern, Tern, Tern

July 11, 2024 Hoboken declared an official bird. Their bird is the Common Tern. Not only has the city of Hoboken declared this the official bird, the people behind the project have created a “Tern parade” of customized painted Tern sculptures for dozens of local businesses, they made a limited-edition Tern library card using an image from a local photographer, and they are even attempting to construct a floating island for these birds in Weehawken Cove, right on the Weehawken/Hoboken border.

Basically, Hoboken is flying past all other NoHu communities in cool bird stuff. And we didn’t even mention the Tern scavenger hunt. All of these amazing efforts have been spearheaded by the small group of dedicated folks at ourtern.com and supported by the town of Hoboken.

Our non-evil plan, revealed!

We want Weehawken to have an honorary bird. How about, I dunno, a hawk? Oh look, here’s one now:

Stephen Fulop To Birds: Drop Dead

Speaking of our flying friends, the above was the clever headline in a recently-defunct Jersey City Substack called Neighborhood Character* when writing about how Mayor Fulop vetoed the attempt to make bird-safe glass mandatory in new construction, even though the city council had approved it at the end of November. After the veto, Hudson County View reported on the birding activists who showed up to the city council express their displeasure and gave the outgoing mayor a very hard time, including trying to submit a dead bird into the record. It’s not clear from the story if it was a literal dead bird or a photo of one. We kind of hope it was an actual bird.

Note: We don’t think Weehawken has passed a bird-safe glass ordinance. During migration season we’ve seen too many dead songbirds on the waterfront by the new construction. Our Tern reminded us that you can help science and advocacy by reporting dead or injured birds you find to dbird.org.

🦅 Bald Eagle Fest This Sunday in Lyndhurst

And finally, Sunday January 11 in DeKorte Park there’s a free bald eagle fest that’s got bird walks and talks, plus live raptors from the Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, information tables, children's activities and live music. It’s from 10A to 2P and it’s totally free. Bird nerd crack!

For more info: head to the Bergen County Audubon Society.

New Governor Heads To The Mall

Incoming NJ governor Mikie Sherrill is having her inaugural ball at American Dream Mall on January 20. The NJ Globe reported that it’s being held on the ice skating rink and 2,000 are expected to attend. Tickets are available until January 12, it’s black tie, and it costs $350 but the proceeds are going to Mission to Deliver, NJ — a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. In the fine print the website says the donation is not tax deductible.

Related: Paramus Peeved At American Dream

Yes, Paramus is taking the American Dream Mall to court for allegedly violating Bergen County’s ye olde Blue Laws by keeping certain businesses open on Sundays. As a reminder/primer we wrote about the dispute here in September:

🧑‍⚖️ American Dream Ignores Law, Says County; We Aren’t Beholden To Your Laws, Says Mall

Bergen county is sticking to the argument that American Dream promised they would comply with the law. American Dream lawyers and the NJSEA say the local municipality can’t dictate what happens on state-owned land and besides, what they are doing is not a problem. According to an article from December 24 on NorthJersey.com, the state will hear arguments Jan 9 and Jan 30 before handing down a decision.

Exclusive: Mind-Blowing Magical History Connections

In our last issue we revealed the new hip Union City cafe with ties to world-famous magician Harry Houdini.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our next trick, we will tell you about the area’s ties to another magical great, Howard Thurston, and how we think he showed Houdini the way here…

Although the name Houdini lives on, Thurston was his contemporary, and has been called the most famous magician of his time. He had a traveling magic show that was so big it “required eight train cars to transport his props across the country.” Source: Columbus Metropolitan Library

How Does This Relate To Weehawken?

Howard Thurston was the mentee of magician Harry Kellar. Thurston did shows with Kellar and then took over when Kellar retired in about 1909. And wouldn’t you know, Kellar was an investor in the failed film biz (now a Union City cafe) with Houdini!

How A Showgirl Led Thurston To Weehawken

John R. Willadsen was a theatrical manager, mostly forgotten from history but he was the manager of some prominent acts, including the Duncan Sisters. Willadsen built a house at 7 Oak Street in Weehawken in the early 1900’s for his then wife, a former Zeigfeld dancer. Their daughter Jane was born in 1909 in Weehawken. This marriage ended in divorce, but Jane’s mother married — drumroll — world-famous magician Howard Thurston in 1914.

Since Thurston and Houdini knew one another, were both close with Kellar, and Kellar invested in Houdini’s film lab that opened in 1916, it stands to reason that Thurston is the one who introduced Houdini and Kellar to the space that is now Beni coffee. The distance, as seen below, is exactly half a mile. In case you go looking for Thurston’s home, 7 Oak no longer exists, it’s a parking lot in between two buildings, but at the time, it would’ve had the primo view of the skyline.

A Forgotten Magical, Musical Weehawken Woman

The bombshell find that Houdini was probably led to set up his film lab in New Jersey via his Kellar/Thurston connection is a Weehawken Gazette exclusive. But in researching this story, I became mesmerized by the story of Thurston’s daughter Jane.

Thurston adopted Jane and Jane took his name and reportedly performed in his magic act as a teen, starting in the late 1920s, but the NY Times lists appearances as a performer starting in 1926. And in 1935 a short piece with no known source called her “the only woman magician on the stage.” What is interesting is Jane was left only $500 by her father, who left a nasty note in his will as to why. He claimed, among other things, that she caused “great mental anguish” and he said she was “generally undutiful to me.” Yikes.

I mean, when Howard was 66 and Jane’s mom was only dead a year, he married his fourth wife, a woman 40 years younger than he was… that probably caused Jane some anguish, no? Also here’s a photo of father and daughter together a few months before Thurston died, captioned “This picture of Thurston, and his daughter Jane Thurston was made several months ago at Charleston W.V. as she nursed him during an illness that followed the bursting of a blood vessel in his head.”

Jane seems to have been married six times, to three men. Yes, you read that right. Her first marriage was in 1930 to Harry Harris, a state senator’s son. And this newspaper details how she married this first husband three times, and how her husband allegedly abused her and her father. The father got him back though — the article says he fired a tear gas canister at his son-in-law’s face.

Magic Jane’s Massively Impressive CV

Jane was a rarity as a female magician. And after she gave up magic (5 years after her father died), she worked as a Civil Air Patrol in World War II, and later became a songwriter who used the name Gene Willadsen because ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) was restricted to men only at the time.

According to the Weehawken Time Machine group on Facebook, “as of 1989 Jane still lived at 7 Oak Street under the name Jane Thurston Shepard, Jane died on November 12, 1994 due to a fall she had in NYC.”

Thing is, Wikipedia has no mention of Jane’s existence. MagicPedia has inncorrect/incomplete info. Luckily the site Girls Love Magic covers Jane Thurston, puts together more of the pieces and has some great pictures, but it doesn’t mention her songwriting.

As a tribute to Jane, here’s a song she wrote the lyrics to. It’s called, “My Best to You” and we wanna dedicate it right back to Jane. Originally done in 1946, we found Joni Mitchell covered it in 1998. Does Joni know this song’s magical gender-bending backstory? If anyone knows Joni, ask her, and let us know. Update: rumor has it Joni chose this song after finding this version of the song by Sons of the Pioneers, but no source for that.

💅 🎉 Jan 23: Weehawken Parents To Beef Up School Coffers With Fancy Filet Mignon Event

We were very glad to hear of this bold new school fundraising event. According to the organizers, the Mayor of Weehawken, the Town Council, and Weehawken School Board members will all be joining the WHS Parent Teacher Organization Filet Mignon Dinner happening on January 23rd.

Who’s cooking, we asked? Good question, they said… the event is being done by Nightingale Catering. Based in Clifton, NJ they specialize in wood-fired filet mignon and are known as “The Beefsteak Company since 1938.” Here’s an article in the NY Times from 2008 that mentions Nightingale and their rich history putting on these popular meaty fundraisers in New Jersey.

Menu highlights:

🥩 All-you-can-eat hand-sliced filet mignon tenderloin

🥗 Spring mix salad with balsamic vinaigrette

🍟French fried potatoes

🍨 Ice cream sundae

☕ Coffee, tea, decaf

Plus: DJ & dancing, cash bar, silent auction, and a door prize drawing ($200 value)

Thursday, Jan 23 | 7 PM | Weehawken Elks

$65/person or $440 for table of 8 — only 150 tickets will be sold, so act fast.

Tickets: zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/beefsteak-fundraiser

Can’t purchase online? Call: Ivette (201) 362-3324 | Trista (201) 214-6438

Cup O’ Fun

iSpresso, the local artsy Union City coffee spot, has new artist-designed cups to doodle and play on. They are only 25 cents and I can attest that it can make your morning buzz, buzzier.

Finally, Remember This

Lyrics by our Weehawken Jane/Gene seem like a good way to start our sign-off:

No thanks once again to Hugo Holland, our unpaid copyeditor — because he’s busy this week, so we refused to let him edit any of this. If there are errors, or if the story of the magicians seems to ramble in a disjointed way (because it kinda does), he’s not to blame.

Anyway, feel free to leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

The newsletter is still free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the 28 amazing humans who’ve pledged thus far, and consider an upgrade to paid. Goals include: print editions, hiring journalists, insurance, expanding the site, and more.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies. You can also support by shopping for gifts at: Gimme Pancakes.

Tah for now, nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version.

***

*Neighborhood Character is a Jersey City Substack with over 1000 subscribers that said they are ending due to it just being too hard/they are too busy. Sad because we found it just about as they were ending. UPDATE after publish: As of January 11 this newsletter is asking for people to tap in if they are interested in helping keep it going. See what they wrote and apply here if interested:

Neighborhood Character

A call to fingers!

Friends, neighbors, West Siders. First, Happy New Year to us. We made it through a wild one and we’re glad to be here…

Read more

4 months ago · 2 likes · David

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Heads up that police in NY and NJ are seeking information about a missing person, 20-year-old Emilio Acosta, last seen two days ago in Weehawken at 12:30AM near Daniel Webster School. Story here on CBS news. Thank you for any help.

When It Comes To Local Intel, Chat GPT Doesn’t Know Jack

Since our start in April 2024, the Weehawken Gazette has had more than 50,000 page views and each issue features content you can’t get anywhere else.

If you ask Chat GPT (or any AI) about many of these topics, they won’t know anything, at least not until we write about them. Fact: the beautiful new cafe we profile below, is not on Chat GPT’s radar when asked about new coffee shops or cafes in Union City — but Chat GPT did list two places that do not exist. Sad and true!

Cue the 🎻: This free newsletter didn’t accept pledges until July 2025. Currently we have 26 paying subscribers. That’s six more than the last issue (yay! 🎉) but that’s less than 4% of all subscribers, and .03% of all readers.

Our goals: we’re saving up to pay outside journalists and artists, produce print editions, and afford the insurance we need to be eligible for a grant. Insurance runs more than $2k a year, in case you were wondering.

So please subscribe now if you don’t, and if you do subscribe, consider hitting that “upgrade to paid” button to become a supporter. Thank you.

Escape To A Magical New Cafe In Houdini’s Old Haunt

Red alert for coffee fans with a hankering for a cool hang: there’s a fabulous new cafe in Union City, just south of the reservoir, and its only been open for a month.

It’s called Beni Coffee, it’s located in a groovy collector’s-grade furniture studio, and they also offer baked goods and light bites. Recent specials included roasted turkey, marinated kale and basil pesto on sourdough and a sassy tuna salad with lemon zest and pepperoncini on baguette.

Currently only open on weekends from 9a-4p, Beni is spacious, light-filled and undeniably stylish. [UPDATE after publish: As of March 2026, Beni Coffee is now also open Thursdays and Fridays until 3P]

The owners are a lovely Weehawken couple just finding their footing with the new venture. But they seem super enthusiastic and they floated the possibilities for future movie nights, social gatherings, and more. Verdict: total hidden gem… and there’s cool history to boot.

Wait, What Cool History?

Thing is, Beni Coffee is in Union City, but Union City wasn’t a thing until 1925. And once upon a time, their 19th street location was called Weehawken Street, and this part of town was called West Hoboken.

When you walk in the door to the building Beni coffee is in, you will be greeted by a portrait of world-famous escape artist and magician Harry Houdini. This was perplexing until we learned that the building is the former site of Houdini’s film lab which he started in 1916, and when that failed, it was his workshop. Judging by the photos, it’s not much changed. See then and now comparisons, below.

So cool, right? No doubt we should totally hold a Houdini seance here next Halloween — when it will be Houdini’s 100th deathiversary! Until then, follow them on social, sip a latte in Houdini’s lab, or snap up a special sandwich.

So what are you waiting for? The address? Oh yeah!

Beni Coffee is at 216 19th St, Union City, NJ 07087

Related: See pictures of Houdini in his Weehawken Street workshop here.

Find more pictures of Beni on the Weehawken Gazette Instagram.

Tight-Knit Group Meets Seven Days A Week

Recently we saw a post on Facebook where a local man was asking if there was a crochet group in town. Then we saw a post on Reddit, where a woman was asking if there was perhaps a local knitting group.

Well friends, there is a local knitting group, and a local crochet group, and even a local loom group — and they’re all the same group.

It’s called Knitting With Love. They meet for an hour and a half, 7 days a week, at 525 Gregory Ave in Weehawken, gathering Monday at noon, and at 4P all the rest of the days of the week.

Sharing Purls Of Wisdom

They formed in June 2025, thanks to Isabel Diaz, and her friend Ann Marie. Isabel initially wanted to relearn knitting to make her 97-year-old mother a prayer shawl and noticed her friend Anne Marie, an expert knitter and crocheter, had some beautiful baby sets that she had donated. That’s when Anne Marie taught others, and they decided to make items to donate.

On how the group grew, Diaz says, “Soon, by word of mouth, more joined, many who hadn’t knit since they were children, and others, like Emily joined, a master in the art of crocheting. One of our ladies, Elia, found an unfinished project of her late mom’s, and made a baby sweater and blanket. It was very emotional.” Diaz added that Victor Berrera, a commissioner in West New York, has been instrumental in helping them achieve goals, find places to donate, and create flyers.

Even better, the town of Weehawken supplies machine-washable yarns the group uses to knit, crochet and loom items they send to worthy causes including baby items to Palisades Hospital, blankets to local animal shelters, and care packages for veterans/active service members.

In fact, on the day we visited, there were representatives who were arranging to take massive amount of their handmade goods to be shipped to Weehawken residents serving overseas, including one who is at a med vac unit in Kuwait, and another serving in the reserves in Germany.

The group is billed as “classes” on the flyers, but they are more like a club that welcomes everyone, from experts as well as total beginners. And although the group takes place at the senior apartments, they stress that you do not need to be a senior to join.

The flyers for the group point out many of the benefits of joining, from laughs and positivity, to memory enhancement and skills gained. Research backs this up, and more. Knitting has been shown to help lower blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol, increase dexterity, and maybe even increase lifespan. If you don’t believe us, see this article on The Health Benefits of Knitting.

When asked about the group, the benefits, and the items they make good causes, Diaz said, “I’m going to get emotional… we put a lot of love into this.” I asked if it was relaxing and she said yes, adding, “When here, I forget about everything else.”

See more pictures on our Instagram here. To learn more and signup, call the Weehawken Senior Citizens Office at 201-319-6060. They are also looking for more yarn donations, so if anyone has a source, or a desire to donate, be in touch.

Local Journalist’s Secret Film History

Local mom Caren Lissner, pictured below, is well-known to anyone who appreciates local news.

Many people might remember Caren as the former editor of the dearly-departed Hudson Reporter, or know that she’s currently a hard-working Patch reporter covering Hoboken and Jersey City. She’s also contributed op-eds and original reporting to many top publications, including this fascinating piece in the NY Times that dove into the slew of abandoned homes up on the cliffs of Union City.

But what many people don’t know is that she’s also an essayist and novelist who had one of her books, Carrie Pilby, turned into a star-studded film. How cool is that?

Since the filming for the movie took place a decade ago, and the movie is a comedy/drama that takes place over the holidays, we thought this would be a good time to find out more.

Caren told me that when she was a twentysomething writer living in Hoboken, she wrote four young-adult novels — all of which were rejected. Finally, when she was 29, she took her single-girl-in-the-city experience and penned "an offbeat novel” called Carrie Pilby, about a 19-year-old genius who graduates from college early, moves to NYC, and doesn’t understand how to date or make friends.

The book was published in 2003 and was optioned twice, but both times, the project was considered for TV, but never made. Then, in 2012, two producers decided to option the book and make their first indie film together.

Caren says that thanks to their "funny, smart script” they were able to bring on well-known actors including Nathan Lane, Vanessa Bayer, Colin O’Donoghue and more. Ten years ago this month, the producers shot the film in NYC before Christmas, Caren was on the movie set, and she even appears sitting on a bench in a scene shot in Central Park.

The film premiered in 2016. Caren attended cast parties and walked the red carpet. She says, “Seeing my characters come to life was a dream come true, and the producers did a great job.”

And since then? In 2010 the book was re-released as a teen novel, and the film streamed on Netflix from 2018-2023. Now it’s available on other platforms, including here on Apple TV as well as YouTube, Fandango, and Google Play.

What’s next? Caren is still reporting, writing essays and told me she is finishing up a memoir called How We Became Homeless: A Cringy Chronicle of Downward Mobility.

Support her work by reading the book, streaming the movie, or following her reporting on Patch.

Happy Holidaze, Y’all!

There’s so much more to show and tell, but we’ll save it for next time, promise.

No thanks to Hugo Holland, our unpaid copyeditor — because he’s super busy this week, so we refused to let him edit any of this. If there are errors, it’s on us.

Anyway, feel free to leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

The newsletter is still free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the 26 amazing humans who’ve pledged thus far, and consider an upgrade to paid. Goals include: print editions, hiring journalists, insurance, expanding the site, and more.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies. This issue had no ads, but has an Amazon affiliate link to Caren’s book. You can also support by shopping for gifts at: Gimme Pancakes.

Tah for now, nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version.

Leave a comment

Welcome! Lots of new followers since our theater-in-a-water-tower video has gotten more than 30k views on TikTok and Instagram. Anyway, before the tasty bits, including a big original feature, thought you’d like a peek behind the scenes.

Since our unannounced, unfunded start, the Weehawken Gazette has had more than 50,000 page views.

Cue the 🎻: This free newsletter began in April 2024, but we didn’t accept pledges until July 2025. Currently we have 20 paying subscribers. That’s three more than the last issue, but that’s less than 3% of all subscribers, and .03% of all readers.

Each issue features content you can’t get anywhere else and takes hours of unpaid labor. If you ask Chat GPT or Gemini about many of these topics, they won’t know anything, at least not until we write about them. Our goals are humble, but if you wanna know we’re saving up to publish print editions, pay journalists and designers, and afford the insurance we need to be eligible for a grant.

So please subscribe now if you don’t already, and if you do subscribe, consider hitting that “upgrade to paid” button to become a paying patron of the newsletter arts. Thank you.

The Local Music Seen

One of the hottest new underground clubs is inside a Mediterranean restaurant in Weehawken, NJ. Zatar solos, anyone? It’s a highway to hummus for sure.

In November I stumbled upon photos and videos showing bands playing in Weehawken. It looked super cool, but we don’t have a music club, so when I saw the venue — a small family-run restaurant I walk by all the time — I was surprised, to say the least. I found it wasn’t the first show, and that these bands and more are making a splash in many unexpected venues. How did this happen? Is there really a scene? Read on to find out.

Ximena Garcia, 20, is currently studying music business at Bergen Community College in Paramus, while also working two jobs. She sings, plays guitar, a little bass, and a little piano. But she came across our radar because she’s the brainchild behind the recent live music shows at the Chickpea Grill on Park Avenue in Weehawken. They began in August for her birthday. The most recent happened on Black Friday, and there’s another coming soon, later this month.

When I dug into this story, we found there’s a legit “DIY show” music scene busting out in North Jersey, led by young bands hauling their equipment and putting on shows in any venue that will host them, sometimes with young artist friends, like visual artist Mariana and local zine Cranium, who show up to sell their wares. And since many of these spaces don’t sell alcohol, the shows are billed “all ages” opening up an opportunity for young art-loving audiences and bands to thrive.

Popping Off In North Hudson

Garcia says the Chickpea Grill owner, Elizabeth, is a friend. “She’s got 6 kids — she’s always busy, it’s hard for her to get out. She told me she’s invested in wanting to know more about art and music. So instead of going to any party — we brought the party to her.” And nope, the kitchen doesn’t close while the music plays, and people coming in for takeout have been a little surprised to find a hard-driving music show in progress. But the gyrating and the gyros, the kebabs and the ke-bopping music, and the pita-pattering of the drums — all seem to mix well.

Is the North Jersey Scene Having A Moment?

I’ve lived in Weehawken as long as Garcia has been alive, and it sure feels like something particularly special is happening now with live performance that wasn’t here before. But I’m a middle-aged mom, so to see if there was any truth to my theory I talked to two members of bands that participated in the most recent Weehawken show, plus one veteran music journalist. Hunch confirmed: Chickpea Grill is far from the only non-traditional NJ space to be having a moment as a venue.

Edgar Echeverria, 25, is a guitar player and singer from West New York in a band called Polaroids. Although Echeverria has been out of school less than a decade, he’s noticed that there’s “a lot more for the arts than when I was in high school.” He cited Guttenberg Arts, a local community art hub, which recently hosted a slate of bands, including his, at a show in November.

And Jeremy Mendoza, a bassist and singer from Union City, who says his band Juniper can be described as alt emo punky post-hardcore, said there are many places where people can find live music thriving, including The Meatlocker in Montclair and Cinco De Mayo, a Mexican restaurant in New Brunswick known for punk. He said the shows are not about the money, because even when they collect a cover, it only means they have enough to not lose money.

Mendoza, Echeverria and Garcia all share a passion for meeting new people and wanting to make something happen. Maybe it’s because they are part of a cohort craving in-person connections more than the previous generation, especially important for a group that missed out on many formative in-person experiences.

Echeverria said he felt the North Jersey scene was primed to “pop off” due to the momentum and the location just outside of NYC.

Jim Testa, a long-time music columnist for the Jersey Journal who now runs a Substack called , knows the scene and told me it wasn’t my imagination. He said, “Yes, this was an excellent year for local music, both in releases and live shows," adding, “It’s been great to see the area’s young bands find places to put on their own all-ages shows, from a frat at Stevens Tech to the Guttenberg Arts Center and even Garbanzo Grill in Weehawken. There’s still a legacy of musicians who coalesced in Hoboken back in the Eighties and Nineties during the heyday of Maxwell’s, but new artists arrive or debut all the time and I’m optimistic about an awesome 2026.”

‘Respect the space’

The musicians playing at Chickpea Grill and many of these non-traditional venues are very mindful to tell people to “respect the space.” The bands want to go hard, sometimes the audience does too, but there’a clearly a code for the businesses that are kind enough to host. Mendoza said “don’t break anything” is the main rule.

OK, but how do you find out about future shows?

Although some shows are clearly listed, many of these shows are “DM for address.” Mendoza’s advice for people looking for the next hot venue was to “tap in with the bands. It’s like…if you know you know.”

Chickpea Grill is having another show December 20. Doors at 6:30, show at 7:30. Cover charge TBD. But follow Garcia and all the local bands for more info when it drops. And now, you know.

More about the photographer: Ethan Terzini is a 19-year-old New Jersey lens-based artist, currently studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He works in a wide variety of mediums; analogue, digital & alt process. He says his intention is “to capture the feeling of the space I am photographing and to allow the viewer to liberate their own personal feelings through the image.” Follow him on Instagram @feadte_and support him by buying prints.

Living Inside A Bubble, Bad; Swimming In One, Good

As noted in the most recent News At 53 Liberty newsletter, the local high school swim team no longer needs to be bussed at 5AM for practice — they now have a home under the Weehawken Waterfront Park’s very own pool bubble. Like other sports, they can now dive in right after school. And they had their first home meet on December 4 (evidence here) and will soon be having many more.

When will the non-varsity public be diving in?

If you haven’t seen the email, which came with 4 supporting (and slightly maddening) PDF files attached, this is a “soft opening” with indoor lap and family swim times, as well as water aerobics under the Weehawken Recreation banner which will be starting December 8 and running until January 4. It’s for Weehawken residents, and it’s free — for now. Registration is required and it’s here.

This is a dream come true for those of us who were campaigning for all-season use back before the first shovel hit the ground, and the idea of a pool bubble seemed way too ambitious.

A Few Holiday Season Recommendations

👙🪄The Rack Shack: A Wicked Good Shop Where Defying Gravity Comes Standard

If you have breasts, or know someone who does, this is a magical store filled with beautiful bras that aren’t available in regular old stores (like the schmancy Polish ones, the burlesque-esque ones) and they fit like a dream—especially when you get a professional fitting right there. Thing is, until this month, the only Rack Shack was in Bushwick, Brooklyn which for people in NoHu meant hauling yourself 1 hour each way to experience the lift that comes from owning their bras. Well good news for your girls: The Rack Shack just opened a store in Hell’s Kitchen on 45th street, which means it’s 20 mins or less to bounce on in. Visit therackshacknyc.com to learn more.

🎄🎁 🎅 Holiday Markets Worth Your Jingle

Everyone knows the Bryant Park and Union Square Holiday markets are fun, but their offerings are a bit basic, as the kids say. Below are four markets we think will rise above — two in NJ and two in Manhattan. Thank you to jewelry designer ardrahanmetals.com for two of these recs, and you’ll find their beautiful wares at the NYC markets below.

Dec 13 & 14: Renegade Craft Manhattan @ Metropolitan Pavilion 

renegadecraft.com/event/new-york-winter/

Dec 14 & 21: Hoboken Holiday Market @ 770 Jackson St. Plaza

mainstreetpops.com/?event=hoboken-holiday-market-series-december-15

Dec 14: Tenafly Holiday Market @ Huyler Park

mainstreetpops.com/?event=be-fort-lee-holiday-night-market-2

Dec 17 & 18: Grand Bazaar and Made in NYC @ Grand Central Station 

grandbazaarnyc.org/events/2168/

12/14 Cantigas Women’s Choir Concert

Drawing singers from up and down the Gold Coast of NJ, but primarily Hoboken and Jersey City, Cantigas Women’s Choir puts on two main concerts a year. Their winter concert is 12/14 in Hoboken at 5p and features a dynamic and challenging slate of songs. Get tickets here. Yes, I’m in the choir. Watch us wow you as we sing in Tibetan, Ukrainian, Russian and more.

Sad News About A Beloved Teacher

The news and the photo above were shared by Weehawken Schools on December 1, and we wanted to share here as well. Love to her family, and may her memory be a blessing.

Carol Danchise served 45 years as an educator in Weehawken, most of them at Roosevelt School. Last year, she was named the TRS Teacher of the Year.

She is pre-deceased by her beloved husband, Ken.

She’s survived by her 2 children - Brian and Heather.

At the family’s request, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Theodore Roosevelt School PTA in support of student programs and scholarships—a cause close to Mrs. Danchise’s heart throughout her many years teaching at TRS. Link here: roosevelths.givebacks.com/shop/items/08d1d29d162221

See You Soon, Lovely People

Many thanks to Hugo Holland, our unpaid copyeditor, for smacking down typos and making us look good. And he’s soon coming back from Paris for the holidays, yay! One note: in the last issue kebabs was spelled wrong when it first flew on email, an eagle-eyed reader noticed, and that was totally not Hugo’s fault.. we snuck in a typo when he was done.

Anyway, feel free to leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

The newsletter is still free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the 20 amazing humans who’ve pledged thus far, and consider an upgrade to paid. Goals include: print editions, hiring journalists, insurance, expanding the site, and more.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies. This issue had no ads. You can also support by shopping for gifts at: Gimme Pancakes.

And another way to support? Check out and follow this very cool new animated short film called Whale 52, by two-time Oscar® nominee Bill Plympton:

Tah for now, nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version.

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This is a conversation space exclusively for subscribers—kind of like a group chat or live hangout. I’ll post questions and updates that come my way, and you can jump into the discussion, or not. Only thing: right now all subscribers can join, no paywall. However only paid subscribers can start new threads. We’ll see how it goes! As we’ve never done this, terms of this feature are subject to change. The Weehawken Gazette will stay free, but the chat might become a paid-only feature in future.

I’m hoping the chat is helpful and that the vibe is neighbors helping neighbors.

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1. Get the Substack app by clicking this link or the button below. New chat threads won’t be sent sent via email, so turn on push notifications so you don’t miss conversation as it happens. But don’t worry, you can also access chat on the web.

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🎪 Ladies & Gentleman, Readers Of All Ages…

Welcome! Before we jump into all the news, thought you’d like a peek behind the scenes. Since our unannounced, unfunded start in April 2024, the Weehawken Gazette has had almost 50,000 page views. And just yesterday, a new pottery studio in Union City said someone came in because they read about it here, first.

Cue the music 🎻: This totally free newsletter began in April 2024, but we didn’t accept pledges until July 2025. Currently we have 17 paying subscribers. That’s just 3% of all subscribers, and .03% of all readers.

Not only do the people who pledge feel invested, our paying subscribers report having more energy, better skin, and increased sex appeal since pledging a few $ to this newsletter.* Wow, right? So please subscribe now if you don’t, and if you do subscribe, consider hitting that “upgrade to paid” button to become a paying patron of the newsletter arts. Thank you — now let’s roll!

Exclusive: Pool Bubble Up & Swimming Soon To Go Down

In February 2025, the Weehawken pool bubble construction began. We wrote about it here, along with some dopey AI-assisted pics of what it might look like.

Well now it’s up, and everyone wants to know when we can dive in. In an exclusive interview with the mayor and township manager** we learned that it’s delayed because the pool’s water heater is broken. The pool was to open Monday, but due to the lack of heat, the water is currently 50 degrees. First they’ve got to fix the heater and then test the water once it’s up to speed.

So the official answer is, soon-ish? But there’s no date yet. And how much will it cost? Again, that’s not been determined at this time. But stay tuned, and as soon as we know, we’ll let you know. In fact, we will probably finally turn on the Weehawken Gazette subscriber chat for breaking updates like these, so that’s one more reason to subscribe now.

Gate-gate Scandal Rocks Weehawken

Last month the word got out that parking at Whole Foods in Weehawken had changed. Previously free, the gate was now down, and the cost unclear.

Then, rumors flew: some people said you had to pay $15 just to enter the garage. Some said no, there was now a minimum spend to park, but people had different ideas about how much that was. That’s when I went down to Whole Foods this week to investigate, and this happened:

Yes, the gate to the garage was down, the sign said it was $15 for a minimum 3 hours of parking, and the guy in front of us made everyone back up as he decided to opt out of the garage.

I decided to press on. I figured the worst case was they’d charge me $15 to pick up a few things, I’d kvetch about it here, and never go back.

I got my parking garage ticket and, once inside, asked customer service about the parking. They said it was now a $10 minimum spend, and to leave the garage you needed to scan your parking ticket and scan your receipt. They also said lots of people were mad about this.

I also asked why there was no sign up. He said, “nobody reads signs.” He was kind of joking, but then I added, “But what if you just want to pick up milk? Even here, milk isn’t $10.” And then another customer service guy said, “Actually, you get 20 minutes free… so you can go to Cafe Grumpy or whatever.”

OK that’s different. Free for 20 minutes? But again, there was no sign, so there’s no way you’d know this when you just see the gate is down, and the only sign there says the cheapest parking is $15.

Anyway, I left, scanned my receipt and ticket, and the gate finally came up — because there was an “error” at first and it didn’t work, so I thought I was trapped in that charming garage forever. Trapped with a baguette and rotisserie chicken, but still…

And talking to neighbors we did find people who admitted parking there — not for Whole Foods. And someone said they knew on good authority that Blu on the Hudson wedding guests have been known to park there. Someone also said they had a friend from out of town who’d park there and then take the ferry into the city. At this point we were starting to see the garage owner’s POV.

But then…

Flash forward to the next day, and suddenly my Weehawken Gazette informants — including some who lived in Hoboken and Jersey City — started sending in pictures that the gate was up again. So I went back, it was indeed up, and the same customer service guy was there. Asked about it he said, “Too many people complained… it was a mess.” So our long national nightmare is over. And by “national,” I mean local. And by long I mean less than a month. Stay tuned, but for now, it’s free at last — again!

1st Food Justice 5K? Verdict: Success

On Saturday, November 15th Weehawken hosted their first waterfront 5k, a massive effort spearheaded by the locally-founded Food Justice For All 501c3 charity. The group is run by Weehawken High School students, and they managed to rally approximately 50 volunteers, plus the police and the town, who all supported the race.

At 8:30am there was a 1-mile fun run for kids, then fast runners at 9:30am, followed by slower runners and walkers around 10am. There were 154 adult runners and at least 20 kids in the 1-mile race.

There were chipped bibs, activities for kids, and a DJ who kept the crowd dancing. They had bagels from Bagels On Park, bananas and coffee for participants, and t-shirts for registered runners. Oh and pizza, for volunteers, provided by Alessio’s.

Other sponsors included The Declan, Urban Taqueria, Fleet Feet & Crossfit Hoboken. Because of these excellent sponsors, the runners who paid entry, and “one large donor who wishes to remain anonymous,” the 5k managed to raise approximately $15,000, according to Weehawken Board of Ed member and Food Justice mamma bear Marissa Dennis. All proceeds from this year’s race will go to benefit the PERC shelter in Union City. Here’s some video of the slower runner and walker group taking off:

🏁 Race results

Mayor Richard Turner did the 5K and he came in first — for all mayors.

SFX: rimshot

The actual first-place winner? Local high school student Youssef Idrissi, who crossed the finish line with a blazing fast time. Second place went to Leonard Garcia, and 3rd went to Jacopo Palma. See pictures of the top three and more on the Weehawken Gazette Instagram.

We seriously hope this was the 1st annual edition of this excellent event and big props to the businesses who sponsored.

UCMP Gala Shows Off Musical Talent & Passion For Education

Almost 14 years ago Melina Garcia was a young mom who couldn’t find anything nearby where her kids could learn, create, and find something positive to do after school. That’s when she decided to found the United Children’s Music Project, a non-profit providing low-cost music education and performance opportunities to children in Hudson County, NJ. When Garcia started she had 54 kids who were 3-5 years old, and the instruments were made of cardboard. Today, 1300 children have attended the UCMP school, they have a new home in a bank at 4710 Park Avenue in Weehawken, and it was recently named the non-profit of the year by the Hudson Chamber of Commerce.

At the “A Night On The Hudson” fundraising gala that took place last Wednesday, she was emotional describing all of this, adding, “each and every one of us has a duty to give back, to make things better, if we can.”

The night included many student performances, plus special musical guest Thierry de Lucas Neves of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra on violin. Also in attendance were Terry D. Loftis, President and CEO of the NJ Symphony, Mayor Richard Turner, and tons of neighbors. If you have a child in Hudson County who might want to enroll, or you want to get involved, visit ucmusicproject.org for details.

Note: Weehawken Gazette was invited to the event and received one free ticket.

ICYMI Water Tower Theater Video

TBH we try to keep the Weehawken Gazette Instagram boring because we prefer readers to look-ers. But we made a video about our recent trip to see a Hudson Theater Works production in the water tower — and at 4k views — people seem to like it. So check it out if you have not:

That’s A Wrap, People!

Many thanks to Hugo Holland, our unpaid copyeditor, for looking over this newsletter in between taking exams and sampling Parisian kebabs.

Feel free to leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

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The newsletter is still free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the 17 amazing humans who’ve pledged thus far, and consider an upgrade to paid. Goals include: print editions, hiring journalists, insurance, expanding the site, and more.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies. You can also support by shopping for gifts at: Gimme Pancakes.

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version.

*These statements have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA — or anyone.

**The exclusive interview was conducted by pestering them (nicely) for answers at the Food Justice 5K.

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🎵 Quick Notes

Hello to our new subscribers and big love to our long-time readers. Hearing that you’ve been entertained, learned what’s happening, and/or met new friends/gotten new customers thanks to this newsletter, is awesome.

This newsletter began in April 2024, but we didn’t accept pledge $ until July of this year. Currently less than 3% of Weehawken Gazette subscribers, and less than 1% of all our readers have pledged. So if you can, and if you have not, please consider giving a few $ to this newsletter if you like it. Thanks and — let’s get started!

🛸 Identified Flying Objects

Remember about a year ago everyone in NJ was freaking out about drones? Well we here on the Gold Coast are no strangers to the drones that light up the skies with airborne advertisements.

Most recently, on October 16th, there was a show in Weehawken that launched from the waterfront field, as seen in the photo and video evidence sent to us from three nice neighbors. We’ve had quite a few shows and we love it when we catch them, but how come we never know exactly when they are going to happen? And how much, if anything, does the town make on letting them dance over our fair town?

Well dear readers, we asked, and we have answers. First off, the town doesn’t invite people to come view them because it’s a safety issue. Even with the most experienced people running them, they are known to fall out of the sky on occasion. In 2024, during a community holiday drone show in Orlando, drones collided, fell, and a 7-year-old boy was seriously injured. And during a show in China last month, drones were dropping like flies from the sky and in the videos people can be seen running for cover from the rain of sparks. In fact, in one of the videos on the Weehawken Gazette Instagram, if you watch closely you can see a drone dropping to earth and making what appears to be a fiery landing. That’s a good reason to keep people far away.

And what does the town reap from the flying machines, besides the cool factor? According to the town, we get $20,000 per drone show. Or, if they book three or more shows, a discount might be given and it’s only $15,000 per show. So, thanks to our snazzy Manhattan skyline backdrop, and ideal launch pad, we get money that goes to help fund cool things in the town, like Weehawken Day. Tah dah. Gotta love that.

For the drone footage many thanks to Heather Bostwick, and a neighbor we simply call “Mr. T” since he wishes to stay anonymous.

🌳 Park It Here

On October 19, the town of Weehawken threw a small opening day party for residents of the building next to the newly-reopened park on Park Avenue by 38th street.

The park has been closed for a few years, but no one was sure exactly when it closed. In any case, it is now filled with a slew of delightful new plants which were selected by landscape designer Lauren Sherman, a consultant to the town. She walked us through most everything in there, pointing out the allium and red bud trees at the front, plus much more including aronia, viburnum, skip and cherry laurels, hydrangeas and fothergilla.

The best news is that it’s not done yet. In the spring, Sherman says there will be ground cover and lilac bushes that will be planted outside the gates, which should look and smell amazing. And we assume they’ll help obscure the view of the parking lot next to it, seen below.

What’s In A Name?

According to the Weehawken Township website, the name of this park is “Garden Park” but curiously, this name was not known by the town officials in attendance. Of the name, one local young person who asked to remain anonymous said, “the only thing more boring than Garden Park, would be calling it Park Park.” We agree. Although “Park Park” is funny, so we kind of like it.

Our suggest is to name the park after a beloved resident who has passed on, or what say we name it after a famous/cool living person who might be inclined to donate some $ to the schools for the honor? Or maybe we should let a crypto company pay big bucks to name it for a year before they crash and burn? All options are on the table.

What do you think we should name it? Let us know in the comments below, leave a comment on our Instagram, or email us at the address found at the bottom of the newsletter.

💐 Flower Power In Jersey City

Not too long ago someone online asked where they could get flower arrangements in the area, and I immediately thought of a locally owned shop in Jersey City heights, and quickly realized we’d never covered it. So… mea culpa and meet Maria M Lopez, pictured below. Lopez was raised in Jersey City, and she’s the owner of Flor y Cafe in Jersey City.

Open since March 2022, she says her shop has the only true floral designers in Jersey City with arrangements that feature “full blooms, not fillers like you get from FTD or Teleflora.” She says the difference is that “being a designer takes time — one Flor y Cafe corsage takes 30-45 minutes, because we need to knit every flower.”

Although Lopez came to the world of flowers later than some, her roots in flora run deep because her mother, Jarmina Cortez, is a renowned floral designer who has worked for many notable clients. Lopez says her mother was the floral designer for Michael Jackson’s and Whitney Houston’s funerals. And although she’s been at it for 54 years, Lopez says her mom still assists in the shop.

What else is special? They offer “pet bouquets” which means they are non-toxic, only featuring flowers, like roses and sunflowers, which won’t mess with Fluffy should they decide to nibble on the arrangement. And she touts a special rate for college students, where they can get bouquet corsages and boutonnieres for just $20 each.

On a personal note, I’ve known Maria as a Weehawken neighbor for over a decade. She’s a married mom of two delightful now-grown kids, and I was immediately drawn to her (and her family’s) artistic spirit, positivity, and sense of humor. So besides the flowers, you should support her shop just because she’s also a very cool person.

Update April 2026: Flor y Cafe is still in business but is now online and phone orders only, no walk-in. See their Instagram for details.

Order flowers or contact them for more info via their website.

Follow Flor y Cafe on Instagram: @flor_y_cafe_flowershop

🎭 Play Time

Have you ever been inside the Weehawken Water Tower? Well this week you can have the rare opportunity to go in and enjoy a night of theater while there with Hudson Theatre Works’ production of Edward Albee’s “At Home At The Zoo.”

It’s only running three more days, November 6—8. Need more convincing? Tickets are only $25 plus fees, with discounts for students and seniors, and apparently it’s really good.

How do we know this? We saw Jim Testa’s glowing review of this production on NJArts — where he also alerts you to the sexy bits and the steep stairs. Check it out here: Edward Albee’s ‘At Home at the Zoo’ packs a lots of fireworks into two conversations

UPDATE AFTER PUBLISH: new info… regular tickets are $25 plus fees not $20 as originally written — <$20 is the student/senior price. Fixed above. Tickets are available on Eventbrite here.

Related: Jim has a music Substack called

🥞 Sponsor Message: Poofy Is Back!

Long before there was a Labubu, there was Poofy, the gonzo 90’s creation of artist and writer Robyn Lee. And now for the first time in many moons, Poofy merch is once again available. Check out what’s in store and order now at gimmiepancakes.com

👻📕47th Street LiBOOry Wins Halloween

On Halloween this year, I felt really cool because I made ghost pops and plunked a few books my kids were giving away into the candy bowls. I was amazed how much the trick or treaters loved the books. Many of them wanted a book instead of candy. I told them they could have both. I thought, next year I should get more books…

The day after Halloween, thinking I was the cleverest person on the planet, I learned another Weehawken family had done something about 5000 times more magical. The family, headed by Brian and Karen Osborne, had candy AND an entire Halloween “LiBOOry” on their porch with the many books on offer organized by reader age range.

Karen is a working mom, keen reader, former PTA president, and she told me the project also appealed to her husband, owing to his educator background. How did she come up with it? Apparently a few years ago the teal pumpkin campaign inspired her to go beyond candy, and so she gave away toys on Halloween, a combination of clearing out cool stuff her kids had outgrown, and finding small items to buy. But this year, she had the idea to get books. She bought bags of books for $1 from the Weehawken Library and asked friends and neighbors to donate what they had. The result was this stunning display. One women who came by said, “I’m a pre-k teacher — and this is f*cking brilliant!” We couldn’t agree more.

Alessio’s Cafe Opens New Location

Alessio’s Cafe is now open on 1525 Harbor Blvd, in front of the Whole Foods in Weehawken. This is their fifth location in NoHu, and arguably the most stunning, with waterfront views and tons of light. But you shouldn’t go to a restaurant for the views, you go for the food. Luckily, anyone who knows Alessio’s, knows they have fantastic grub. And this is especially exciting because the owners, pictured above, live in Weehawken.

In our humble opinion, way too many businesses that line the NJ coast are not unique, and as more and more chains dot the waterfront, it can start to feel like an airport food court. So hip hip hooray for Alessio’s! With high-quality breakfast, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and more — we are thrilled to have you here.

Your Mug Shot

As in, your shot at making a mug…

This is at a new-ish studio in Union City, The Clay Stood, that does classes, workshops, and more. This make-a-mug event November 15th seems fun, and it seems there’s still a few more spots. This goes way beyond those painting pottery places and it’s kind of cool to make and keep your own creation.

If You Got This Far…

Congratulations!

OK: this issue does not have the skills of Hugo Holland, our unpaid copyeditor, as he was traveling for his college break. Apologies in advance for type-ohs!

Also, this issue was late due to many personal reasons. One was that I was at a conference when a man with a loaded gun stormed in.

Anyway… leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

The newsletter is still free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the few amazing humans who’ve pledged, and consider an upgrade to paid.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies.

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive errors that are later corrected in the archive version.

Leave a comment

📰 Super short appeal

Hello to our new subscribers and big love to our long-time readers. Hearing that you’ve been entertained, learned what’s happening, and/or met new friends/gotten new customers thanks to this newsletter, is awesome.

This newsletter began in April 2024, but we didn’t accept pledge $ until July of this year. Currently less than 2% of Weehawken Gazette subscribers, and less than 1% of all our readers have pledged. So if you can, please consider giving a few $ to this newsletter if you like it. Now, onward!

🌽A Big Corn-troversy

Recently people have been sharing tales of corn growing wild in the parking lot of Lidl in Weehawken. It seemed so sweet and gave us hope that if the economy breaks down, we won’t all starve. But since this was on social media, things turned dark fast, and people started commenting that this corn was already or would soon be attracting rats to feast on it.

Was there a kernel of truth to these rumors? Is it a 24-hour rat buffet? We had to investigate. We sent our best reporter and our best photographer to the scene.*

As you can see it sure looks a lot like corn.

But we are going to tell you that we believe this is not corn. Nope. We think it’s sorghum. Why? Simple: corn has a very subtle tassel on top, and this stuff has a big frilly seed head. And the other clue? There’s no corn.

Sorghum is a crop — a gluten-free ancient grain that is said to have many benefits. According to the Cleveland Clinic sorghum is “rich in antioxidants, nutrients, protein and fiber” plus it’s naturally cholesterol-free and low-fat. And some sorghum stalks can be made into sugar and some is for animal feed.

And sure, there’s a small chance it’s millet. When you start reading sorghum vs. millet identification articles you are deep in the rabbit hole.

But it’s not corn. Except yes, some sorghum is called “broomcorn” but it’s a grass. So in conclusion, since we don’t currently have a botanist on staff, we can’t say for sure it’s not corn, but we’re 99.9% sure it’s not corn. If you think it’s corn, comment here, blow up our social media. We promise we will admit it if we’re wrong.

🎃🧟‍♀️ Interview: Local Halloween-Happy Homeowner Tells All

Cooler weather, falling leaves, and an excuse to dress up and extort candy from strangers? Yes we are 🦇🦇 for Halloween.

There are wonderful displays up and down the Gold Coast of NJ, but every spooky season there’s one house on Blvd. East in Weehawken that is next level.

It’s seen below, but a photo cannot do it justice. At night there are sounds, fancy animatronic moves, glowing liquids — it must be experienced.

This year I wanted to know more about what it’s like to create an abode that makes an annual transformation into Elvira’s dream house. I thought of knocking on the door, but I didn’t need to. When I came by the owner was on the roof putting up more decorations. I learned her name is Shannon, and she kindly answered a few questions and then gave her number for followup.

Originally from Chicago, Shannon moved east — she said she loves being closer to the ocean and the fashion — and has lived in Weehawken for almost two decades. By day, she’s an SVP Strategy at Epsilon, and of Weehawken she says, “I love it here I have the best neighbors!” And now, the questions, after the photo…

A Few Questions for Shannon Aronson, winner of the Weehawken Gazette’s 2025 Weeward for Best Halloween Decorations

Q: Is Halloween a favorite holiday of yours? Do you dress up? Do kids expect the best treats from your house because of the decor?

I dress up every single year in multiple costumes. My dog also dresses up, all 145lbs of fluff. I love it and for sure Halloween is my favorite. Next would be St. Patty’s Day and Christmas. We give away a ton of Halloween candy, and usually have 4-5 people helping handout. We will all be dressed up including our dog Da Vinci, because the lines get so long. Come early as we run out of candy and shut down a little early to celebrate ourselves!

Q: When did you start decorating for Halloween? And has the display grown over the years? It sure seems like it has.

I have been decorating for all 19 years. Over the years it has gotten better and more expansive. No more blow-ups! My boyfriend Joe also has helped bring it to another level. Halloween is his favorite holiday also!

Q: How long did it take this year to get the whole thing up and running?

Joe likes to be the scene designer and helps put everything up — it is just him and I crawling on roofs and ladders. It takes almost two weeks to put up, but we make little changes here and there the entire time it is up — we like to keep people on their toes and enjoy something new throughout the time it is up.

Q: Where does the display go in the off-season?

Storage! 12 foot creatures will not fit in my basement.

Q: Any decoration disasters that have ever happened?

Oh gosh yes — we have had things fly off the roof over the years but we have finally gotten way better tying things down— we had a few vampires that flew off — who knows what they were up to that night.

Q: What time of night do the lights and sounds go off? Is it all on a timer?

Yes it is on a timer, but if I see a large crowd I will come out and turn it on. It goes on at 7pm and goes off on weekdays at 10pm, and 11pm on weekends.

Q: What inspires you to make it better every year?

Really it is the excitement of the neighborhood. We get people asking us if we are going to put up decorations starting in early September. To see faces light up young and old really makes us happy. We have met so many wonderful people. Also, it is now just tradition I have had people come by and show me 10 years of pics in front of my house during Halloween — how can we not continue to make it better? There is also a little girl that brings me a handmade trophy every year for the best house — that always puts a huge smile on my face. If you stop by please say hello to Joe, my huge Doodle Da Vinci, and me!

Thank you Shannon for your time and your Halloween spirit!

Related: Our piece about the late artist, Rudy Bram, whose Weehawken house became a destination.

🎤🧑‍🎤Local Woman Moves Upcliff & Ever Closer To Grammy-Winning Dreams

Last week at a community happy hour event on the Weehawken waterfront, I met recording artist Andrea Benham. She hails from Princeton, NJ but told me she’s lived in Weehawken for the past 12 years. Until last month she lived in a waterfront building, but she has recently moved up in the world — literally — to an apartment in Weehawken heights.

We then learned she specializes in electronic dance music and is in contention for three Grammys. How cool is that? The songs that are now in first-round for your consideration are: Accessible, Free and Misunderstood Blonde — all of which can be found via Spotify, below, as well as on Apple Music and many other platforms. So take a listen, and support!

Related: In July, we told you about William Hobbs, another upcliff Weehawken neighbor whose new classical album might just be a future Grammy winner.

Westfield’s Weird & Wonderful Street Sign Auction

The Town of Westfield, NJ recently replaced their street signs. But they saved all the old signs, and they are currently auctioning them off. Right now, signs for Tremont Avenue are going for up to $200, while signs for Azelea Trail are only $15. Why? Who knows? Anyway, it’s cool because proceeds will go to their Public Arts Commission.

You can bid anytime now through November 13 here: 32auctions.com/westfield-street-signs

🐕 Sponsor Message: Startup Pet Brand Wants Your Opinion

This is Al, also known as Vicious Alvin. His mom is launching a pet brand and seeks other pet parents to answer a few market research questions. And yes, Alvin is a stunning dogfluencer, but this does not mean he’ll be the spokesmodel for the brand. The survey is super short and here on Google forms. Once again, take the Vicious Alvin pet survey now to help support our furry friend and Weehawken Gazette sponsor!

🍁🤵‍♂️November 15: Fall Supper Club

First off, this will sell out, that’s why we’re sharing early.

This event is done periodically by Lorraine’s Table, a local gourmet meal delivery service we profiled back in March. It takes place upstairs at the Weehawken Elks.

What it is: four courses plus hors d’oeuvres, most drinks and tip included. Here’s some highlights: the special cocktail for the eve is Harvest Punch, an expert concoction of vodka, pomegranate, orange liquor, ginger and champagne.

Here’s a peek at the starters: Mortadella Smear, Fig Balsamic, Pistachio on Focaccia; Wild Mushroom Risotto Coin, Black Pepper Truffle Aioli; Fried Stuffed Olives; Butternut Squash & Ricotta Gnocchi, Parmesan Sage Cream; Chicken Liver Mousse, Cranberry Mostarda.

And then there’s 4 whole courses. Go see the whole menu here.

When: Saturday, November 15th at 6:30 pm | 2 50^th St. & Blvd East, Weehawken

$135 per person includes: specialty cocktail, mocktail, beer, wine & non-alcoholic beverages throughout dinner and gratuity. Cash bar available for all other drinks. Reservations: Contact Lorraine at 201-598-8878 or Lorrainestable@optonline.net

🧛🏻‍♀️ Friday 10/24: Halloween Party at Weehawken Elks

The previous event is upstairs at the Elks, this is in the cozy downstairs pub. What it is:

🧠🎤 Trivia & Karaoke
💃 Music & Dancing
🍴 Appetizer Buffet
💲 $20 entry | $15 if you’re in costume
👥 21 & Over
📍 Weehawken Elks Lodge

Please RSVP: contactweehawkenelks@gmail.com

And if you aren’t sold yet, check out this cool flier…

In Brief

👩 The Women’s Club of Weehawken raises money for local causes: books for school children, families in need, the First Aid Squad and more. Their next meeting is Monday, Oct. 20 at 7PM in the Senior Nutrition Center, 201 Highwood Ave. They say, “You are more than welcome to attend and experience what we are about. We do collect $45 dues in April to offset some of our expenses.” If you are thinking of going, they ask you to RSVP via email so they can plan the snacks: wcweehawken@gmail.com

🚂 Sunday 10/12: Meet The Rail Fleet — Got a kid who loves trains? Can you get to Hoboken? Then you gotta go to this. Did we mention it’s free? It is. We could tell you more, but the whole story plus cool pics from last year’s event are here on Patch.

🎀 🎉Wednesday 10/15: ArtHaus Ribbon Cutting & Reception — ArtHaus at 4700 Park Avenue in Weehawken bills itself as a “creative arts hub in Hudson County, dedicated to providing instruction in music, art, dj, and music production, while fostering artistic exploration and cultural dialogue and community collaboration.” They tell us they are having an official grand opening with ribbon cutting, local officials, and light refreshments on Wed. October 15th at 5p. It’s open to the public, and a reception will follow the ceremony.

🗳️ Don’t miss out: Register to vote in NJ by October 14! Check the stats of your registration or register here: www.nj.gov/state/elections/voter-registration.shtml

And Finally… The Weehawken Pool Is Open!

It’s open… if you’re a goose. Yes, I’m officially jealous of geese now. Thanks to the neighbor who sent this photo.

Real pool news: the mayor says the bubble will go up any day now and be open by end of October — if everything goes well. Will your summer membership get you in? No. Basically, stand by for details. They’ve never done this, so it’s got to be figured out. Oh and remember the poll from the last newsletter about how many visits the Weehawken pool had in the 2025 season? The correct answer was… drumroll… 41,000! 39% of responders got it right.

OK: big props to Hugo Holland, our unpaid copyeditor who is studying math, physics, and exotic apple sauce flavors in the Weehawken Gazette’s Paris Bureau. Private to Hugo: what do you want for your birthday? Hmm?

Be in touch! Leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

The newsletter is still totally free, but we are now accepting pledges. Thank you to the few amazing humans who’ve pledged, and consider an upgrade to paid.

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Quick thing

Howdy to all our new subscribers and big love to our loyal readers. FYI, currently less than 2% of Weehawken Gazette subscribers, and less than 1% of all our readers are pledging. Please consider giving a few $ to this newsletter if you like it. Thanks. We started this in April 2024, but didn’t accept pledge $ until July of this year. Anyway… that’s it. Now, let’s roll!

🚲 10/12 Tour de Weehawken Returns!

On Sept. 14, I participated in my 1st-ever community bike ride. Organized by Bike North Bergen and WeeBiken, the group ranged in age from 15 months to 60+ years old, and even included one canine rider. It was nearly 10 miles, and you can see the route here. It was so fun, but yes, the bits in Weehawken were the scariest, because there were no bike paths, and there was a crazy driver or three. Still, the crew did a great job keeping the group together and safe. The next ride is October 12, meeting at Hamilton Park at 10:30A with a 11A rollout. It’d be great to see more neighbors in wheel-life, so consider joining, and follow the groups for more details: instagram.com/bikenorthbergen & instagram.com/weebiken

Related: The guy we wrote about in the last issue who is biking from Hudson County to California to raise funds for safer streets here, is currently in Missouri. Go Aiden!

🤔It’s Take A Wild Guess Time

At the most recent Weehawken Town Hall meeting we heard a fun fact: the mayor stated the number of visits the pool saw this year, from the weekends-only opening in May, to the recent weekends-only close in September. So, here’s a poll! We’ll tell you the answer in the next Gazette, but take a wild guess!

Of course everyone is asking: How about the new pool bubble? When is that coming? We heard a rumor it will be ready in November, but that’s just a rumor. People also wanna know: will there be a new charge for using the pool then? What will the schedule be? No idea. We’ve got the question out to the town, and we will update you when we hear back, promise.

🩸It’s Almost Bloody October

Sad fact is that blood donations are down. There are many reasons, but two often cited are #1 younger people are not donating and #2 work from home = less blood drives. But it might also be due to people not knowing there are blood drives. Good news is the Edgewater Police Department is hosting a blood drive next month. It’s taking place in the Edgewater Community Center gym at 1167 River Road on Wednesday, October 15 from 9A —2P. More details below:

Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: EdgewaterPolice to schedule an appointment.

☕😵Starbucks Abruptly Closes 100s Of Stores: WNY & Fort Lee Impacted

According to news that broke yesterday, Starbucks says they are closing 1% of their stores in North America and laying off about 900 corporate employees. A crowd-sourced sheet currently lists more than 500 stores that are closing.

And NoHu was not spared. Three of our local stores are going bye bye, and fast. The one in Port Imperial has a sign up that they’re closing tomorrow, which by the time you read this, is today. Below are the three local stores that will be shuttered:

• Fort Lee: Bergen Blvd & Route 4 E

• West New York: 55 Riverwalk Pl

We only know the one in West New York/Port Imperial, which was a lovely place to meet a friend or do some work… or at least it was back in ye olden days of the late 2000’s and early 2010’s. In recent memory, it was one of those locations that ripped out all seating and made it clear you needed to pick up your fancy drink and skedaddle ASAP. Still, we feel for any employees who are losing their jobs. That stinks. Anyway, luckily in upcliff WNY there’s tons of great coffee options. See our report on those excellent places here.

Update after publish: We called the Starbucks in WNY and they said they will indeed close at 7P today, Saturday 9/27. Tomorrow they are there, but only to do a deep clean.

What’s So Funny?

Are you a comedy fan in northern New Jersey? Former Weehawken resident Chris Deluca is teaching comedy writing in Glen Rock, NJ starting in October. This guy knows his stuff: he’s an Emmy-nominated writer/producer/comic for more shows than you can shake a stick at. Also, fun fact: I first discovered Weehawken in the late 90’s (!) because he hosted Super Bowl parties here that us young comedians would flock to. Anyway see below for details… it’s a massive bargain and a great opportunity:

PACKING A PUNCHLINE: COMEDY WRITING 101

GLEN ROCK HIGH SCHOOL

Tuesdays 7-9PM (6 sessions starting 10/7)

FEE: $160 Register here.

Do you love comedy? Are you the funniest person at work, in your family, in your marriage? Or are you jealous of that person? Either way, if you love comedy, or writing comedy, in all its funny, fabulous and fulfilling ways, this class is for you! This 6-part class covers various aspects of comedy writing, including sketch, the fundamentals of joke writing, character development and topical joke writing to name a few. In class review and discuss some of the funniest comedy scenes out there and then take your own stab on it and do a little writing yourself.

🍇How To Meet A Bunch of New People

Aleksandra Czajka, pictured, is a freelance software engineer in Jersey City who specializes in building web and mobile apps. That’s why it’s not surprising that she built one, all by herself, called Bunch, and launched it in January 2025. Her mission? To connect the world by giving everyone the ability to “invite locals you don’t yet know by age, gender and interests to do stuff with you in small groups (or bunches)”. Aleksandra told me she created it to provide a way for people to consistently meet new and diverse people, without the pressure of relying on organized large-scale events where it’s harder to get to know people in a meaningful way.

They have many “bunches” including a long-running game night, plus ones for sewing, pickleball, techies — and many more. And now they are also partnering with the Jersey City Library to host their events, which helps offer even more diverse activities beyond traditional bar settings.

I like this description on her app’s Instagram:

Bunch wasn’t built to monetize the loneliness pandemic—it’s built to help end it. 💛 When we keep making money off loneliness, we don’t solve it. Bunch puts connection first: low-key, small-group Hangouts around what you already love—coffee ☕️, dinner 🍝, a walk 🚶‍♀️—on your time, not alone. Come as you are, meet a few neighbors, and make plans that feel natural. ✨🤝

Anyway, you really should check it out. You can download the Bunch app here: www.letsbunch.com

Realty Social Media Is Really Unreal

The video below will show and tell, but in short, Weehawken Gazette noticed that some luxury buildings in Weehawken have been advertising our fair city by using photos and videos of young women romping around other cities — and other countries. Private to owners of luxury properties: if you need social media help, 📞 us.

Run Rundown

So many runs taking place this fall. Here’s a curated list of ones to check out. And one of them? It’s not even a run, and it involves mutz.

10/4/25 City Challenge 2025 in Hoboken, NJ

It’s only 3 miles but it’s packed with obstacles including but not limited to flipping tires, climbing ropes, scaling walls, and yes, carrying heavy sh*t. Sign up here.

10/5/25 Hudson River Waterfront 10K in Edgewater, NJ

This is cool because it starts in Edgewater and goes along the river to Weehawken where the ferry and/or bus will shuttle you back to the start for awards and post-race festivities. Sign up: hudsonriverwaterfrontwalkway10krace.org

10/5/25 1st ever Jersey City Mutz Fest. Yup, there’s no running, only cheese, music and fun, but for some reason Mutz Fest tickets are on runsignup.com. There is a cannoli-eating contest, though, which seems like something worth running to.

10/30/25 HoBOOken 5k in Hoboken, NJ

This annual Halloween run benefits the Hoboken Shelter and it’s a fave because of the costumes, the views, and the cause. Register at hobooken5k.com

11/15/25 New 5k in Weehawken benefitting Food Justice For All, a new local organization you may have seen at Weehawken Day. Register here.

🥍💪Weehawken HS Senior Wants To Help Keep Your Gear In The Game

Started in early 2024 by an enterprising high school student named Evan Bankey, SportsCycle is a clever way to save the environment and save money by regifting used sports gear before it hits the trash. He has also organized gear exchanges and done fundraising that allows him to donate equipment to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County. We asked him for more about the initiative as it stands today and he answered:

I started SportsCycle because I realized how quickly youth athletes grow out of gear and are in need of new equipment. The goal of this project is to reduce cost for youth sports and to give equipment a longer life. I started it through Instagram and word of mouth, but I learned that a better way to receive and giveaway gear is through WhatsApp. As a senior, over the next year I am looking to find another student who could continue SportsCycle after I go to college next fall.

So, can anyone step up to keep this noble torch lit? Or do you have gear your kiddo has outgrown? If the answer is yes, see how to participate in this worthy cause via the flier below:

ICYMI: North Jerz News

🎓💰Earlier this month Stevens Institute of Technology announced they received a $21 million gift, the biggest in their 155-year history. This is especially good news as Stevens recently laid off 45 staff members due to financial challenges, a big one being the loss of international students due to federal policy changes. Article on Patch: NJ College That Faced Funding Loss Amid Federal Changes Gets Largest Ever Donation

🛍️👨‍⚖️American Dream Mall is being accused of not ponying up about half a million bucks to a company that built an interactive game area within it. Article on NJ.com: American Dream skipped out on $502K in bills, lawsuit alleges

Related on Weehawken Gazette: American Dream Ignores Law, Says County; We Aren’t Beholden To Your Laws, Says Mall

👟🧗‍♀️Speaking of shopping, Dick’s Sporting Goods just opened a ginormous 85,000 square-foot store in Jersey City’s Newport Mall. It’s called “House of Sport” and features a rock climbing wall, a batting cage to try out bats, and a bajillion shoes. Article on Women’s Wear Daily: Dick’s Brings Its Massive House of Sport Retail Concept to NYC Area

🏢 And not that we want to make Dick’s look small (heh), but the new Samsung HQ located in Englewood Cliffs just opened and it’s a 321,000 square-foot space that includes a cafeteria, gym, grocery store, and arcade. Maybe not odd they have a store because fun fact: Samsung was founded in 1938 as a grocery store.

🎸 Ready To Rocktober?

First off, big thanks to Hugo Holland, our unpaid copyeditor currently enjoying baguettes, strawberry apple sauce, and experimental physics in the Weehawken Gazette’s Paris Bureau.

Be in touch! Leave a comment here or email us tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

The newsletter is still totally free, but we are now accepting pledges. So yeah, thank you to the few amazing humans who’ve pledged, and consider an upgrade to paid if you like what you see.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet for ads or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email susie@bignoyes.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies.

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive typos that are later corrected in the archive version.

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If you’re someone who looks forward to the Gazette and has two nickels to rub together, or a million in the bank, consider pledging to help run this thing and expand it. Just $8, the equivalent of buying us a coffee or a 🍸every month, is huge. Or choose your own amount. We’ll also slide you one of our new limited-edition Weehawken Gazette fake tattoos if you pledge (one design seen below, but oh they are fun). Anyway, thanks and let’s get this party started!

🍰Exclusive: Local Cake Girl Boss Tells All

Since September 2011 there’s been a cake studio in Weehawken on Willow Avenue that entices us every time we pass by it. It’s enticing because — well, it’s cake — and also because they, Hudson Cakery, show off their beautiful creations on Instagram. But it’s also a bit mysterious, because no, you can’t stroll in.

There’s nothing sinister at work: it’s just not open to the public, because unlike a traditional bakery, every item on their menu is made to order, and they say they have about a 2-3 week lead time, depending on the month.

We talked to the owner and founder Jennifer Bunce-Timmons, pictured, who hails from Somerset County in Central NJ, and who started the business out of her Jersey City apartment in 2009. We also scored some behind the scenes photos. Get to know her, hear about current cake trends, and much more with this exclusive interview. When you’re done, order a cake from them (and invite us over, please).

Slice Of Delicious Life: Q’s for Jennifer Bunce-Timmons

Q: What type of cake is your specialty or favorite to make?

A: All of our cakes are made from scratch, which is rare in this day and age! So that alone would be our speciality — fun fact: when something is “baked on premises” it doesn’t mean it’s from scratch. My favorite cake is probably our chocolate cake, it’s made with dark chocolate and not overly sweet. It sells really well with Oreo buttercream filling, but the coconut buttercream with it is my favorite!

Q: Do you work alone or do you have others?

A: I could not do my job without my amazing team! We are a small team of 6, a mix of full and part timers.

Q: What is the oddest thing you've ever been asked to make?

A: The oddest cake we ever made was a birthday cake for a 40-year-old female with a fun personality and a great sense of humor— her husband actually helped design the cake with specifics. We had to make a figurine that was supposed to be her on the front, and her “alternate” ego on her back. It was very personal and unique - they loved it!

Q: Any trends in cakes people are asking for that you're noticing?

A: The vintage frilly cake trend will be around for a bit, it’s so frilly and fun and can be any color for any occasion, so we do those every week. Also, lots of brides are going old school with vintage frilly piping, white on white styles of cake — white patterns and flowers on white iced cake.

Q: What would you like to be doing more of, if anything?

A: I would like to start focusing on small gifts that people can order quickly, same week. We will roll out a fun birthday cake gift box starting this fall that hopefully will help with last minute birthdays!

Thanks Jennifer for the time! Check out their site for FAQ, menu, orders and more.

🎪🚣‍♀️Floating Circus Hits Hoboken

UPDATE 9/9: The show below was moved to Hoboken Cove due to “wakes” as announced on their social media

As we first reported on Instagram, a floating circus has been winding its way down south since August 1st, when they set off in Buffalo, NY. Started in 2019, they call themselves the Flotsam River Circus and this is their first time on our waterways. From the Erie Canal to the Hudson they float, and they’ll be in NJ for one performance only on Tuesday September 9 at 6p. It’s got puppets, music, and ladies who twirl by their hair, their legs and their teeth. It’s free, it’s now in Hoboken Cove (originally was to be in Sinatra Park) and gee it seems fun. See you there?

👻🥔 Local Finds Skull Potato Chip Buried In Herr Bag

Spooky season is here! All the candy is out, Trader Joe’s is hawking pumpkin spice everything, and a Weehawken neighbor found this creeptastic Herr’s potato chip seen above. It’s only 150 calories a bag, but might come with a life of eternal peril? Of course we had to know more, so we got an exclusive interview with Jean O’Reilly, the one who had the bad luck to cross the cursed snack.

My husband bought me a snack bag of chips. On opening the chips, a ghoulish, skull faced chip presented itself at the top of the bag. I was aghast and intrigued, there was no way I could consume it, introducing that potato skullky spirit into my body. After snapping a pic, my husband flicked it into the trash.

If I were him, I would not sleep easy, I am scared he will wake up and find the rogue spud has turned him into a snake-like French fry.

Zoinks! We’d be terrified too. Actually we were so terrified we asked if the final resting place for this spirit spud was anywhere near Weehawken or greater NoHu — because if so we might need to light some sage. The good news is that no, the poltergeist potato product was made and procured in Pennsylvania and remains there. Phew! Thanks Jean & RIP terror tater! 🪦

🎃 Related: If you want to get your local Halloween vibes, check out the HoBOOken5k — an annual costumed race that goes along the Hudson River and benefits the Hoboken Shelter. Whether you walk or run, it’s just the best. UPDATE: the Hoboken Shelter offered Weehawken Gazette readers an exclusive coupon in honor of this story… enter code CHIP when you register for $5 off their 5k or Scary Scurry kids race! 🏃 to use it now: www.hobooken5k.com — the coupon CHIP is good until 9/19 at 11:59p

🏗️ High Anxiety In Cliffside Park

If it seems like a certain condo going up in Edgewater on River Road is taking longer than most, it is.

Cliffside Park is suing Edgewater over the construction of a new condo, pictured, saying it is going to block their air, light, and views of NYC claiming it doesn’t respect height restrictions. Adding to the drama, the mayor of Cliffside Park is joining in the suit as a private resident, because the view from his home is potentially impacted. A judge has halted work on the site, and we shall see if it keeps going up up up or needs to be taken down a notch. This building is notable also because it is a project linked to the NJ developer Fred Daibes, who is currently serving a 7-year prison sentence for bribery and fraud charges.

Related to the same developer, and to River Road in Edgewater, the Bergen Record reports that a firm “linked to Qatar royalty” bought some historically / notoriously toxic land in Edgewater formerly owned by Daibes. No word on if anything will be built there, apparently the permit to develop expires at the end of this month.

Related from Jan 2024: The Qatar-NJ link: Developer Daibes had Menendez multitasking for gold bars, feds say

🧑‍⚖️ American Dream Ignores Law, Says County; We Aren’t Beholden To Your Laws, Says Mall

American Dream mall is being sued by Paramus, NJ for allowing the sale of certain items that are prohibited on Sundays. Like it’s fine to have your indoor ski slope and wave pool, but certain things, like selling clothing, office appliances and other stuff (like, lumber for some reason) are NOT to be sold due to Blue Laws, a set of mandates dating back to the 1700s, and which are still in effect in the county because the people have continually voted to keep them.

In short, the mall now claims they are on state land so basically, nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah we so can too do it!

But Paramus is like, oh no you di’int say that in 2012 — you promised to comply with our ye olde laws to get the place built!

To find out more on all the drama, get your 🍿 out and see the article below. What do we think? We’re not stepping into the question of Blue Laws and compliance here, we’ll let the court decide. But we do think the mall should work on making their grounds more visually appealing, especially with the World Cup coming to town. Like would it kill them to add some landscaping? 🌳

Source: A Huge Mall Allows Shopping on Sundays. Is That Illegal? — NY Times

🚲 Local Man Bikes From Hudson County To California To Raise Funds & Awareness

Yup it’s an epic challenge. Aiden Gormley says this on his GoFundMe page which is set up to support a Hoboken-based organization called Bike Hudson County, Inc.:

“Our community deserves safe, accessible streets where everyone can travel freely and confidently. By supporting this initiative, you’re investing in a healthier, more connected Hudson County for all 750,000 residents.”

The photo below is from when he was about to set off on the adventure. He’s biking and camping out (most of the time, though I think he’s staying with friends sometimes) and we haven’t had a time to talk to him yet. Looks like he’s in West Virginia now. You can follow along on his Instagram and if we can catch up with him, we’ll give an update. We are all for alternative, safe, and sustainable transportation options and the communities making a difference.

Related: New separated bike lanes are coming to River Road this fall as announced by a flier from County Executive Craig Guy, but we can’t find a map of them yet — stay tuned.

🐦‍⬛ Bird Nerd Paradise In Bergen County

Wild Birds Unlimited — for years we passed it and thought they sold parrots. It’s on one of those strip mall stretches on Rt. 17 and looks rather dull on the outside. But once inside, we found a wonderland, and it’s now one of our all-time favorite stores. When you walk in you find:

• Soothing bird song

• A sweet in-house German Shepherd

• Free cookies and hot cider laid out on weekends

• Very nice and helpful employees

• Workshops with experts

• Fresh massive range of bird seed / feeders / houses, unique nature-lover gifts, and more.

Note: Wild Birds Unlimited is a franchise and there’s locations all over the country and some in Canada. Not all are created equal. But Paramus is the gold standard and is open every day except Sunday. Migration season is here, so fly on over to their site to learn more: https://paramus.wbu.com

In Brief

Geesa Greentops and the Hidden Veggie Pancakes is a local biz started by a Weehawken mom named Tima who she says she does all the cooking, packaging and artwork and cooks it all in a kitchen in the City of Orange. Speaking of orange, we’re sharing this picture because… yay to more pumpkin spice in the world. Find Geesa products on Wednesdays at the Weehawken Farmer’s Market.

🥖 À Bientôt Mes Amis…

First off, many thanks to Hugo Holland, our unpaid copyeditor currently working from his garret for the Weehawken Gazette’s Paris Bureau.

Be in touch! Leave a comment here, or to reach us with tips: susie@bignoyes.com

Follow us on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

The newsletter is still totally free, but we are now accepting pledges. So yeah, thank you to the few amazing humans who’ve pledged, and consider an upgrade to paid if you like what you see.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email: ads@weehawkengazette.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies. This newsletter contains an affiliate link to Amazon, which we might earn a few cents from.

If snail mail is your thing, just write to:

Susie Felber

Weehawken Gazette

P.O. Box 3006

Weehawken, NJ 07086

Another mode of contact is to send a DM on Instagram to: instagram.com/weehawkengazette

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive typos that are later corrected in the archive version.

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It’s been a minute! But we’re back refreshed and renewed. FYI before we roll, note that this year’s Weehawken Day is Saturday September 13, and registration began August 20. As of this writing, the Weehawken website doesn’t have the info, but all the details are here on their Facebook page. It’s only open to Weehawken residents, and it’s one of our personal favorite events, so if you live in a different town, sorry. Anyway, so much to get to, so here goes…

Historic Prehistoric River Ramblers

Anyone reading this remember seeing 8 dinos float by in 1963? According to the original Sinclair Oil flier this boat would’ve been on the river across from Weehawken at 11:30AM on October 17, 1963. The sculptures were made near Hudson, NY and travelled more than 100 miles downriver to be displayed at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

Fun fact: Apparently every family that visited the Dinoland exhibit got a coupon for a free gallon of gas. You can even buy a photo print from this voyage entitled “Barge of Beasts” on The NY Times website here. And it’s super short, but there’s a newsreel showing them floating by our shores. It’s very cool, and it’s below.

Speaking of massive talent…

Are you guys aware we have a local studio famous for producing giant sculptures? It’s called Themendous and sits on 32nd street in Union City right next to the Weehawken border. They call themselves the “king of huge” and have built some of the world’s most iconic installations, including work on the ginormous confetti-shooting hot dog that hit Times Square last summer.

They do so much that we’re just going to rip the description from their website:

Themendous specializes in three dimensional form and sculpture displays for experiential marketing events, brand and product launches, concerts and sporting events, private and corporate celebrations, award ceremonies, interactive displays, exhibit and trade show booths, theatrical and film productions, high-profile social happenings, top industry luxury brands, window and retail displays as well as theming for restaurants, night clubs, amusement parks, museums, family entertainment centers, mini golf, black light attractions, and did we mention Google?

Yay to having local artists and makers among us!

Go Wild & Support This Local Artist

Born in Bangkok, raised in England, and currently based in Weehawken, neighbor Lalit Sritara is a recent graduate of the NYU Tisch MFA Musical Theatre Writing Program. She’s just released a single called Feral and you all should take a listen and support. The music video is below.

Of it she says, “it’s a theatre-pop song about a princess and a feral creature, and it’s based on a true story. Is it about a man-child or an actual animal? You decide!”

🎤 Karaoke: Friday 8/29 at the Weehawken Elks

It can be hard to get people out of the house, but when you do, magic happens.

🎧 Renowned KJ hosts & you sing! 🎵✨
🍹💵 Cash Bar opens at 7PM —🎙️🎶 Singing starts at 8 PM
No cover, cash-only bar. Bring your friends, grab a cheap drink, play darts or pool, and sing your heart out. Here’s a quick video of an Elks karaoke night if you haven’t been:

‘Fake’ Flood Video Is Very Real

On August 17, a woman named Kat from Edgewater, NJ shared a video on a local Facebook group that showed flooding on River Road by the Galaxy Towers, in Guttenberg. Her super-short action-packed video, seen below, had this caption when originally posted: “So much water gets dumped on to RR during these torrential downpours, it’s no wonder it gets flooded immediately.”

The part I found interesting, apart from the raging rapids, is that in the comments, a few people accused her of posting a fake video. One person said simply, “fake” another said, “AI” and yet another claimed it was an “ancient pic.”

Other commenters backed her up, one commented to say it was North Bergen (it’s not, but is in fact a few feet from the border), and yet the ones who just dropped into the comments to accuse her of posting a fake video really bugged me, because it seemed legit, and she was answering to them. So I decided to try and get the full story and see if I could prove the authenticity.

After I got in touch, she told me that she had been dropping her nephew back to the Galaxy after grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s, and that he took the video. She even provided the location and timestamp info, seen below.

I asked her what it felt like to be accused of faking the video.

“Yeah. We live in a strange world. The people on that FB group are from this area. For them not to recognize the Galaxy building and also the fact that I’ve been a member of that group for something like 8 years is just strange/stupid.”

We couldn’t agree more. Thanks for the insight, Kat! And since the seemingly unchecked development down there continues to pave over any vegetation that might soak up the deluge, remember to dress appropriately the next time you head to Trader Joe’s.

🍝🎸Hoboken’s Music & Meatballs Returns

If you love playing and/or listening to music, good vibes, community spirit, food and things that really are unique, Music & Meatballs is all that. Started by Al Festa, it’s an open mic-ish artist-filled daytime party with food (yes meatballs too) that is potluck-style and located within his sign shop in Hoboken.

After a summer break, the next one is Sunday, September 7th, and if interested, you should check out the website to learn more and RSVP at musicandmeatballs.com.

🛥️ Ferry Interesting

FBW is a local group whose full name is “Fund for a Better Waterfront” but when I see it, the letters reverse in my head, and I think it’s “Friends with benefits” — anyway — there are benefits to knowing what’s happening with the ferry, and this recent article from August 20 will explain all.

Long story short, there’s a new facility coming, and it won’t be moving — it’s staying in Weehawken. But the project has been scaled back and some commitment to electric boats has been made. Anyway, it is a long story, and if interested, check out the article linked below:

betterwaterfront.org/after-years-of-discord-weehawkens-mayor-turner-and-planning-board-pave-the-way-for-a-rebuilt-ferry-maintenance-facility/

💸 That’s $16 Billion You’ll Never See

I got a new roof on my house a few years ago, and what stinks about it is that it’s really expensive and unlike a kitchen or bath renovation, you can’t invite friends over and show it off. Actually you could, but it’s not really a brag to open a bottle of wine and say, “See how it’s not raining in our house? Cool, right?”

In much the same way, $16 billion is currently being spent on the Gateway Tunnel project that will add two new lines for passenger rail between North Hudson and Manhattan, but it’s not much to look at, because it’s all happening under your feet or underwater. It’s expected to be completed 10 years from now, and there are multiple sites where the work is taking place. Like maybe you noticed the construction site right in the middle of the Hudson? That’s a riverbed “ground stabilization project.”

Anyway, it’s pretty interesting, and all the details (and a lot of photos) are available online thanks to Colleen Wilson, transportation reporter at the Bergen Record: northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2025/07/10/5-projects-new-nj-ny-gateway-rail-tunnel/84525116007/

Related, our previous story on the multi-million $ Dyke’s Lumber sale as part of the project: Feeling It In The Lumber Region

Fort Lee: Barrymore Film Center Seeks Performers & Visual Artists Too

Seems like there’s paid opportunities for performers of all stripes and wall space for art. See all the types of performers they are looking for here: barrymorefilmcenter.org/live

Deadline for artists is September 5th and that opportunity is here.

Thanks to neighbor Janet for writing in with this opportunity!

🛠️ Help Fix Stuff At Hoboken Library’s 1st ‘Repair Cafe’

They want volunteers, and so even though it’s in the future — October 4th to be exact — we’re sharing now because it’s cool and they want to recruit volunteers now. See below:

Our Weehawken Lidl Board Video Gets 4k Views

OK yeah, 4000 views isn’t viral, but it’s nothing to sneeze at. We made a video showing the evolution of the message board at Lidl, put it on Instagram, and people seemed to like it. If you haven’t seen it, it’s below.

🎶 So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen Goodbye

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The newsletter is still totally free, but we are now accepting pledges. So yeah, thank you to the few amazing humans who’ve pledged, and consider an upgrade to paid if you like what you see.

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If snail mail is your thing, just write to:

Susie Felber

Weehawken Gazette

P.O. Box 3006

Weehawken, NJ 07086

Another mode of contact is to send a DM on Instagram to: instagram.com/weehawkengazette

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive typos that are later corrected in the archive version.

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Even pledging the cost of a cup of coffee helps, and is so appreciated. More on why you should subscribe or upgrade to paid, will be found below. But let’s move this along, shall we? Lots to get to, including our exclusive interview with a local author.

Update: Deranged Hydrangea… Duo?

Since publishing the piece about plant thieves uprooting local gardens we’ve been made aware of more victims, including the one above and another on Columbia Terrace. We also had a neighbor who told us they saw it happening, and they even got pictures of the suspects fleeing — yes plural — apparently one clips and the other zips them away in a getaway car. Seems the only thing that will stop these pernicious petal peddlers — is winter. ICYMI the link to the original story, below:

“Get The Flock Outta Here!”

This past Friday August 1 reports flew in that Canadian geese had invaded the Weehawken pool complex. The Geese Police (yes, they are a thing, seen in the photo above taken a year ago) were called in, and according to witnesses, the brave Border Collie ran around and splashed into the pool to ferret out the fowl intruders. The birds were finally bested, a goose poo cleanup ensued, and then the pool was back to business as usual. Good dog!

🧺🌳Park It Here

Yes, there’s finally a place to sit with shade by the Weehawken tennis courts. Previously there were only metal benches with no backs. The choice of blue is inspired: It mimics the court color, the sky on a nice day, and frankly blue is our fave accent color for a garden. Who picked it out? Will more tables come? We have no idea. But whatever, here’s your heads up that this is here and a perfect picnic spot.

Speaking of park news, Lousia Park in Weehawken is getting a pickleball court, yoga area, ADA accessible ramp, and revamped basketball courts. No official day is set, but the town said it’ll be ready “in fall.” Flier with this news is here.

And the boringly-named Garden Park located next to the Tower Plaza parking lot has seen big things happen, with the addition of a trellis and new plantings plunked in last week. Fun fact: Garden Park was previously “Jacobson’s Power Mowers” seen below, as we found out via the Weehawken Historical Commission. That’s the embankment of the long-gone reservoir you see on the left, which is now a ginormous parking lot.

Yes, there was once a reservoir by Lidl in ye olden days…

Exclusive: Get To Know A Local Woman Of Mystery

Amanda Chapman, pictured, is a local-to-Weehawken author with a big new book coming soon. That book, Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library releases August 26 and it’s already been highly praised by Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and celebrity author Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame.

It’s not her first novel — she’s published three well-loved Cape Cod mysteries under another name, Amy Pershing, starting in 2021. But this book is bigger, set in NYC, and is set to put her on the map as a powerhouse of popular fiction.

But the mystery we wanted to unravel is how did she go from local wife, mom of two, and full-time corporate worker bee to bestselling author? We asked, she told, and our interview is below.

Q: How long have you been in Weehawken?

Oh dear. I just did the math. Let’s just say a long time. Certainly long before the Pathmark became the Lidl.

You were a mom, a communications consultant, and, once you went back to work full-time, the head of employee communications at a global bank for ten years.... When did you decide to start writing novels? And did you always think you had it in you?

I started writing fairly late in the game — essentially, after the last college tuition bill was paid. At that point, after a lifetime of earning my living with my pen and reading literally thousands of mysteries, I thought I might have it in me to write one myself. Well, four mysteries later and counting, I can safely say that, yes, I guess I had it in me. My agent and publisher seem to think so, too, so it’s not just me!

Who will love Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library, besides everyone?

Yes, obviously, everyone. But just to pin it down a bit, it’s definitely for fans of, say, Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club mysteries and/or Louise Penny’s Three Pines series. Kirkus Reviews very kindly said, “Fans of the Queen of Crime will delight in this modernized classic mystery,” and Publishers Weekly has chimed in with, “Fans of classic detective fiction are in for a treat.” And, believe me, these people know their mysteries!

The book is set a hop and a skip across the Hudson river...did you do any in-person research for it? Or, put another way, what settings in the book can we find in the real world?

Well, sort of. The (fictional) Mystery Guild Library makes its (fictional) home in one of the dozen or so (actual) Greek Revival redbrick, marble-trimmed town houses in what is known as “The Row” overlooking Greenwich Village’s Washington Square Park. My research for the setting, such as it was, consisted of living about four blocks away from Washington Square Park for a hefty chunk of my life.

What's the best advice you have for someone who dreams of becoming a novelist?

First, in the words of the wonderful writer Anne Lamott, “Put your [rear end] in the chair.” Every day. Somehow. Write something. Just (also from Ms. Lamott) “write the [crummy] first draft.” Don’t worry if it’s [crummy]. You’ll fix that in the second draft.

And finally, what is the greatest New Jersey mystery you'd like to crack?

There are more than a few, but I’m not going to try to crack them because I don’t want to sleep with the fishes.

Thanks Amanda/Amy! Check out her beautiful new website at amandachapmanauthor.com and pre-order the book here on Amazon or wherever books are sold.

Earthquake Poll!

On Saturday night around 10:18PM there was a 3.0 earthquake centered in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ that was felt in NYC to CT. Story here in the Bergen Record. Then on Tuesday August 5th, a smaller earthquake based in Hillsdale hit around noon. Story here on Patch.

Maybe you thought it was trucks going by, or your neighbor being annoying. Whatever you thought it was, did you sense them? We wanna know.

🤖 The Reviews Are In

You shouldn’t believe everything AI tells you. That said, this review is 100% legit in our opinion — thanks bots!

“If you're looking for a single, vibrant, and trustworthy source that combines news, fun, personality, and hyperlocal relevance, the Weehawken Gazette is the best option. It's like getting a weekly conversation with your clever, informed neighbor—who just happens to also be a seasoned journalist.” —Chat GPT when asked “What is the best source for news and entertainment in NoHu, also known as northern Hudson, NJ?”

🙇🙏 Pledges Now Gratefully Accepted

OK as we said at the start, this newsletter began April 2024. It’s free to read and subscribe to, then, and now. We moved it to its own domain in July: weehawkengazette.com is now live.

Some of you pledged $ here before we asked, and long before we’d accept it. That was really kind, and it helped us keep going.

But then we realized, besides the time and expenses already incurred, we wanna grow. We also want to keep writing whatever we want to write, and not feel we have to say nice things because we got a freebie. That’s just not how we roll.

Upgrade to paid and money you pledge will go to:

1. Hosting and domain fees already paid

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If we get enough pledges, our stretch goals are to:

1. Pay journalists and artists

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Later 🐊

Leave a comment here, or to reach us with tips: tips@weehawkengazette.com

Follow us on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

🆕 👉 Submit your event for possible inclusion with our new handy Google form!

If you want our sponsor rate sheet or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email: ads@weehawkengazette.com — as always, we will always disclose pay or freebies. This newsletter contains an affiliate link to Amazon, which we might earn a few cents from.

If snail mail is your thing, just write to:

Susie Felber

Weehawken Gazette

P.O. Box 3006

Weehawken, NJ 07086

Another mode of contact is to send a DM on Instagram to: instagram.com/weehawkengazette

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive typos that are later corrected in the archive version.

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Weehawken Hydrangea Bandit Plants Fear In Homeowners’ Hearts

If it seems like people’s gardens are looking a little less lush this year, it’s not from a drought or a lack of trying.

Yes everyone is talking about the shear madness that has descended on our town this month in the form of one man who is allegedly on a crime spree that consists of snipping and swiping flowers from people’s gardens, sometimes as they watch.

One neighbor whose garden fell prey to the bandit said he opened a garden gate and cut down her peony bushes at 4AM before escaping on a motorized scooter. Apparently he struck the same home again at 9PM on July 13, helping himself to her hydrangeas before darting off in a damaged white sedan.

Many neighbors, from Blvd East to Clifton Terrace, have reported sightings and a few have photos and video they’ve shared with the police. On Nextdoor, a neighbor saw a door cam photo and weighed in to say she saw the same guy getting on the bus to Manhattan the week before with a load of flowers.

Garden heists are not common in Weehawken, but they are not unheard of. In 2018 there was the dreaded basil burglar. No, it’s not the same guy as our current flower felon, but we loved the poster so much, we saved it:

As you can see, the basil thief walked to and from the scene of the crime, and as far as we know he was never apprehended. But we sort of felt for him, because maybe he was a pesto addict? Relatable.

But the current flower prowler is unique because he has been spotted using three different modes of transportation, he has hit numerous homes with his clippers, and sources tell the Gazette he is brazen — he has continued his hydrangea heists even after being confronted.

A woman who had her stuff snipped, and screamed at him as he fled, told the Gazette he’s got “gray hair, a long nose, droopy face, and bald on top.”

Is he trying to sell the flowers? Some say he brings brown paper for wrapping, so it’s possible, but maybe he’s just nuts.

So be vigilant and keep your eyes peeled for a grizzled grandpa trying to make another greenery getaway. And if your house hasn’t been a target? Maybe that’s good luck — or a telling sign it’s time to hit the garden center and spruce up your wee patch.

Update! A few hours after publishing a neighbor wrote in with this breaking-branches news…

“OMG! Just read the Gazette and realize now that I saw the flower thief yesterday morning stealing from a bush on Bellevue Terrace! I gave a dirty look as he handed a bundle to a someone in a car. But he looked so confident I thought maybe it’s his house? Matches the description!”

Whoa… this makes us wonder if he’s got a gang of yard yobs working with him! If you think you’ve spotted the petal perp(s), leave a comment below, or write to tips@weehawkengazette.com and we’ll update as info becomes available.

Acclaimed Weehawken Pianist & Music Professor William Hobbs Releases 1st Album

Bet you had no idea a renowned pianist and educator lives, and practices, in upcliff Weehawken. He’s an expert in opera, conducting and diction, and teaches at several universities. He’s exceedingly talented, and nice. His first album, Orbiting Garden, dropped July 11, and we’re sharing it here.

Listen on Apple Music here. For the CD or even more steaming options, head to the Orbiting Garden page on Blue Griffin. Listen, enjoy, and support!

Filmmaker Seeks Weehawken Home For Comedy Short

Here’s a cool little op to help out an artist, make your bathroom famous, and maybe make a few bucks…

“Hello! My name is Rebecca and I am currently in pre-pro for a short film directed by a Weehawken local. The film is a 10 min comedy about a teenage girl who undergoes nose enlargement surgery in an act of rebellion after being bullied about her appearance. We're looking for an apartment or house with a bedroom and a bathroom. Those would be the only rooms we would need to shoot in in the house. Shooting Dates would be somewhere in late August - mid September (ideally going for 8/28 or 8/29). We would only need the space for around 5-6 hours. This is an indie/passion project and our budget isn't robust but we would be happy to offer the homeowner $200 for the few hours of the space.”

Contact: rsdearden@gmail.com if you are interested.

Note: They did say that if the bathroom has “a colorful wall” that would be ideal, but it’s not a dealbreaker.

Groovy New Ceramics Studio Opens In Union City

The Clay Stood is a new clay makers studio that opened in May, tucked in Union City at 39th street, not far from the old Weehawken Cemetery. They offer memberships for experienced potters, and seem to have very cool offerings to the public like “partner pottery” in the evening, a “paint a plate” workshop, and classes to teach you how to throw. Thanks to reader Susan K, for writing in with this new-to-us offering. You can check them out on Instagram here.

Karaoke Returns Friday August 1st & Every Other Friday Until 2026

All the info is above but this is the Weehawken Elks no cover, good vibes, cheap drinks (but cash only!), 1000’s of songs karaoke night hosted by Chris T. (who is taking a social media break but who writes )

And oh yeah — there’s even free parking on site. So dust off those vocal cords and join whydoncha? Related: Video clip from the last Elks karaoke on Instagram here.

In Brief

🥪 ☕ We wrote about the West New York cafe explosion in last edition of the Gazette, but at that time we hadn’t sampled all the offerings… we plead that we have too little time, too few bucks, and too few stomachs. But we went back to Malpa Cafe and tried two sandwiches and two coffees. One sandwich and one coffee was on the house — free! Actually they’d offered before, but we didn’t take the freebie… but then they said some people had come in and specifically mentioned they 1st read about Malpa in the Gazette. Yay. That made us happy, and made us feel we’d earned a sandwich. We also learned the place is legit family-owned as brother/sister/dad were all right there when we visited. The bread was 🤌 and you really should go and we’re not saying that because we got a BOGO on our lunch. It’s a gem of a spot.

🍷 For the Port Imperial curious: New Faubourg Summer Happy Hours offer food and drink specials. In the bar every day, and in the lounge Friday and Saturday. See the special menu here.

🎨 There’s a paint a tote and get a meal box “with a smash burger, wings, and soda” event on August 1 at Tony Novante’s pizza in Union City, NJ. Tickets are $55 and it’s a fundraiser, we think. Seemed intriguing and details are here.

🐦 From the social-media-isn’t-all-bad files: A parakeet named Blue, missing since the end of March from Englewood Cliffs, was spotted in Edgewater by one neighbor, and taken in by another neighbor who improvised a cage using a laundry basket. He was quickly reunited with his very happy bird parent, Min, thanks to eagle-eyed neighbors who remembered the loss, and he is reportedly getting “all-star treatment” at home. That’s Blue tucking into his seed, below.

And Now A Word From Our Sponsor…

Eric Silberstein is a software engineer, company founder, and novelist. In Berlin is his second novel and will be available August 5th wherever books are sold. It’s also going to available as an audiobook and features an award-winning narrator, Helen Laser.

Go ahead and pre-order In Berlin on Amazon here.

Tah Dah!

This newsletter is free to read and subscribe to, but we’re all for freebies and/or money too, which we will always disclose — like the free sandwich and coffee we got. This edition includes affiliate links to Amazon and we might earn a few cents from it. And as noted above, this edition of the Weehawken Gazette was sponsored by In Berlin.

Leave a comment here, or to reach us with tips: tips@weehawkengazette.com

Follow us on Instagram here: instagram.com/weehawkengazette/

Just note that if you have an event or idea, send us ALL the info. Date, time, address, cost, etc.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email: ads@weehawkengazette.com

If snail mail is your thing, just write to:

Susie Felber

Weehawken Gazette

P.O. Box 3006

Weehawken, NJ 07086

Another mode of contact is to send a DM on Instagram to: instagram.com/weehawkengazette

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive typos that are later corrected in the archive version.

Leave a comment

🍽️ ☕West New York Cafe Explosion!

No literal explosion, but there may as well be with all the new offerings popping up just north of Weehawken in West New York. In April 2024 we wrote about our favorite WNY French bakery, and since then, there’s been a steady drip of good coffee and classy food options that have landed on the scene or appeared on our radar. For those of you that don’t venture up Broadway and Park Ave, here’s your nudge that maybe you should.

Piccola Caffetteria — 5400 Hudson Ave., WNY

What they say: Sicily’s vibrant flavors to life! Enjoy Sicilian sandwiches, fresh pastas, & café delights made with the finest ingredients. Perfect for grab-and-go or catering, our menu is a tribute to Sicily’s rich culinary heritage!

It opened late last month, and we went in just last week. We were greeted by two of the owners, Maurizio and Nadia Nicita, who were, we’ve gotta say, so dang nice. They thrust free biscotti on us just for stopping by, and exuded happiness and good vibes. Cooking and creating something nice for the neighborhood is a passion for them. Good to know: The place is ultra small, and there’s a convenient municipal parking lot a few steps away, if you aren’t walking. Follow them here to see the delicious things they make and tell them we sent ya: instagram.com/piccolacaffetteria24/

Parker — 6504 Park Ave., WNY

This place has been here since 2019, but we had no idea it existed until we drove by it on our way to North Bergen. Super cute and has a garden. Lots of great reviews on Yelp too. We haven’t eaten here yet but looks excellent. Hours are day only except Friday, maybe? Anyway, follow them here to learn more: instagram.com/parker.wny/

Malpa Cafe — 158 61st St., WNY

What they say: Coffee, sandwiches, pastries, vinyl and more

Our take: Such a cute space right by our favorite French bakery and we would’ve missed it if it wasn’t for the flier we saw posted at Lidl. Super fancy coffee offerings, good sandwich selection, and once again, really friendly staff. Good to know:It’s a day place. Hours are Wed-Fri 7A-3P and 8A-3P on Sat. Follow them here: instagram.com/malpacafe/

Exxon — 165 60th St., WNY

The coffee here is famous. It’s cheap as heck, $1.50 for an espresso, $2.50 for a latte, and people love it. One review says, “Best Cuban espresso in the county.” We tried it, it is indeed good, and there was even a line for the coffee. There’s no place to sit, but if you’re walking by or filling up, it’s a treat.

Weehawken High School Celebrates Seniors Being Accepted To Ivy League Colleges

From a recent article on Patch: “Weehawken High School is celebrating graduating seniors being accepted to Ivy League colleges including Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Chicago.”

Yes, the class of 2025 was especially impressive. The article also mentions one Hugo Holland, who you may know as a celebrated writer and uncelebrated copyeditor for the Weehawken Gazette. The article says, “Senior Hugo Holland, accepted to Harvard and the Sorbonne Université of Paris, has chosen to study abroad in Paris, another example of the global opportunities open to this year’s class.”

Note: The link to a better news source, Patch, was updated here after publish. Linked below:

Harvard University Accepts 2 Students From 1 Public High School In Hudson County

Editor’s note: Hugo attended Weehawken Schools starting in pre-K. He’s brilliant, funny, and had really excellent teachers, admins, and coaches who shepherded him from learning “cat” to calculus, from rec baseball and basketball to track and x-country. And if he’s embarrassed by this being written about him, well, he’ll be in France soon. You see, the editor is also his mom, and I’ve waited 18 years to brag about him properly. Ooops, looks like I also dropped a picture! Sorry not sorry!

‘Beefy Tire Gang’: Major Menace Or Majorly Cool?

Speaking of young people… a recent post on an Edgewater social media group showed a group of teens biking — the kind without motors — on River Road. Maybe you’ve seen them too? Sometimes they take over the street, rearing up on one wheel, and some do tricks that would make anyone worry for their safety. But that said, once you see their free-wheeling antics, they also are kind of inspiring to anyone who remembers being a kid, or thinks kids being off their phones and in the world is a good thing.

There was a big showing of these riders July 6, taking over the Triborough (RFK) Bridge. The video was captured by Jon Taylor, a dance and headshot photographer, and went viral on a NYC account he submitted it to. The comments on the video range from people celebrating their youthful energy, to people calling for them all to be run over/arrested/have their bikes thrown in the Hudson. Because of this, we’re not linking to it. But looking through the videos of the bridge takeover, some of these kids are just passionate enthusiasts, and some are sponsored to the gills. Anyway, neighbor Kacy Knight says that in Fort Lee they call them the “BTG… Beefy Tire Gang” and he joked, “They’re God’s way of punishing me for being a rotten kid.”

🐶💡Local Inventor Bow Wows Us

At a recent Yappy Hour event we met Weehawken neighbor George Cruz, part of the team behind a brand new machine that promises homemade dog food in about an hour. It’s called Total Pet Kitchen and you can now purchase it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kvEMGD

July 10th at 7P: Free ‘Bach to Bluegrass’ concert at Lincoln Harbor Park

Toomi String Quintet performs this Thursday as part of the summer concerts on the Hudson series and they will have a special guest mandolin player, giving us a quintet +1. Which is also just called a sextet. Oooh sexy!

Fun behind-their-name info: Formed in 2007 at The Juilliard School, the quintet is named after Rudyard Kipling’s short story “Toomai of the Elephants,” in which a young boy journeys into the jungle to witness the dance of the wild elephants.

🗣🎤July 11th at 8P: New Improved Karaoke at Weehawken Elks

Like cheap thrills? This karaoke night has no cover charge, and this time all ages can attend. But it’s 21+ to drink alcohol, natch. And whatever you drink, it’s cheap, but it’s a cash bar, so bring some of that green paper stuff. →💵← Here’s a link to locate the Elks on a map: 2 50th st., Weehawken, NJ We like what it says on the flier: “Meet your neighbors… in real life.”

🎨👩🏻‍🎨1st Ever Library Bookmark Contest

Weehawken Library says: Pick up a blank bookmark, create a unique and original design, and turn it in by Aug 15. Bookmarks will be displayed in the library and winning designs in each of 4 age groups will have their bookmark handed out as the Library’s bookmark. And yes, one of the age groups is adults so — get to it!

In Brief

🏛️🎓Fall 2025 college internships are available at The Syndicate, a long-running agency based in Weehawken. Their description: Our agency is hiring synterns in all departments— including Marketing, Product Management, Public Relations, Radio Promotion, and Design/Video. Are you a passionate, driven pop culture enthusiast? Are you a student that lives and breathes all things music, comedy, and entertainment? We want YOU to be a part of our rockstar team this semester! They say to apply by August 4th here, where you’ll find a Google form and more details.

🎭🎬🌟Dancers, actors and singers wanted: Hi, I'm Lalit Sritara, a Weehawken resident and recent NYU Tisch Musical Theatre Writing grad. I've been preparing short-form videos featuring original theatre-pop songs for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts. Looking for volunteers to dance, act or sing in playful shoots around town! Interested? Fill out the form and I’ll contact you if there’s a role or concept that fits you! https://forms.gle/GbFMpLtk7oiUnwXf7
Questions? DM Lalit on Insta or email ls5507@nyu.edu

🧁👶Local illustrator releases her first book, Bakery Babies: Ka Huen “GaGa” Kwong-Newman is a wife and mom in Hoboken, New Jersey who just had her first children’s book come out. She studied at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and then the School of Visual Arts in NYC. This picture book is recommended for ages 3-8, and here’s a link to it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TPkey1

🍴🎉 Enjoy a 3-course fundraiser dinner July 18 at the Weehawken Elks to benefit kids with special needs. $30. You can view the menu here on Facebook. Reservations need to be in by July 15. Write to contactweehawkenelks@gmail.com or call 201-598-8878.

🩸Donate blood and maybe win a car. Give blood at any Vitalant blood donation venue in July anywhere in the United States and you’ll be entered for a chance to win $30,000 to go towards a new car. Even if you don’t win, giving blood is important, especially in the summer. Go here for details: vitalant.org/cargiveaway

🚌 Did you know there’s a new and improved Port Authority coming? Planning started in 2013 and they broke ground May 29th of this year. Phase one will be done by 2029, if all goes to plan. Speaking of plans, they are fancy, and you can see them all here: www.portauthoritybuilds.com MBT page

That’s A Wrap, People

This newsletter is free to read and subscribe to, but we’re all for freebies and/or money too, which we will always disclose. This edition includes affiliate links to Amazon and we might earn a few cents from it… like enough for an espresso at the Exxon in West New York. This edition of the Weehawken Gazette was sponsored by Big Noyes.

Leave a comment here, or to reach us with tips: tips@weehawkengazette.com

Just note that if you have an event or idea, send us ALL the info. Date, time, address, cost, etc.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email: ads@weehawkengazette.com

If snail mail is your thing, just write to:

Susie Felber

Weehawken Gazette

P.O. Box 3006

Weehawken, NJ 07086

Another mode of contact is to send a DM on Instagram to: instagram.com/weehawkengazette

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive typos that are later corrected in the archive version.

Leave a comment

A note from the editor: What an amazingly busy time of year. My eldest (not pictured, and not going to brag about him now, but warning: I might soon) graduated from Weehawken High School this week. Lots to get to below so let’s gooooo!

Upcliff Or Down, Weehawken Farmer’s Market Is A Hit

The Weehawken Farmer’s Market started this spring. It’s every Wednesday at 3P and alternates between Lincoln Harbor (down near Chart House) and Hamilton Avenue (right by Hamilton’s “death rock”). There’s not a ton of “farm” in this farmer’s market — unless we’re talking about a babka farm, a pizza farm, a chicken parm empanada farm —but we love it. Having a place to walk, see neighbors, and buy some delectable items is a joy. The one by Lincoln Harbor seemed to us more popular, but maybe that’s because the Hamilton ave location, tucked south of Hamilton Park, is just harder to see? Anyway, you should all go, and we’ll toast you with fancy lemonade and pickles on a stick.

Real Real-Estate Review: The Declan Is Our Favorite New Building And We’re Not Saying That Just Because We Got Free Food And Drinks (But Sure That Helps Not Gonna Lie)

Earlier this month The Weehawken Gazette was invited to the official opening party for The Declan, pictured, a new building right on the waterfront, located smack dab in front of the Weehawken Waterfront Park. They served appetizers and drinks. We missed the gift bags because we were busy taking a tour. C’est la vie.

Before it was finished, and before we went in, we had reasons to dislike it, even though, yeah, some are just cranky and dumb. Those reasons:

1. The building takes away privacy at the track. I like to run, and since my running is more like a rhino after a large curry meal, the less spectators the better — for their sake, mainly.

2. The new parking garage obscures the beauty of the cliff behind it.

3. We worry that people in all of these buildings can be a bit siloed, and don’t readily engage with the larger community.

However, change happens. And we changed our minds. First of all, do we want to go back to nothing on the waterfront but toxic land and disused docks? Nah. Sure they look cool in classic music videos, but our beautiful waterfront park is there because of the development, not in spite of it. And parking garages are good for parking. And at least unlike in Edgewater, Weehawken isn’t removing everything green from the west side of our river-front road, on Port Imperial Blvd.

So what is this building? From their press release, “The Declan blends refined design with top-of-market amenities. Rising 10 stories with 298 units, a collection of modern studio- to three-bedroom rental apartments is tailored for those who crave sophisticated living in an irreplaceable location…”

Thing is yes, it’s right next to the waterfront park. If you have a unit facing the water, you’ll see people on the track, playing tennis, and if you’re unlucky, me swimming in my flowered swim cap. But it’s a great view, and mostly you’re looking out at the water and the skyline. The things it has that we saw are really sweet:

1. The roof deck is awesome. Lovely plantings, including veggies, a pool table, grills, fire pits, awesome lounge chairs — and yes, the views are spectacular. Picture below but it’s even nicer than the picture makes out. And the parking garage has trees and planting on and around it too.

2. The gym is large and the other amenities are thick. Some include: pool with “waterwall”, golf simulator lounge, coffee bar, library, children’s playroom, direct garage access, and dog spa. You can see all amenities here.

3. Units that face the road don’t have traffic noise, and besides the road, you look at greenery. Plus your access to everything in the park is amazing. If you live here, you can train your heart out indoors and out.

4. They feature a “pet of the month” in the elevator. It’s adorable. Our only complaint? Apparently you can’t become pet of the month unless you live there. Yes we asked. Yes it’s a dumb question. But you know, maybe we can lobby them to open it up to the community. Why? Because it’d be hilarious, that’s why.

Brass tacks: Prices start at $2931 and go up to $8500 for the spendiest 3-bedroom. There’s also a penthouse yet to be leased that’s got sky-high luxury and a price that we said we wouldn’t print. So… all my NFL players who want to join your other Weehawken friends, ask them about it and say the Gazette sent you. PS The Declan is also advertising specials like 1.5 months free rent, so ask about that too.

What’s Your Take On ‘Cliffside Cubes’?

Speaking of real estate, we recently heard a great story on the radio about the NoHu / Bergen County trend of knocking down old houses to build bigger-footprint modernist multi-family buildings.

Hearing the story you’d know exactly what they are talking about, but the pictures are also worth a thousand words… older houses with charm and greenery (little lawns, trees) are being replaced with boxy buildings, often with roof decks, double stairways, and a lot more pavement.

Read (and/or listen) to the story on Gothamist by David Brand — they delve into the economics behind it, and the article also has some more great before-and-after pictures of houses that became cubes: gothamist.com/news/cliffside-cube-a-new-style-duplex-is-rising-in-northern-nj-and-its-everywhere

So what do you think? Are the boxy homes good for addressing a housing shortage or super ugly and wish they’d stop? And do you have a better idea? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Fun fact and good news for film buffs: according to Google maps the cute Cliffside Park homes that star in the Tom Hanks movie Big haven’t been knocked down — yet.

Luca Brasi’s Deli Can Be Yours

This cozy Hoboken staple sits two blocks west of some of our favorite things: Little City Books, Guitar Bar, Mulligan’s and Choc-o-pain to name just a few. Price is $550K and that comes with everything, from the furniture to the equipment to the salami. Actually we’re not sure if the food is included, but apparently the staff is. The listing says the owner is “highly motivated” because they want to “retire and relocate.” You still need to pay the rent, but the biz says it’s profitable and they note that they don’t even do catering, delivery or late nights. So, whaddya say? They might be making an offer you can’t refuse.

Go ahead, mutz my day: www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/profitable-turnkey-deli-and-hot-bar-in-prime-hoboken-location/2370236/

Skyline 🐍🐍 Strike A Pose

Got to love local cold-blooded bros having a hot-rock spa day:

If you go to the post you can also participate in the poll to tell us what type of snakes you think they are. Thanks to Arnaldo Wilson for letting us share hissssssss video. Arnaldo is an artist and you can and should follow him on social: instagram.com/arnaldowilson_/

In Brief

Union City is celebrating their centennial and has summer solstice plans that include family yoga, senior yoga, Zumba, meditation and more on June 21st from 10:30A to 3:15P in Ellsworth Park. More details here.

Union City also seems to have some summer block parties in July and August. Anyone ever been to them? Let us know. More details here.

June 27 & 28 Goatchella is back and billed as goats, sheep, art and music in a cemetery in Jersey City. It’s not clear if tickets are still available. Here’s the listing. Thanks to for the clue about this excellent event.

Art Haus Hudson is a new “music and visual arts hub” on Park Avenue in Weehawken. We don’t know anything beyond what you see on the site, but they have a lot of kid, teen and adult offerings this summer so check it out: https://arthaushudson.com

Wednesday 6/25 at 6-8P Weehawken is offering FREE rabies vaccinations for (licensed) dogs and cats. There’s a rain date and all info here.

Sunday June 29 at 7P there’s a vigil for immigrants and refugees at Pier A Park in Hoboken. Expect songs from a choir, readings and more.

Who Let A Cat In Here?

This year’s Weehawken Schools time-hop video is another winner to pull all the heart strings and make you tear up. And, to make the title of this newsletter make sense, we’ll end on this photo. Congratulations to all the 2025 graduates!

Until We Meet Again

This newsletter is free to read and subscribe to, but we’re all for freebies and/or money too, which we will always disclose. This edition of the Weehawken Gazette was sponsored by Edith Layton.

To reach us with tips: tips@bignoyes.com

Just note that if you have an event or idea, send us ALL the info. Date, time, address, cost, etc.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email: advertising@bignoyes.com

If snail mail is your thing, just write to:

Susie Felber

Weehawken Gazette

P.O. Box 3006

Weehawken, NJ 07086

Another mode of contact is to send a DM on Instagram to: instagram.com/weehawkengazette

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive typos that are later corrected in the archive version.

Leave a comment

This is the time of year that the smell of honeysuckle is so strong it can blot out the smell of gypsy bus about 76% of the time. But the baby lanternflies are on the move and so are we — we’re hosting a gala tonight in NYC, and we’ve got a load of work to boot. So this week’s newsletter will be short and sweet and maybe typo-filled because we gotta scoot. So let’s get to it!

Know Your Famous Weehawken Houses

Below, you’ll see the 1934 painting East Wind Over Weehawken by Edward Hopper. In 2013 it sold for a whopping $36 million to an anonymous buyer and we were at the auction when it happened. Fun fact: we wanted an auction paddle, but at the time they said you need to prove you have $1 million in liquid assets just to hold a paddle at Christie’s. So yeah, we didn’t get a paddle. SFX: Sad trombone

And above, the view as it stands today, at 49th street and Blvd East in Weehawken.

The house on the left was recently for sale, and we were going to link it, but now we see it’s off the market so… just enjoy the time travel and use this info to impress people with your cultural knowledge.

Related: in 2013 we commissioned a painting of this scene and auctioned it on Ebay. Someone wrote about it on the original painting’s Wikipedia Page. We’ll put the photos of it on our Instagram soon.

May 29: Old Bank, New Tricks

Do you wanna trip the light fantastico on marble floors? Well the last Latin Night of the spring is this Thursday at a former bank.

It’s run by the United Children's Music Project (UCMP) — which for 13 years has been providing low-cost after school orchestral music classes. They also have a music immersion program for 3-5 year olds called "Paper Orchestra.” Previously they were located in the Woodrow Wilson school, but recently moved to the once-empty Trust of New Jersey Building, under The Ivy condominiums.

Cuban Rumba and Rhythms, with Enildo Rasúa, “The Third Hand”

Thursday May 29, 2025

7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

4710 Park Avenue (corner of 48th and Park)

Ages 13+, proper attire and a $15 donation at the door is requested

Tickets and more info here: www.ucmusicproject.org/event-details/latin-night-thursdays

W Is For ‘Winner’: Weehawken HS Girls Softball Crowned County Champs

If you hadn’t heard, Weehawken High School Softball Team recently won their third consecutive Hudson County Tournament championship in a historic three-peat.

In a nail-biting final showdown, the second-seeded Weehawken squad overtook a strong Bayonne team and nabbed their win in extra innings with a final score of 4-3.

Commenting on the good news, head coach Raquel Roder said, "This three-peat is a testament to the unwavering commitment and passion of these exceptional young women. They have not only defended their title but have now created a lasting legacy for our program.”

The Weehawken Township School District wants to extend its heartfelt congratulations to a long list of people, so here you go: Thanks to the parents, fans and especially to the players, Coach Raquel Roder, Coach Nicole Fleck, JV coaches, Athletic Director Brian Fischer, Principal Robert Ferullo, the Board of Education Trustees, Board President Jennifer Bolcar, Township Council and Mayor Richard Turner and all who have supported the softball team.

There’s more pictures (like of the head coach getting an ice water bath in celebration) and a great story about this on NJ.com: www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2025/05/weehawken-softball-beats-bayonne-for-3-peat-in-hudson-county-tournament.html

Epic Taco Twinning?

A new taco spot has opened on Newark Street in Hoboken.

Holy guacamole, this story is hard to grasp, but here we go…

Before opening it was reportedly gonna be called Los Tacos or Los Tacos The Original and people (and journalists) wondered if it was a branch of Los Tacos No. 1, a popular mini-chain that started 12 years ago at Chelsea Market which now boasts 8 locations in Manhattan. Why did they think this? Because… it sure looks a heck of a lot like it (see pics below). But judging from the Manhattan taco website, the Hoboken spot has no relation to the NYC outfit.

Then someone on Hoboken Reddit pointed out the name of the Hoboken place had been changed before opening to “Mexico Tacos.” But the case was not closed. Though Google now says they’re Mexico Tacos, the social media for the new taco place now calls themselves “Hoboken Taco.” The claimed Yelp page still says “Los Tacos” in search results, but is called “Hoboken Tacos” on the page, and now we are just tired of writing the word “taco” too many times. Incidentally, we called to confirm their name, but no one picked up — best guess is it’s now called Hoboken Tacos.

We like to avoid taco confusion as much as possible, and we stand by our recommendation of the newly-opened Urban Taqueria in Weehawken. Plus, at Urban Taqueria tacos are only $2.50 each, and at the new place in Hoboken they are $5.76 each (according to Yelp). We aren’t awesome at math, but we think that’s more than double.

Oh Hey, New Cafe!

OK so if you haven’t heard there’s a third branch of Alessio’s Cafe coming to Weehawken this summer, and it’ll be in the lower left corner of the photo you see above. Alessio’s is a sturdy pick for the space, and we like that the owner, Luca Infantino, is a local. The new building, The Reserve at Estuary, is in Lincoln Harbor, nestled between the Whole Foods and the river.

Fun fact: Hartz Mountain Industries is the developer of this and other luxury buildings in Weehawken. Did you know their fortune was initially built with canaries? 5000 singing canaries to be exact. You can read about it on their history page. We wish the Hartz Mountain Canary Hour was still on the radio, a show that helped teach pet birds to sing, but we’re glad you can click that link and listen to a sample to know we aren’t making it up. Oh heck, there’s a vintage Hartz Mountain commercial we are going to include below, because the world needs more canaries and ventriloquists.

June 14: 7th Annual Wiener Dog Derby

Meadowlands Racetrack is hosting this annual event that boasts free parking and free admission with the fastest pooches fetching prize money. But before you start limbering up your hot dog, registration for racers is now closed, but the link below does have a waitlist.

This is the dumbest best thing ever, and even though it’s in its 7th year, it’s new to us, so we’re sharing. And we’re not going to make a “wiener takes all” joke because the promoters already made it.

Official site: Meadowlands racetrack Wiener Dog Derby

Related: The Weehawken Elks are bringing back their Yappy Hours (see flier below for details).

Housekeeping

Fleahawken, a new curated flea market featuring antiques, collectibles, jewelry, vintage clothing, vinyl, etc. — has been moved to Sun., September 7 (10 AM – 4 PM) to allow more time to secure vendors & get the word out. If you know anyone who might want to have a table, email info@fleahawken.com.

Ciao 4 Now

This newsletter is free to read and subscribe to, but we’re all for freebies and/or money too, which we will always disclose.

To reach us with tips: tips@bignoyes.com

Just note that if you have an event or idea, send us ALL the info. Date, time, address, cost, etc.

If you want our sponsor rate sheet or want to discuss sponsored content ideas? Email: advertising@bignoyes.com

If snail mail is your thing, just write to:

Susie Felber

Weehawken Gazette

P.O. Box 3006

Weehawken, NJ 07086

Another mode of contact is to send a DM on Instagram to: instagram.com/weehawkengazette — FYI we currently have way more subscribers than IG followers, and we’re glad for that too.

Tah for now nice nabes!

Susie

PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive typos that are later corrected in the archive version.