Dude, Your Condo Is So High
Exclusive interviews, a đpotato chip, American Dream drama, a floating circus drifts to Hoboken and tons more.
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đ°Exclusive: Local Cake Girl Boss Tells All
Since September 2011 thereâs been a cake studio in Weehawken on Willow Avenue that entices us every time we pass by it. Itâs enticing because â well, itâs cake â and also because they, Hudson Cakery, show off their beautiful creations on Instagram. But itâs also a bit mysterious, because no, you canât stroll in.
Thereâs nothing sinister at work: itâs 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 youâre done, order a cake from them (and invite us over, please).
Slice Of Delicious Life: Qâs 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 â fun fact: when something is âbaked on premisesâ it doesnât mean itâs from scratch. My favorite cake is probably our chocolate cake, itâs 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 humorâ 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 âalternateâ 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, itâs 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 â 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.
đȘđŁââïžFloating Circus Hits Hoboken
UPDATE 9/9: The show below was moved to Hoboken Cove due to âwakesâ 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 theyâll be in NJ for one performance only on Tuesday September 9 at 6p. Itâs got puppets, music, and ladies who twirl by their hair, their legs and their teeth. Itâs free, itâs now in Hoboken Cove (originally was to be in Sinatra Park) and gee it seems fun. See you there?
đ»đ„ Local Finds Skull Potato Chip Buried In Herr Bag
Spooky season is here! All the candy is out, Trader Joeâs is hawking pumpkin spice everything, and a Weehawken neighbor found this creeptastic Herrâs potato chip seen above. Itâs 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 OâReilly, 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! Weâd 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 â 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! đȘŠ
đ Related: If you want to get your local Halloween vibes, check out the HoBOOken5k â an annual costumed race that goes along the Hudson River and benefits the Hoboken Shelter. Whether you walk or run, itâs 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! đ to use it now: www.hobooken5k.com â the coupon CHIP is good until 9/19 at 11:59p
đïž 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 doesnât 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 âlinked to Qatar royaltyâ 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
đ§ââïž American Dream Ignores Law, Says County; We Arenât 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 itâs 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 diâint say that in 2012 â you promised to comply with our ye olde laws to get the place built!
To find out more on all the drama, get your đż out and see the article below. What do we think? Weâre not stepping into the question of Blue Laws and compliance here, weâll 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? đł
Source: A Huge Mall Allows Shopping on Sundays. Is That Illegal? â NY Times
đČ Local Man Bikes From Hudson County To California To Raise Funds & Awareness
Yup itâs 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.:
âOur community deserves safe, accessible streets where everyone can travel freely and confidently. By supporting this initiative, youâre investing in a healthier, more connected Hudson County for all 750,000 residents.â
The photo below is from when he was about to set off on the adventure. Heâs biking and camping out (most of the time, though I think heâs staying with friends sometimes) and we havenât had a time to talk to him yet. Looks like heâs in West Virginia now. You can follow along on his Instagram and if we can catch up with him, weâll 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 canât find a map of them yet â stay tuned.
đŠâ⏠Bird Nerd Paradise In Bergen County
Wild Birds Unlimited â for years we passed it and thought they sold parrots. Itâs 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 itâs 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 thereâs 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, weâre sharing this picture because⊠yay to more pumpkin spice in the world. Find Geesa products on Wednesdays at the Weehawken Farmerâs Market.
đ„ Ă BientĂŽt Mes AmisâŠ
First off, many thanks to Hugo Holland, our unpaid copyeditor currently working from his garret for the Weehawken Gazetteâs Paris Bureau.
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