Plant-Pilfering Boomer Targets Local Bloomers
Plus ceramics and smash burgers, a filmmaker seeking a set, a neighbor goes for a Grammy, and more!
Summer is here and we are already burnt out from sun and not enough fun. However, there’s no time for whining and lots to get to, so here we go!
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.
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Weehawken Gazette
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Tah for now nice nabes!
Susie
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