Wieners Gone Wild
Canary barons, taco drama, dancing in a bank, and more.
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
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Weehawken Gazette
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Weehawken, NJ 07086
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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.
Loved the inclusion of Paul Winchell and Charlie M. And good luck tonight! 👏