Thursday, June 26, 2008

hero quote of the day

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

Click below to read more!

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

Monday, June 23, 2008

western edge redevelopment meeting on wed 7pm sharp!

Click the below image to enlarge!


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

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

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

Sunday, June 22, 2008

hoboken weathering the storm

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

Shockingly no mention of Metrostop. Again.

Friday, June 20, 2008

hill valley circa 1955?


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


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


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

Could this really be the start of something?

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


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


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

Monday, June 2, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

clearview cinemas hoboken is actually happening!


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

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

Stay tuned for a full report...