Tag Archives: Hudson County

Dining, General

Jersey City’s Newest Restaurant, Loradella’s Family Pizzeria, to Open in Newport

River View Observer Staff 

Jersey City, N.J. (Jan. 15, 2013) – Jersey City’s booming waterfront will get its first family-style Italian restaurant this month when Loradella’s Family Pizzeria opens at 126 River Dr., a 4,000-square-foot, ground-floor retail space at Newport’s Aquablu apartment tower. Owned by George and Lorraine Arthur, the new Italian eatery will be the 16th addition to The Restaurants at Newport, a diverse collection of upscale to fast casual restaurants located at Newport, the LeFrak Organization’s mixed-use development community on the Hudson River in Jersey City.

“George and I were looking to start a new project and discovered Newport at the recommendation of our chef and manager, Adel, who lives nearby. We immediately fell in love with the location,” said Lorraine Arthur, co-owner of Loradella’s Family Pizzeria. “At Loradella’s, we hope to bring Newport a family-friendly atmosphere and good food at a reasonable price. We know the kids are going to love the arcade too.” Continue reading Jersey City’s Newest Restaurant, Loradella’s Family Pizzeria, to Open in Newport →

General, Insidebayonne.com

New Shopping Program to Boost Bayonne Businesses and Reduce Property Taxes

Shopping broadway bayonne
With the new Shop Bayonne Card up for proposal Bayonne  shoppers would save  money on their property taxes for shopping Bayonne

     Bayonne’s Mayor Mark A. Smith recently announced that his Administration will present a proposal for a Shop Bayonne Card that would encourage people to shop locally and save on their property taxes at the same time.  Mayor Smith said, “Bayonne stores and professional services need to increase their numbers of customers, and Bayonne property owners can reduce their tax bills.  The Shop Bayonne Card will achieve both goals.  We are very excited about this proposal, which will be a win-win for the people of Bayonne.”  Mayor Smith thanked Second Ward Council Member Joseph Hurley for bringin this program to my attention.”

            This spring, the City of Bayonne will mail Shop Bayonne Cards to every known household in the community.  The cards will appear similar to credit and debit cards, complete with a magnetic strip on the reverse side.  Mayor Smith explained, “They can be used only at participating Bayonne businesses.”  Smith continued, “Each participating enterprise will offer its own percentage of the purchase price, which will be transferred into a special property tax reduction fund for each cardholder. When Bayonne residents receive the cards in the mail, they would need to activate them before taking them to local stores and offices.”  The cards must be registered online at www.propertytaxcard.com.  Every time a resident shops at a participating merchant and they swipe the card, the amount of the discount will be registered on the Internet.  Consumers will be able to check their progress online throughout the year.    Continue reading New Shopping Program to Boost Bayonne Businesses and Reduce Property Taxes →

Dining

Calling all Foodies! Hudson Restaurant Week and A Taste of Hoboken invite Foodies to Feast

 By Sally Deering

GP's Restaurant located in downtown Jersey City. One of the 35 restaurants participating in this year's Hudson Restaurant Week.
GP’s Restaurant located in downtown Jersey City. One of the 35 restaurants participating in this years Hudson Restaurant Week.

It’s January and the winter blahs are knocking on the door, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit home with another Lean Cuisine. Why not skip the frozen dinner, throw on your overcoat and head out for some yummy neighborhood dining during Hudson Restaurant Week and a night of yummy delights at A Taste of Hoboken. Both events are a terrific way to spice up these cold wintery days – and nights.

 On Tues, Jan. 22, A Taste of Hoboken, the Hoboken-North Hudson YMCA’s annual gala fundraiser celebrates its 22nd anniversary. It will be held at Stevens Institute of Technology’s Canavan Arena in Hoboken with 40 restaurants, bakeries and cafes participating. These eateries will be offering tasty bites from the dishes on their menus and some chef surprises, too.  And for the first time since A Taste of Hoboken started all those years ago guests will have the opportunity to sample beer and wine from all over the world.  Continue reading Calling all Foodies! Hudson Restaurant Week and A Taste of Hoboken invite Foodies to Feast →

General

City of Bayonne to Start Curbside Pick-Up of Certain Electronic Items January 14

 

            CITY OF BAYONNE SEALMayor Mark A. Smith announced that the Bayonne Department of Public Works will start curbside pick-up of certain electronic equipment (e-waste), effective Monday, January 14, 2013.  These items include computers, laptops, monitors, televisions, electronic tablets, electronic notebooks, and e-book readers.  Under federal and state regulations implemented a year ago, it has been illegal to dispose of e-waste with regular garbage.  In 2012, the City of Bayonne designated its recycling yard on Hook Road as the drop-off site for designated electronic items.  Mayor Smith said, “Although the City instituted longer hours of operation at our recycling yard to accommodate the drop-off of electronic items, I believe we can serve the public better by having our Department of Public Works pick up these e-waste items at curbside. The convenience of curbside pick-up will encourage more people to participate in the electronic recycling program.” Continue reading City of Bayonne to Start Curbside Pick-Up of Certain Electronic Items January 14 →

Cover Story, General

Hoboken’s New Reality Stars – A&E’ “Storage Wars: New York” stars Chris Morelli and Tad Eaton of The Frayed Knot

By Sally Deering    

Photo of Tad Eaton and Chris Morelli in front of  The Frayed Knot by Sally Deering

Tad Eaton and Chris Morelli in front of thier furniture and bric-a-brac emporium in Hoboken, NJ
Tad Eaton and Chris Morelli in front of thier furniture and bric-a-brac emporium in Hoboken, NJ

Move over “Cake Boss”! Chris Morelli and Tad Eaton, owners of The Frayed Knot, a vintage furniture and brick-a-brack emporium in Hoboken are fast becoming the new darlings of reality TV. Friends and business partners, Morelli and Eaton star in “Storage Wars: New York” an A&E TV reality show that follows an eclectic group of ‘treasure hunters’ from the Metropolitan area who search for hidden bounty in repossessed storage units. It’s like a twist on that old game show “Let’s Make a Deal”. You get to see what’s behind Door No. 1 but you don’t know the true value of your deal until you rip open the boxes and pick through the spoils.

 

The cast of Storage Wars: New York
The cast of Storage Wars: New York

Photo Courtesy of A & E TV

Making its January 2013 debut with six episodes, “Storage Wars: New York” is a spin-off of the “Storage Wars” franchise which also includes “Storage Wars: Texas.”  The New York cast features Joe Pauletich of Queens, Candy Olsen and Courtney Wagner of Brooklyn, Mike Braiotta of the Bronx and Morelli and Eaton of Hoboken. Auctioneer is New Yorker John Luke. 

In the debut episode, “Beg, Borough and Steal” several cast members including Morelli and Eaton bid on and buy goodies inside three separate storage units. The girls unearth several pairs of high-heeled shoes and possibly a pole dancer’s costume; Joe ‘P’ discovers some interesting art and photography; and Morelli and Eaton excavate a brand new gas grill and two French chests called commodes they bring back to their shop, paint bright red and put out for sale in one of The Frayed Knot’s splashy showrooms. Continue reading Hoboken’s New Reality Stars – A&E’ “Storage Wars: New York” stars Chris Morelli and Tad Eaton of The Frayed Knot →

General

Former Hudson County Resident Russel Kirk Dedicates Latest Album- To Journal Square, to the Journal Square Community

Russell Kirk's second album
New album by Russel Kirk dedicated to Journal Square community in Jersey City

Baltimore native and Jazz Saxophonist Russell Kirk compose a suite in four parts titled The Path Suite, referencing New Jersey’s train system, featured on his latest album, one he dedicated to the Journal Square community.  The album, Kirk’s second is titled To Journal Square and the name of his band – The Path, the pedigree ensemble that joins Kirk on this musical journey adds lyrical balance to each track, and Kirk unselfishly allows them to shine.   Among them are Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer/composer Terri Lyne Carrington, fusion guitarist Wayne Krantz, concert & film composer Jacob Yoffee on tenor Saxophone, the extraordinary Dontae Winslow on trumpet/vocals and Cuban export, award-winning keyboardist Aruán Ortiz.

 Kirk, who studied at Townson Unviersity and the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland left his home town immediately after graduating and began touring – he traveled with the USO and Indie pop rock singer/songwriter Jenny Boyle playing in a number of European countries, Africa and the Middle East and joined Gary Thomas, founder of jazz studies at Peabody, on tour in  Japan, before returning to work on his Masters at NYU.  While at NYU he met and played in essembles with John Scofield, Chris Potter, Kenny Werner and Lenny Pickett.  He was an adjunct faculty member in the Steinhardt Music School at NYU and headed a music outreach program for inner city youth in Harlem and the east Village.  It would begin his passion for bringing music to underserved communities which he continues to do through the OrchKids initiative in Baltimore.

Russell eventually moved from New York to Jersey City’s Journal Square Community and it was there during a difficult period in his career that he began to construct this current album. The vibrancy, diversity and hub nature of the community gave him inspiration.  He locked in on the rhythm of the community, captured the musicality in the energy that it gave off.  The album has a mashable construct, similar to the construct of the community he has dedicated it to. Continue reading Former Hudson County Resident Russel Kirk Dedicates Latest Album- To Journal Square, to the Journal Square Community →

Business Views, General, Hip New Stores

Tachair Bookshoppe -Jersey City’s new Go-To Spot for Book Lovers, Writers and Serious Coffee Drinkers

By Sally Deering

TACHAIR BOOK STORE PHOTO 1
Tachair Bookshoppe’s Carol and Aleta Valleau and Aleta’s son Paul inside their hip new book store.

 When they opened Tachair Bookshoppe last July, Carol Valleau and her daughter Aleta Valleau took a gamble that local book lovers wanted something more than downloading a book to their Kindles and Nooks. The mother/daughter booksellers gambled on the idea that book lovers want a place to browse new books, thumb through old classics and maybe read a chapter or two while sipping a fresh brewed coffee. It seems their gamble paid off – big time.

 “To have the ability to walk down the street and find a bookstore, it’s nearly impossible,” Carol Valleau says between trips to the counter to help customers with their purchases. “We’re the only book store in Jersey City.”

 “We’re an independent bookstore to the ‘T’,” Aleta Valleau says.

 Tachair Bookshoppe offers new and used fiction, non-fiction, biographies, textbooks, and a warm and friendly atmosphere to browse the shelves. There are tables, too, where you can grab a seat to read, relax and strike up a conversation.  The coffee is delicious too. Continue reading Tachair Bookshoppe -Jersey City’s new Go-To Spot for Book Lovers, Writers and Serious Coffee Drinkers →

Dining

Houlihan’s, Still Delicious After All These Years in Weehawken

By Sally Deering

Houlihan'spic2Houlihan’s restaurant has always been a big attraction on the Weehawken waterfront. Located in Lincoln Harbor with stunning views of the New York Skyline, Houlihan’s offers customers a hearty lunch and dinner menu, divine drinks and delish desserts and even though it’s been a Weehawken staple, the restaurant’s standards are as high as the day it opened.

The décor is cool and the atmosphere cozy with overstuffed booths and tables that give patrons enough space to hold a private conversation. The three-sided bar is large enough for groups to gather to watch their favorite games on the big HD TVs and the lighting, warm and relaxing.

houlihan'spic1 “We’re very customer-oriented,” general manager Keith Miller says. “Our goal is to make every customer a repeat customer. Regulars and repeat customers are the pulse of the restaurant.”

If the customers are the pulse, the food is Houlihan’s heart and soul. The cuisine is Asian, Italian and American-inspired. Everything is cooked to order and only fresh ingredients are used. Continue reading Houlihan’s, Still Delicious After All These Years in Weehawken →

In the News, Our Community

Jersey City Gun Buyback Saturday January 5th- NO QUESTIONS ASKED

JERSEY CITY SEAL LOGOJERSEY CITY – Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy and Police Department officials announced the city will host another gun buyback from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 5, 2013 at the Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church, 661 Montgomery Street. There, residents can turn in rifles for $100, handguns and automatic weapons for $150, respectively, with no questions asked.  Continue reading Jersey City Gun Buyback Saturday January 5th- NO QUESTIONS ASKED →

General

FEMA to Close Office In Bayonne on Saturday, December 29

        

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has advised the City of Bayonne that it will close the Disaster Recovery Center it has been operating at the Bayonne Community Museum, which is located at 9th Street and Broadway.  FEMA will have its last day at that location on Saturday, December 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.   After that date, Bayonne residents and property owners in need of a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Hudson County should go to either the Jersey City location at 350 Montgomery Street, or the Hoboken location, City Hall, at 94 Washington Street.  Those facilities will have half-days on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31, with hours from 9:00 a. m. to 1:00 p.m.  They will both be closed on New Year’s Day, Tuesday, January 1, and will reopen with regular hours of 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 2.

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