Rhymes With Opera presents “Red Giant” to Jersey City this Sunday, January 19th at 2pm in the Barrow Mansion (83 Wayne St.). “Red Giant” is a one-act opera and a surreal story set in the future, taking place inside a spaceship on a journey to an unknown destination. As the sun slowly explodes and engulfs their former planet, the three humans onboard reflect on both the futility of their search for a new home and their need for a sense of hope.
Rhymes With Opera (RWO) is an ensemble dedicated to commissioning and producing new operas, and this fully staged performance of New Haven composer Adam Matlock and librettist Brian Slattery’s work will be presented in a brand-new orchestration, written especially for RWO’s house band, Rhymes With Orchestra.
The production also includes a special world premiere: a concert presentation of Baltimore composer Erik Spangler’s “Damascus Mix”, developed through a long-distance collaboration between the composer and RWO ensemble member Bonnie Lander. The live vocal part emerges from a cut-up of international news reports; the music stretches beyond our idea of “language,” while defining a unified field between the human voice and electronically generated sound.
Abbey’s Pub & Grill (not to be confused with O’Abbey’s, which is on the West Side and a place I have not yet visited) is an unpretentious spot on the corner of Monmouth and 4th. Downtown can be…downtown. But I like this spot because it’s not.
I first discovered Abbey’s when looking for a hookah bar in Hudson County. Not only is it one of the few hookah bars around (stop reading if you’re judgy), it is also a smoker’s heaven: they allow smoking inside by the bar area and even sell cigarettes (for shame!).
I love it because it has the raw feel of a true dive; it’s totally not trying to be anything but itself. Check your cooler-than-thou attitude at the door and relax. If you’ve ever been to Sophie’s in Alphabet City or Automatic Slims in Meatpacking, you know what I mean. And this is a notch up. Everyone is welcome in the diverse crowd drawn to this spot. I promise you will make friends here.
You have your standard bar stuff: pool table, music, karoake nights, big TVs. Drinks are stiff, food is as expected, and both are priced well.
Love me a gimlet!
I had a quesadilla and nachos here last year, both of which were delish for downtown dive food. Here are some recent eats:
I ordered the steak sandwich as it comes: Sliced skirt steak (I wasn’t questioned about meat temperature, and I didn’t ask because I figured it was, indeed, pre-prepped and frozen, but no worries) with mushrooms, onions, cheddar, and fries. This picture does not capture the sandwich’s appeal or give its size justice. I only got through a quarter of it. Seriously. This sandwich fed me four meals—one at the restaurant and three that I made from the leftovers—because gourmet be gone, it was great.
My dining companion ordered a burger with shrooms and cheddar, which he devoured in about 3 minutes. His meat was cooked to order, and clearly hit the spot.
You would never expect a decent bathroom in this bar, but alas! The Bathroom Sink needs its own shoutout:
Isn’t it just gorgeous?
Abbey’s is an all-around win for a casual night. The servers are friendly, and the patrons are even more warm and inviting. Having the option to chill in peace with your companions, or the guarantee to make friends the moment you wait at the bar or on the bathroom line—that’s just luxury.
We’ve got a new program in town, and it’s about to change the face of youth soccer in Jersey City.
While Jersey City has a local league, a couple of competitive teams, a soccer school and different camps run by outside organizations, they have yet to have something as dynamic as USA Global soccer with its dedicated and deliberate training, which is about to bring us to the next level.
Ari Levit, one of its directors, is orginally from Argentina and has been coaching players from ages three to college-age, boys and girls. He holds the prestigious USSF “A” license, NSCAA “Premier” Diploma, NSCAA “Director of Coaching” Diploma, but as Ari says, the main credential is his experience in running soccer programs, training and coaching successfully all over the state of New Jersey.
“When I started coaching, soccer was a relatively new sport in the United States, so much of the professional coaching revolved around teaching the game from a basic level. Soccer was mostly played for fun. Many things have changed in the current scene, ranking points for U10 teams, tournaments all over, and as a consequence, we have made a 180 turn. It’s time to find a middle point.
“I’ve been living in Jersey City for over five years now, and in one of my attempts to help out the JC Soccer Association I met a great coach, with similar views as mine and we decided to partner up to create a unique program in town.”
His partner, Karim Mazarou, born in Belgium, holds the USSF “National Youth License” and is also a resident of Jersey City. “I have been volunteering for JCSA for quite some time and I still do, but I feel there is a demand from Jersey City parents for more dedicated training for their children. Coaches who keep educating themselves in becoming better teachers help children with their confidence and their overall development.”
What makes USA Global Soccer unique and different? Their program teaches beyond soccer. Besides the coaches’ credentials, knowledge and experience, they have developed a unique curriculum, philosophy and methodology:
? Develop game intelligence: Following recent methods of training that help develop the cognitive part of the game. Sessions include music, rhythm oriented exercises, brain centered learning, and soccer activities to develop decision making.
? Developmental appropriate progressions: At younger age groups, the most important part is the development of the player. The activities, and games, should be appropriate for the player, results are secondary. For the youngest players, success is measured by the growth of the players, not the score. As players grow older, the objectives start changing, but focus is on the “how we win” and not just “to win”.
? Modern Coach: A coach is above all a teacher, always learning better ways to educate children and develop their brain along with their body. Using activities that relate to the philosophy and that players can transfer to the game, separates our professional coaches from volunteers.
? Parent education: Feedback is crucial for development. Parents need to know what the objectives are for their child, so a clear path in growth can be seen. If parents cannot measure the success of the program by the score, educating them on what is taught during the deliberate training sessions is crucial.
There are many advantages to their time playing the game. Cognitive development, healthy exercise and the understanding of respect, commitment and teamwork are only a few of them.
“We want to grow with the city, and our plans have a long term in mind.” The coaches will launch a winter program in two locations, Jersey City Heights and Downtown during January and February. “Jersey City is our home. We live, shop, and attend local events, which means we are here to grow and stay. We want to build a soccer program like no other, and ultimately give back to the community for the benefit of the City and the kids.” both coaches agree.
On an exciting side note, Coach Ari and Coach Karim will be running a soccer clinic in conjunction with Ryan Strother, Jersey City Department of Recreation’s Director, in late January at the Jersey City Armory. They are expecting over 200 boys and girls, ages 5 to 18 years old to participate. Those interested in attending can contact USA Global Soccer for more information.
The new year encourages us to re-focus our energy on our goals and aspirations. The last two weeks were relatively quiet, and now people are reconnecting and resuming business.
Here’s where Indiegrove comes in, Jersey City. For entrepreneurs and those who are self-employed, Indiegrove is your fully-equipped office away from home.
The co-working space boasts private offices, cubicle-like areas (you can even get your own phone number), conference rooms, printers, a copy/fax machine, mailboxes, free wifi in every room, bathrooms, a kitchen outfitted with a fridge, microwave, the ubiquitous water cooler (also free coffee and tea), and tables low and high allowing you to work there, too.
In other words, it is very much like a real office, except that every one in it is working on their own agenda.
Even if you are productive at home and have your own fully-equipped home office, I think you’ll find that being around other entrepreneurial types is motivating and keeps you fresh. Also, the high ceilings, bright, art-adorned walls, and huge windows overlooking downtown make it a little more cheerful than your typical digs.
Membership options are listed here. Not sure you’re ready to buy in?
No worries. Do what I did and go on a free-coworking Friday, the one day every week that Indiegrove is open to the public. I chose to sit at the communal tables by the big windows; there is also an adjacent lounge area with couches nearby which I may try next time. Professional meetings were taking place in the conference rooms and interviews were being conducted nearby, and there were several other solo workers like myself, doing their thing on their laptops.
A new year for most people means a fresh start with a clean slate. Whatever your resolutions, here are some local places that will help you put your self-improvement plans into action.
What are your resolutions? Subscribe to my newsletter and post in the comments section (via the link up top) for a chance to win a month of free advertising on my site.
Here’s to a happy, healthy 2014 in Jersey City! JCG
