Becoming single allowed me a few hours of free time per week, and I had a random afternoon off without any friend or family time planned, no business engagements, and not feeling like working on my 18-zillion projects, so I decided, on the suggestion of the “Jersey City Guru,” to check out the new AMC Loews Newport Centre 11 at the mall. I was sold on the idea of the reclining leather seats. “You feel like you’re in a private movie theater in your home!” said Guru. “People start yelling at the screen because they get so comfortable that they forget they’re in public!” she gushed.
Enter the mall, yes we know the Simon Newport Jersey City Mall. It is what it is. Nothing fancy, but fulfills your Vicky’s, Sephora & LUSH needs, the inexpensive trendy chains, plus major deals to be scored at the major department stores.
Walk to the third floor as you observe the random crowd and get on line for your movie ticket—or not. Skip the line and go via machine with card. OK, this automated machine is as annoying and complicated as the PATH or metro system: They all ask too many questions and take too long. Which takes me to my next point:
Super Bowl 50 (the NFL is suspending Roman Numerals for this year’s big game) overtakes America this year on Sunday, February 7th at 6:30pm ET. The Carolina Panthers and The Denver Broncos will face off at Levi’s Stadium (home of the San Francisco 49ers) in Santa Clara, California.
The ultimate sporting event calls upon us to attend viewing parties everywhere. If you are hosting one, here are some of my game-day recipes, as well as tips for etiquette.
If you’d rather take it to commercial real estate in Jersey City, here is alist of venues hosting the big game, courtesy of nj.com.
Happy New Year #JerseyCity! If your resolutions didn’t stick through January, who cares? There is always room for improvement and there’s always time to make a change or two. Here are local companies offering cool stuff to inspire you this February.
It is that wintry time of year again where restaurants beg for our patronage post-New Year’s and pre-Valentine’s Day: Hudson Restaurant Week. Hudson County’s begins when New York City’s ends, so as not to compete for capital.
From January 25th to February 5th, attend restaurants (that may be outside of your budget) to sample each menu at a set price.
Jersey City: We’ve had many years of transformation, but 2015 seemed particularly poignant in that it marked an increasingly rapid pace of evolvement.
It’s as if everyone finally realized that Jersey City IS the place to live. We’ve had lots of new businesses with high hopes and big dreams, many of which have been shattered by shuttering or postponment in 2015. Some highly anticipated local venues didn’t even get the chance to open their doors this year, their brick-and-mortar spaces left unfinished and for sale. There were others that did open but couldn’t stay afloat, and many more that will soon open their doors and pray to be vital for more than half of 2016. There are many high-rises in construction in place of condiminium complexes that failed, and other big buildings filling wastleands of rotting, forgotten land. We are in a turbulent flux. Projects started and unifinished, or able to rise only to fall quickly.
In a thriving artist and creative community, it’s such a buzzkill to see beloved businesses or buildings fail, to see “replacement.” Everything is about hurdles and politics and money. Certain talents do not have the opportunity to reach their potential even with hard work and exhaustive effort. Others succeed that are less talented. Education is of particular concern to me. We are living in a bleak bubble that I hope we can break in the years to come.
I want to see our citizens investing their time, their minds and their hard-earned dollars into what truly matters to our rapidly changing community. What does Jersey City mean to you? And how are you contributing to make your home a better place? We have real issues here, and our uniqueness is being squandered by the ever-increasing rich/poor divide. A VIP police officer casually mentioned to me a few months ago that “Crime is at one of its peaks and it’s only getting worse,” a comment I was surprised by considering I had just been mugged outside of my front door and authority figures usually try to be reassuring. No, our officers have been cracking down on major gang crimes, and they are overwhelmed. The media glosses over this, and a lot of us choose to be uninformed because it is, well, overwhelming.
In our diverse community, we need to focus on the things that bring us together, not those that separate us. Let’s get back to our roots. Make an effort to be inclusive to those around you, not just those in your neighborhood or demographic. Jersey City is about inclusivity. It is also about diversity. We are a significant part of America’s history: where immigrants arrived and many settled. We have generations of wealth in terms of history. We are…
Step outside of your box: This is a huge, huge city with many people and so much to see and explore. Expand your mind. “Make it yours,” yes, but contribute to make it a greater “ours.”
On a lighter note, here aremy best hangover tipsfor those who choose to indulge. And my current and previous workout playlists.
