PHEW

In a longer article about slumping national home sales, finally a nugget that made me feel better:

Q. How is demand for your houses in New Jersey?

New Jersey is not one of our best states today; it's not one of our worst states. It's somewhere in the middle. The things that are very close to New York City are doing well. As you get further out, it gets less of the benefit of New York City. New York City is driven a lot by the financial industry, and they've had a fabulous couple of years.

Watch this Man Very Closely

Former Mayor Gerald McCann is back, fresh from his jail sentence for money laundering.

Watch him very closely, and don't give him any votes or money.

Somebody already did: He's finally got that spot on the school board he's been coveting for years!

I have 99 Cents in my Pocket...

And I'm ready to rock it!

"99¢" - Art Exhibition at Victory Hall in Jersey City
Artists making sense out of 99-cent stores. Organized by the Jersey City Museum and Victory Hall, Inc. April 13, 6:00 to 10:00 pm - opening event: Good Luck Gala Preview Night. $20/person, $35/couple. Featuring the Spirit of Life Ensemble Big Band dancing/fine wine/buffet.

Friday, April 27, 6:00 to 10:00 pm - free reception for the artists (public welcome). Featuring a dance performance by SHUA Group, a dance action organization based in Jersey City.

This art exhibition will be hosted by Victory Hall in Jersey City from April 13 to May 13, 2007. Gallery hours: Thursday 4:30 to 7:00 pm, Friday 3:00 to 7:00 pm, Saturday /Sunday 1:00 to 8:00 pm. Call 201-413-0303 for more information.
201-413-0303
186 Grand St

Ibby's Falafel is Back

Hmmm... good falafel...

Same small spot. Guess it sits more now, and looks nicer. But, really, it was the falafel we cared about.

JC Museum Debut

The Jersey City Museum just published its first catalog, which seems like an important step for the rapidly growing museum. Their collection has a really interesting mix of old (Jersey City artifacts and American-Indian objects) and new (interesting contemporary artists, both local and nation-wide).

And all of the temporary exhibits I've seen this year have been really good. John Rappleye, in particular, was a favorite of mine.

Powerhouse Arts District

Looks like we are staking some of the cultural future of Jersey City on the fact that the zoning rules for the Powerhouse Arts District require space for artists' lofts and galleries. Artists are feeling the squeeze, however, when looking for spaces to show their art.

Look, I'm not complaining about those rules - they will help. But the people taking advantage of those rules - the developers - are also the people forcing the cost of living north, with is pushing many artists out of the community.

This gets to the crux of what makes JC so interesting: are we quickly selling out on the way to establishing ourselves among the many communities that make up the New York Metro Area? Are we getting the Williamsburg Condos without the Williamsburg art and cultural community?

Or will we manage, as one of New Jersey's seminal cities, to become both a cultural and financial center for New York-area New Jersey-ans?

Road Rage

I just took my car into the shop, and -- thank God -- it only needed a tuneup.

Got a ride home with one of the mechanics and had an interesting conversation. I mentioned that I had just replaced my bushings and needed suspension work because the roads were so bad.

He went off for ten minutes on how bad the roads are in JC. He was an engine guy, you see, and hated working on suspension, but that was half the work they did at his shop. He talked about guys spending tons on new rims, then coming in and complaining that their rim work was bad, when it was really the potholes. Apparently, the potholes not only directly effect our suspensions, they also put bubbles in our tires that can indirectly effect our suspensions over time. Sweet!

Can we get some potholes filled, please? Has anyone from our city council driven along Christopher Columbus in the last year???

Gallery Opening Downtown

Orlando Reyes is showing his special brand of colorful outsider art at 58 gallery on Thursday, April 19.

You may remember Orlando because his annex to 58 gallery was shut down by the cops earlier this year.

Whether or not THAT reception was rowdy is up to debate, but maybe we should check this one out and make up our own minds...

Jersey City Pimpin

I love this guy - have you seen him around? He proves that Pimpin IS easy.

Noah in the JC

I guess I live in a flood zone! Basement flooded, and Grand and Grove (the intersection nearest to two of the largest new buildings in the historic downtown section of JC) flooded up to 5 inches. I bet some cars got flooded...

Is it a water table thing - are we too low for the water to drain? That's physics, but I wasn't aware I lived in Amsterdam here.

Or is it just a bad drainage system thing? I'm inclined to believe we could fix this issue...

Either way, I'm thinking my favorite Taco place in JC (tacqueria) will be out of commission for a while.

Jersey City Driver Update

It's not that we are the second-best drivers, it's that we kill the second-least amount of pedestrians.

It's probably because there are so many potholes and people jay-walking, you can't get a good speed going.

And we all know it takes a fair amount of speed to kill someone, right.

I Say Take Their Cars

Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop says that the cops should seize the cars of people soliciting prostitutes and drugs.

I think it's a great idea - last time the police did this, they tripled their revenue from seized cars. Hey, whatever makes the police cheaper for us as tax-payers is good.

I mean, I don't usually side with punishing people more, but, hey - if you want your drugs or sex, get it on foot. I guess that makes the sex thing a little harder, but, eh, so be it.

Police chief Tom Coney has a point, too: Where do we put the cars?

Tom Berenger and Busta Rhymes?

Sounds like a must-see!

In Jersey City, we only get the creme-de-la-creme. Call us Hollywood East.

RIP Vonnegut

Listen:

The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was
that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is
still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly
for people to cry at his funeral. All moments, past,
present and future, always have existed, always will
exist.

So it goes.

Yes, This Blog is Concerned, Very Concerned!

You think they over-developed in Jersey City? You think?

Nice to see Tris McCall caught the developers slipping and admitting it basically. I see four big buildings going up in my Grove Street area, full of condos. Here's to hoping they can sell it all, so my apartment can be worth a little more!!!

New Magazine in the JC

From Conveyer Magazine's new website:

What makes Jersey City distinct from other cities? How does life differ here? What does it feel like walking on this city’s streets? These questions form the voice of CONVEYER, an occasional publication about Jersey City. Through the use of imagemaking and storytelling, CONVEYER attempts to articulate and document this city’s “sense of place” — the things both tangible and intangible that give Jersey City an identity all its own.

Check out the last page of issue one. Brendan Carroll's polaroids of Jersey City with hilarously sad captions are great.

This looks like a good magazine!

1,2,3,4 I declare a BLOG WAR!

Apparently, Jersey City is the 'hinterlands' to Manhattan. Apparently, this is because my post office is three blocks away instead of one.

Listen, the 'city is no Manhattan. But hinterlands? You took a subway train like what, three stops to get here?

Of course, this may be a little lopsided. He has the power of thousands of restaurants, bars, and interesting holes-in-the wall. And JC is just starting the work on their end. He has millions of Manhattan residents on his side, and then the millions more that scoff at JC, and have never been out. I think the popularity of our respective blogs also points out to the lopsided-ness of this blog war.

But, what the hell. Bring it!

Take that Cheyenne, Wyoming!

G'yeah. Jersey City has the second safest drivers in the US.

Wait, what??

Experimental Jazz in Jersey City

There will be experimental jazz in the JC on May 5th, 12th, 19th and 25th at the Lex Leonard Gallery at 143 Christopher Columbus (and Barrow street).

Hope for the best!

This Blog is Rededicating Itself

We will focus on all things Jersey City here, because there is so much to be proud of.

Like this JC army recruiter, who shows that the military is full of open-minded people.

Here's the key quote:

"You are definitely unqualified, now take you gay self someplace else we do not tolerate gay people like you in any part of the military," wrote Ramode in an early e-mail.

In a strange twist of fate, JC is also the nexus for the Army's attempt to actually open their minds to other cultures.

In this elective class at West Point, cadets are asked to visit a Jersey City mosque, temple, and an African-American church. Let's go a little further. Let's make it a REQUIRED class!

It's a Panty Party

What does $15,000 in underwear look like, and how do you get it out the door?

Won't You be My Neighbor?

Wow. So that was that one stoop that had like eight guys sitting on it at all times of the day.

THAT'S what they were doing. I thought it was dice!