Dumpy areas in Hoboken
16
May
5/16/2008:
Have you noticed that certain spots in Hoboken just look downright awful and out of place? Almost dumpy and “ghetto-like?” Sore thumbs in the middle of million-dollar condos?
One such area that stood out for me last week was this spot on 14th and Bloomfield. We have Puerto Spain - missing a sign, the bagel shop, which seems closed most of the time with that ugly metal shutter, and the liquor store, which also has a deteriorating sign and outdated store-front.
This, and several other areas in Hoboken are in need of “urban renewal” or something along those lines. While we have a Historic Preservation Committee, I believe we also need a “Minimum Exterior Aesthetics Committee” as well. Heck, I’ll even volunteer to be the “$1 per year advisor.” We can negotiate volume contracts with a sign & awning company, a building contractor, etc. and help provide affordable options for local businesses to spruce things up.
Don’t other cities have some kind of “Urban Re-vitalization” department, or something similar?
21. hobojack | May 16th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Wow, someone’s a cheerful soul today. Hobojack…I suggest you take your umbrella, climb to the top of the lackawana tower, jump off the top and see what happens.
Wow, a clean new clock tower……………… does that make the train station a safe and desirable place to be?
nosferatu, Your coffee probably tastes better and costs a lot less. Thumbs-up
BokenBarfly, rag246 is starting to understand how charming I can be.
22. moproteus | May 16th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I have to agree with hobojack and the others who agreed with him. Who wants a sanitized Hoboken with everything in a phony-like way with the word luxury attached to it? That word has been overused and overrated in this town. This area of town has a certain character. There aren’t broken windows or burned out buildings on this block for Pete’s sake.
23. honcho | May 16th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
What a bunch of snobby elitists!!!!
What’s your place look like??? Give me a break!!!!
I don’t go to the guy for bagels but his coffee is perfectly good…and he’s a nice guy!!!!
Are you on Quimby’s wife’s payroll???? Probably just want to bust on the spanish restaurant so they go out of business and you buy’em out at a discount!!!!
I don’t get it….whining about Good Kleen Fun going out of business and then trying to torpedo a couple of perfectly nice establishments on 14th street?????
Did you just buy one of those 2 million dollar condos across the street????
That must be what happened
Chop!Chop!
24. emarche | May 16th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
rag246 wrote:
Seabra’s? Awesome supermarket.
Estrela Da Ponderosa on Darcy Street is great.
25. emarche | May 16th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
hobojack wrote:
Wow. Someone’s got a chip on their shoulder about Millburn/Short Hills - what happened, bunky? Grow up there and not have any friends or something?
26. rag246 | May 16th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
emarche wrote:
Yeah seabras.
27. hobojack | May 16th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
28. boken-a | May 16th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
What’s up with that wacky gift shop on 5th and Washington? How the hell does that place stay in business? They still have cassette walkmans in the display window.
Must be an Asian immigrant smuggling operation or tug joint.
29. escaped68 | May 16th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Take path to penn station in newark , go out the doors that are on the ferry st side. You walk pass the park and there is a place onthe right called Forno’s very good, next there is another place on the left side,name????, all i know is the food is excellent, i can go on and on they are all good and the sangaria is different in each place but they are all good. In my humble opinion the best of all is the spanish tavern it a little out of the way but the best.
30. el norte | May 16th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
“Awful” “Out of place” If the writer would spend some time outside of Hoboken and Manhattan, he or she might get a glimpse of the bigger picture. This is an urban environment. Created by your fellow human beings. The careless, the reckless, the overcrowded, overstimulated masses. They just don’t care.
31. amh | May 19th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
If the bagel place is so gross - why is there a 10 minute wait for breakfast every Saturday and Sunday morning?
Lola’s is overpriced.
32. kooky kat | May 19th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
amh wrote:
Agreed. I rarely get up that way, but I like their bagels. Hoboken Hot Bagels are the best though.
I don’t like Lola’s either, I guess I am just not a big tapas fan. I can eat almost anything and it doesn’t bother me, but the couple of times I went there, my stomach was totally hating on me the next day!
33. emarche | May 19th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Lola’s is decent (if over-priced), the bagel place is decent, and Puerto Spain is fantastic (if a little grubby on the outside). The interior of Puerto Spain is actually very nice.
34. rag246 | May 19th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
FWIW stinky’s has 10 dollar sangria pitchers which aren’t half bad, especially considering the price. A+++ would get sloppy there again!
35. lhoward222 | May 19th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Hey, Lay off the bagel/breakfast store and Uptown Liquors. Store fronts may lack flash, but owner-proprietors know and take care of their patrons and neighbors. They are the character that makes Hoboken enjoyable as opposed to some of the I-hate-my-job numbsculls who man the registers providing “customer service” at the chain drugstores. Further, you may be surprised to learn that the Uptown “LIQUORS” sign is a special sign with special protection — it is one of the last that has rotating lights. It is often broken b/c of what the owner has to go through to fix it given its historic landmark.