Poplar Wood Farm opens new pole barn

Earlier this year, we featured local Port Murray, NJ Farmer Al Esposito and Poplar Wood Farm on Hoboken411. In doing so, we helped them raise enough money to build their new barn to help them keep up with demand. Was a fantastic experience helping a great project like this become a reality.

Last weekend, they held their “Barn opening,” and invited those who either contributed to the Kickstarter project, or partake in their 2013 Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA). We all got a tour of the facility – which was in two locations about 4 miles apart, and were six and 10 acres in size. Their smaller “home” farm consisted of a greenhouse where they get the plants started, as well as a chicken coop. The larger property is where the final products are grown. The new barn was on the smaller property, and was designed to facilitate the cleaning, sorting and packaging of the fruits, vegetables and flowers. Previously it was a laborious process which involved shuttling material back and forth.

Poplar Wood Farm grows enough fresh (non-GMO) produce to provide for 60 families who are enrolled in the CSA program, as well as weekly farmers markets in Hoboken, Jersey City and Pennsylvania.

The day was fun. On top of learning how the farm works inside and out, the different varieties of plants, as well as the challenges they faced – we were also entertained by a small acoustic band. Farmer Al and his family were a great bunch of hard-working people that we were glad to meet.

You want to support a local NJ farm? Head over to the Uptown Family Farmers Market every Saturday this spring and summer!

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Technorati Tags: Al Esposito, Build the Barn ant Poplar Wood Farm, Family Farmers Market, Garden Street Mews, Hoboken, Hoboken411, Jersey Fresh, Kickstarter, New Jersey, NJ, Organic Vegetables, Poplar Wood Farms

Bicycle Friendly Community signs spotted in Hoboken

Did you know that the “League of American Bicyclists“ decreed that Hoboken is considered a “Bicycle Friendly Community?”

Apparently bike lane paint qualifies you as a Bike Friendly City

Here’s what this group “bicycle advocates” has to say about Bicycle Friendly Cities:

“The Bicycle Friendly Community Program (BFC) provides a roadmap to improve conditions for bicycling in your community and offers national recognition for communities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle Friendly Community welcomes cyclists by providing safe accommodation for cycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. Each application to the Bicycle Friendly America program is reviewed by a panel of national bicycle experts and several local reviewers are consulted to share their on the ground perspective of the applicant.”

It seems like every group has some kind of “activist” representation these days. Turtle lovers. Seniors who power-walk. Those who love wearing sweat suits 24 hours a day. And these “eco-friendly” bikers. What ever happened to just fending for yourself, and assuming all risk? Why all this fluff anyway?

And I’ve personally witnessed many “bike activists” in town blatantly run red lights, fail to signal, and speed down sidewalks. So why are we catering to them anyway?

Hoboken is not friendly to bikes, pedestrian, or cars!

In case you didn’t know – Hoboken is a very VERY tight city. Most of the roads that have these silly bike lanes are worthless. And you can’t even walk on the sidewalks, really – because you’ll get mowed down by a drunk driver.

Either they’re too narrow, have potholes that have the moon green with envy, and are constantly ignored by pretty much every driver in town. Not because they hate bikes, because NO ONE USES THEM and we need the space for DOUBLE PARKING!

I’m going to submit my credentials as a “national bike expert” and become president of this bike league.

The first thing I’d do is recommend dissolving the League of American Bicyclists and give them all more useful hobbies to fill their spare time (like reading history books – because their bike rules won’t mean squat during the crisis that’s coming.) Next, I’d repeal all laws that have the word “bike” in them. And replace with one single rule: Bike at your own risk!

Technorati Tags: Bicycle Friendly Community, bike lane, Hoboken, League of American Bicyclists, New Jersey, NJ

Village Pourhouse Idol tonight at 10pm

Looking for something fun to do tonight? The 3rd Annual Village Pourhouse Idol contest takes place downtown at 205 First Street at 10pm. “Many will sing, only one will win!”

Winner gets a Nintendo Wii with Wii Bundle!

Judges include celebrity guests Chris & Lauren Manzo from The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Bar specials that you can enjoy tonight are $5 Absolut cocktails and $25 Absolut cocktail pitchers. Think you have what it takes to be the next VPH Idol? Then sign up!

If you have the balls to be a contestant simply email: Hoboken@villagepourhouse.com to get in the lineup.

Technorati Tags: 2013, contest, Hoboken, Idol, May 22, New Jersey, NJ, Village Pourhouse, Village Pourhouse Idol

Hoboken Memorial Day Parade tonight – bus routes changed

In case you didn’t know – the Hoboken Memorial Day Parade is tonight. Washington Street will be closed from 11th to City Hall. Festivities start at 6:30pm – and once again that giant flag will be erected at 10th and Washington Streets.

Also note that NJ Transit Bus Routes have been altered from 5:30pm to 10:30pm.

Make sure you take that into consideration when planning your evening commute.

• Buses traveling toward Port Authority Bus Terminal will travel on Observer Highway, make a right on Bloomfield Avenue, left on 14th Street, and then continue the regular route.
• Buses traveling toward Hoboken Terminal will travel on Willow Avenue, continue on Willow Avenue, make a left on Observer Highway, and then continue the regular route.

Memorial Day History

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

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Technorati Tags: 2013, Hoboken, May 22, Memorial Day, New Jersey, NJ, NJ transit, Parade, Washington Street

Sandy affected almost all piers in Hoboken, NJ

Hurricane Sandy did more than knock out the power and flood basements in Hoboken. She also did a number on our (shoddily designed) waterfront. As you probably already know, Pier C Park was messed up (and still hasn’t reopened), and now even Pier A Park seems be sinking – and apparently needs millions of bucks to be borrowed on the city credit card to make right.

It even appears that bricks are sinking along the waterfront walkway in between the two parks mentioned above. Our dogs picked up on this, because we didn’t even notice the skimpy single strip of so-called “caution tape” that was hastily implemented around this area:

Uptown Piers in Hoboken damaged by Sandy, too

Pier 13 – the hotly contested outdoor beer garden and lunch truck spot is also undergoing extensive repairs at the moment. Contractors on scene have been working at fixing the plumbing and structural aspects not visible to the eye.

This along with the two other piers that were not used much by residents (other than a small dog run, and the Yankee Ferry owners, who re-located to Maxwell Place Pier) have also been deemed structurally unsound.

Will these repairs be enough to ensure many more decades of use? Or will we be in this position again soon after a couple strong t-storms or nor’easters?

Technorati Tags: collapse, Hoboken, Hurricane, maxwell place, New Jersey, NJ, Pier 13, pier a, Pier C, piers, Sandy, Shipyard, Uptown

Clearview Cinemas Movie Times Hoboken NJ

Now showing in Hoboken is Star Trek Into Darkness,, the latest in the ongoing science fiction space series. This film is also available in 3D.

Here’s the latest set of trouble these guys find themselves in: “Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. Propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.”

The movie is getting mostly positive reviews, such as: “Adrenaline-fueled and highly entertaining, filled with feverish, fast-paced excitement and suspense. Live long and prosper!”

However, some critics see through how technologically marvelous it is and say: “There’s something especially disconcerting about Into Darkness’s hollowness, given the visibly provocative content that, in true Trek fashion, is meant to put us in mind of our precarious present.”

The rest of the Hoboken Clearview Cinemas movie times below…

Movie Trailer: Star Trek: Into Darkness

Hoboken Movie Times for Thursday, May 23rd

(Current Clearview Cinemas Movie Times in Hoboken, NJ below.)

Technorati Tags: Clearview Cinemas, Hoboken, Iron Man 3, May 2013, Movie Times, New Jersey, NJ, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Great Gatsby, Trailers