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Hoboken’s streets will once again be filled with Irish pride, music, and dancing this March, the Hoboken Business Alliance confirmed this month.

On Saturday, March 4, the Hoboken Business Alliance (HBA) will host a St. Patrick’s Day float that will travel through the Mile Square City, making stops along the way for performances at three locations known for their heavy foot traffic.

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Acknowledging long-running conversations about the potential for a rebirth of Hoboken’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Roxanne Earley, Executive Director of the HBA, shared some of the results of a recent survey that showed 78% of respondents to be in favor of bringing back the annual parade in a family inclusive way.

“While poll results can sometimes be hard to read and interpret, the response to this survey could not have been clearer,” Earley said.

“Hoboken residents are excited to have St. Patrick’s Day festivities return to the city, but they also recognize that the impact of past parades, specifically the unsanctioned events that followed that were not in line with the image we want to portray.”

The Hoboken St. Patrick's Day Parade, which boasted being the largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in New Jersey, ran from 1986 until 2012 when it was canceled due to concerns about public safety.

As NJ.com notes, the LepreCon bar crawl - not affiliated with the HBA - filled the parade void in 2012 and every year after (except for 2021's pandemic cancellation.)

LepreCon 2023 and the HBA's new St. Patrick's Day events will both be hosted on Saturday, March 4, though organizers say the two separate events will be happening in different areas of the city.

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The HBA's citywide St. Patrick's Day celebration will begin at noon on March 4 with a St. Patrick’s Day-themed float departing Jefferson Street and turning left onto 15th Street. The float, led by the Bergen County Firefighters Pipe Band, will head towards Jackson Plaza at Monroe and 7th where New Jersey band The Shots will perform.

The float will then proceed to the eastern edge of Church Square Park where a second performance will take place before ending its route outside of the Elks Lodge, for a final performance by The Shots as well as dancers from the Garden Street School of the Performing Arts.

“We are so excited to celebrate the important contributions of Irish immigrants and Irish Americans to the history and culture of the Mile Square City.” Earley added.

“This is just the first step in kicking off a spring and summer full of events that aim to energize our community and show everyone that Hoboken is the place to be for exciting events, the best shopping, and world-class restaurants.”

“When the Hoboken Business Alliance approached the Elks Lodge about being a part of a new kind of St. Patrick’s Day celebration, we jumped at the opportunity,” Mandee Bellarosa, the Lodge’s Exalted Ruler, said.

“Central to our mission is building stronger community by engaging families and our children with positivity, that’s what we are doing on March 4 in way that celebrates the strong Irish roots of our City.”

Mayor of Hoboken Ravi S. Bhalla said: “This new float is a great way to gather with friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate Irish heritage this March.”

HOBOKEN, NJ — The newest location of New York City-based Chip City Cookies opened in Hoboken on Friday, drawing a line of customers.

The restaurant, which has another location coming up in Montclair, said it's offering first-day specials.

On Friday, they planned to offer a free cookie to customers with any purchase, and were also serving up their cinnamon roll coffee with frosting, which they usually serve on special occasions.

The franchise began in Astoria, Queens in 2017 when childhood friends Peter Phillips and Teddy Gailas challenged each other to see who could make the best cookie.

Most recently, Chip City received a $10 million investment by Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer.

Now, Chip City is expanding for the first time out of its home market into New Jersey. Besides Hoboken and the upcoming Montclair site, locations opened in Newark and Ridgewood this year.

The shop specializes in their thick, fresh baked "core cookies" such as chocolate chip, cookies 'n' cream, and dairy-free chocolate chip. They also rotate specials like sweet potato s'mores and blueberry cheesecake.

The franchise has more than 15 locations and expects to open 40 by the end of the year.

Chip City Hoboken is located at 113 Washington St. and is open until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 p.m. during the week.

The location is a walk of about five blocks from the Hoboken train terminal.

See prior reporting here.

Find out more here.

The article New Location Of Chip City Cookie Restaurant Opens In Hoboken: See Menu appeared first on Hoboken Patch.

The city of Hoboken recently adopted a new platform that allows its residents to get information, make reservations and interact with the city around a variety of recreational offerings.

The city of Hoboken, N.J., has launched a new platform to help connect residents to the recreational opportunities it offers.

The decision to launch the RecDesk platform came from a desire to provide constituents with a space to get information about what’s happening in the city in a timely fashion, Jessica Lezcano, the city’s head of the Division of Recreation, explained.

The tool is specifically designed around the needs of recreation organizations, and has been adopted by other municipalities. For Hoboken, it allows residents to register for recreation programs, submit online payments or submit event requests to reserve public spaces more easily. Parents can also enable the “Head of Household” feature to add other family members to the account as needed.

In addition, recreation program information is easy to find, so users can see upcoming events and community meetings in one location.

“As our community starts to grow, one of the most important things is that we try to get information to people as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Lezcano said, underlining the importance of communicating schedule changes, weather delays and other information to the public.

Prior to the adoption of this platform, Hoboken residents relied on communications through the city’s website, social media platforms or word of mouth, Lezcano said, adding that these methods will still be available to complement the new platform.

Because the city has required documents that must be completed to reserve a public space, RecDesk makes the reservation process fair and efficient. Reservations can be made through the platform, but are reviewed by the appropriate department heads for approval.

In the case of individuals who cannot access the platform due to a lack of an Internet-enabled device or the skills, residents can come in person and use the platform with the assistance of a city employee.

The platform also opens the lines for communication between city employees working within different departments, Lezcano stated.

While the recreation department are the programmers, environmental services also have a role in ensuring a space is safe and accessible to use, and public safety has a role in protecting the public during large events.

“Now, everything that’s going on is on one calendar, and it’s a more efficient way for us to be able to work and communicate with one another,” she said.

The platform will continually be updated as more programming becomes available. Citizen feedback will help to inform future improvements.

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Several cafés and shops in North Jersey recently said they don't accept cash. They can be fined, the state of NJ says.

|Updated Thu, Feb 9, 2023 at 6:18 pm ET

HOBOKEN, NJ — "We don't take cash," said an employee at the counter of a Hoboken café on Washington Street on Wednesday morning, when a reporter walked in and asked.

Apparently, they need to start.

From Hoboken to New Brunswick, an increasing number of businesses in New Jersey are refusing to accept cash — and they're breaking the law, the state said this week.

While the state eased up on enforcement of a 2019 state law during the height of the COVID pandemic, businesses are being fined if they don't comply.

On Tuesday, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General announced that four businesses in the state were being fined for either refusing to accept cash, or for not disclosing that they added surcharges to customers for using debit cards.

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Hidden Grounds Coffee, which operates coffee shops in Hoboken, Jersey City, and in New Brunswick, was issued two notices of violation and will pay $2,000.

But they're far from the only business in North Jersey that's been declining cash.

A staff member in Hoboken's Bluestone Lane said Wednesday morning, when asked, "We don't take cash."

When asked if the policy would change soon, the person at the counter said, "Not that I know of. They haven't said anything."

But there's no exception for chains that focus on cashless ordering for efficiency, said Robert Rowan of the Department of Community Affairs.

"There an no exception to the law stating businesses have to require cash. It was enforced less during the pandemic at times but is fully in place now. App based companies are not exempt either," Rowan said.

Who Is Exempt?

There actually are a few types of businesses that are exempt, but not bakeries and restaurants.

The exceptions apply to four types of business: municipal parking garages, car rental companies, some vendors inside airports, and any sports or entertainment venue with a seating capacity of 10,000 or more (see these exceptions here).

Prevents Discrimination

New Jersey passed its law banning cashless retailers in 2019, as did several other states.

The reason, lawmakers say, is discrimination: Some households don't have a credit card or even an account at the bank.

Pew Research cited statistics saying about 7.1 million U.S. households don’t have a bank account. That's 5.4 percent of U.S. households.

In New Jersey specifically, the rate was 4 percent just before the pandemic, Pew said.

"Rates are highest among low-income, Black, Hispanic and Native American households, as well as households headed by a person with disabilities, the FDIC survey shows," they noted.

In proposing a law in 2021, a Colorado lawmaker said that while some store owners may argue that cash carries germs, the same could be said of other forms of payment.

The Other Side

Officials have said they understand that businesses may not be trying to discriminate — but it's an unintended result.

For their part, the complaint against Hidden Grounds says that a state inspector was told by a shop employee that the store didn't want to accept cash because they had been robbed several times.

In fact, as reported in Patch last February, the owner of the café actually posted a kind note for burglars who'd stolen cash from their register, saying things would get better.

"We started thinking about how desperate someone was that they needed money for something, and what all thoughts had to have been going through their heads to decide on something so drastic," owner Anand Patel told Patch in February 2022.

As part of the agreement with the state, Patel must ensure that operators of his restaurant understand that they must accept cash.

"The Division of Consumer Affairs is actively enforcing this law and investigates businesses that do not comply," Rowan said. "Consumers should file complaints about businesses they believe are not following the law by filing an online complaint at https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/Pages/Consumer-Complaints.aspx. Consumers can also call 1-800-242-5846 to receive a complaint form by mail."

Other Companies Fined For Credit Card Surcharges

The 2019 law also forbids a business from requiring a customer to provide exact change.

And it says that if a merchant adds a surcharge for debit or credit cards, they have to tell consumers in advance or have signage. They can't add a surprise charge to their bill.

Notices of violation for not disclosing card surcharges in advance were issued to Ronnie’s Hot Bagels in Hillsdale, and Seymour’s Café based in Clifton. Each was levied a $500 civil penalty.

Also, in December, a notice of violation for not accepting cash as payment was issued to Skyviews of America, LLC which operates the Dream Wheel at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford. Apparently, the company said customers had to buy a prepaid card to take the ride.

HOBOKEN, NJ — The city of Hoboken hosted a virtual meeting last Wednesday on proposed changes to Hoboken's Rent Control Ordinance, and is slated to hold a hearing and final vote on the amendments tonight (Wednesday night, Feb. 1).

The city will also take more steps to acquire the Union Dry Dock property on the central waterfront for recreational use, and address several other matters.

The mayor will also honor Dom and Flo Castelitto on the 43-year run of Dom's Bakery, which closed this past weekend.

People interested in attending the Feb. 1 meeting can watch on the city's Facebook page, head to City Hall, 94 Newark St., or watch on YouTube. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.

See the agenda here.

Find out what's happening in Hobokenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

See earlier reporting here.

What's It About?

Rents in Hoboken are among the highest in the nation, but rent control laws in older buildings keep tenants stable, limiting increases to the rise in the cost of living adjustment, with several exceptions. They allow landlords to pass along surcharges, and to have a vacancy decontrol every three years if a tenant leaves voluntarily.

Attempts to revise Hoboken's 50-year-old Rent Control Ordinance have been hotly debated in the past, but some changes have passed. Others have been rolled back after costly legal challenges.

Last month, the council voted to contract with former Judge Barry Sarkisian to fine-tune the city's ordinance. Amendments were introduced six weeks later at the last council meeting.

In her newsletter this week, Council President Emily Jabbour summarized the upcoming changes thusly: "Ordinance B-532: Updates to the Rent Control ordinance as part of the ongoing discussions, including clarification ofthe definition of base and legal rent, clarification regarding legal rent calculation, adjustment of the annual maximum rent increase, clarification with respect to the authority of the Rent Control Board, and adjustment of associated fees."

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said that she believes the proposal will hurt rather than help tenants. She wrote in her newsletter, "Many are concerned (including me) that this could open up the city to significant litigation and potentially lead to actions that would weaken of our rent control laws. Remember, it is a precarious balancing act. The City Council is having a follow up closed session with Judge Sarkisian before the City Council meeting and I am hopeful we can find some sort of amended language and steps that the Rent Stabilization Office can take that can provide the right assurances and work better for all parties."

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