My Midwest Family Visits and Their Impression of Jersey City Heights vs Hoboken

Posted on August 17, 2010 by itees

This past week my family visited with me here in Jersey City Heights. The last time they came to this area I was living in Hoboken on Bloomfield Street.

It was so interesting to see their reaction to this urban area since they live in the foothills outside Boulder, Colorado. They cannot see their closest neighbor, but here on Central Avenue we have the typical city noise, people yelling, traffic, police sirens, taxis honking and more. Since I have a balcony they would sit out there and watch the city come to life, morning and night. They did love my space, very roomy and much bigger and more spacious than anything I’d had or could have in Hoboken. I have a small view of lower Manhattan and when we went to the roof we shot photos of the marvelous view.

It has been years since I lived down in Hoboken and my brother had fond memories of that location. He only wanted to visit Benny Tudino’s (no website? must call them) and show his youngest son the biggest slice of pizza in the world. We hit their restaurant twice! (They make a great salad too!) He also likes to run in the mornings, and last time came back so excited because he had run right past Joe Pantoliano. This time it was his son’s slight fascination with Buddy Valastro of Carlo’s Bakery and the Cakeboss TV show. Luckily he didn’t feel like standing on the line that stretches down two blocks now. Since he eats a lot of sweets he was thrilled when I showed him Goehrig’s Bakery up here. During the week he sampled almost everything Joseph Gigante makes! They also hit Rita’s for ice cream quite a few times.

It was so much fun being their tour guide around NYC. We visited the World Trade Center, Battery Park City (my favorite garden over there) and went to the top of the Empire State. We took the Yankee Clipper to see the Yankees battle the Red Sox. Yanks lost and it was brutally hot, not to mention that disaster clipper ride to the stadium which I wrote about previously. We went to the Jersey Shore, Sandy Hook and Point Pleasant.

My brother commented on the strong differences between Hoboken and JC Heights. Completely different types of people, stores, activity. It was obvious to him seeing the young professionals out to dinner and drinking every night of the week in Hoboken whereas up here some stores close and there’s no outdoor restaurants or any of the more upscale shops.

I completely understand and for a long time I thought that the Heights would change the way Hoboken did many years ago, but it just hasn’t happened. I think the Heights is stuck. With the economy suffering, businesses are closing and nothing opens in it’s place. There are stores that have been vacant since I’ve lived here. What can we do to make Central Avenue more attractive, safer and a better place to live?

They left on Sunday but couldn’t help sitting outside on the balcony one more time. It was quite early and there was no activity but I promised to keep them posted on the latest happenings.

Riding My Bicycle To The Bakery

Posted on January 15, 2010 by itees

There’s a bakery close to my design studio that bakes the most delicious things and has some really, really good, coffee. I frequent “Goehrig’s Bakery” often, sometimes to pick up Joey’s amazing carrot muffins or almond cookies, and sometimes for things to share with friends. Goehrig’s Bakery is also one of my clients, having built their website, but I go, because everything is just so awesome.

Almond Cookies,
photograph by Goehrig's Bakery

Recently, I was talking to Joey and said, “if I keep eating all that amazing stuff, I’m going to get fat! Maybe I should start walking and riding my bike more!” Joey answered, “Maybe you could ride your bicycle to the bakery.” Well, it sounds funny of course, but it made me think, how many of us do something good, so we can follow it with something bad?

We trick ourselves, don’t we? If I walk two miles, when I get back, I can eat a cookie or two; if I go to the gym and work out, I can have some wine with dinner or that dessert.

I know that many times, I walk down to Hoboken with a friend and we can walk around and around, and then go for coffee and a snack or have lunch out.

I suppose we balance it out everyday, the good and the bad. If we were good all the time we’d feel deprived. I know I would.

So, today since it’s starting to warm up, I’ve got my sneakers on, and will go for a 2-3 mile walk and on the way back, I will stop in at the bakery for a coffee and….

Cakes, Bakeries and the Power of TV, Branding and Publicity

Posted on November 23, 2009 by itees

Yesterday, I was in Hoboken at Trinity Restaurant, having a lovely brunch with a friend. Afterward, I decided to walk back home, getting some fresh air and exercise, since it was a sunny, beautiful Autumn day. As I strolled down Hudson Street and then around, making my way up the main drag, Washington Street, I was about to walk by Carlo’s Bakery (now famous due to the hit tv show, Cake Boss) and I stopped for a minute to watch. There was a line out of the store and down the block toward me.

Before I moved up the “the Heights” of Jersey City, I lived in Hoboken for about 15 years. I had visited Carlo’s on occasion, but there were so many bakeries in town, and some closer to where I lived. I always thought their baked goods were just fine, but I would say I’d never stand on line to get in, and that would be true of any store, I just hate lines. These days, up by me, I frequent an awesome bakery, Goehrig’s on Central Avenue and Congress Street, and his store is busy everyday, they’re not out the door, but the clients are steady, and many are repeat customers. Plus with the new website that we launched in the Fall of 2008 the orders come in around the world. My favorites include, italian pastries, carrot muffins, soft, yet crunchy almond cookies, chocolate fudge dot cookies and brownies, and the scones, yum!… be warned though, he doesn’t make all of his wonderful items everyday, but each day has a great assortment of fabulous things.

Meanwhile, it got me thinking about the power of tv, advertising and publicity, and just plain having a good idea and the difference between the amount of traffic and the quality of the product.

The success of the tv show, Cake Boss, has drawn attention to the store, more and more first-time customers, and what’s interesting is that for those first timers, it wouldn’t matter whether the cakes were great or just average. Now, of course in order to maintain the expanding business and keep them coming back, the cakes have to be good. The important thing though, is to get them to the store in the first place. It just shows how the concept of the tv show, plus great advertising, and publicity, increases the popularity. And, if you have a great product, you’ll keep them coming back. In Hoboken, in a few locations, they have posters up, and it’s a wonderful photograph of Buddy Valastro covered in cake flour, with the branding logo of Cake Boss, along with information about the tv series.

I feel so strongly about branding and publicity. It’s so important for any business, large or small. When anything regarding advertising the product is created, whether in print or a tv commercial, it’s so important to be consistent, continuity and style, using the same logo, types of graphics and photography, perhaps even the same color palette, so that when the people come across it, they recognize the company, or tv show, immediately.

Whether a bakery or a branding design business. The clients must find you first, (more about that to come) and then stay because of the quality and consistency.