Does Jersey City Heights Need Patrol Cops?

Posted on May 1, 2010 by itees

Last night I was startled by a rowdy group of people that had congregated outside their building and decided to party right there. It’s Central Avenue near South Street and it was 3:30 am.

I put on my glasses and went to see what the commotion was. Just some drunk and/or stoned people yelling, laughing, pushing and this went on for a while. (I only watched for 2 min.) I’m not sure when they finally went back inside their building, I had gone back to sleep .

This got me thinking of a time when police used to patrol the streets, when they “walked a beat.” The other night I was flipping the channels and came upon the film, “Singing in the Rain” which has that wonderful scene of Gene Kelly dancing and singing in the rain, only to be stopped by a patrol cop who thinks he’s being a nuisance.

I also wondered why no other neighbors on the entire block, who I’m sure were awake, hadn’t called the police. Perhaps like me they figured the rowdies would eventually go back inside.

Now I know that their are cameras on most corners, so the police can watch the streets and what’s happening, but of course they cannot hear anything, so they wouldn’t have known how disturbing this was.

Not even one police car went by, if it had, that would have been the end of it.

So, between the rowdy kids that hang out there from afternoon into night, everyday, to the stoned folks in the middle of the night, this neighborhood and especially this street, has gone down hill fast.

Is it time to think about moving?

Paterson Plank Rd, Jersey City Heights, Needs A Serious Clean-Up

Posted on January 15, 2010 by itees

This afternoon the weather warmed up a bit to the upper 40s and so it was time to get out there and start walking. I love to walk around town, down to Hoboken, along the waterfront, and back up the hill. My route today was a big circle starting from “The Heights” of Jersey City, down the elevator at 9th Street, up to 14th street and across to walk along the water and down to First Street, across to Paterson Plank Rd. and back up.

Paterson Plank Rd. is a route that is mostly used by cars and buses rushing up and down, but there is a walkway and occasionally you see bicycle riders, runners and folks just walking along, more in warmer weather.

What I’d like to know is, who’s job is it to clean this walkway, because the amount of trash I saw on my walk today, was insane. Besides the leaves that had fallen, there was glass, crushed plastic bottles, newspapers, cans, empty chip bags… you name it, I saw it.

I assume this area is considered Jersey City, but have they cut back? Is there no clean-up detail to work this area anymore? Also, you wouldn’t believe what I saw just thrown over the little wall you walk along that is above the Light Rail train tracks. All kinds of assorted trash including a shopping cart from a supermarket.

I imagine people just drop things as they walk along, or perhaps people throw things out of the car windows as they zoom up? All I know is, if they don’t address the garbage there soon, there won’t be any space left to walk.

Click on the above map picture to go to Google Maps and see the area I'm talking about

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….