Central Avenue S.I.D. Mgmt Corp. PRSRT STD 366 Central Ave., Suite 201 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Jersey City, NJ 07307 MAILED FROM ZIP CODE 07102 www.JCHeights.com PERMIT No. 6708 JERSEY CITY heights news Official Newsletter of the Central Avenue Special Improvement District Management Corporation Holiday Edition 2011 Photo Credit: Alton O’Neil: Mayor Jerramiah Healy joined Heights community leaders and neighbors for the official lighting of the holiday decorations on Central Avenue. Forget the Congested Highways, “Splash of Color” Central Avenue is now home to Shop Central Ave First During the more art than ever. Among the new art on Central Avenue is Holidays! New Energy Efficient the “Koi Too” mural, “Splash of Color” traffic box (by artist Ed Decorations Light the Way. Morris at Central and Franklin The Central Avenue business community welcomes you to enjoy St.), and the “Flowers Never our new festive seasonal lighting decorations and reinvest this Die on Central Avenue” on holiday season in your local main street. With over 240 store- CCTV bases. fronts, the Central Avenue business district is here to serve you More Art on page 12 and features a large variety of shops, restaurants, and many other services and pay only 3.5% sales tax at participating UEZ businesses. IN THIS ISSUE Holiday Shopping/ Holiday Parking .................................................... 1, 10-12 Beginning December 5th and ending January 1st, the Jer- Message from CASID Board of Trustees .............................................. 2 sey City Parking Authority is offering shoppers FREE METER Everything JC Festival Returns ............................................................. 2 New No. 119 and 88C Bus Service ....................................................... 3 PARKING for the first two (2) hours only in municipal Parking Matters .................................................................................... 4-5 parking lots along the City’s shopping districts. Also, the Jersey Save Christ Hospital Editorial .............................................................. 6 City Police Department will increase patrols along our shopping “Flowers Never Die on Central Avenue” ............................................. 12 corridor all month long. “Koi Too” Mural ................................................................................... 13 Central Avenue Streetscape Maintenance Operation ............................ 17 BIG DIG ............................................................................................... 24 Continued on page 12 Halloween Photos ................................................................................. 24 Page 2 HEIGHTS NEWS Fall/ Holiday Edition 2011 www.JCHeights.com Message from the Board of Trustees Dear Reader, York Port Authority Bus Terminal for most of the day. Though late-evening, early-morning and week- Season’s greetings and thank you for supporting end service have not been reestablished, the CASID is local businesses. With the holiday season upon us, working towards making 24/7 bus service a reality for the Central Avenue Special Improvement District Central once again. MANAGEMENT CORPORATIO N Management Corporation installed brand new, envi- ronmentally friendly holiday decorations and lights Central Avenue businesses who are shopping for the 366 Central Ave., Suite 201 throughout the district. These new lights and decora- best price on private garbage and recycling collection Jersey City, NJ 07307 Ph: (201) 656-1366 tions are part of the business community’s ongoing should contact the Jersey City Incinerator Au- Email: [email protected] effort to make the neighborhood as warm and inviting thority (201.432.4645 ext. 625). In a recent meeting as possible and we anticipate a strong fourth quarter with its CEO, Oren K. Dabney, explained that the BOARD OF TRUSTEES (holiday sales) to carry us into 2012. JCIA offers competitive prices for private hauling and maximized value for recyclables. Given the difficult Michael Yun That said, it has been an eventful past few months economy, a fifteen minute could save your business President on Central Avenue. Since our last Heights News, the money. The CASID thanks Mr. Dabney and his staff Garden State News, neighborhood experienced the tragic loss of Randy their ongoing contributions to making Jersey City 366 Central Ave. Ph: 201.659.0648 “Amanda” Lehrer, longtime waitress at Tommy’s truly business friendly. Restaurant, who life was tragically cut short. Our Gilbert Mendez thoughts and prayers go out to Amanda’s family, Please mark your calendars, the Central Avenue Vice President South friends and especially the young daughter who recent- SID’s Annual Meeting of the Corporation will Mendez Agency ly celebrated her first birthday. The whole community be held Tuesday March 13, 2012 at 6 PM in the 263 Central Ave. Ph: 201.792.4188 will miss her lovely spirit and ever-present smile. CASID office (366 Central Avenue, Suite 201, Jersey City). Joseph Nachbaur Coach USA’s elimination of the 99s bus service was Vice President North another worrisome event for many Heights residents, Please remember to invest in your community and State Farm Insurance due to the hard work and support of community shop local this holiday season. On behalf of the 505 Central Ave. Ph: 201.222.8866 members along with the intervention of local elected CASID and its members, we wish you and your family officials, a partial-solution was created with the new a joyful holiday season. Sanford Fishman NJ Transit 119 bus that began operations on Novem- Treasurer ber 7th. In tandem with the partially rerouted NJ Sincerely Yours, Bond Drugs Transit 88C bus, Central Avenue continues to have 371 Central Ave. Ph: 201.656.3900 bus service to and from Journal Square and the New President Michael Yun and the Board of Trustees Gary Solomon Secretary Hauptman Carpets Everything Festival Returns Sat. May 19th, 2012 307 Central Ave. Ph: 201.659.5195 Ladies and gentleman, grab your calendars, be- tomer Appreciation Day”, the Festival is our way Grace Cutri cause the 2012 Everything Jersey City Festival to thank you for shopping local and contributing Trustee has a date! On Saturday, May 19th, 2012, Central so much to the vibrant Heights community. DC Travel Bureau Avenue will once again become home to the big- 341 Central Ave. Ph: 201.653.1600 gest, most family friendly street festival in North- As the event grows nearer, merchants, residents, ern New Jersey. visitors, and festivalgoers can get news updates Sergio Ferreira through our website (JCHeights.com). Be sure to Trustee Expect laughter, music, art, great food, lively reschedule all professional and personal obliga- Eye Contact Vision Center 368 Central Ave. crowds and, of course, the unexpected! This past tions, including birthdays and births, and tell all Ph: 201.659.2774 May, over 30,000 people were part of the fun and your friends about the Everything Jersey City we expect even more folks at our fifth annual fes- Festival on Saturday, May 19th, 2012. Don’t David Diaz District Manager tival. Created as an Central Avenue-wide “Cus- miss it! William C. Clarke Director New Businesses to Visit on Central Avenue Editor-in-Chief Heights News Central Gold & Diamond J&R Treasures Smart Start Academy Irwin M. Rosen, Esq. 276 Central Avenue 287 Central Avenue 462 Central Avenue Corporation Counsel (201) 721-5336 (201) 461-6161 JBM Modeling & Academy of Arts Cynthia Hadjiyannis, Esq. Chi-Chi’s Clothing Store 389 Central Ave, 2nd Floor Super Vision Optical Corporation Co-counsel 277 Central Avenue (201) 850-3025 461 Central Avenue (201) 420-0101 Gilbert Sunshine, CPA El Carretero - Grand Re-Opening Jine’s Cafe Board Accountant 449 Central Avenue 476 Central Avenue Runway Clothing Store (201) 222-2990 (347) 208-9284 308 Central Avenue Oliwa & Company, CPA (201) 805-5185 Auditor Good Time Restaurant MHM Insurance 406 Central Avenue 243 Central Avenue Sweet Pineapple Fruits & Vegetables Paid for in part by the Jersey City (201) 984-2450 (201) 721-6081 370 Central Avenue Urban Enterprise Zone Program (201) 792-4364 www.CentralAveSID.org Fall/ Holiday Edition 2011 HEIGHTS NEWS Page 3 says CASID President Michael Yun. “If Just in Time for the Holidays, New Bus mass transit is allowed to collapse then property values will drop and people Service No. 119 & 88C on Central Avenue who can will leave.” For this reason, the On November 7th, private bus company depend on this bus for a stress free com- CASID is pursuing a productive partner- Coach USA ended the Red and Tan 99s mute into the city.” ship with NJ Transit to improve local and 4 bus routes that operated in Hudson service. County. The number 4 bus route was taken Despite these factors, NJ Transit Senior over by A&C Bus while New Jersey Tran- Director Anthony M. Grieco wrote via The CASID and the Riverview Neigh- sit replaced the 99s using the new 119 and email: “I discussed this request at length borhood Association are two of several 88C bus routes. with our Bus Service Planning Division. community organizations that continue to As you may be aware, the No. 119 Line speak out about the need for better mass The 99s offered direct service to the Port service represents a significant effort on transit in the Jersey City Heights, espe- Authority Bus Terminal and for many our part to continue weekday peak com- cially through improvements to the service Heights commuters it was the fastest (20 muter service for former Coach USA No. offered by current No. 123 and No. 119 minutes) and most efficient way