LepreCon: Crowds Grow, Temps Drop, But Less Arrests Than Last Year [Updated]
The second annual event was held on Saturday. This was the second year without a parade on the first Saturday in March.
UPDATED 6:30 p.m. — As of Saturday evening, Hoboken police had arrested seven people, 25 calls were received to the Hoboken Ambulance Corps and multiple house parties were broken up on the second annual LepreCon pub crawl, police said.
The first two people were arrested early in the morning police said. One was charged with sexual assault — the incident happened early in the morning — and another was charged with theft.
Last year, 18 people were arrested on LepreCon. The year before, parade day saw 34 arrests in Hoboken.
The Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps received around 25 calls as of early evening. Last year a total of 64 calls came in, according to HVAC personnel. Friday night, however, saw more calls than usual. The majority of the calls involved intoxicated people.
Per usual, the house parties caused some disturbances around town. The Hoboken Fire Department performed regular checks of bars and house parties through out the day.
Most parties, police said, seemed to be on the west side of town. On Park Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Streets a couple was spotted making out on the roof of a building.
Police enforced the zero tolerance policy all throughout the day. Around 3 p.m. two men were written up for urinating against City Hall. Fines are $2,000.
Crowds of people still trickled into town as the morning progressed and the usual packs of green clad twenty somethings wandered through town, looking for a house party or a bar without a cover.
The usual thumping of music coming from house parties and piercing sirens of police and ambulances rushing through town was significantly less than in years passed, though.
The Pour House and The Shannon saw long lines to get inside. Other bars had no lines in the morning. While prices vary, most bars charge a $20 or $30 cover.
Waiting in line to get into the Pour House were 23-year-old John (who preferred to not give his last name) and 23-year-old Ben Pierson, both from Ho-Ho-Kus.
"It seems a bit quieter than last year," said John, who celebrated LepreCon last year for the first time. "I have a buddy inside (the bar)," he continued, "and it's a significant difference."
For those who came into town on Saturday, the lack of a parade didn't seem to matter.
"It's incredible," said one 24-year-old Manhattan resident on the corner of Fourth and Washington. "It's the vibe."
Hoboken police, Jersey City police and the Hudson County rapid deployment team were all present on Saturday. The entire Hoboken Police Department was on duty on Saturday, and cops were present in the streets.
The Hoboken Parking Utility was present to crack down any illegally parked cars. Most visitors on Saturday, however, came in by public transportation.
Since last year, four major bars in Hoboken have closed — Lana, Oddfellows, Whiskey Bar and Quays — which together had a capacity of about 1,500 people.
"It's not the mad rush to the bar it was four or five years ago," said Matt McCabe, standing at the bar at Room84.
Most people, he said, will start the day off with a house party and go to the bars later. But, after nine St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Hoboken, he's no longer dressed in green.
"Now that I'm 32," said McCabe, "I'm not jumping in there and start doing shots at 10 a.m."
QJ201
4:30 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Yes the first person passed out in public was not spotted until 1030 am.
Andy Williamson
5:17 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Shut the bars down for the night & make these drunks crawl home !!
Mr.budget
1:45 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
Then what ?? They will make it the Next Saturday, Shutting the bars down is not the answer, stop being ignorant
HobokenTownie
11:25 am on Monday, March 4, 2013
Such an ignorant comment...if you want peace and quite move to the suburbs. This was much more subdued in years past, it appears to be more manageable. We do not live in a police state and it appears the police did a great job preventing it from becoming unruly. Leave for the day if it is so terrible, that's what we did with the kids. Been there, done that - drinking in the a.m. is a thing of the past.
ThisMeansWar
5:55 pm on Saturday, March 2, 2013
Anyone heard from Curious Colin MacAuleyGal? She wants so baaaadly to feel relevant... Pretend to seem interested when she launches into yet another yawn-inducing hopelessly banal english composition 101 defense of corruption and sloth.
mcfaddys
12:06 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
No one made this political except you. Don't you havce anything at all better to do today then sit around waiting to get into a poltiical fight?
Also the headline should say fewer, not less.
Ojo Rojo
3:48 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
Mcfakey, what do you call the post below this if not political? Outofcontrolhatemonger only posts political posts.
ThisMeansWar
5:42 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
Why can't everyone be unpolitical like Tim?
http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/councilman-occhipinti-wants-the-parade-back
Outofcontrol
12:06 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
Congratulations Mayor. You allowed the drunks to roam freely. Left Washington Street and First Street a filthy mess. You spent over $100,000.00 of our tax dollars. And you killed the parade. Towns all over the tri-state area held parades today to show the world that they were bouncing back after Sandy. Of course, you couldn't allow Hoboken to do that. You would rather send the message out that our town is in dire straits and it still isn't safe to come here and patronize our businesses. Way to go!
Ojo Rojo
3:48 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
And if we had the parade, arrests would be way up, damage would be way up, vomit and trash would be polluting a hell of a lot more than just the areas by the bars downtown & the cost to the city would have been far higher.
HobokenTownie
11:25 am on Monday, March 4, 2013
Do you and Mason411.com live together?
Patty Drumgoole
12:06 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
Much thanks to HPD, HFD, HPU, HVAC and those from surrounding municipalities for keeping our city safe yesterday. You're presence was strongly visible!
Rockin Out With My
11:25 am on Monday, March 4, 2013
Room 84, a cesspool of Jersey Shore wanna-be dbags, had a sign that read: "Official Participating Bar"? Umm, it's Lepre-con, which bar on Washington Street doesn't participate? Does that "official" label make people want to descend to the dungeon after paying a crazy cover charge for an atmosphere that rivals Pawnee's "Snakehole Lounge"?
Nathan Tableman
11:57 am on Monday, March 4, 2013
Why were there no cops running check points at both ends of town arresting all the clearly drunk drivers and then demanding to know where they drank? Because armed with the names of the bars, we tax paying residents can fine the cookie cutter bars of Hoboken out of business and end this nonsense once and for all. Yes, things change, the Hoboken of the 90's is not the Hoboken of the '10's. I am glad the parade is gone, it was a nightmare year in and year out and if I were even a little Irish, I would be embarrassed my heritage was being hijacked for this nonsense.
HobokenTownie
2:20 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
So sad you feel this way. I guess you were never young. I have been a reveler and my children have marched in the parade. If you want quiet move to the suburbs. One day a year gives the town character.
Frankly, my wife and I like the bar scene and easy of going out on a weekend, drinking a couple of bottles of wine and walking home or going out with friends for a louder time. My children are far from sheltered and found the thicker girls in the short shorts very funny yesterday - my 5 year old thought they should be cold.
Don't be such a snob or elitist.
Steve Sternberg
2:20 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
I understand how some people hate the Mayor and some people hate the Council minority, so that obviously skews many of the posts on these sites. I'm not sure how anyone who lived through the parades and is a hoboken resident can be in favor of them (I stood outside to make sure no one pissed on the side of my building one year, and my wife and son were nearly hit by thrown beer bottles on Washington Street another year). But I underatsnd the passion, and as long as the debate doesn't get too nasty, it doean't really bother me. Read my Patch blog here to see one of the more positive aspects of Lepre-Con. A new tradition is growing...
KenOn10
3:11 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
Steve, I'm a resident and am in favor of the parade.
(The majority of regular Patch posters will not comprehend the next sentence)
It has nothing to do with politics. In fact, I enjoy parades, bagpipe music and a couple of beers in my home town. It's great that your son is making some money for charity, but frankly, that doesn't replace the parade.
Everybody is different. I cannot imagine wasting time guarding our house from public urinators; the dog-walkers do much worse, every single day.
Ojo Rojo
3:44 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
I also am in favor of the parade conceptually. Problem is that the out of control drunks are such a massive problem that we just can't have a parade until they learn to act like civilized adults. They can't even behave during a much more sparsely attended bar crawl.
Rockin Out With My
5:11 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
KEN - I know what you mean! Patch should do a story on the dogwalkers who leave POOP ON OUR STREETS. I plan on emailing Claire about this again but she has been unresponsive to my notes about THE GROWING POOP/FUNGUS problem on our streets. What has to happen to get the media's attention!? ugh
KenOn10
9:38 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Ojo, that's a cop-out.
We've eliminated the parade (largely friendly for all) and managed to preserve the $$$ spent policing the drunks (big $$$). Throw the baby out, keep the bath, so smart.
pdq
12:42 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
If you support bringing the parade back on a Saturday to reinstitute the higher levels of chaos and mayhem that occured pre 2012, support Tim Occhipinti, as he is pushing for that.
If you prefer to bring a more family friendly parade back, on a weekday to avoid heightened chaos and mayhem, support the Mayor.
HobokenTownie
12:42 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Steve - on day your son will become an annoying teen (unless he is not already) and will act like all dumb teens do. I am assuming your teen does not annoy anyone, never plays his music to loud and does not walk in packs down the street.
Frankly - I find teenagers much more annoying than a day of increased 20-somethings getting drunk early in the day.
Remember that saying about glass houses, wait until your kid breaks someone's window when he hits a baseball astray in an area where adults would never consider playing baseball. I guess in that scenario you will expect him to be forgiven because he is your child.