Hoboken Mourns Jets Loss as Steelers Head To The Superbowl

The mood is somber in Hoboken as the Jets lose the AFC Championship.

It was a sad night to be a Jets fan, as the Pittsburgh Steelers trounced New York 24 to 19 at Heinz Field on Sunday. That's right, Superbowl XLV on Feb. 6 won’t feature any local teams after all. At least in Hoboken, a great number of fans packed into sports bars to watch the game, but some (as in the case at Black Bear Bar and Grill) were told a wait time of two hours on line outside to even get into the bar. Michael Beaver, 24, had been camped out at Wicked Wolf Tavern with his friends since 3 p.m. on Sunday, nursing a hangover with a few more beers. A Jets fan “for tonight,” his game predictions were scarily close: “I hope the Jets win, but I think the Steelers will win, 24-17.” Things were tough from the start, as the Steelers racked …

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Kicking for a Cause

Zog Sports held a kickball match that helped raise money for a local charity.

Most people haven't played kickball since their playground days, but on Thursday evening, the childhood sport was revived in Hoboken. For a good cause. Zog Sports held their spring championship playoffs, and eight teams were whittled down to two ultimate winners. Zog Sports is a recreational sports league for adults to meet, play and then share a drink afterward. They run leagues for wiffleball, bowling and soccer, among others. But what sets Zog Sports apart from other leagues is that each team plays for a charity of its choosing. When the team wins, so does its charity. It's all summed up in the Zog's tagline; "Play for your cause." "The only reason I play is for charity. I'm no good at kickball!" laughed Lauren Parisi, a player whose …

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Jamie Schuh

10:00 am on Monday, June 7, 2010

Thanks for the correction! Unfortunately I didn't get over to the other side of the field quick enough to catch the end of that match.   more ›

Mile Square Parenting

Sports for Hoboken Toddlers

Kathy Zucker wants her urban toddlers to grow up playing sports to get in the habit of being healthy and fit

Raising a child in an urban environment to be an athlete is a challenge. Especially when your town lacks amenities like a soccer field. However, there are plenty of sports available in Hoboken. You just have to look for them. I have already written about my passion for unusual sports like fencing and how Hoboken is the ideal place to raise a child fencer. Athletics are extremely important to me and my husband, for both physical and mental conditioning, and we want to pass those benefits on to our two children. Hoboken has a strong softball tradition—It's the birthplace of baseball, remember—so I am looking forward to enrolling my kids in tee-ball when they turn seven. In the meantime, I am enrolling them in swim classes at Sky Club Fitness…

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Kathy Zucker

9:23 pm on Saturday, May 15, 2010

Great WSJ article on how toddler golf programs are exploding in popularity, but then has a huge dropoff once the kids become teenagers b/c of lack of access to nearby, affordable short golf courses. http://bit.ly/9ACnVq   more ›

Mile Square Parenting

Kid Activities Off the Beaten Track in Hoboken

Kathy Zucker and her family moved to Hoboken because of its brownstone charm and proximity to Manhattan, but found all sorts of surprising and delightful kid activities tucked away in unexpected corners.

If you follow the standards used by most "great places to live" rankings, Hoboken always winds up at the bottom. We don't have abundant verdant open spaces, affordable housing, or top-ranked schools. However, if you look beyond the beaten path, Hoboken excels. Hoboken is one of the most walkable areas I have ever known, and it also has superb access to mass transit. The PATH train runs 24/7, and the Light Rail, NJ Transit buses and trains, and community shuttle make it one of the most crisscrossed square miles ever. With cobblestone streets, brownstones, and plenty of parks, its walkable charm feels very much like Park Slope in Brooklyn. There is also a plethora of free or low-cost child activities. Outdoor Movies in the Park on Pier A …

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Kathy Zucker

10:07 am on Saturday, May 8, 2010

Cobra Fencing also offers free parking in the large outdoor lot across the street from the building's front entrance.   more ›

Hoboken Derby Girls Play Hard

The Garden State Rollergirls recently opened their season with a bout on March 13 in Wallington -- we checked in to see how Hoboken's players fared.

Recently, Hoboken Patch introduced you to two local rollerderby athletes—Melissa Nat, a.k.a. J. Cruel, and Monika Smyczek, a.k.a. Kitty Von Karnage—who skate with Garden State Rollergirls. The league recently opened their season at the Inline Skating Club of America in Wallington, and we wanted to check in and see how the women performed. Hoboken resident Nat, who plays under the derby name of J. Cruel, said that the March 13th event was sold-out beforehand, and despite a torrential downpour that caused flooding around much of North Jersey, "about 400" people showed up to the event. "It was a really great way to make our debut at the new venue, and we think that bodes well for our upcoming bouts," said Nat. During the bout, the league was …

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Hoboken Lacks Passion For Super Bowl XLIV

Hoboken's sports bars were relatively quiet Sunday night

The Super Bowl—one of the year's biggest event for sports fans—felt a little lackluster in Hoboken this year, as New Orleans Saints squashed the Indianapolis Colts 31-17. Rory Hardy, head bartender at McSwiggan's, said she's seen two Super Bowls at the bar and that it's "normally packed if it's a home team." But for Super Bowl XLIV, there were still a few tables available and space at the bar at McSwiggans, along with other area bars like The Mile Square and The Shannon. And while the beer was flowing freely and there wasn't a bad seat in the house with McSwiggans' 11 television screens, the real issue was whom to root for. And with both teams having no geographical connection to Hoboken, the city was divided. "I'm rooting for the Saints…

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