Toll Brothers Should Take Note

You can use materials other than concrete to build piers for parks. For proof, I paddled over to Pier C this afternoon. When completed (probably September) it is going to be beautiful. Though the picture is difficult to see, the pier has a grassy hill, a park for kids, and attractive wooden features. Unlike Maxwell Place's concrete slab, Hobokenites will flock to this park.

The Schooner Adirondack

I took the above picture of this beautiful ship on a gorgeous afternoon paddle. I have seen this ship many times, but was unable to find out more about it until I got closer. This is the Schooner Adirondack. According to its website, this ship is an 80 foot, 1890's style pilot schooner. It is a tourist boat that started sailing in 1999. This would be a great way to spend the day with family. The boat sails from "the other side of the Hudson" from Chelsea Piers through early October.

Erie Lackawanna Revisited

It was another beautiful day on the river. I took a few more shots of Erie lackawanna ferry terminal- this time with a few close-ups of the inside.

Welcome Hobokennow Readers

Thank you to Carly for putting my blog on nj.com/hobokennow. I hope you enjoy checking out my site.

Erie Lackawanna Ferry Terminal

The Erie Lackawanna Ferry and Train Terminal is nearing completion. They have been restoring the structure as long as I've been living here. Ferry service will begin using this structure again in about two years- which is amazing if you would've seen this place ten years ago. I am really pleased Hoboken has gone to such lengths to restore the old structure. It looks great from the waterfront. Today I saw rowers (yes, rowers) using the facility for protection from choppy waters. I took a picture of them, but unfortunately, my camera is giving me fits lately and would not allow me to upload the shot.

Below is a pic. I found from the library of congress. You can see ferry service in use at the bottom.

For more details on the ferry terminal project, check out nj.com.

The best view of New York...

Is from Jersey. Happy Fourth of July!

Weather or Not?

The coldest June in 27 years kept me on dry land more than I care to remember. I was hoping for a warm dry start to July, but so far, showers have dampened my spirits and allowed fewer days on the water. On Wednesday I headed out with dark clouds looming. Fortunately, the rain pushed north and I had a beautiful paddle. Took the shot above. Anyone know the name of the ship in the photo (not the circle line)?

A Beautiful Day for a Sail

...or a paddle! "America II" was making its way up and down the Hudson today. What a great looking sailboat. The weather was perfect today. I paddled for a few hours in bright sunshine, 80 degree temps. and low humidity. Apparently, it was also an excellent day to fish. I talked to a few of the fisherman on 14th street pier and they said they were having great luck catching stripers. Which begs the question- would you eat fish from the Hudson?

Maxwell Place Piers

Toll Brothers, best known for the McMansion, came to Hoboken a few years ago to do for the urban condo owner what it had for the suburban housewife. That is, construct a dwelling as quickly as possible, sell it as quickly as possible, and leave before anyone realizes how much they paid for a stainless steel kitchen. Their latest building, Maxwell Place, taking the place of the old Maxwell Coffee Plant is a perfect example. The design team meeting on this place must have gone something like this: "what size windows do we have in the warehouse? What color bricks do we have in the warehouse?" Further, they are the kings of cut concrete (look at the quality of their park compared to pier A). Don't get me wrong, I appreciate how they took a blighted area and made it family friendly, but please take a look at the piles that hold up their piers - picture below.

This hotel was named before 2000

Does anyone else see the irony of something named "W" actually stimulating the economy? That's my buddy Max in front of Hoboken's new hotel.

Clouds

Have you ever seen clouds like this? Amazing! These are mammatus clouds - small, round cloud puffs found after thunderstorms have passed. They were seen above Hoboken last night.

Go back to LaGuardia!

It seems the efforts La Guardia Airport is going to to eradicate geese from its surrounding areas and, most importantly, its airways (no, I wasn't in the boat when the American Airlines plane landed in the Hudson) has caused them to fly here. There are more geese than ever in Hoboken. Before you say how cute they are, realize they poop 3 pounds a day. Each.

Check the Weather and Tides

This is the only weather buoy in Hoboken's waters. I'm sure it measures all kinds of info. needed by paddlers like me.

The Hardest Working Guys in Town

Years ago, Hoboken's waterfront was filled with dock workers. Today, it is filled with condos. In fact, Hoboken Propeller Works is the only remaining working dock in town. Propeller Works refurbishes older barges, fixing them and repainting them. The guys who work there are all very friendly- they always wave. Sometimes they even joke "hey, no wake" and laugh.

Companions