Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken!
After living in this city for 5.5 years, I finally scoured up the requisite $2.50 for a PATH ticket ($5 round-trip), and made my way out to Hoboken. It's a six minute ride with the train, but something about it seemed so far away! It's a whole state away in fact. Two rivers!!!
I'd actually been to Hoboken once or twice before and the little that I had seen reminded me of a drunken frat party. This time I took a food tour of the town, and I left quite impressed. It was a very liveable place; a little small for what I'm looking for, but a nice walkable pace. Telephone poles everywhere. Neighborhood bars and a very friendly vibe.
The tour hit the highlights: Hoboken coal-fired bread, Sinatra's house, the church from the movie On the Waterfront, the site of the first baseball game, pizza, and cannolis(!). Everything ended at the Feast of St Ann; an Italian-American street festival in every sense of the way: fair food, rides, music, sleeveless shirts, fake tans, and a dog wearing Jersey Shore sunglasses. I give the festival credit though. The church doors were open and people were showing their thanks to St. Ann's interventions by adorning her robe with money or valuables. Always great to see a religious festival staying true to the religious aspects.
My walks carried me up to Stevens Institute of Technology and one of the best views of Manhattan I've ever found. I was so excited with the view that I promptly fell asleep and napped for a good 30 minutes. One heck of a view to wake up to!
Staggering from my slumbers, I made it down to the famous Maxwell's and had a pint (or two). Really friendly crowd, and much cleaner than I had anticipated. Then off to the Pilsner Haus Biergarten for another liter. Then a stumble back through the town to the PATH station. Getting home only took me about two hours on this late Sunday evening. Ahhh... so that's why I don't make it to Jersey very often. Just gotta go big when you're there!