Has anyone also noticed that for the past month or so there's been a trail of crap along the boardwalk starting from Taphaus all the way to Avalon Cove. It's like a sea monster rose up from the Hudson, took a dump all over the edge of the boardwalk, and then vanished. Who would be responsible for cleaning that? Avalon Cove or the city? You'd never see this kind of trash along Battery Park.

I added a photo to my blog. To be honest, I don't see much of a difference between UR's outdoor seating and the amount of sidewalk space that Roman Nose or Madame Claude take up.

http://www.jerseycityupfront.com/unio ... lic-adds-outdoor-seating/

If you're not already familiar with them, I'd reach out to See Spot Rescued, a local dog rescue in downtown Jersey City. I'm not sure if they'd be able to help, but these guys are great at what they do and it's worth a shot. You can get more info about them at k9dergarten on Newark Avenue.

https://www.facebook.com/seespotrescued

Congrats to Orale! To the chef (who apparently has Salvadoran roots) -- put pupusas on the menu and I'll be there every day! (Great food either way.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupusa

For Indian / vegetarian -- Sapthagiri is my go-to spot.
Pizza / Italian -- Rustique.

Shout out to the pad see ew at Sawadee. Hoping to check out Rumi's and Amelia's soon.

Yeah, Soap.com, Wag.com (pets), Vine.com (green/healthy stuff), YoYo.com (kids' toys) -- they're all part of Amazon and have ridiculously fast shipping times if you're shipping to JC. I can order at 1am and have the shipment by 7pm the same day. I do find that drugstore.com beats them on price (at least for the stuff I buy), but when I need stuff fast and don't feel like paying a Duane Reade tax -- I go soap.com. Customer service is also great (and 24/7 if I recall correctly).

Bummer, that stinks. I was hoping 225 Grand was somewhat less expensive than the other elevator/condo rentals in the area, but $2,200/mo. is crazy. (Especially w/o incentives.)

Regardless, sounds like you found a sweet new place. Best of luck w/ your move!

I'll echo what everyone else is saying. Take Newark Avenue when you're walking home and you should be fine. (Lots of light and there's usually other commuters walking alongside w/ you). Even better -- if you're coming home late at night just cab it. A cab ride is typically no more than $5.

If you don't mind my asking -- how do/did you like living at 225 Grand? Are the rent increases that bad?

I started using PostNet about a month ago (to mail out some boxes via UPS/USPS) and from day one my experience there has been outstanding. The owner is very friendly, usually has a cool story to share, and just seems like a genuinely nice guy. I'm not calling anyone here a liar, I just wanted to give PostNet my +1 because like I said -- they've been very accommodating to me as a new/recent customer.

I'm new to La Rustique, but after 3 deliveries this place has rightfully earned a spot on my speed dial. I've had the cheese ravioli twice and the mac n' cheese once. I really liked their mac n' cheese, but the ravioli is my favorite so far. The tomato sauce is nice and garlicky and tastes fresh. Not heavy or creamy like other places. Along with the homemade loaf of bread they provide -- it's just perfect. Looking fwd to trying their pizza next. What's the atmosphere like at the actual restaurant? Is it BYOB? Hoping to actually eat there soon.

+1. I've been ordering paella from them for a looong time. Portions are huge and food is consistently great. I also recommend the mariscada in red/tomato sauce. (Kinda like paella minus the rice.) I was hoping they'd be at the street fair, but alas. No dice.

I've never actually eaten there (usually call it in and pick it up), but personally I think Europa's paella is better than Lisbon's -- although Lisbon's is a tad nicer and easier to walk to than Europa.

I can't vouch for Dr. Tudor (I've never seen or met him), but of the many times I've been to Downtown Vets on 1st street -- I've never had a single complaint. In fact, if you go -- I highly recommend Dr. Vivian Ng. She is great w/ my 90-lb. dog (who fights tooth and nail whenever he goes to the vet), explains every single procedure that she will perform, gives you a quote for the procedure, and most importantly -- she sincerely cares and loves animals. You can just tell.

If I call her at 3pm worried that my dog isn't eating -- she'll call me back asap (no matter how busy her schedule). Recently when my dog was ill -- she'd call me out of the blue just to check in on my pet and see how he's doing. I highly recommend her at Downtown Vets.

As for the expense -- yes, it's pricey (compared to hospitals in less trafficked cities.) But if your pet is on meds, ask for the prescrip and shop it around online (Dr. Foster's, Pet Meds, etc).

@Chief -- thanks for the store rec! Completely forgot that store is there. I think I've only been once (sadly) -- time to re-visit.

@wine_theif -- Nice! I've tried La Posta Cocina -- like it a lot actually (not as much as the AFs, but when I see it I almost always buy it). Never tried the other two so I will see if I can find them. The Mendel Lunta sounds very nice.

Cheers!

Hey all,

So the weekend is here and I'm running a little dry on wine. It got me wondering -- what's your fave wine shop in downtown JC and why? I personally like Madame Claude Wine (by Hamilton Squ) -- they have a great selection, friendly service, and it's very easy to find bottles under $20. I'm also a fan of Village Wine Liquors (on Grove St) -- selection isn't that great, but location is perfect (and they have decent $11 bottles). Any other shops w/in walking distance I should check out? I tried online w/ wine.com, but I find their prices kinda expensive to be honest.

Also, if you have any bottle recommendations -- fire away! (Personally, I love Achaval Ferrer malbecs. Under $20, nice and smooth.)

I love this thread. Here are my recs:

The Devil's Backbone
Brilliant! Despite the gory title, it's not really gory. It's about an orphan in a boarding school in Spain during the Spanish civil war. He gets visited by a ghost and has to solve what's going on. My summary does not do this movie justice. If you liked Pan's Labyrinth you'll love Backbone (also a Guillermo del Toro film.) In Spanish w/ subtitles.

Princesas
Another brilliant one from Spain. This one is abt young prostitutes working the streets of Spain. They get upset when an immigrant Dominican prostitute starts working their turf. It's a very smart movie, touching, and comedic at times. It's very well written, no gratuitous scenes here. In Spanish w/ subs.

Romantico
Documentary abt an illegal immigrant worker from Mexico working the streets of San Fran as a mariachi singer. Regardless of your stance on illegal immigration, this is an interesting story of why this man does what he does.

Hey folks,

Just curious -- I heard Flats at 327 sold out awhile back (the 1BRs sold out), but I've yet to see any lights in the building at night. Anyone have any first hand experience living there or know if ppl love it / hate it?

Here's the place we order from when we don't make it into Queens. Again, haven't been there in awhile, but hopefully it's still as good as it was. Lmk if you wind up going or find something better!

Don Ramon
Union City
http://www.yelp.com/biz/don-ramon-restaurant-i-union-city

There's a chain of pupuserias (I think they're in Union City) called La Pupusa Loca. Haven't been to one in awhile, but we would order a stack of them and just pick them up. They definitely hit the spot. My parents might have better details -- will chime in again if I can get the exact location.

If you don't mind the trek, my personal favorite is El Izalco in Woodside, Queens. Right off the 7 train.

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/izalco/

+1 for a seafood restaurant and +1 for a good vegetarian restaurant. That said, there's an awesome little Brasilian place in Tribeca called Barzinho. It's like a Brasilian version of Madame Claude. Having a nice cozy restaurant like that would be great IMO. Also would like to see a B-Flat or Flatiron-type lounge open up where I can chill and listen to an old Jobim or Fitzgerald track.

Hey all, I've been apt hunting the past few months myself (checked out Hamilton Square, Gull's Cove, Saffron, and Flats). I personally liked the 1BR units at Flats a lot (pricing and the finishes were nice, though I kinda wish it had a gym).

I think the 1BR units at Flats are nicer than the 1BR units at Saffron (despite the funky layout at Flats). Flats feels bigger (and they have central air). Anyone know if ppl have moved in / there are still 1BR units left at Flats?