VillageIdiot wrote:
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Tino wrote:
The developers presented on this project at the Village Neighborhood Association a few months back and while the lawyer for the developer was obnoxious and rather douchy, the reaction from the people who live across the street from the property was so over-the-top, so NIMBY, so embarrassing, there is no way to take the opposition to this project seriously.

So: douchy on one side trumps embarrassing on the other side?

Did any of the sides make any valid or convincing factual arguments at the meeting? I wasn't there, so I can't evaluate the level of embarrassment versus douchyness, but in most cases I find I am generally anti-douche.

HippieShowgirl wrote:
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Tino wrote:
Anyone know what's going on at Latin Lounge and the former Lamp Post space on 2nd St.? Looks like a lot of work has been going on at both places.

Word in the neighborhood is that the Latin Lounge is trying to class up their act a bit and reopen -- the renovations are pretty nice and putting in a window is a good move.

The old Lamp Post space is, as I understand it, supposed to be a Brazilian or Brazilian fusion spot of sorts, BYOB.

Disclaimer: This is hearsay, all third- and fourth-hand neighborhood chatter.

sillyscorp wrote:
I was at the VNA meeting last night and I am very concerned - there were 4 different developers there all trying to squeeze bigger buildings (mainly 5 & 6 stories) into spot where 2-3 stories now stand.

I want to be very clear - I am in no way against improving the area and I agree that there are some building that are eye sores and would benefit from a total tear down but I am worried about what this says. If every developer who asks for a variance gets one then the current neighbors will be dwarfed, our light blocked out, our neighborhoods density doubled, and our right to enjoy the homes that we have bought, invested and taken care of taken away overnight. I won't even go into the potential damage to our homes from the construction that will involve pile driving inches from our foundations.....and the release of toxic dust and debris into our air etc.

I am not sure why it should be a given that the zoning rules are ignored and exceptions are the standard. There are zoning rules for a reason and that is to preserve the character of the area and maintain a standard of living for the actual people who live here not maximize developer profits.

We aren't talking about squeezing in an extra unit here or there or a few feet of height - but in some cases 3x the number of units and more than 2x the size of the neighboring buildings... plus eliminating set backs etc

where do we draw the line?

hero69 wrote:
what are they buidling near the nj turnpike overpass on newark avenue?

bodhipooh wrote:
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sillyscorp wrote:
my small complaints are
(also a little concerning that all the food is cooked in plastic like that..... but maybe that is "hippie" of me)

Get used to that... Nowadays, it's all the rage in the restaurant scene/industry to cook things vacuum sealed in plastic, particularly at high end restaurants. Look up sous vide.

Yvonne wrote:
I was on Newark Avenue near the Courthouse around 3:30 PM on Thursday. I couldn't figure out why the traffic was so congested, even a Hudson County Sheriff was outside trying to direct traffic. When they show the people downtown on the mall they should also show the congestion is causes at the other end.

Nori wrote:
Yvonne - you are the reason why I lose faith in humanity

If you really are a teacher, let me know what school you're at so I can put up a "deaf child" type of sign outside to show that there's a complete fckn moron teaching at that school.

JC_Livin wrote:
I was really excited to try this place. Went by on Saturday and it was PACKED, which is a great thing, but there was no seating available so I ended up leaving. Very nice person greeted us at the front, explained there was no seating but said we were welcome to stand at the bar, gave us menus to peruse. One weird thing though, there was an overwhelming smell of mothballs in there. Did anyone else notice that? I'm hoping it was a patron who just took their entire wardrobe out of storage or something, and and not part of the intended ambiance. Granted, I have a pretty sensitive nose, but it was really strong.

In any event, I'm excited to go back at a less busy time. Hopefully the mothball smell won't be there.

ZACKyBoy wrote:
What is going on with this place? I have been going here since it opened and I have strong opinions...just wondering what others are thinking.

Atsushi wrote:
Has anyone used Centro autobody at 334 Hoboken Ave, Jersey City? Can they repair a minor scratch? Reputation?