1st two days of PS 26 are in the books. My son is in Pre-K 4 and daughter is in Pre-K 3 and the Pre-K classrooms are on one side of the building (with its own playground & entrance) and the kindergarten - 5th grade is on other side of school.

Not too much to go on but so far I get a positive vibe. Next week starts before/after care so we will get back to the routine of me dropping off on way to JSQ around 7:30 and my wife will pick up around 5:30 on way home from her office.

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I heard that the downtown PJ Ryan's is closing but the JSQ one is staying and potentially a new one opening somewhere else on the west side of city.

I noticed a large carnival in Lincoln Park last night. Has anyone seen any info on the hours and when it goes until?

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I believe it was before 3/1 because students at pre-K 3 get a letter allowing to enroll this week/next.

I will follow up on my post as I know a little more than last year. My son (now 4 in Jan.) and daughter (2 1/2) started going to Little Smiles in August 2017. My son is in the Pre-K 3 and daughter is in the daycare. My son's cost for school hours (8:30 to 2:30 I think) is covered by the city (there are 2 pre-K3 classrooms) but I drop them both off at 7:30 and my wife picks them up at 5:30.

There was a little bit of a transition for a few months for my son as he asked about his Paramus school and friends. As of now they both seem to be doing fine and are happy when they go/return from school.

As it only goes until Pre-K 3 we have had to look at options for Sept. 2018. Not knowing much about charter schools we went to a fair in the fall. I kind of liked the sound of Jersey City Global Charter further up in the heights but I think they start at kindergarten for now. We also signed up for LCCS lottery and did not make it.

We are zoned for PS 26 (the new school by the reservoir off Summit Ave). I have talked with a few parents at the playground whose children attend PS 26 and they seemed happy with the school/principal/teachers. I registered both my son and daughter yesterday in PK3/PK4 yesterday and got a positive feeling of the place. We will attend an open house they have in beginning of March. I know school is new but has anyone else have an experience with the school? FYI, we also visited St.Nick’s and seemed like a good place and could serve as a second option.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

I didn't know the name but google says it is:
Jola Polish Deli
Address: 110 Hutton St, Jersey City, NJ 07307, USA
Hours: Closed ? Opens 9 a.m. Wed.
Phone: +1 201-388-1635

It is like 2 doors down from Ozu Foods (one of my other favorite places).

As of now all of the soups/pierogis/stews etc are sold to be heated up at home. For very reasonable prices you can have just about a full meal within a few minutes of turning on the stove (my kind of "cooking"). They also do have some breads/pastries - I had a poppy seed roll similar to what my Slovak grandmother used to make.

This place is great! I have had several variations of their pierogis/soups/stews and all were good meals to take home/heat up. They have tons of Polish snacks and kielbasas as well.

so what neighborhood old time bars still exist?

Park Tavern, Astor Bar...anything else?

Does anyone know what % of the first Journal Square tower is rented out?

I wonder when some interesting retail & restaurants will come to the blocks right around JSQ. The cynical side of me says "never" and the block from the PATH station to Tonnelle will always be exactly as it is now. The glass half full version of me says "be patient, it will happen."

I have only been twice but it is excellent. I feel like going for a poboy and fries right now!

I took a walk around this evening and noticed this and several other new places in the Heights. Froth on Franklin looks like a coffee shop coming just down the block from The Heights Cafe, The Cliff over on Congress St and something is coming to the old Goerhing bakery on Central.

I start cherry/plum tomatoes and basil from seed in paper cups in my window at my office at work in mid March. In the end of March I start kale directly seeded in the ground (maybe earlier this year). In early May I will bring tomato seedlings home (people always look on the PATH train as if I have marijuana plants. After a few or so of bringing them outside by day/inside at night I will put in ground in middle of May.

Around the same time I thin out the kale and soon after they get big. From about Memorial Day through early December I make kale smoothies a few days/week. From end of July through late Sept/early Oct I have tomato salads, tomato basil soup/etc.

I have tried other things but in small space I get the most bang for the buck with kale/tomatoes/basil.

I live on Beach St in the heights with my wife, son (just turned 3 last week) and daughter (almost 18 months). Currently, my kids go to a daycare in Paramus right near my wife's office. We like this place and have the option of sending them there through kindergarten.

We are now starting to look at pre-school/elementary school/after care options in JC. We heard that PS 25 was a decent place but found out today that Beach St actually goes to PS 31 on JFK closer to JSQ. Any thoughts on this school?

We have heard about the pre k 3 at Concordia and about several days of waiting on line for a spot and will have to look at the logistics of this.

What about the private day cares that offer pre k?

Does anybody have any ideas, suggestions , experience etc on this topic?

Our family gets most of our groceries from Stop and Shop with Peadpod deliveries. We used to go to Stop and Shop on Central Ave but getting it delivered saves time and they often come after kids are in bed.

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Do you know where on Beach this would be? l live on this street and can't picture where this would be.

I did see that up on JFK that Ace Taxi is gone and the adjoining lots had house demolished so something must be going here/

Wow, this Dulce de Leche is really game changer for me that is going to raise the bar in the Heights.. I don't want to raise expectations for anyone who has not tried it yet but quality is an A, ambiance is an A, and prices are way less than places of similar quality. I had a sausage sandwich on fresh bread with some kind of delicious sauce with fries for like 6.99. I shared an egg sandwich on a croissant, some type of spinach mini quiche, a few empanadas and was very pleased.
I just may have to gain 20 lbs this winter!

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... de_leche_bakery_open.html

I can't believe I missed that Dulce de Leche bakery opened on Central. I walked by at closing time last night and it looks beautiful. Their first one is way up in North Bergen and the 2 times I went it was packed and everything I tried was delicious. I may have to walk over for breakfast in a few hours!

The new bar has opened. I walked by around 630 last night and there was a decent crowd. Not sure if they have food but I will have to check it out sometime.

I noticed a vacant store front a year or so ago in handsome brick building at Liberty and St Paul's. Not sure what had been there previously (there used to be a bar around there that closed about 15 years ago but I think was another spot) with a nice big window and corner location it felt like something should be there. I noticed some work happening there this year and finally figured out what is happening - some type of eatery:

https://www.facebook.com/Square1jc/abo ... ut_item&ref=page_internal

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I just took an evening stroll through the heights and saw a Japanese place is opening on Central. A few of the existing restaurants had decent crowds so maybe a restaurant row is in the works. The new Noches de Columbia was packed all the way around at 930 as well as most times I have walked by and when I got food there Sunday at 4pm.

I took off from work today and was walking around and noticed a gelato place is opening next to Pizza Masters (not sure if same owners as Pizza Masters). It also looks like the Wonder Bagels should not be far off from opening (and people were working on the apartments above WB). It could be a handsome brick building so nice to see it going from vacant blight to something useful.

I have seen buses coming from JSQ to Secaucus but not sure where they let out in relation to Harmon Meadow.

I saw this earlier today. I actually used Joe and his father for the closing on my current house and previous condo. I thought he was a stand up guy.

I noticed on Saturday that the PJ Ryan's in JSQ was open - not sure if it was a soft opening but there were definitely a few people at the bar. Also, I noticed several tables of people at the new Noodle Fan yesterday.

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Funny you should mention this - I always wondered if there were cornices hiding under the vinyl siding, I recently noticed a house on Hutton St with about a quarter of the vinyl removed from the top leaving the original cornice visible.

Has anyone gone through the process of fully removing the vinyl siding? Is it too costly + the risk of having brick in bad shape underneath?

I play this game twice daily along the boulevard between my house and JSQ. Double points for the more dangerous intersections - 139, St. Paul's, and Carlton.

I was thinking this week of what part of life in JC is the most trying. To me it really might be the risk of getting hit by a turning car on JFK as well as risk of some type of accident/fender bender while driving on JFK. The specter of being victim of more serious crime is further in the back of my mind but keeping your head on a swivel for bad drivers is more of a constant.

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I have noticed that building that is being partially covered by the storefront and always wondered what the heck if anything was up there. Good to see something happening with it.

One other JSQ thing I have been wondering is what if anything is happening above the JSQ pub (I think it was Hotel on the Square). Last June there was a sign about an auction of the building but I never heard of any outcome or plans for the building.

I did not know about Modells coming to Journal Square (wasn't there a footlocker for a few years somewhat recently) but here are my observations/questions of the past few weeks around Journal Square:

1. The PJ Ryan's 2 looks pretty close to ready - hopefully that would be imminent. It is a big space and I can't quite fathom the crowd it will attract - maybe those who want a dive bar will continue at the Journal Sq Pub and those who don't will try PJ Ryan's. Looking at the space in front of it I also wonder if there might be some outside seating (although not much of a view).

2. Most of the windows are installed on the first Journal Square tower - I wonder if this will be completed and people moving in by year end? Very curious to see the prices and the people that pay would pay them.

3. 3075 Kennedy Blvd (a few blocks up from the square next to the school) looks like it has some people living in it but not sure if the lobby/ground floor are completed as there is still a construction fence in front of the property. There are new buildings behind this one that also seemed to be getting finished slowly - not sure if this is the same owner/complex.

4. I tried the Noodle Fan in the heights with my family last Saturday and enjoyed the food/service/decent ambiance. Not sure when the one in JSQ will be open but if it is on par with one in heights then would be good addition to neighborhood.

5. The building next to the Chase Bank (I think 3 JSQ) is now 7 stories and I think heading to 13 stories. It started out slowly building on top of the parking garage but seems like it is moving at a good pace now.

6. I have seen the 25 Senate shuttle van the past few weeks so those apts must be getting rented out. I have noticed over the past year a smattering of artist types exiting JSQ in the mornings (presumably headed towards Mana Contemporary area and presumable coming from a more expensive place to live) so maybe some more of these will try living in the area A ModCup was planned to open there I thought this month but not sure when?

Has anyone gotten their tap water tested for lead, etc and can anyone recommend a company that does this for home drinking water? I found this list of companies in NJ but if anyone has recommendations please let me know. http://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/water/2013LeadLabs.pdf I never really thought about it but with 2 small children I am curious to see how our tap water stacks up.

Thanks!

I noticed this weekend that on JFK (where Mister Gusto was for several years and where an Afgan place was for a short period) a sign for Noodle Fan Thai. Not sure when they will open but I believe there is another location on Central ave. Any opinions on the existing location?