Hot dogs in Hoboken!

The Newport Yacht Club we are staying at is the friendliest marina we have run into! Pat & Greg, the Marina managers, are absolutely wonderful! We were invited to their weekend cook out yesterday, and every morning there is coffee, bagels, and good conversation with the marina residents in the club room. The live a-boards next to us are constantly giving us advice as to where to go, and how to get there, and checking to see if we need anything. The other day she brought us a pan of sliced fresh watermelon!

This 1930 yacht, Justice, is docked just up from us. It is absolutely spectacular! We talked to the captain briefly, and were told that it goes to inside storage every winter, and a team of 16 people attend to every detail on the boat. Above are the specs.

Those flowers are live orchids!





Pat got this shot of the Empire State Building last night from the dock.

This morning at coffee, one of the marina residents gave us a little history of this area. We are in Jersey City, across the river is Manhattan, and up the river about a 1/2 mile on this side is Hoboken. In the early 1900‘s this side of the river was filled with train tracks, piers and warehouses. It was a heavy industrial / shipping area.  The railroad owned all the land and water front.

With the advent of the interstate freeway system, the railroads began to suffer, eventually filed bankruptcy, and just left the land and buildings to deteriorate. 

Some areas that have not yet been redeveloped still show signs of the

old piers and warehouses.

This was the section of town that Al Capone used to dispose of some of

his “friends” in cement overshoes!

Samuel Lafrak eventually bought up the land, and began a redevelopment with the help of Jersey and Hoboken cities. 

An easement was created about 1/2 a city block back from the water front, which must remain green space for walking paths and parks. This lighthouse sits on Lafrak Point, just up a block from the marina. We took a walk up the river to Hoboken, and were delighted to see what had been done!

It is an oasis of walking paths, a beach area, playgrounds for the kids, and “islands of land” created out over the water! Behind much of this are high rise condos and retail stores.

When  we got to Hoboken, the scene turned a little more urban, with the original buildings and store fronts.

It was lunch time, so what better choice than a hot dog street vendor! We waited patiently while  this guy tried to grill our dogs. I think it was his first day on the job. There were a few elder Italians around in the same “hot dog” shirts, and a lot of Italian directions were being issued!!!

We finally got ‘em, and they were delicious!!!

A little further along, and we see this dilapidated building. It was a previous ferry terminal, now closed. But right around the corner, was the original Lackawanna Railroad Depot!

The interior of this building is magnificent!

It has the original wooden benches and the shoe shine stand! This is now being used as the station for the New Jersey Transit System. 

  

It was time to turn around and head back. We decided to walk down the main street of Hoboken. Pat thought this apartment building reminded her of a scene in Pretty Woman. 

It was a great day for a walk to Hoboken and a hot dog!

Captn Ken