I’ve been pretty active on Google Mapmaker for a while, where users can add, edit and approve changes to Google Maps. I’ve made sure the streets and parking lots on the campus of Stevens Institute are correct. I’ve made sure that the roads and parking lots in our Hoboken supermarkets, senior housing and HUD housing are accurate. Quite a bit of this “making sure” involved adding the roads and parking lots to the maps – they weren’t always there.

Recently, the Hoboken Historical Museum, of which Lisa and I are proud members, mounted a map exhibit. After taking in the show, I had a nice conversation with the Museum’s Bob Foster. The result? A map of Hoboken’s named street signs, monuments and statues.

Of course, Google Maps allows anyone to make custom maps, like the one I made of a path I saw a raccoon walk in City Line, Brookyn a few years ago. However, I wanted the street signs to be find-able by any Google Maps user, so I used Mapmaker to add/make sure each of these items was included. So, if you go to Google Maps and search on “Biggie’s Way” in Hoboken you’ll get a hit.

So, here’s my custom map. Bob and I first discussed the street signs. Then I went ahead and added the statues and monuments, since I had already added them to Google Maps. My little icons are serviceable, and were fun to make. I also took snapshots of each place (well, maybe not all of them). If you click on the icon you should see the snapshot in the pop-up. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

View City of Hoboken Street Signs, Monuments, Statues in a larger map

I wrote an entry here a while back extolling one particular virtue of Hoboken’s Maxwell’s – rock club, restaurant and watering hole par excellence – its one small video screen. A great respite from almost all the other places in Hoboken.

In said post, I mentioned “The Hoboken Sound”, a local NYC news produced documentary from 1985 about the music scene. Well, after some comments on the Maxwell’s Facebook page/group, a near-complete copy of the show was offered by Jesse Jarnow. I then converted and posted it to my YouTube page. It is almost complete, because I have a memory of reporter Bob O’Brien riding off on a motorcycle at some point in the show, perhaps the final shot. That scene is not in this video. I also noticed a Group W title, that seems to indicate to me that this is from a recording where the documentary was perhaps re-shown or syndicated, rather than a recording of the actual first local NYC broadcast.

And here it is:

And, yes, I have one of these.

"This container is a replica of the original store tin that was sold on March 6, 1912 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Oreo biscuits became an instant success and now are the best selling cookies in the world."

I have eaten many Oreos.

And enjoy Hoboken’s history.

From 1986, an article about Hoboken written by Don Singleton and published by PSE&G in their quarterly house organ “The Energy People.”

Scanned from a copy of the magazine Mark Singleton had in his file cabinet of wonders.

Big thanks to Don for his OK to offer it here!

Download (PDF, 847KB)

Why Maxwell’s?

I could wax poetic its about years of existence, thriving music bookings, and more (and maybe I will someday; at least I worked on the Maxwell’s Wikipedia entry back in 2006), but Lisa & I went there for cocktails last night and there is one aspect of the Maxwell’s experience that I just love to pieces:

There is only one small TV in the whole place. And it’s not easily visible.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone who keeps that tradition going.

In 1985, NYC local channel 5 produced a special about “The Hoboken Sound.” I was surprised when owner Steve Fallon asked me what he should do because he didn’t have any TVs in the place. I suggested that for the night the special was being broadcast he fill the place with TVs, which he did.

I believe that after the special finished, the TVs were turned off.

It was a fun night, if I recall correctly.

Catching up on some entries here; I’m both happy and sad to report that the Stevens Love Nest briefly came back to life in early December.

There was a moment in time. Just a brief, fleeting moment, when love was in the air on Sixth Street in Hoboken.

In a small ventilation inset of the Burchard Building – a Stevens Institute of Technology classroom and laboratory building marked “Electrical Engineering. Metallurgy – Physics” – liquid refreshment containers reproduced.

It was signed the Love Nest.

The progenitor was a small Rita’s cup. Left on the ledge for “weeks”, this delightful cup asexually reproduced a Dunkin Donuts cup.

The next day, in an explosion of Pre-Cambrian proportions, a glass bottle, a Wendy’s cup and a Starbucks cup were all produced.

Then, in no quicker a time than it appeared, the Love Nest went extinct.

I miss the Love Nest. Do you?