Issue 181: Christmas in Jersey City
Holiday windows, toy giveaways, and more!
Good morning! I hope you’re somewhere cozy and about to get a whole lot cozier over the next few days, as the holidays are upon us. As always, thank you for reading! — Amy
Holiday windows
Artist Natasha Dzurny wrote in to let me know about two holiday window displays she created, one for WORD Bookstore (29 McWilliams Place) and one for Jersey City Bicycle Co (231 Pavonia Ave). They’re right near each other, so fans of cool window displays can easily walk from one and then see the other. As a child, I remember vividly my grandparents trotting me all over NYC to see the various displays, and I’m really happy to see that tradition slowly start to percolate here in JC.
Over at WORD, there is a big red button that visitors can press, and depending on how lucky you are, you will be declared either “naughty” or “nice.” After that, you’ll be pointed towards a curated book display, depending on your designation.
At the Jersey City Bicycle Co, there’s a Santa display of St. Nick pedaling his bicycle through his journey (and he really pedals!):
This is really cool!
From the press release:
These interactive and animated window displays were created by Natasha Dzurny (@technochic), a local artist who specializes in incorporating technology into art. They were produced in partnership with the respective retailers, the building owner Silverman, and Jersey City Recreation.
The project was envisioned as a way to showcase the JC community and generate enthusiasm for shopping locally while making the razzle-dazzle of commercial window displays achievable for small business budgets. The two window displays are the first of what the artist hopes will grow into a local tradition of driving small business sales through artful windows that spread holiday joy throughout the city.
Such window displays are sparking discussion after Saks Fifth Avenue announced they would not be doing their iconic, tourist-drawing displays this year in a reported effort to cut costs. Could Jersey City draw the spectacle-seekers to this side of the Hudson?
Ok, this is a very, very good idea!! I absolutely love the idea of JC potentially leaning into making some very cool window displays, and that could be a really great way to help lure some folks out to business districts in parts of the city that could really use a boost.
Now, I’ll just point out, this is hard — creating a really good, three-dimensional window display (let alone an interactive one) takes a lot of expertise to make it work at the level that she did. It’s not just drawing on the windows (in itself something that takes skill) — the displays above have moving parts that have to keep moving nonstop for days/weeks and not break down, along with flashing lights and other technical hurdles that are not something that just anyone can pull off. To create these displays, the artist went to the Hoboken public library and used their laser cut machine to cut down sixty pieces of cardboard that all had to fit together to help build these displays out. Then, there was the issue of adding the LED lights and “several pounds of glitter.” Pulling this off took an artist who clearly has a ton of experience in building things like this, along with funding to pay for it.
But! I would love to see some of the business districts lean into this idea. And I mean, technically, it doesn’t just have to be for Christmas. Why not do a springtime window display, or something to celebrate summer? There’s a lot of possibilities pairing talented people with our local business districts. I’m happy to see something this ambitious come to JC, and hopefully you’ll have a chance to swing by and check it out.
A very JC election Christmas
I nearly added this to the post above — but wanted the artist to have a standalone mention without mixing politics into it — because it’s kind of a display? County Commissioner/JC Mayoral candidate Bill O’Dea has a traveling haircut fishbowl truck thing that also doubles as a Christmas toy drive/present dispenser for various events he’s been sponsoring. He’s offered haircuts before for other events, but now it’s especially done up for the holiday season. Here’s one version, from X/Bluesky user Megan Carolan:
Ok that’s it in its barbershop version; here it is headed to more of a holiday-party-themed version that was making the rounds on Saturday:
(I want a truck with windows all over it now!!)
It’s basically a roaming Christmas window display only instead of animatronics or automated parts, it has people and haircuts and also toys? Honestly, I’m being a little silly, but I love this so much — it’s weird and unique and very, very Jersey City.
The other candidates to really lean into the holidays are first Jim McGreevey, who was at a toy drive in the Heights, an event for Jump for Jerry, and another toy drive at Calvary CME Church (I think these events were all sponsored by the different orgs and not McGreevey himself, just given how they were billed on his account). And then James Solomon dressed up like Santa at Ward F Councilman Frank Gilmore’s Christmas party. (I searched around for info about the remaining candidates’ holiday efforts and didn’t see anything; please do not read too much into this, but just to say I couldn’t find anything jumping out at me on their social media accounts.)
Listen, I hope I made this crystal clear with my post about Brian Stack and the turkeys, but if not: I absolutely love it when politicians do this sort of thing (aka going all out on the holidays for us plebes), and no, there isn’t the tiniest bit of sarcasm in that whatsoever — I mean that fully and genuinely. It results in people who need stuff getting (some of) the stuff they need, plus maybe a little cheer, and that’s awesome. It also at least gets the candidate to see the level of need in the city if only for a moment, as well as gets them to interact with people whose lives are impacted by poverty, as opposed to totally avoiding it and just surrounding themselves with, oh I don’t know, real estate developers and people who want to push them to higher office. I’ve seen some people online tsk-tsking about how unseemly it is for candidates to give stuff away, and just — well, that’s nonsense. There are cocktail parties and other events for wealthy, big money donors to campaigns all the time; why not let other people get something nice as well? Let people have fun, and let them have nice things.
Drones!!!
Drone update: there are still drones. They’re everywhere. I keep hearing from you. No one knows what to do.
Mayor Fulop put out a nine-Tweet thread about what he’d do differently if he were governor and the drone thing was happening (which, dear god, I hope this is all over with soon and doesn’t happen again?). It’s all very amusing for more reasons than I really care to unpack, but also — my neighborhood is still waiting to hear what happened with that shooting/murder/multiple witnesses thing from two weeks ago… could we get an update on that, please?
The FAA has banned drones flying over parts of NJ, but it’s totally unclear if this includes police drones and commercial drones and/or just hobbyist drones. I mean the call says to everyone, but I kind of doubt all the others were really included or I’d assume is we’d hear more complaining from Amazon and local police, just a guess.
“In light of recent drone activity in New Jersey the General Assembly today adopted AR173 urging the federal government to launch a comprehensive investigation into the increasing number of unidentified drones reported in New Jersey airspace.” (Link)
Sorry everyone: there is now a drone “erotic tale” available for purchase. From the Amazon description: “Hank’s evening walks are a highlight of his day, an opportunity to disconnect from the usual chaos of work and tune into the natural New Jersey landscape. It’s a reliable routine, but things change when Hank spots a gathering of mysterious hovering objects in the evening sky. Upon returning home, Hank’s online research reveals that thousands of people have been spotting these enigmatic flying drones. What they’re doing up there, however, is still a mystery. When two of these drones arrive at Hank’s door, the truth starts gradually falling into place. It seems there’s much more happening in the New Jersey skies than previously thought, and it’s more erotic—and bisexual—than anyone could’ve ever imagined.” Here is the link; you have been warned!
Ok so, meanwhile — while I’m all for having fun, especially at this time of year, we still don’t know what’s going on? People — among them, very credible people — are still seeing them, and a lot of people are pretty scared. I don’t know what I can say or add — I really wish we had an answer as to what’s going on, but we just don’t.
Feral(s) of the day
Ok we have two this week — first, because it’s Christmas and secondly because they’re besties:
These two were hanging out together (note the matching water bowls left out for them) but the orange one got skittish and ran a bit when she saw me. But they’re pals, and they hang out at a pretty posh spot in my neighborhood where a kindly man brings them food often; the night I took this pic is the first time I realized they had their own water bowls too. Pretty good for street cat… although I’m not entirely convinced they’re totally feral and don’t just live in the house they were near (although the orange one has his ear clipped). Either way, I apologize for breaking up their hanging out time, and hope they don’t mind that I stopped to take their pics.
ICYMI
Steven Englander, the director of legendary DIY/punk rock/LES art space ABC No Rio, died at 63. While he lived and was very much part of the fabric of NYC, I’m noting his passing here because I know that years ago, he loved taking his (then young) daughter to Liberty State Park to fly kites, and I once had a fascinating conversation with him about how the wind patterns of LSP were especially good for this. That conversation has always stayed with me, and I wondered if any of the regulars of LSP perhaps remembered him. To say he left an indelible mark on the LES/East Village is an understatement; he will be greatly missed.
James Solomon has announced Lorena Loayza as the newest member of his slate for Ward B Council.
Happy holidays to everyone!! I am anticipating no newsletter next week and the week after, unless something crazy happens in the news (in which case I’ll jump back in). Paid subscribers will get their extra post as usual. Everyone else, I look forward to seeing you on 1/11!! I hope you have an amazing holiday and very happy new year!