Jersey City on Christmas Day

My daily walk to the train looks a little different on Christmas morning.

Get Thee to JC: Another Man's Treasure

We have been saying how much we like Jersey City (JC) for a while now, so we figure it's time to get a little more specific.

We at Skyrocket Penguin are not adventurous dressers. Tim Gunn would admire our restraint (no midriff) but disapprove of our Rumsfeld-in-retirement attire.


So we occasionally visit Another Man's Treasure. You ever find a Fort Knox Softball League T-shirt at a Salvation Army store that you now can't stop wearing? Ever go to a flea market and find a coat that fit like nothing made today because it was made 40 years ago? Another Man's Treasure collects all those and sells them in one place. Specifically, one block away from the Grove Street PATH stop.

We bought an "I ♥ JC" shirt that doesn't even resemble something that would fit us. We're saving it for the next generation.

Magic Hour in JC

One of the many things I’ve learned from the movie Old School is "magic hour." In the words of director Adam McKay:

“Magic hour is that time between afternoon and night and it’s sort of optimal shooting time…” Between sunset and nightfall, light reflects off the darkening and colorful sky, so everything is briefly lit much differently than at any other time of the day. Shadows are longer and the light is softer and gives everything a different hue. When people talk about the “long evenings” during summer, they’re probably referring to the longer magic “hour” at that time of year.

No matter where you are, magic hour does its trick, even in Jersey City neighborhoods.

These pipes are about 40 feet long, and will be driven into the ground with a steam-powered pile driver until only about 6 feet remain above ground.


This is actually a pristine shot of Bam Bam, a neighborhood dog. Puppies just lack focus.

Streetlights make for interesting lighting, too.

A Ray-Finned Fish Known for Its Fearsome Appearance

Anyone who's seen an episode of the old Batman TV show knows that onomatopoeia is.

I wonder if there is a term to describe a word the sound of which is especially descriptive of that word's tenor, tone, or connotation.

Like barracuda.

Awesomeness... too severe... cannot type.... at normal rate

I'm proud of Jersey City not despite of its shortcomings but because of them – some, anyway. I don't like the attitude that leads to the litter on the downtown strip, but it gives the city a more complete character: Yeah, we've got our problems, but who doesn't? You go into Hoboken and it's like Disneyland, only more expensive. Ironically, these annoyances make JC feel more welcoming because you don't have to go far to reach "the real" Jersey City. When you take in our rough edges and the extremely disparate neighborhoods, classes, and art throughout the city, you realize you've got one of the most interesting places in the country.

JC has a lot more rust than this Beetle, but they both have a lot of personality (and JC moves a little faster). Although the farting catback exhausts on the first-gen Altimas around here let you know you're in JC, the guys driving them could learn something from this Bug.












The owner of Der Hooplevagen may be trying to make his own, more modest version of Coop's 1929 Tudor Sedan.