street art in hoboken

i went for a walk last weekend and spotted this recycled garden-hose-chair-art on garden st in hoboken. how creative and fun! thanks to whoever made it. it was a nice surprise on a cold day.

...calling all peeps...

in my quest to find and document street art in the hoboken area, i've been directed to (thanks to an artist-friend) the agitators collective, a group of artists whose mission is to collectively engage the jersey city community through "the happy burden of art making."

check out their 7,000 peeps installation from may 06. (i used to love peeps, fresh out of the freezer, but i gave the chemical concoctions up for good...)



also see the photos of how the collective put this peeps parade together... happy peeping!

and if you like this stuff, check out the agitators collective and many other artists at the jersey city artists studio tour on october 6-7.

living in poverty--sidewalk street art

today i stumbled across this message in front of the haven savings bank on washington street. i took some pixs and stood nearby and watched reactions from people passing by. most just walked on by or walked over the chalked message, oblivious, while chatting on their cells or listening to their ipods. one woman stopped, read it and looked at me, curious. but we only exchanged a few words. the old street sweeper man noticed it, took his time and read the words. on my watch, most folks just walked on by...

36 million people in the USA are in poverty <------ that's about the population of california!

update: just saw another sighting, same message in front of mcdonald's at washington and 3rd street. here's to you, street messenger, for trying to get people to think.

is it art or just compulsive recycling?

walking around hoboken yesterday on bloomfield street, i stumbled across this bizarre art/recycling installation. thursday is paper recycling in our city. so, was the creator of this art form merely putting out his/her recycling?

inside every Parliament cigarette box was a neatly folded up bunch of paper. totally obsessive compulsive. apparently this is a usual set up. a month ago, i noticed this exact arrangement but it was late at night and i didn't have my camera. disappointed that i couldn't document such creativity, i figured it was a fleeting, one-time street art project. i'm glad to say it is not. this person sure is puffing away a lot but at least he/she is recycling...

5 things i love about hoboken right now

1. eli's cappuccinos and mochas... a perfect mix of steamed milk, espresso and chocolate. plus a pretty design. add a pain au chocolat for good measure (eli's creation above right). stay by the espresso bar, listen to eli craft a poem or talk to other hoboken folks that don't follow the usual 9 to 5 grind... find him at emack and bolio's at 517 washington street.

2. street art (above left) that reminds us of vanishing hoboken. condos are everywhere. old, family run businesses are losing ground. banks, nail salons and starbucks chains now inhabit the sturdy buildings of classical & traditional architectural beauties. see vanishing hoboken at right, on first street.

3. hoboken has a crepe restaurant! the crepe grill, located at 525 frank sinatra drive, recently opened right by the hudson river with a spectacular city view. we enjoyed both an entree crepe (offerings are both meat and veggie) and a dessert one (nutella of course). pick from the many choices and enjoy the view while you munch. the crepes we chose were tasty, the crepe just slightly crunchy, warm and soft enough. a healthy serving of nutella, not skimping on flavor.

4. woman-owned businesses like patricia's yarns. i stopped to meet patricia and fellow knitter, margaux (tentenknits) when a stunning green sweater in the store window (see photo) kept catching my eye every time i passed by. patricia launched her store 3 years ago to teach knitting and crocheting (see class schedule here). the store, located just off washington street, at 107 4th street, has yarn supplies (a range of lovely colors and products from around the world) and a cozy space for classes.

5. the little grocery is where you can get hoboken's best egg sandwich, artisanal cheese, balthazar bakery croissants and freshly prepared meals that rival mom's home cooking. stroll over to 214 jefferson street for a moveable feast.

d u h! it's STREET ART!

while browsing on hoboken411 (which boasts itself as the NEW online guide for hoboken), i found this:
the blogger titled his post, anti war sign, and wrote, "Spotted this rogue sign someone nailed to the street pole near Maxwell Place on 11th and Hudson Streets. Thought about taking it as a souvenir, but wanted to see how long it’d stay on. It shows bombs, what appears to be some kind of chemical (hence the umbrella) and backwards E’s on the “NINE” and the “TIME”.
What would be your translation for those that don’t get it? How long do you think before it’s removed?"

rogue??? that's a slightly loaded adjective!! we all know what rogue implies & it ain't nice. well, hmmm, you don't get it? it's street art & it's subversive, that's the entire point -- if you can't figure out the message, then i won't tell ya. bets on when it will be removed? taking it as a souvenir? how quaint. damn, this town needs more subversive art & activists. (whenever we put up anti-war stickers around town, on community billboards, signs, etc., sadly & predictably, they were promptly removed.)

where's banksy when you need him?! see his graffiti street art above and much more on flickr.