Weehawken Mansion Listed for $11.9M Could Set Hudson County Record

Weehawken Mansion Listed for $11.9M Could Set Hudson County Record

nj.com, 7-Nov-16

By Vicki Hyman

One of Weehawken's grandest homes, positioned on King's Bluff with ornate interiors and sweeping views of New York City, has hit the market at a whopping $11.88 million, according to its Trulia.com listing. That's almost double the 2014 sale price of its neighbor, which held the record for the most expensive sale in Hudson County until earlier this year.

If the Weehawken home, with an imposing facade anchored by Doric columns, a widow's walk and a glass-domed conservatory with wrap-around windows facing the Hudson, sells for anywhere near asking, it will easily surpass the current Hudson County record-holder, an 8,000-square-foot Hoboken townhouse that underwent a high-end renovation and sold for $6.5 million in May.

The 6-bedroom home on Hamilton Avenue, near the site of the 1804 Alexander Hamilton-Aaron Burr duel, is loaded with rococco architectural flourishes, including gold appliqued molding, stained glass windows, ceiling frescoes, elaborately carved fireplaces and pediments and marble and herringbone floors. It also has updated kitchens and bathrooms.

The property was once part of a large estate owned by banking magnate James Gore King, and his children sold off the parcel that would become King's Bluff beginning in 1894 and 1895, according to Lauren Sherman of the Weehawken Historical Commission. This home was built around 1900. (The exact location of the duel is believed to have been blasted away during the construction of a railroad line at the bottom of the Palisades.)

The current owners bought the home in 2009 for $3.8 million, records show. Property taxes are $42,862 a year. Steven Shaw of Coldwell Banker has the listing.

The next priciest listings on the market in Hudson County are another Weehawken home atop the Palisade cliffs, this one built in the 1970s with seven bedrooms and a pool, and Giants quarterback Eli Manning's Hoboken condo in the Hudson Tea building, which has languished on the market for a year and a half. Both are listed at $5.2 million. 

Unofficial Election results from Weehawken for the 2016 General Election

2016 Election Ballot for Weehawken Residents

Link to the Full Ballot.

9 things you need to know about N.J.'s rising gas tax

9 things you need to know about N.J.'s rising gas tax

NJ.om, 16-Oct-16

By The Auditor

It's official: New Jersey's gas tax will go up by 23 cents a gallon in a few weeks (November 1 to be exact) to restart the broke fund that pays for road and rail projects.

But The Auditor knows there's a story behind such sudden pain at the pump.

Here are 9 things you may not have known about the gas tax, the only one Garden Staters could point at with pride and say to America: We pay less than you.

1. It's been around since the year Babe Ruth clubbed 60 homers

The first Jersey gas tax, at 2 cents a gallon, debuted on July 1, 1927. Later that year, the Holland Tunnel opened and construction began on a certain bridge now known for its politically motivated traffic jams.

2. The last time it went up, Reagan was president

The current tax was last raised in 1988, when gas went for 92 cents a gallon and a movie ticket would set you back $3.50.

3. The fund for road projects was designed to never go broke

When the Transportation Trust Fund to finance road and rail projects was enacted, it was supposed to be self-sustaining. Governors and lawmakers were to keep spending in check so loans could be paid off and there would always be enough cash in the bank. Of course, Trenton spent more than it should and didn't pay in enough. File it under boondoggles, right next to pensions.

4. Gas tax for open space?

Gov. Christie Whitman wanted to raise the gas tax and spend some of its proceeds on open space preservation. But Republican lawmakers who were swept into office by lambasting Democratic tax increases weren't open to the idea.

5. It became sacred

The longer the low gas tax remained, the harder it was to raise. Property taxes were sky high, but Jerseyans could always take heart that gas was cheap. Before he signed it, Gov. Chris Christie was the latest to do all he could to avoid raising the tax, and mocked the idea that New Jersey even had a transportation funding crisis while he was wooing Republican voters in a presidential run.

6. What you'll pay

Figure the extra tax will set you back $110 to $170 a year, based on differing estimates on how many miles you drive and how many miles per gallon your car gets.

7. Another Jersey tax near the top

In one fell swoop on Nov. 1, New Jersey will go from having the second lowest gas tax in America to the seventh highest.

8. But ...

Jersey residents will still have local bragging rights, because it will still be lower than the gas tax in New York and Pennsylvania.

9. And you don't have to worry about this

That other sacred Jersey gasoline tradition — a ban on self-serve gas — remains safe. Christie and Senate President Stephen Sweeney have both said they won't dare do anything that could prompt Jersey motorists to splash any of that more-expensive gas all over themselves.

Related News
Christie signs bill raising N.J. gas tax 23 cents a gallon (nj.com)
New Jersey Is Known for Cheap Gas. The Glory Days Are About to End (nytimes.com)

Hudson County average home sale prices

Avora condos in Weehawken selling long before they're built

Source: Data from NJ Division of Taxation

It’s Hamilton on the Hudson!

It’s Hamilton on the Hudson!

Hudson Reporter, 11-Sep-16

By Rory Pasquariello

Tourists flock to historic duel site in Weehawken because of hit play

They’ve come from across the land, from Manhattan to Seattle, to walk to a small historic monument in Weehawken’s bluffs overlooking the Hudson River.

Thanks to the success of the smash Broadway hit musical “Hamilton,” which received 11 Tony awards this year, more people than ever are interested in seeing the picturesque spot where Vice President Aaron Burr killed the former treasury secretary in a duel on July 11, 1804. The event occurred after years of simmering political differences and tensions between the two.

The frequent clashing of great minds took a much different form in the political arenas of early 19th-Century America than today, when having a great mind is no prerequisite to enter such an arena.

People around the world have become immensely interested in the life of Hamilton, one of the country’s founding fathers, thanks to the success of the musical that opened in August of 2015 and is – according to the Richard Rodgers Theater -- sold out through at least next June. (Tickets can be had for $450 on ticketing websites, or sometimes by camping out all night in Manhattan.)

New and old media organizations have increasingly paid homage to Hamilton’s legacy. Ron Chernow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and author of the biography from which the musical is based, has been all over the airwaves, as has Lin Manual Miranda, creator of the musical. It was one of only nine musicals ever to win the Pulitzer.

Attendance at historic sites in Paterson, Weehawken, and Morristown has jumped, but it’s the monument at the duel site that attracts the most attention, marking the sensational ending to a great American life. Hamilton actually died one day after the duel, in the home of his good friend William Bayard Jr. in New York.

Piqued interest

Every year, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner attends the city’s annual Celebrate Hamilton event on July 11. “Each year it gets bigger and bigger,” he said. “The play has renewed interest in the area.” That renewed interest, Turner believes, encourages historical learning. “Hamilton is a great historical figure, and we often forget because most Americans aren’t dedicated students of history,” he said. “It’s nice to have something that comes along that reminds us of the great history we have.”

Lauren Sherman, chair of the Weehawken Historical Commission, said, “I’ve heard of people taking selfies at the monument and some girls crying. Because of the musical, he’s now cool.”

One group of young people with long selfie sticks posing in front of the monument last week were happy to share their thoughts on Hamilton’s legacy.

“He’s the father of modern banking,” said Jim Furman, who is from Manhattan but was visiting friends in Union City. “He’s legend.”

Hamilton is known as “the father of modern banking” because his most impactful contribution to this country was perhaps the establishment of a central bank, which he believed to be necessary to establish stable national credit and promote business. He was like the responsible parent who co-signs his daughter’s credit card just to ensure she goes out into the real world with good credit.

Amy Zhang, also from Manhattan, talked about her admiration for Lin Manuel Miranda. “He’s a genius,” she said. “I haven’t seen the play, but the soundtrack is amazing, and I love his character. It’s surreal to be standing here, at this rock where Hamilton laid his head down, shot.” According to Sherman, the tidbit about Hamilton’s head, explained on the plaque, was not added until the memorial was moved to the top of the ridge overlooking the Hudson in the late 1850s.

Memorial drew duelers

The original memorial was built in 1806 at a cost of $750 and consisted of various images along with a rock and a plaque.

But there was a problem.

“The memorial, instead of honoring the men, it started to draw more duelists,” Sherman said. Dueling was illegal in New York at the time, making the shore of Weehawken a prime location for such activity. But duels were outlawed in New Jersey in 1845.

Sherman said that the memorial started coming apart early on. “People were taking pieces of the monument with them. By 1821, there wasn’t much left other than this plaque with the engraving.”

She said after dueling was outlawed in New Jersey, people still came to the grounds to settle disputes by duel, using cork instead of bullets.

The views and the history

A retired history teacher from Seattle, Gordon Knight, was at the monument last week with his wife, Debby, taking in the views and the history. “It’s way down on a ledge, used to be surrounded by bush,” Gordon said, pointing to the original dueling grounds under the Palisade hills where Hamilton was fatally wounded.

Knight turned around to inspect a big rock behind him with the old sign indicating that Hamilton rested his head on that very rock after being shot. “I also like the plaque,” Knight said. “It’s remarkable.”

Gordon was enjoying the view of the Manhattan skyline as well.

“The size of Seattle is like one little section of Manhattan,” Debby said.

On any given day, and especially on weekends, tour buses from all over stop on the shoulder of Eastern Boulevard in Weehawken. Passengers pile out to stretch their legs and capture the extraordinary views of the Manhattan skyline from Hamilton Park. With a familiar eye and a very strong pair of binoculars, you can even spot where the play is performed near Times Square at the Richard Rodgers Theater on 46th Street.

The monument is located on Hamilton Avenue, just off of Boulevard East (otherwise known as John F. Kennedy Boulevard East). For those wanting to take public transportation, the monument is not far from the Hudson Bergen Light Rail stop at the Port Imperial ferry terminal in West New York, if you’re willing to walk to the steps up the Palisades. Several buses from New York City also coast along Boulevard East.

As for the Knights, they haven’t yet seen the musical.

“We can’t afford it,” Gordon laughed. “We saw ‘Wicked,’ but “Hamilton” tickets can go up to $3,000. I guess there’s super rich people who can afford it.”

The secretary of the treasury might have had something to say about that.

Presidential Primaries - Weehawken Results

Weehawken Easter

St. Patrick's Day celebration concert in Weehawken March 9

St. Patrick's Day celebration concert in Weehawken March 9

1-Mar-16, The Jersey Journal

By Lois DiTommaso

Mick Moloney and Friends will start the St. Patrick's Day celebration a week early with a special concert March 9 for the UBS Atrium Series in Weehawken.

Classic Irish and Celtic tunes music will be featured at the event, to be held at 12:30 p.m., in the Atrium at 1000 Harbor Boulevard in the Lincoln Harbor section of Weehawken.

Moloney will be joined at the concert by Athena Tergis, known for her featured work as principal violinist in Broadway's Riverdance; fiddler and vocalist Liz Hanley; button accordion master Billy McComiskey; uilleann piper Jerry O'Sullivan; and step dancer Niall O'Leary.

Moloney, a musician, folklorist, musical anthropologist, and educator, has recorded and produced over 40 albums of traditional music and acted as advisor for scores of festivals and concerts across America. He also has served as the artistic director for several major arts tours including The Green Fields of America, an ensemble of Irish musicians, singers and dancers which toured the United States on several occasions.

He has hosted three nationally syndicated series of folk music on American Public Television; was a consultant, performer and interviewee on the Irish Television special "Bringing It All Back Home"; a participant, consultant and music arranger of the PBS documentary film "Out of Ireland"; and a performer on the PBS special "The Irish in America: Long Journey Home."

In 1999 he was awarded the National Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts — the highest official honor a traditional artist can receive in the United States. He also received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award from the President of Ireland in November of 2013.

The concert is free and open to the public and the venue is wheelchair accessible.  Free parking is available and public transportation options include NJ Transit Bus #158 as well as the Hudson Bergen Light Rail to Lincoln Harbor. 

For directions and more information, visit hrpac.org - or call the concert hotline at 201-716-4540. 

"Snow Angel" By WHS Students

8 N.J. Laws That Took Effect January 1

8 N.J. Laws That Took Effect January 1

NJ.com, 1-Jan-16

By Samantha Marcus

With the new year come some new laws in New Jersey.

Eight laws will take effect today, according to the state's nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services. Seven were signed into law 2015 and one in 2014.

1. Prohibiting unsolicited checks: This law bans companies from sending New Jersey residents unsolicited checks that, when redeemed, obligate the recipient to pay a fee or enrolls them in any service or plan.

State Assembyman Paul Moriarty (D-Gloucester) introduced the legislation after a constituent showed him an unsolicited check for $8.25 that upon being cashed would have enrolled him or her in an $15.99 a month automotive roadside assistance program, he said in a statement.

"These so-called free money offers are at their best deceptive and, at their worst, downright dishonest," Moriarty said after the bill was signed into tlaw. "Right now, consumers are at their most vulnerable to fall for a scheme that appears to offer them instant cash but would end up costing them much more in the long-run." 

Violators may be hit with a $500 fine on their first violation and $1,000 for each additional violation.

9 of the oddest bills of 2015

2. A new way to donate to veterans: This law gives New Jersey taxpayers the opportunity to donate a portion of their tax refund to the Fund for the Support of New Jersey Nonprofit Veterans Organizations. Taxpayers can indicate they'd like to make a contribution on their gross income tax return or enclose a donation. Those dollars will be distributed annually to private nonprofit organizations supporting veterans.

3. An email alert system for lowering the flag: The Secretary of State will operate an email notification system to alert people when the governor orders the U.S. and state flags flown at half-staff. 

4. New requirements for dispensing pharmaceutical drugs: This law establishes conditions for pharmacists dispensing bio-similar, or generic, drugs. Within five days of filling the prescription, he or she must alert whoever wrote the original prescription what product it was substituted for. They must also indicate there was a substitution on the prescription label.

5. New prescription drug disposal education: This law requires that pharmacies and prescribers dispensing controlled dangerous substances a notice advising patients of drug drop-off programs.

6. New application for applying for developmental disability services: This law streamlines the application process for people requesting services for individuals with developmental disabilities from the Department of Children and Families and Department of Human Services by developing a single application.

7. Revises the "Self-funded Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement Regulation Act: The law provides incentives for employers to band together to offer health insurance through self-funded or partially self-funded Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements, or pools.

8. Creating fishing buddy licenses: This law creates a fishing buddy license to encourage more recreational fishing. It offers half-price licenses to people 16 and older who purchase their license in conjunction with someone purchasing their first New Jersey fishing license since 2010.

"This is a great incentive for New Jersey residents and visitors to enjoy recreational fishing as they share great times with friends and family," Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D- Gloucester) said in a statement when it was signed into law. "Angling also supports our state's wildlife management efforts, conservation programs, and it helps boost economic activity."