As Seen on TV: Mercy, Episode 2 Locations

Enos Jones Park plays host to the softball team. Just like in the real Jersey City, everyone is drunk while playing softball.



The rear of PS 5 pretends to be the exterior of Mercy Hospital.

213 Newark Avenue Named "The Saffron"

The Field's Development project on Newark Avenue just west of Jersey Avenue is set to auction several units, according to the NY Times. The 76 unit low rise building, to be named The Saffron, will auction between 9 and 15 units to jump start traditional sales.

The Saffron sits on what had been an empty lot for several years. With several spaces for retail shops, the new construction could provide a big boon for the stretch of Newark Avenue. While the whole of Newark Avenue has been slower to enjoy the benefits of gentrification, most new restaurants and shops have been opened east of Jersey Avenue. The once empty lot where The Saffron now stands was a formidable obstacle to the western section's redevelopment.

Recently, however, the mysterious Port-O Lounge began operating on weekends across the street from the new building. Once occupied, the Saffron may do well extending what is considered by many as the western border of the Newark Avenue retail strip.

Lucky 7, Basic Cafe Star in NBC Drama

Tonight is the premiere of NBC's Mercy, a hospital drama set in a fictional Jersey City hospital. Although the hospital interiors of the show are shot in a vacant Paterson hospital, many scenes from the pilot have been shot in and around downtown Jersey City.

The drama focuses on three nurses. The show opens with Iraq veteran nurse Veronica enjoying a cup of coffee in local cafe, Basic, on the corner of Eighth and Erie. And as happens all too often at Erie Street, two cars slam into each other at the corner, just outside the cafe.

Another familiar spot is Lucky 7, a bar on Second and Coles. The three nurses have a scene sitting on the balcony of the local nightspot; the balcony is not normally open to patrons.

Mercy airs tonight at 8 on NBC.


Basic cafe, where the audience is introduced to Veronica

Wayne and Barrow Street

Excitement Builds as Another Convenience Store is Set to Open on Newark Avenue

Newark Avenue, the long beleaguered shopping district in the downtown, is getting a new store: a convenience store. TwentyFour 7 is replacing Gas, a men's boutique store that had a shelf life of about three weeks. Don't tell 7-Eleven corporate though, because the store's signage looks remarkably similar.

Across the street, adjacent to the former Ox restaurant is another convenience bodega grocery that opened last year, and a block further east on Newark is yet another that opened at about the same time. These new stores join long time favorites Grove Newstand and Downtown Newstand all within a two block stretch of Newark Avenue.

Hoboken Now Gets Facelift, Gets More Internety

Jersey Journal blogs Hoboken Now and Hudson County Now recently received a facelift. The previously cumbersome design has been replaced with a more modern look and feel, and the biggest change has been converting the byline's into links, allowing users to find pots by particular reporters, just like a real blog. Also more prominent are social networking features such as comments, previously stuck at the end of long posts. However, tags and categories have been removed, a curious omission for a blog.

Tomorrow Is Park(ing) Day

Tomorrow is the not-yet- getting-you-out- of-work- holiday, Park(ing) Day where intrepid urbanites turn a parking space into a bit of park space. Jersey City is getting its own 120 square feet of heaven tomorrow at Newark Avenue and Baldwin. The Jersey City Independent has a bit on all that or read more at ParkingDayNYC.com.

Crystal Point

Crystal Point, the luxury residential tower on the tip of Second Street is nearing completion of its exterior work. When the tower was originally planned, the asking price was one of the highest in downtown Jersey City; the assurance of unobstructed views more or less in perpetuity had helped bolster the building's prospects. Two sides of the tower abut the Hudson River.

More exciting for the average Jersey City resident is the eventual reopening of the Hudson River Walkway. Since the developer somehow convinced the city to allow them to shut off access to the Second Street cul-de-sac, the walkway has been truncated by twice the distance necessary, since pedestrians walking north must go around the south side of Harborside Plaza 10. The construction provides a major interruption to the walkway, which was recently extended to connect Hoboken and Jersey City segments in the north.


Above, the close segment of walkway around the construction site. Because Second Street is closed for the construction, pedestrians must walk all the way around Haborside Plaza 10 to avoid the detour.


In June, the New York Times reported that a quarter of the 289 units had been sold. The project received an amended abatement from the city this summer, and the Jersey Journal revealed the developer had made $7,500 in contributions to Mayor Healy's $3 million campaign war chest.

Doggie Daycare Coming to Waldo Lofts

One of the long vacant retail spaces in the base of the Waldo Lofts on Second Street is finally filling up. K9dergarten, a dog day care and boarding facility is setting up shop offering the usual in puppy pampering for absentee moms and dads.

255 Grand Street

An overview of the project from Grand Street looking south towards Gulls Cove


The western side of the building.


The low rise section of the building along Grand Street



The meeting of the low rise segment and the taller section of the tower.


The corner of Marin and Grand


Windows are being installed at the lower levels at the corner of Grand and Marin




Looking south down Marin Blvd towards Gulls Cove and the light rail station.

Monaco Towers Above Ground

The Monaco Towers, a double tower residential project going up in the former parking lot of the Doubletree Hotel on Washington Blvd and Sixth Street, is finally taking shape above ground. This project has had a long history of breaking ground and than vanishing altogether. Last year the city granted an amended tax abatement with the caveat the project break ground or risk losing the sweetened deal.

The two towers include more than 500 apartment rental units and 11,000 square feet of retail space. A third tower, the San Remo, was originally planned for the south side of the hotel, but has been delayed indefinitely.

Waterfront Walkway Opens, Scissors Not Required

The Long Slip Pedestrian bridge and connecting segment of the waterfront walkway in front of Newport opened to foot traffic, at least unofficially. The bridge links Hoboken to Jersey City. Surprisingly, no red ribbons were injured in the opening of the bridge.

Hamilton Park: Remediation vs. Capping

During the renovations of Hamilton Park, soil samples revealed lead and other contaminants in parts of the park. Before renovations are completed, the contaminants need to either be capped under a protective layer of clean soil or entirely removed. The Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association is holding a meeting tonight to discuss the issue.

Capping is faster and cheaper, and will preserve many more trees. Remediation on the other hand means the removal of the contaminants, but cause delays and come with higher costs.

7:45 Wednesday
September 2nd
Cordero Elementary School
158 Erie Street

United Water Tells City to Boil Water

United Water posted an alert advising Jersey City residents to boil water before consumption due to their inability to provide clean drinking water.

Angry PATH Riders Launch Survey, Shake Angry Fists

PATHSux.com has launched a survey gathering feedback from riders, and promising to post the monthly results. Survey says: 100% of PATH Riders who create websites about the PATH have a complaint.

272 Newark Avenue

213 Newark Avenue

Mystery Lounge Opens Quietly, Weekends Only

This unlabeled bar and lounge opened last weekend on the corner of Newark and 1st Street. According to a little sign on the window, Port-O Lounge is only opened Thursday through Sunday.