River View East: End of an Era

Anyone from Jersey knows we all have our favorite places for hot dogs. Italian hot dog? For me it was Dickie Dee's. A hot dog truck dog? I would go to JR's on Franklin Avenue in Nutley. If you wanted something really special, it was Rutt's Hut. For my husband, however, growing up in Elmwood…

Observe the Christmas Crossing

We all learned about the incredibly harsh winter General Washington and his men endured deep into the Revolutionary War. Throughout the entire war, time and again, Morristown was a key location for the the Continental Army. Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment of December 1779…

National New Jersey Day

This week we celebrated National New Jersey Day. Yes, that’s right. There’s an official day to nationally celebrate New Jersey. There are plenty of reasons to celebrate New Jersey and I thought I would share some interesting facts about our awesome state, which officially became a state in 1776. The New Jersey State Seal (source:…

Are You Ready for Some Spring Football?

A long time ago in a galaxy not too far away, there was an organization that was all about football. No, not that organization. Another organization called the United States Football League, aka, the USFL. Growing up I was often asked why I wasn't a Giants or Jets fan. After all, they played in Jersey…

Peacock Pride

If you are a regular reader, you know I am most assuredly not a fan of college sports; most of all basketball. However, I am a huge fan of a great underdog story. If there is one underdog team that has swept the country it is the Peacocks of St. Peter's University. This small Jesuit…

Jersey Represent at the Olympics

As the Olympics in Beijing comes to a close, it is important to take a moment and say “thank you” to the athletes for bringing their best to the games. New Jersey sent over 30 athletes to the Olympics. Here are just a few of our great athletes. Hakeem Abdul-Saboor – Bobsled Growing up in…

The Language of New Jersey

If you live in New Jersey, you know we have a language all our own. However, if you are just a visitor, you may not know how best to communicate with us. Here are a few suggestion to help navigate a typical conversation. "How You Doin'?" Most people in other states start conversations with "hi"…

Paterson’s and Newark’s West Side

"When you're a Jet, You're a Jet all the way. From your first cigarette, To your last dyin' day." My favorite Broadway show, hands down, is West Side Story. The show that put Stephen Sondheim on the map has transcended time. I remember watching the movie for the first time in middle school during general…

Italian Heritage in New Jersey: John Basilone

In an earlier post, I noted that Italian immigrants and Americans of Italian descent made up approximately 10% of the entire fighting force during World War II; more than any other ethnicity. Despite Italian immigrants kept under surveillance and some put in containment camps, they volunteered by the thousands to fight against their Motherland. One…

Italian Heritage in New Jersey: Frankie Valli

"Newark, Belleville; Frankie Valli walks on water. As he should. Frankie Valli has been around so long he's attached to everything and everybody. And they are very proud." ~Steve Schirripa, Talking Sopranos podcast. Belleville has been home to plenty of talent over the decades. Connie Francis, Joe Pesci, and of course Francesco Stephen Castelluccio, known…