Rudo Plants and Home is a delightful plant store on Palisade Ave. in the Heights. The cosy shop has a surprisingly large selection of well-tended to house plants, including many hanging plants that will work beautifully hanging by hook or ceiling near your windows.

Froth on Franklin Coffee and Espresso Bar has been in the Heights since 2017 and they just keep getting better and better. They have settled into a nice routine of regularly winning friendly online debates about who has the best hot or iced coffee or latte in town.

Modern Ukrainian cuisine is here in Jersey City! Located inside of Paulus Hook’s Hudson Green Market, the dishes at Ukrainian Hata (“hata” being the Russian idiom for “house”) are modern interpretations of classic Ukrainian dishes.

Muteki Ramen is a fabulous Japanese noodle shop that just opened its second location. The first locale opened in Hoboken in 2020 and now JC is home to restaurant no. 2. They are located in Paulus Hook in the former home of Pianist Envy Piano Bar. The sexy red interior of the space remains and what is new is the unbelievable flavors.

We needed a good Greek restaurant in JC and now we have one. Located on Newark Ave’s Pedestrian Plaza, Ela is authentically good because it is authentically GREEK. You will find all the traditional Greek dishes here (Moussaka, Souvlaki, Spanakopita etc.) and desserts (Baklava, Walnut Cake, etc.).

Love The Clutter recently opened in Hamilton Park. Owner/Artist Sarah worked for various fashion houses before taking the entrepreneurial leap and launching her own homeware line, first as a pop-up shop followed by a Brooklyn brick and mortar store before finally relocating to her location here in JC.

We have found our new favorite spot for gelato – the creamy, dreamily dense Italian version of ice cream. Jersey & Co. Gelato opened on the West Side’s Mallory Ave. in 2018, the brainchild of 3 friends all native to JC and recent NJCU graduates.

Congratulations to Laico’s Italian Restaurant on their 50-year anniversary this past May. Located at 67 Terhune Ave. in Greenville, Laico’s enduring success can be attributed to the evergreen reasons behind every enduring restaurant. They know who they are, they know who their customers are, and they offer great food served by great people.

Consider this our Summer Public Service Announcement. We were recently commiserating about the humidity/heat with friends who like many of us do not normally have time to head to the Shore to cool off.

Both literally and figuratively. We are compelled to mention as One Dee Siam was dine-in only for a time when they first relocated here from NYC’s Hell Kitchen in September 2021. We loved going to their original tiny spot back in the day for the authentic Thai and Asian food and the warm service.

Flash forward to 2022 and Dîner en Blanc has been incorporated as a global event phenomenon by Pasquier’s son. The organization is headquartered in Montreal while Dîner en Blanc events are held across the Globe with over 130,000 participants in 120 cities spread over 6 continents.

Congratulations to our friend Nia Reid-Allen, the fabulous female entrepreneur behind Myrtle and Flossie. A mom/model/stylist, she originally created this lifestyle brand to cater to women in what she calls “the fourth trimester” which she explains as that area post-birth when women need lots of support both emotionally and physically.

Ocean Grove is a beautiful beach town that sits next to Asbury Park but is worlds away culturally. While Asbury is known for its bumping nightlife and busy boardwalk, Ocean Grove is a quiet and quaint town known for being conservative (read: it is a dry town) and also quite religious.

Asbury Park has always been a big draw for fun-loving beachgoers thanks to its welcoming and diverse crowd, an active sceney boardwalk, great live music and a thriving downtown and nightlife.

To the delight of many in JC, one of Downtown’s most beloved bistros is expanding. Paulus Hook’s Satis Bistro has taken over the adjacent space that for the past 14 years was the home of John’s Pizzeria.