Cell Signal Map

Here is another handy Google Maps mash up for checking and posting your cell signal strength based on your location. Looks like Hoboken has a few and NYC has quite a few.

Thanks to Hoboken411.

Hoboken Hoods

Hoboken411.com is looking to create neighborhood names for the various parts of Boken.

The Hoboken hoods on Google Maps.

So according to this, I’ve lived in LoHo West and West Side Yo

Hoboken Flood

or Have Boat will Travel

For the close to six years I have spent in or around Hoboken, flooding is nothing new. After any decent storm it is common to see many intersections a big puddle. This is partially due to Hoboken being at sea level (the area used to be an island surrounded by swamp) and the complete lack of infrastructure building by the city. This is Hudson county by the way and huge amounts of luxury development don’t require city services it seems.

But this morning was something special, I have never seen so much water in this Mile Square. Some photos for your viewing pleasure:

Hoboken Sealevel

So with all the global warming talk, Flood Maps makes it interesting to play around with sea level changes to see what impact a rise would have.

Above is Hoboken with a 1 meter sea level rise, based on NASA data. Not too much of a change except a few spots to the north filling up. But at 5 meters Hoboken is an island.

Hoboken with 5 meters of sea rise:

Hoboken with 10 meters of sea rise:

Scranton to Hoboken Rail

For those looking to live in Northeast PA and work in the city, the Scranton to Hoboken train line inched closer, also called the Lackawanna Cutoff.

NJ bought the PA rail land in 2001 and started the design work in 2002. Currently the draft Environmental Assessment / Environmental Impact Study is complete with the costs being $551 million without property costs, which is not currently funded. This would reduce some of the traffic on I-80 in NE NJ, and it would be interesting to see how the split passenger/freight track sharing works out.

More information at PennJerseyRail and NJTransit.

Thanks to Third Rail.

NJ Barbie

Very funny junk email posted on Hoboken411 about the NJ Barbie’s.

Hoboken Barbie
This collagen injected, rhino plastic Barbie wears a leopard print outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends. Percocet prescription available as well as warehouse conversion condo.

Another site mentioned a different iteration of the list. I didn’t quite agree since there is nowhere to park.

They said:
3. Hoboken-Jersey City Barbie
This yuppie Barbie comes with choice of a BMW sports car or a souped up Hummer 2, which cruises until 2:00 am.

Condos Are for Rent

This NYTimes article on Buyers Scarce, Many Condos Are for Rent, has been something I have been looking to hear about.

Since the middle of 2006, the frenzied condominium market here [DC] and in several other big cities like Las Vegas, Miami and Boston has collapsed. Once roaring sales have slowed to a trickle, sparse inventory has mushroomed into a glut and soaring prices have flattened out and started falling.

But the impact on the NYC area has not been the same:

One of the few exceptions to the trend is in Manhattan, particularly at the high end. Condo and co-op sales increased to 2,441 in the fourth quarter, from 1,574 a year ago, and inventory was relatively flat at 5,900, said Jonathan J. Miller, an appraiser. Much of the increase can be attributed to a legal change in how sales of co-ops are recorded, but Mr. Miller said a 5.5 percent drop in prices from the third quarter also helped.

My impression in Hoboken is that demand is still strong for Condo’s, but the prices have leveled off.

PATH Alternatives

I wanted to follow up on an article in the NYTimes about the PATH being fragile to bombing, since it also came up during the family holiday gathering.

There really are not that many options to get to the city from Hoboken, and noting compares to the PATH for cost, at $1.50. (Which I compared awhile ago)

• NJ Transit Bus - $2.30 To Port Authority on the 126. This is actually a pretty good ride and especially quick from Uptown Hoboken.
• NY Waterway Ferry - $4.00 from Downtown to Pier A Downtown ($7 from Hoboken Uptown)
• NJ Transit Train - $5 to Penn Station through Secaucus. (Technically train crew seem to only check tickets after Secaucus, so you could save $2)
• Drive via Holland Tunnel - $6 toll plus gas and traffic.

So not really great options, especially when I work fairly close to WTC. I’m not concerned about the tunnels though, the odds are still higher for a car accident.

NJ Transit Google Maps

I have yet to see a really good mash-up for NJ Transit on Google Maps like the one for the NYC Metro. The closest is a good site focused on the various routes, TrainsNJ with driving directions to get to stations. I would rather see all the routes on one maps, to get a better idea of the closest station from any location.

PATH Commute

I’ve been used to carrying around both a PATH card as well as a Metrocard for Manhattan, but I figured it was time to run the numbers to see if it makes sense to use only a Metrocard for my PATH commute. Most of the PATH stations now take either card.

A $40 Metrocard with $8 bonus gives 32 trips ($1.50/trip), so $.80/trip.
Two $24 PATH cards give 40 trips ($1.20/trip), so $.83/trip.

So the Metrocard bonus beats the PATH bonus, easy decision.