Christmas Decors and Lights at Chestnut and Elizabeth St.

Have you been around Journal Square to see the beautiful Christmas lights and decors of the houses? I took these pictures about two weeks ago, before the pre-winter snow storm hit the East Coast.

NJ.com posted the finalists of Jersey City’s Best Christmas Decorated Homes contest 2009 hosted by Pat O’Melia. Unfortunately, no homeowner from Journal Square made the final list.

Below are some photos from Stuyvesant Avenue, Romaine Avenue, Garrison Avenue, Chestnut Avenue and Elizabeth Street. The decors are much beautiful in real life, I must say.

Corner of Stuyvesant Avenue and Romaine Avenue

Last year, I posted these two houses on Stuyvesant Avenue, and they’re back.

House on Romaine Avenue

On Chestnut Avenue

This one on Chestnut is just right across the house on the top-most picture.

Elizabeth Street

Garrison Avenue

Most of the decorated houses are within the borders of Journal Square to other districts of Jersey City.

To see the finalists collected by NJ.com, click HERE.

Related posts:

1. Beautiful Christmas Lights and Decors
2. DMV-MVC Christmas Schedule
3. Sunday Photos: JSQ Christmas Wreaths

New handicap curb ramps can be seen on Sip Avenue (corners of Garrison, Romaine, and Van Wagenen Avenues). Is this part of the repaving funds that Jersey City received last March?

This was started early this week, and you probably have noticed orange drums and cones on each corner. These constructions were the same ones on Vroom Street few weeks back (not posted here).

I believe handicap curb cuts are required by law.

Anyway, I’m still waiting for the repaving of Sip Avenue, particularly on the west of Bergen Avenue — from HCCC Culinary Arts Plaza to West Side Avenue. I think I will be singing halleluiah when those potholes and sinkholes are finally gone.

Related posts:

1. Curb Repair on Newark Avenue
2. Culinary Arts Plaza Park: Now Open
3. Dream Come True: Sip Ave, Jersey City – Repaved

Iguanas on the loose

One iguana lives, the other perishes in Jersey City fire
by Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal
Wednesday December 24, 2008, 6:11 PM

One of two pet iguanas at a residence off Journal Square started an apartment fire by knocking over a heat lamp this evening.

While firefighters were able to rescue one of the large lizards, the other was claimed by the flames, officials said.

Firefighters responded to the two-story residence on Garrison and Sip avenues on a 3:37 p.m. alarm and found heavy fire in a second-floor bedroom, Fire Director Armando Roman said.

The fire was under control by 3:52 p.m. but not before the bedroom suffered heavy damage, Roman said.

Apparently one of the iguanas had gotten loose and was running around when it knocked over the heat lamp that ignited blankets on a bed, Roman said.

The homeowner tried to put the fire out with a garden house but when he realized it was out of control he ran to the nearby firehouse and notified firefighters who sounded the alarm, Roman said.

The distraught female resident who owned the iguanas repeated “They’re dead. They’re dead,” as she paced on the street while firefighters worked in the building. She was somewhat relieved when firefighters carried out the surviving reptile.

“Once again people try in vain to put a fire out themselves and there may have been less damage if he’d called the fire department immediate rather than delaying,” Roman said. “It’s important if you have a fire in your house to all 911 and let the professional’s handle the fire.”

Roman said the homeowner, who is apparently an immigrant, thanked firefighters and asked how much he owed them for putting out the blaze.

The battalion chief on hand said, “This is your tax dollars at work,” Roman said.

News Source: Jersey Journal

Related posts:

1. Jersey City Fire: 2814 JFK Blvd
2. Journal Square: Fire on Vroom Street
3. Bally and Ashley Stewart – Still Closed After the Fire