Happy Sunday Hoboken! Hopefully you’re enjoying this post while in bed, or at least on your way to brunch/Mutzfest/something equally as fun. As for this week’s news, we are happy to report the opening of two new restaurants and the Hoboken Girl Insider Facebook Group. All this and more for you to catch up on — here are the top Hoboken + Jersey City news stories this week:

Frank Sinatra’s {Childhood} Home Just Sold in Hoboken

According to the LA Times, Frank Sinatra’s childhood home has sold $1.68 million. The 1900-square-foot spot hit the market in October, but eventually sold for $20K less than asking. The 4-bed, 2.5-bath brownstone features a large eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances, powder room, formal dining area and a private patio and landscaped garden. The brownstone is one of many homes Sinatra lived in during his childhood and teenage years in Hoboken.

Corto Opening in The Heights

According to Jersey City Upfront, residents of The Height’s can look forward to, “affordable, rustic food from Piemonte,” at the neighborhood’s newest restaurant, Corto. Located at 507 Palisade Avenue, Corto will be launching their soft opening in the coming weeks. The menu will feature pasta that is made fresh daily onsite {yassss!}, Italian meats and cheeses, and a variety of rustic Italian dishes using homemade family recipes from Corto’s owners. Meals will have a modest price-tag and Corto will be BYOB. Although warmer temps seem life a far-off dream, Corto has a small backyard, which will be used as a garden for the restaurant and an outdoor eating space.

Hoboken Dual Language Charter School Lottery to Favor Low-Income and ELL Students

Hoboken Charter School {HoLa} announced that their admission policy has been amended to favor low-income and English language learners, according to Patch. The policy was approved by the New Jersey Department of Education and will allow the aforementioned applicants to put their names in the lottery three times, thus increasing their chances of being selected. Nearly 500 students apply each year for the 22 open seats at HoLa. The new policy chance is in response to the Hoboken Board of Education’s argument that charter school has shown trends of segregation and has half as many minority students as the district’s public schools.

Hoboken Penthouse to be Featured on NBC 4’s “Open House”

Imagine if this was the view from your bedroom window everyday. For the future owner of the historic and luxurious penthouse loft, located at 313 1st Street, that dream could be a reality. hMAG reports that this two-bed two-bath penthouse loft spans 3,180 square feet and is on the market for $2.3 million. Today at 9PM the home will be featured on NBC 4’s “Open House” program. Notable features include: a 400 square foot stained glass backlit skylight, open chef’s kitchen with Viking appliances, marble dual vanities, jetted soaking tubs, and glass enclosed showers with rain-shower heads. Dark stained, wide-plank, solid oak hardwood floors flow throughout and a private elevator, motorized window treatments, and smart-lighting system are the perfect modern conveniences for this historic 1909 home.

Mayor Bhalla Vetoes Referendum to Reinstate Run-Off Elections

The much contested ordinance B-3, a referendum to reinstate run-off elections in December, has been vetoed by Mayor Bhalla. The ordinance was previously vetoed by former Mayor Zimmer, and has been discussed and voted on several time by the City Council. While Mayor Bhalla stated that he supports the ordinance’s goal to ensure that elected officials secure at least 50% of the vote, he stated, “There is a dramatic reduction in voter turnout associated with December runoff elections, as we saw most recently during four Jersey City runoffs in 2017. The open secret known by every single member of the City Council and alluded to in multiple local news reports is that there is massive vote-buying that occurs in our elections. Reducing voter turnout through runoffs in December will amplify the power of those vote-buying operations, making our elections less democratic.”

New Pizza Spot to Open in Mamoun’s Former Location

Hoboken is soon to get another pizza spot. Zero Otto Uno {Zero One Eight} has officially announced their arrival in Hoboken. According to the signs posted in their storefront, we can look forward to Neapolitan style pies {characterized by thin, chewy, and crispy crust}, pasta, and assorted Italian meats. Stay tuned for further updates!

Las Olas Closing in February

After seven years in the Mile Square, Las Olas will be closing their door this February. The Asian-Latin fusion restaurant posted the news of their closing on Instagram last Thursday. Notable menu items include their sushi rolls and homemade sangria, which many agree is best enjoyed in their quaint backyard dining space. Their final day is February 3rd, so be sure to stop by while you still have the chance.

“Mini-City” Signs First Sponsor

SciTech Scity, Hudson County’s groundbreaking “mini-city,” is set to open in late 2021. The mini-city’s 14 acre expanse will serve as the epicenter of innovation and collaboration for Hudson County tech entrepreneurs, scientists, and students. The idea for SciTech Scity stems from a collaboration between the City of Jersey City and Liberty Science Center, and the duo is proud to announce that EY has signed on to be their founding sponsor. This news has truly solidified EY’s commitment to NJ community having just opened their 170,000 square foot office and learning center along the Hoboken waterfront. A spokesperson for LSC states that they will utilize the EY wavespace™ network to convene clients and thought leaders and facilitate collaboration in the lead up to SciTech Scity’s opening.

Hoboken Girl Insider Facebook Group

Looking for more ways to connect with HobokenGirl.com and learn about Hudson County? Introducing Hoboken Girl’s Facebook Group, an exclusive corner of the internet for Hoboken residents and readers to interact. Our hope is that this will be a convenient spot where you can receive notifications about Hoboken Girl articles and share your own tips, news, and other community events! Request to join today by clicking here!

And that’s the latest Word on Washington Street news roundup for your Sunday. Hope you have a great one.

Have any news tips? Email hello@hobokengirl.com and news.hobokengirl@gmail.com to let us know — we appreciate it!