This week is Pride Week in Jersey City, organized by JCLGO for the 8th year in a row. A series of events are scheduled, culminating in an outdoor festival at Exchange Place (on the Hudson River facing downtown Manhattan) on Saturday the 23rd. On Saturday evening, the closing party will be held at Hard Grove Cafe, a popular bar and Cuban-fusion restaurant, where there’ll be partying and dancing on the streets. I hope this great weather in the area makes an appearance here on Saturday!
City Hall, just down the block from us, was the site of a rainbow flag raising this past Monday to commemorate the week. It was at 6pm and Joe wasn’t back from work yet, so our man-child Ryan joined me for the gathering and reception later in City Hall. A couple of dozen people showed. Some pictures above. I walk by City Hall daily and have always admired its architecture, but had never been inside until Monday. It has a beautiful historic look with a spectacular glass rotunda. The council chambers are being restored (big fire in 1979, never fully restored until now,) and it too will be quite a sight.
Tuesday night we skipped a second rainbow flag raising, this one at the Hudson County court house (Jersey City is the Hudson County seat)–one flag raising was enough. Joe, Ryan and I did go to the reception afterward at the Pride Connections Center though, our very own LGBT Center here in Jersey City that recently opened. Also hadn’t been there yet, glad we went. It’s a converted three-story private house that they did a wonderful job at restoring that actually makes you feel proud!
Tomorrow night it’s a volunteer meeting (I’m volunteering Saturday at the festival) and then the volunteer party at Star Bar, the only gay bar in Jersey City. NYC and Christopher St are 10 minutes away, so people still go there to satisfy their gay bar needs. Just a matter of time before that changes–it’s getting gayer and gayer around here, that’s for sure. Lots of woofy bears settling down in the area – YIPPEE! CARLOS
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