Update

Unfortunately I had a setback with my pulled glute muscle so I haven't been out and about much in Hoboken. But I do want to write about a few things. One is Sri Thai, a Thai restaurant on the corner of 3rd and Bloomfield. Fortunately for me they deliver and I have had the Shrimp Pad Thai a number of times over the last 3 weeks. I love Pad Thai, particularly the taste of the ground peanuts. Some places make it a bit too dry but not Sri Thai. For me just perfect. I also recommend the Tom Kha Koong. Its a shrimp soup with coconut milk. And of course you can't go wrong with Thai iced tea. They do have dining area but the few times I've eaten there I found the space a bit too cramped. You can find additional reviews here.

Since moving here I have been looking forward to walking the water front along the stretch where Maxwell place is. Due to construction, one had to walk back to Hudson street between 11th and 12th. Now the streets along this stretch of the river are open but views are limited due to drapings on the fences separating the sidewalk from the waterfront pier construction.

The last thing I want to tell you about is East Coast Spine, Joint and Sport Medicine on 7th and Bloomfield. One good thing about my setback with my pulled muscle is that I am getting the professional help I need. So far the experience there has been exceptional.

No Guarantee to be Boot Free

This is terrible. A woman had her car booted even though she had a resident parking decal. Apparently there was another woman on her block with the same name and this second woman did not renew her parking permit for 2008. For details read this article in the Hoboken Reporter.

Just when I thought I was safe!

No More Boot for Me!

Last week I registered my cars in NJ, got a NJ driver's license and the coveted Hoboken resident parking stickers. Kudos to the NJ DMV, making the switch from NY to NJ was very easy.




Having the resident parking sticker now lets me park on either side of the street and since the sticker sticks to the window, no more forgetting to put the temporary pass in the window. And that means no more boots!

For those new to Hoboken or to this blog check out this post about my parking boot experience.

For those of you coming from another state, please note that NJ requires you to switch your registration and license over within 60 days. As for the Hoboken parking authority, you need a NJ drivers license and the cars registered in NJ to get the resident parking sticker. Until you have those you can have a 45 day temporary permit which only lets you park on one side of the street.

Walking in Hoboken

Being able to walk to everything in Hoboken is definitely a plus for me. Its nice to not have to get into the car every time one has to run an errand. But that is only if you can walk. My strained muscle has made it difficult to get around the last 11 days and made me wish I was living in the suburbs with a nice driveway just feet away from the house. And nice big parking lots right next to the places I need to go like supermarkets, the post office etc. Instead I rarely left my apartment for fear I would only find a parking space blocks away from my apartment. Fortunately many places deliver so food was not a problem.

So for those of you reading my blog to determine if Hoboken is the place for them, keep in mind being less than mobile may pose unique challenges.

Sprained Muscle Keeps Me In Hoboken!

Actually the sprain was severe enough to not only keep me in Hoboken but its confined me to my apartment for the weekend. It happened when I was doing a basic Yoga pose, child's pose. As I was leaning into the pose, SNAP, I felt the a buttock muscle pull.

I'm still recuperating but I wanted to share this advice for those of you who may also suffer from a soft tissue injury. I actually made things worse by taking a hot bath later the day of the incident and also continuing to walk on it even though the leg started to feel numb.

RICE relieves pain, limits swelling and speeds healing, and it is often the best treatment for soft-tissue injuries, such as sprains and strains. Here's what to do:

• Rest: The injured area should be moved as little as possible to allow healing to begin.

• Ice: Apply it immediately to reduce inflammation, which causes more pain and slows healing. Cover the injured area with an ice pack inside a wet cloth and apply the ice for 10 to 20 minutes intermittently for 48 to 72 hours. Never ice for more than 20 minutes, because it can cause a nerve injury.

• Compression: Using a pressure bandage helps to prevent or reduce swelling. Use an elastic bandage. Wrap the injured area without making it so tight that it will cut off the blood supply.

• Elevation: Raise the injured area above the level of the heart. Prop up a leg or arm while resting it. You may need to lie down to get your leg above your heart level.

Do all four parts of the RICE treatment at the same time. If you suspect a more serious injury, such as a broken bone, call your health care provider immediately.

Source

Getting the Boot!

Yesterday I walked to my car to move it for the street cleaning and found an unpleasant surprise; a boot! Apparently I forgot to put my temporary parking permit in the window and once the 4 hour time limit expired I was given a summons and a boot.

For those of you not familiar with parking rules in Hoboken, let me explain. First of all, you cannot park on any street for more than 4 hours unless you have some kind of permit. On one side of the street you will see white parking signs. This allows you to park for up to 4 hours. If you need to park longer than you need a permit. On the other side of the street you will find a green parking sign. Only cars with resident permits can park here.



I have a temporary permit but since I didn't place it where it could be seen I was given the summons and the boot. A boot is a device that is put around a wheel of the car which prevents the driving of the car.



To have it removed is quite easy. I called the number on the summons and after paying a 'removal fee' the operator gave me a code which I entered on the device which then let me remove the boot. Unfortunately the removal fee is $150! I plan to go to court to see if I can recover some of this fee but I don't feel very hopeful.

So if you are parking in Hoboken on the streets, BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL!