A change will do you good? In Hoboken, change can be viewed from a lot of different perspectives.
Out with the old, in with the new sure sounds great... unless you’re tearing down what many feel to be the creative backbone of the community and replacing it with cookie-cutter new development. Meanwhile new development just a few blocks away takes on an artistic role of its own, as innovative design invites others to look at the everyday a little differently. But in the end, it’s innovative thinking--nothing new to Hoboken--that has arguably made the city what it is today.

In this issue, we take a look at the controversial Neumann Leathers Building, focusing not so much on the controversy but on the talented individuals that work within. We also look at Minervini Vandermark Architecture, a firm that calls on their own talents in taking a bold new approach to the seemingly ubiquitous new development here in Hoboken. And with a nod to our city’s spirit of ingenuity, we look back at Jim Hans’ compilation of 100 Hoboken Firsts--an awe-inspiring list of accomplishments that is guaranteed to surprise you.

In addition, we take a look at what’s going on in the here and now--a new release by a local author, ideal options for soccer’s World Cup (both here AND in South Africa), the best place for dinner on Mother’s Day/Father’s Day, a great venue for a great workout, and the perfect drink to relax with after. Oh, and let’s not forget our one-on-one with Batman...

Meanwhile, with full confidence in the talent of our community, we’d also like to take this opportunity to solicit submissions to our publication. Now that it’s up and running, we absolutely need your help to keep it fresh and informative. For more information on art/editorial/photo submission guidelines, please log onto hmag.com

We thank you for reading, we look forward to hearing from you and we appreciate all you do to make Hoboken, well… Hoboken.

Gratefully yours,
Chris Halleron (Editor)
& The hMAG Staff