Still Unhappy on Herman Street

Nice place, but the burger I had there a week or so ago was like a hockey puck between two frisbees. Tiny burger + huge bun = bad combination.

I wonder if any of the people complaining approached management and made their concerns known. Perhaps it could have been addressed and solved right then and there, without this sort of high-schoolish sarcasm.

I agree on the sarcasim, but having been to Fitzgeralds, I definately can see thier point. The street is packed with cars all the time. Some of those houses dont have driveways so I can imagine it must be a big pain for them.

They need a bigger dumpster or they need to empty it more frequently. One or the other. That's a health hazard waiting to happen.

They'll be out of business within a year or so, as soon as the novelty wears off. Novelty, seemingly the only thing that recommends it.

That street was always jammed with cars, as anyone headed to court or the library learned. I can understand not wanting a big dumpster sitting out there like that -- I just wonder if anyone tried to solve the problem face to face with the owners before putting out this "newsletter". It seems as though the practice of simply going to a person with your problem and attempting to solve it on a one to one basis has very much gone out of fashion around here -- instead, hire a lawyer, take out an ad, put out a "fact sheet", sear someone on a blog -- anything other than just trying to work it out in person.
Why is that?

Well, merely complaining about a dumpster seems like progress... The original allegation was that Fitz patrons would turn Herman Street into a drunken grand prix. Since the restaurant is located literally right next to the police station, I guess that rhetoric didn't get any traction.

"That street was always jammed with cars, as anyone headed to court or the library learned"

You are correct that during weekdays the street was always crowded, The 2 hour parking isn't enforced and you have the spots taken by the employees of the locale businesses plus a few commuters. Now it's clogged during the day and then the bar crowd takes over. It also affects the parking for night court and council meetings.
Once in a blue moon Joseph's would have a private party that might have half the number of cars parked for fitzes. Normally Joseph accounted for 20% of fitzes number and they were gone by 10:30PM. Now you can't park in the lot you pay a permit fee for in the evenings, and I personally see bar employees in the lot during the day with no permit and no ticket. The dumpster is just an addition along with the extra trucks, noise, etc. that this bar has brought to our street. We don't even get peace and quiet on Sat & Sun anymore.

It would seem that your issue regarding enforcement on the parking decals should be taken up with the GRPD. I wonder how you have arrived at your 20% figure? It would be interesting to see how this was determined.
Unless Joseph had acreage in the back where he grew his broccoli rabe and raised his milk-fed veal, there were delivery trucks then, too. As well as florist's deliveries, pharmaceutical deliveries, auto parts deliveries, and ambulances and police cars. It is a busy street, by Glen Ridge standards. But it really not a BUSY street in the big scheme, nor is it as noisy as those streets that line the train tracks.
I agree. Sodom and Gomorrah were predicted, and have failed to materialize. I'm sure that the dumpster will be moved and then a new "problem" will take its place.

"They'll be out of business within a year or so, as soon as the novelty wears off. Novelty, seemingly the only thing that recommends it."

Obviously you've nver been near the place after 10 on either a Sat or Sun night . . . it's like the new Egans' for the college set . . .

goodnough, There is no correlation to the police stations proximity and speeders. Plenty of cars see how fast they can get to the end of the block. What's really fun: the slamming car doors, followed by loud music and THEN the sound of someone flooring it the 300 feet to the corner. You can tell that they don't stop half the time, but pause, just to check I guess, before roaring one way or the other on Bellville. I'm sure the experience will reach new depths come summer.
You think the police are hanging around the all the time? The patrols are somewhere else and the ones whose job is mostly at the station are inside. We also never had the honor of the "your speed is" trailer at the end of the block, but I'd love to video that for U-Tube. Your post did give me a good laugh though.

croiag, your either senile or an idiot.

rchanin, you prove the point.

Have you considered that I may be both senile AND an idiot?

Your comments illustrate perfectly why your viewpoints are seen as they are -- the opinions of a miserable crank (no offense, crank!) who cannot muster up any coherent rationale and so must fling insults around.
Perhaps the street will truly flourish once you move your angry ass off it.

I agree Fitzgerald's is the new Egans'. We tried to go there for a bite to eat one night - I think it may have been a Thursday - and couldn't even get in. And the noise level was exactly like Egan's. It's as if they opened the doors and the place already came with the people in it.

I don't know about the food here but Egan's is very good so I would expect this one to eventually live up to the same level.

I can imagine the traffic it is generating is much greater than Joseph's, which often was half empty when we were there.

I was hoping it would be a little more low key than Egan's so you could actually have a conversation without shouting but I guess not.

"Have you considered that I may be both senile AND an idiot?"

You typed the words right off my keyboard, I was trying to give you half a chance.

As far as being a crank, no. Calling a nuisance and quality of life issue what it is, yes.

You come off as such an expert all the time and just blow wind. How long have you lived on Herman St? When did you even hang out a couple of weeks at all hours? Perhaps your remarks are impressions you've gotten the small amount of time you have been around. Or maybe you just like to be contrary. Go play with the Prof (although he seems to a kinder gentler prof) and stop trying to sound like you know what your talking about.

I agree with speaking directly to the business person, but be prepared for nasty defiance in response.

I think these types of problems require municipal leadership - to set and actively communicate a vision for quality of life in the community and to make sure that municipal staff understand and diligently perform their jobs to enforce laws intended to protect quality of life. With today's digital communications, civic leaders can, with minimal budget, creatively educate new home or business owners to the vision and the laws related to quality of life concerns. If disputes arise, civic leaders (mayor or council) should quickly use their status to bring the differing sides together to review the situation and mediate solutions before the situation becomes inflammed.

When we do not have that type of municipal leadership, all kinds of NIMBY disputes drag on and become needlessly embittered.

My intemperate friend, I have never lived on Herman Street. I have a very good friend who has, for the past 12 years, lived there. I know the street quite well, and have been there at all hours.
As if that made a difference.
It is clear from reading your often incoherent posts that anything you dislike -- be it a restaurant, turf, whatever -- is a "quality of life" issue. Well, it is, but sad to say others do not agree with you nor do they want your quality of life. You continually whine and carry on about the hell in which you live, unable to see that you reside on a lovely street in a lovely town and have really very little about which to complain.
But complain you do. Endlessly.
You are the very epitome of small town shrewishness at its best. When I thank my Maker for all that has been given me, I will be sure to throw in some extra gratitude for not having you living next door.

See you tonight at Fitz's. I'll be the one with the air horn.

Nana, I think you're right in many cases. But here we are looking at a business that is owned by 3 local people. In addition, they received some hostility from neighbors (witness the preceding), so they went out of their way to assure all that they would be good neighbors. That's what makes me think that they would have resolved this had they been approached. Maybe not, and maybe they were.
Of course, if folks try to do it one and one and are met with the resistance you mention then by all means, the authorities should step in and see to it that laws are upheld.

"the new Egans for the college set"

Wow, I had no idea it had this kind of cachet. People need places to gather. Sounds like GR finally has one.

I was going to go and check it out and maybe park on someone's front lawn if parking proved difficult, but the comparisons to Egan's have warded me off completely.
Thanks.

I posted to make points on life on Herman St. in a reasoned way, which I believe I did, not to have flame war with an instigator. Sorry I ever responded to you, croiagusanam, it won't happen again.

Nana, as usual has hit the nail on the head, thank you. The issue of over flowing garbage and whether it is in an appropriate area is for the proper town official.

As far as more traffic, parking out of control and speeders, the GRP should be the ones addressing the issues, and I wish they would. There is no way you can compare the volume to Joseph's, which had lower capacity, shorter hours and no lines out the door. There is a definite difference in quality of life issues due to this establishment. Why should I have to move when there wasn't even a use hearing? The i's might be all dotted and the t's crossed, but that doesn't mean the right thing was done.

Sometimes you have to fight for those spots too, akme.

Your "reasoned way" consisted of telling one poster that his post gave you a "good laugh", and another that he/she must be "senile or an idiot".
Such langauge consists of "reason" in your world.
I am happy to hear that you will give it a rest, however. Perhaps there are other quality of life issues that you can focus on.

I view Fitzgerald's as, sort of, the Great Notch Inn for those who won't ever really have the cojones to go to the Great Notch Inn, and Egan's as Obal's for young, callow folk, and I thank the Lord in both cases that he created those two former venues to free up the latter ones for folks like me. (You're also very welcome at both, croiagusanam, at any hour which can be utilized to annoy ambidextrous and upset his or her's "quality of life," which is clearly a bit petty-minded of late.)

Thank you cathar. Both Obal's and The Notch are good spots, though I've only been to The Notch twice. Obal's has those very nice ribs on Wednesdays.
Sad to say, I won't have much time to go out anymore. I don't know if you heard, but Glen Ridge has granted a cabaret license to Fitz's that will enable them to offer live music 7 nights a week. My band, the SHRIEKING DECIBELS, will be the house band each night. I encourage you to come down. As a matter of fact, I'll put you on the guest list, along with Prof, walleroo, Ice, Mellon, MM, Sandy, appletony and generic and anyone else I missed. Hell, even ROC will be on the list.
Look for me on the stage. I'm one of the six drummers in the unit, and can usually be found ramping the amps up, Spinal Tap style, to 11.

I used to wonder what the story was with the 'Great Notch'. This is back in the 70's and every time I drove by the place there were never any cars in the lot.

A friend of mine went there one day - by himself. He said it was very gloomy inside and that the bartender was surly and did his best to make said buddy feel unwelcome.

It looked like it could be a really cool place, but after that report, I never felt any desire to try it out.

Back in the day, I'd go to Obals occasionally. It was within walking distance of where I was living at the time and I found it to be a nice little neighborhood bar and also, to my surprise, there were some pretty hot gals in there too.

I seem to recall a shuffleboard but I might be mistaken. Mabye I'm thinking of the 'Old Canal Inn'.

MellonBrush, the Great Notch is deadsville late afternoons, when it first opens, and most weekday evenings. But the weekend nights and passing bikey traffic on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (sometimes there are more people on the porch than inside, partly because the porch holds more people) make up for those slow spots.

And in any event, I retain an eotional soft sport for the place since, according to my now-with-the-angels sainted mother, during its speakeasy incarnation it was where she and my father once spent a romantic New Year's Eve dancing together. (But still do these days try to have a valid tetanus shot before you use the men's room.)

Yes, too, Obal's has a shuffleboard. And not one but two!!! sit-down-inside old-fashioned phone booths, the very kind in which 30's gangsters are machine-gunned in old Warner Brothers movies. Plus signed photos on its walls of both Frank and Kelly Tripucka.

In reading about issues on Barista, I find that a small but vocal minority invest a great deal of time and energy in "problem identification". Their posts tend be what a friend of mine used to call "angry letters to the Times"... long, angry rants about issues that, ironically, tend to be legitimate.

What I don't understand, is why articulate and well-written townspeople like these folks won't devote even a minority of that energy to proposing a positive change that would remedy the ill.

For example, instead of the angry Hermanite's snide diatribes above, what would have happened if the same person had written:

Dear neighbors,

I live on Herman Street in Glen Ridge and need your help. As a result of the recent opening of Fitzgerald's, I've seen an alarming rise in the number of cars that speed down my street (often recklessly).

While I don't want to infringe on the enjoyment of my neighbors, I'm worried about keeping my street safe for young children and pleasant and peaceful for all of us.

With this in mind, I have a few ideas that I'm hoping you'll help me advocate for. My ideas:

1) Install two speed humps between Fitzgerald's and Belleville (with the cost to hopefully be borne by the thoughtful and collaborative owners of Fitzgerald's)
2) Installation of signs in or near the exits of Fitzgerald's asking patrons to politely curtail loudness when leaving
3) Employment of a doorperson during weekend nights to assist in keeping outside noise volume manageable
4) More regular enforcement of the existing parking requirements so homeowners can get in and out of their driveways

I'd also welcome an additional ideas on how we can all enjoy Fitz's success without harming the families who leave nearby.

As a friend and neighbor, I'm hoping you might consider sending me an email of support. I plan on sitting down with the owners of Fitz's to share my suggestions. Knowing that my fellow townspeople thought my ideas were fair, practical and reasonable to implement would be very helpful.

Your neighbor,

Mike Goodnough

(not signed with something like angryatfitzgeralds12314@hotmail.com)

Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but I would just love to see the energy of these angry posts converted into fuel for improvement.

Mike

I'm a big fan of Fitzgeralds. I've eaten there twice a week or so since it opened. I've had a different soup every time and each time it's been delicious. Paul, Dave and Curt, the owners, are all long time Ridgers who really care about the community.

I also look forward to hearing your band play at Fitzgerald's, croiagusanam, since I've long been of the opinion that Baristaville could really use some heavy metal. Six drummers are fine, too, just as long as you back them up with three bassists.

Mike --
What a concept! Approaching a problem from the standpoint of looking for a solution rather than a victory.
You're not from around here, are you?

This was brought up at the council meeting last night. I believe it was suggested that the dumpster was moved to this spot as a result of a request of a neighbor to relocate it from it's original position.

but would the full story have generated as much business?

count me in to listen to the screaming decibels...i love multiple drummers in a band...is a white button down dress shirt and blue blazer proper attire?

Do they do "Teenage Enema Nurses in Bondage?" If so, count me in!

Cro,

Does your band need any cats?

My cat, Tubby, has a really good Rock 'n Roll scream. You just yank really hard on his tail and he emits a bloodcurdling shriek akin to Steven Tyler on a bad acid trip.

He works cheap too! One can of Bumblebee Tuna and he's in.

MM, we do that song, but as a slow, romantic ballad.
Ice, by all means your attire is acceptable on Herman Street, but it must be topped off with a beanie (propeller optional).
Mellon, I love cats (though my dogs will not allow one in the house), but if I were to hire Tubby he/she would likely steal some of my thunder. I enjoy ending the evening with a scream a la Daltry in "Won't Get Fooled Again", and I'm looking forward to letting loose with said scream at the conclusion of our performance on Herman Street -- say about 3:00 AM, and of course with all windows and doors wide open.

Cro,

Tubby (he) will be heartbroken when I break the news. I'll console him with a can of Bumblebee - no strings attached.

BTW, you should try Daltry's scream from the end of Quadrophenia's 'Love Reign O'er Me'. It should 'bring the house down', literally.

Break a leg!

I can scream like Alice Cooper in "Elected."

I can bring a pot to bang on during the show for atmosphere...

Best rock and roll screamer from a band which actually had some hits was Steve Marriott, no question. From The Small Faces ("Tin Soldier" in particular, but lots of other things just on the "Itchycoo Park" album) to almost everything Humble Pie ever did.

He gets bonus points for being a wee slip of a lad, too.

30 days in the hole!

John Lennon primal screaming on "Well, Well, Well."

The dumpster is not prominent at all. It is actually way in the back of the municipal lot and is barely visible from the street. The Fitzgerald's people are paying extra to have the garbage picked up from the dumpster 3 times a week, in addition to the twice a week pick-up from the receptacles in the parking lot in front of 17 Herman. This means that their employees have to haul the garbage across the street and to the back of the lot. They are doing this to keep the garbage away from the Costume Shop and the house next to it. I believe that they are trying to be good neighbors.

So the over flowing dumpster is a good thing since the only GR homeowners affected by the site and vermin potential are a few Herman St. residents. While the bar's employees are in danger crossing a busy street to transverse a parking lot in two directions to dump garbage. At the same time you laud them for an undersized container that needs pick-ups and noise (usually just after 7AM on Sat. for example) 3 more times than the normal pick-up.
You have posted in such glowing terms as to what a great place and neighbor the bar is, yet I suspect that you are the Jessica that has the costume shop next door. Which would make sense to a neighbors request to move the smelly garbage (from the post about the town meeting) which Joseph's had no problem securing in the fenced in collection site behind #17's parking lot. Only speculation, but ...

The bar has a dumpster in the back of the municipal lot? How is that???

If I rent a pod can I have it stored in the back of the municipal lot?

Also, is the insinuation that the regular 2 pick-ups are the residential service? I could be wrong, but doesn't a commercial entity need to provide for it's own disposal? I would certainly hope neither the bar or the costume shop's trash is being picked up by the town since the trash behind the fence at #17 should only be commercial. Again, only raising a concern from the post as I don't believe this would be allowed.

I almost forgot how the good neighbor also puts it's cardboard recycling out on appropriate days. They are also considerate enough to put in front of the house next door (why block the store front?), in a huge disorganized pile that has stuff blow down the street on windy days. I'm sure they make people call all the realtors seeing if a house is for sale on the street, ready to bid on it if necessary. I'm so glad it's owned by 3 such caring residents who care for all of GR.

Yes - I'm the Jessica of Gas Lamp Costume Shop. I certainly don't want to get into a fight about this. We have had extensive "trash" talks with Fitzgerald's, Dan Castelli, and the upstairs neighbors, because when Joseph's was here, there was apparently a big rodent problem. This is before my time, so I have no first-hand knowledge. But I've heard about it from Eloise's garden, Just Sandwiches, and other tenants. From my conversations with Paul at Fitzgerald's, they are trying to do all they can to manage the trash so that we don't have another rodent problem. The fenced in area in the 17 Herman lot was not big enough to contain the trash, so another alternative had to be found. As the business next door, and having invested a lot of money to renovate the Costume Shop, I certainly don't want to see rats running around. Which is why, in addition to the normal pick-up, Fitzgeralds got the dumpster and is arranging for additional pick-ups. Ambidextrous, you should go over and talk to Paul about your concerns. And come talk to me too, at any time. I've lived in GR since 1986,have two kids in the school system, and am very dedicated to the town, and to Herman Street. So I'm happy to talk to you or anyone else about the quality of life on Herman Street anytime.