Pedestrian Only Walkway Open Uptown

Hoboken now has a pedestrian only walkway.

The Garden Street Mews were opened by city officials and developer Larry Bijou on Thursday afternoon, enabling Hobokenites to enjoy the street for future acitivities and events.

The mews are also supposed to serve as a "gateway to the northern end of the waterfront," Mayor Dawn Zimmer said in her remarks.

Larry Bijou—president of the firm Bijou properties, the development firm that funded the project—said that he would like to see, among other things, a farmer's market on the street.

Dean Marchetto, the architect of the mews, called the new walkway a "fantastic project."

"This brings the walkway intot he core of the city," Marchetto said about any future expansion of the mews to the northern end of the waterfront. "I hope that this continues."

Also present on Thursday afternoon—enjoying some of the catering provided by Anthony David's—were Council members Ravi Bhalla, Beth Mason and Jennifer Giattino as well as Director of Parking and Transportation Ian Sacs and Freeholder Anthony Romano.

The cobblestones on the mews, he said, are more than 100 years old. Many of Hoboken's streets used to have the same type of cobblestones on the ground, before the city switched to paved asphalt.

The street at 14th and Garden was never open to traffic, Marchetto said. It was a part of town that never got developed, he said.

"This will be a good way for people to come out here," Bijou said.