Cara Birnbaum is a freelance writer by trade. The downtown Jersey City resident’s only contact with local business had been frequenting the places she enjoys near her home. But it was experiencing those small businesses, particularly on Newark Avenue, and not seeing enough customers enter those establishments, that got her started on a mission to change all that.
Birnbaum, with the assistance of family and friends, started encouraging others to shop local rather than get in their cars and go to a big-box store or to Manhattan. Then she reached out to her City Councilman Steven Fulop about the plight of small business and told him of her idea to help them out by encouraging a large effort to incentivize shoppers.
“He told me ‘If you organize it, I will promote it’,” said Birnbaum of Fulop’s backing of her “Make My City” initiative, a movement challenging Jersey City residents to shop exclusively at local, independent businesses for a full week.
“I support the idea of helping local business in a struggling economy.” – Celeste Governanti
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Birnbaum, who went door-to-door in the summer trying to get various merchants to participate, sees more interest this time around from owners and consumers alike.
“I think some business owners saw how it turned out and wanted to be part of ‘Make My City’,” Birnbaum said. “Also the weather was too hot and people either didn’t want to go out or they were at the beach.”
Supporting the “Make My City” concept is Celeste Governanti, the owner of Made With Love Café on Jersey Avenue. The shop will offer half-off the price of sandwiches from 11a.m. – 3 p.m., limited to one per customer.
“I support the idea of helping local business in a struggling economy from closing,” Governanti said. “I think about what is written on the ‘Make My City’ website – ‘If we don’t use them, we’re gonna lose them’.”
Make my buying local
The “Make My City” effort has won over fans from various sectors.
Councilman Fulop commended Birnbaum for a “terrific job” in starting this program.
“It’s important to get people to spend money locally,” Fulop said. “This is a great first step that hopefully will encourage the city to make it easier for new businesses to stay open.”
Alfa Demmellash, co-founder of the Rising Tide Capital, a local non-profit organization that provides training and coaching to entrepreneurs, saw “Make My City” unfold in July and encouraged Birnbaum to repeat the endeavor during the same time as Global Entrepreneurship Week in Jersey City.
“I was really impressed by what I saw during ‘Make My City’ and reached out to Cara to do a joint venture to acknowledge and celebrate small businesses as Global Entrepreneurship Week does,” Demellash said. The organizers of both ventures plan to hold a party to kick off both on Monday, 7 p.m. at LITM on Newark Avenue.
Business owners in the city welcome what they hope will be new clientele visiting them and spending their cash.
Mike Wilson, co-owner of Grove Street Bicycles on Grove Street said supporting “Make My City” is about supporting the shoring up of the local economy. Grove Street Bicycles will offer five percent off in-stock bikes and 10 percent off in-stock accessories.
“We are all about local businesses, and that’s why we support things, as some our employees live within the city while working in the city,” Wilson said.
Adam Paterson, the co-owner of Jersey City Tattoo Company on Newark Avenue, said “Make My City” helps revitalize an area that, even with its proximity to the Grove Street PATH station and to the wealthiest segment of the city’s population, still struggles to bring in business.
“I walk down Newark Avenue and see a number of empty storefronts and it is kind of depressing,” Paterson said. “This area has great potential for small business to flourish rather than people spend their money elsewhere.”
For more information on participating businesses and related events, visit makemycity-jc.com.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.
Make My City events
As part of “Make My City” week, these events are planned:
Monday, November 15
2 p.m. – Hamilton Square Lobby, Pavonia Ave., Natural Immune Boosters,
a talk with Elizabeth Gaynor. Sponsored by Downtown Co-op.
4:30 pm – Made With Love, 530 Jersey Ave.: Thanksgiving Cookie Decorating for toddlers. Limit 12, first come, first served.
5:30 – 7:30 pm, 9th & Coles Tavern, 174 Coles St., Make My City Happy Hour.
6 – 9 p.m. – LITM, 140 Newark Ave.: Speednetwork the Globe (see gewjc.org for info).
7-10 pm – LITM: MMC and Global Entrepreneurship Week Kick-off Party.
Tuesday, November 16:
9 a.m. until closing at Made with Love: Pet portraits with photographer Melanie McLean. Cost: $10.
11:30 am – 2:30 p.m. – Lamp Post Bar & Grill, 382 Second St., Moms’ and kids’
brunch, featuring family-friendly food and entertainment.
4:30 p.m. – Made With Love: Toddler Cookie Decorating. Cost: $5.
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. – 9th & Coles: MMC Happy Hour.
7 – 8 p.m. – Runner’s High, 35 River Dr. South: Training Clinic—how to stay fit this winter.
7 – 9 p.m. – The Stockinette, 581 Jersey Ave.: Walk-in knitting lessons.
8 p.m. – Bar Majestic, 275 Grove St.: Live Flamenco music.
8 p.m. – Art House Productions, 1 McWilliams Pl., 6th floor: The Dark Side of Global Trade, discussion.
Wednesday, November 17:
10 a.m. – Hamilton Square Lobby, Pavonia Ave., Natural Immune Boosters, a talk with Elizabeth Gaynor. Sponsored by Downtown Co-op.
4:30 p.m. – Made With Love, Toddler Cookie Decorating. Cost: $5.
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. – 9th & Coles, MMC Happy Hour.
7-9 p.m. – The Stockinette, Walk-in knitting lessons.
Thursday, November 18:
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. – 9th & Coles, MMC Happy Hour.
7-9 p.m. – The Stockinette, Walk-in knitting lessons.
8 p.m. – Madame Claude Café, Live gypsy jazz.
Friday, November 19:
5:30-7:30 p.m. – 9th & Coles, MMC Happy Hour.
6 – 8 p.m. – Smith & Chang, 232 Pavonia Ave., Holiday cocktail recipes and tasting.
7 – 9 p.m. – The Stockinette, Walk-in knitting lessons.
Saturday, November 20:
10 a.m. – 7 p.m. – Kanibal Home, 213 Montgomery St., Holiday crafts and artisan fair.
1 – 4 p.m. – Green & White Spa, 351 Third St., Non-surgical facelift party.
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. – 9th & Coles, MMC Happy Hour.
7 p.m. – LITM: 7th Anniversary Celebration. Cost: $7 food and drink combos.
Sunday, November 21:
10 a.m. – Hamilton Square lobby, Pavonia Ave., Downtown Co-op presents Eating for Energy, with Nisha Moodley.
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. – 9th & Coles, MMC Happy Hour.