Fall comes, the leaves turn crunchy, and the breeze is blowing through Hoboken. One of my favorite things is the view of the leaves turning into different colors. Personally, I think Hoboken peaks in fall. It’s just the perfect cozy feeling that makes Hoboken feel like Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls: neighborly, cozy, and very fall.
Even with the beautiful scenery of all the leaves changing from gradients of green, yellow, orange, to red, and the leaves piling into crunchy piles, there are some drawbacks. To start, even though it isn’t fully daylight saving time yet, the sky is gradually getting darker earlier, which means, as a girl, the Hoboken Terminal gets a bit spookier too, with all types of people (you know what I mean) coming in a bit earlier due to the dark sky outside.
I do recommend, whether you are walking back to your apartment or dorm, or traveling in the city, investing in a legal self-defense item to keep you safe. That’s what I did this semester, and I feel so much safer walking home late at night. On top of that, we are in a weird time between summer and fall, as though they’re happening simultaneously. The weather can either drop suddenly or be 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and you have no idea whether to put on a sweater or a tank top.
The best way to counter this is to do both! My personal favorite is my cardigans. This is peak cardigan season, when you can wear your cute summer top and then throw on a cardigan, so if it is cold, you can put that on but have the versatility for bundling up a little. I guess the guy version of this would be a shirt and zip-up hoodie, which honestly anyone can do.
Take advantage of the Citi Bikes while you can. The weather is still at the perfect moment to finish up doing the last of the activities you can before the frigid winter hits us. When I see people using the Citi Bike, I always think about how nice it must be with the view and the breeze blowing past them, with the beautiful fall scenery enveloping them. Definitely, if you are a skater, bicyclist, or scooterist, take advantage of the nice weather and use it as much as you can before winter hits.
Another thing is to be aware of the leaf blowers on the Hudson walkway. I believe they come either Friday or Thursday. Usually, they stop when they see people, but I just go the other route so I don’t have to inconvenience them. Along with that, fall may come with some rain, as we have seen so far, and Hoboken is prone to flooding.
If you are a commuter, map out all the possible ways to get to campus just in case you need to pivot. After the nor’easter storm, I had to go through the bus exit from the terminal since the main exit had flooding when you walked outside. Definitely wear comfy, sustainable shoes or just a really comfortable pair of sneakers. I’ve been seeing a lot of Doc Martens and heavy-duty boots recently.
Just in general, as a commuting hack, keep a few snacks on you if you have a bunch of classes back to back, like granola bars, chips, or a banana, since many feel too cold or too tired to buy some food from Washington Street. I hope you commuters get to enjoy the best of fall, and don’t let the chillier weather stop you from enjoying it!
