How many children do you have and what are their age(s)?
I have one kid. His name is Klaus and he’s 4.5 years old.
How long have you lived in Jersey City? What made you decide to live here?
I have lived in Jersey City for almost 20 years! Wow… I still can’t believe it has been such a long time. When I first came to the NY area from Spain I didn’t know anybody and I stayed with a distant family friend in Brooklyn but, soon enough, I contacted some people I had met in Madrid who had just moved back to the States and they were looking for apartments in JC. So I added this area to my search and landed a great apartment downtown. I fell in love with JC right away and I lived downtown for 15 years before moving to The Heights right after my son was born.
What’s your favorite family activity Jersey City?
We love going to the movies as a family, my son has been able to sit through a movie since he was 2. He takes it from us, my husband and I have always been avid film buffs. We love the Bowtie movie theater in Hoboken (it’s quiet and the installations are top-notch).
We also loooove going to the Liberty Science Center! We have a family membership and we probably go once or twice a month
Where’s your favorite place to eat and/or shop in your town?
We are not big shoppers so I’ll elaborate more on the places we love to eat at. We’ll try anything but we have three absolute favorites: Skinner’s Loft – I’ve been going there since they opened over 12 years ago. Then I introduced my husband to it and now we go with our son. I know the family that runs the place and the food and drink menu are outstanding. The Hutton Bar and Grill – this is, hands down, the best eatery in the Heights. The creativity of the chef never disappoints, they are very kid friendly and their outdoor area is a must for any Spring-Summer-Fall outing. Liberty Park diner – is in our opinion the best diner in town, a secret hidden gem in the middle of a semi-deserted area, very close to the Science Center. Even when it’s crowded it doesn’t feel like it, is a beautifully run, family business, with great food and excellent service.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
That when I was 16 I shaved my head a-la Sinead O’Connor and that I was a total tomboy, Doc Martens, flannel shirt grunge baby 😉
An
yone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
First and foremost, my husband: he was an absolute pillar of serenity and solidity through our first year of parenthood while I was going through a fairly unpleasant postpartum depression. Secondly, my two solid groups of mama friends (one are my party girls who all happened to have kids the same year and the other group formed through our pre-K 3 experience at Concordia last year) who are funny, loving, supportive and without our nights out my life would be empty.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
I’ve always been an entrepreneur, even when I was an active performer (former touring jazz/world music singer and composer) I had my own label/production company and created a festival/music series that ran for 5 years. BUT all throughout my life as a musician I moonlighted as a professional organizer and thus my company Space Composer was born more than 10 years ago. Since my son was born my desire for artistic fame and traveling decreased and I decided to re-vamp my professional organizing company and to move the business focus area to my local community. Although we still are active in the NYC area, I’m trying hard to eventually just operate in the Hudson, Essex and Bergen county areas of NJ.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Downtown Jersey City in the early 2000’s was a incredibly artistically vibrant place with a very strong community of artists of all disciplines. The closeness and support of that community helped me gather the courage to start my music career in this country. Because I’ve been living in JC for such a long time I do feel a part of JC will always live in my heart and my memories, no matter where life takes me and my family in the future. One great feature I’ve always liked about Jersey City is that it is close enough to NYC (for when you need to have access to NY for professional, cultural, or social reasons) but also far away enough (for when you have to get some distance from the intensity of the city!).
Rebeca will be hosting a series of workshops in her home this March, featuring how to organize your space in every day living! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/space-solutions-for-the-quirky-home-tickets-78592543413