Delivered Vacant

As a relatively new Hobokenite, I'm constantly made aware of all the change in our beloved city. This documentary masterfully captures the history of the gentrification of Hoboken in the 80s and fairly depicts both sides of the argument, the long term residents and the developers blending in the Capiello and Vezzetti mayoral terms and the politics of Hudson county. An excellent view info Hoboken's past that continues to shape this American gem today.

And its one of the best films I've ever seen.

Shot over eight years, the length of the film suits the story. We get a glimpse into the worlds of the gentrification process (e.g. city council, housing advocates, real estate sellers and developers, the Hoboken citizens, the yuppies, etc). A master class of documentary film.

This was an amazing film all had to close to home. My family member living at Pinter Hotel fire had seven of my family members die and now you see rich people live there at the cost of my family's life and other families that live in hoboken back then it's sad and no one ever did anything about it. Everyone should be able to read this book and a little bit more of hoboken New Jersey. When I remember, I was 11 years old and had to go through this tragic. Ah, had PTSD for over 30 years and did not even know I had it. It's unbelievable what these people got away with in the day and I passed her today. I feel sad because I can see exactly where my aunt jumped out the window 911 is also reminder when I see this because it's right back to what my aunt had that moment to jump off the window it was very hard for me as an 11 year old to see this happen my family was in Rivera funeral located on 45th St. And North Bergen ni I can still close my eyes and see my arms feet burn in the casket and just going around and L-shaped with the caskets. All closed was real trauma to me. We were not even sent some help for psychological or to help us get through this loss people in Hoboken, New Jersey that live there should take a really good look at the history of hoboken and also go to the hoboken will you see if people that passed away from the 70s to the 80s? They wanted to make condos my family came from Puerto Rico to make a new life and here they go not even six months passed away it's a shame. My name is Marisol Zenon and I truly miss my family.

Nora Jacobson's 1992 documentary was recently shown at the AMMI (In Queens, NY) and while it could not be more specific as to place and time (Hoboken, NJ in the late 80s); it grows more universal and timeless with each passing year.

Filmed over the course of 7 years, she captures an urban drama in real-time; the sudden gentrification of a quiet and ethnic backwater community of New York City during the crazy days of the real estate boom of 1982-1988 and beyond.

Carefully nurturing interview subjects, ranging from local developers licking their chops over undervalued housing stock, young artists enjoying cheap rents, aged pensioners clinging to disappearing rooming houses, minority households being bribed to move out; Jacobson also documents the rise and fall of the populist mayor Tom Visiello, as well as state and local council meetings and some smoke-filled back room dealings.

There is no surprise as to how the story of Hoboken ends, but the grace and compassion with which the filmmaker treats her subjects makes Delivered Vacant a must see for anyone who cares about urban life and the social forces that shape it.