New Jersey
Pokemon Go Is Apparently Still a Thing and About To Overrun New Jersey
Pokémon ignited my imagination when I was younger in a way I never would have expected. Hell, it does now, too! I haven’t played a new Pokémon game in several years (and am grateful I haven’t gotten a Switch because the new games look like they would ruin my life). But I will still fire up an old Nintendo DS on occasion and explore the worlds of Kanto and Sinnoh, catching and training those pocket monsters with the help of my trusty Ninetales. But there is more to the games (and the anime) than simply catching Pokémon.
The world of Pokémon is rich with lore and history. The stories about legendary Pokémon, which the games are often centered around, tell magical tales about ancient beings that shaped the world. There are cults and criminal organizations built around worshiping these giant (or tiny) monsters. It’s a lot of fun and turns the games and shows into exhilarating and awe-inspiring adventure stories (that also involve cute lil monsters fighting with their powers). It rules, I love it, and I wholly expected to love Pokémon Go when it dropped in 2016. I did not.
The mobile game, which uses AR technology to populate our world with catchable Pokémon, took off like a rocket. I was as swept up as everyone else, but it also helped that when it dropped, I had been fired from a job I had had for seven years. Your boy was as unemployed as unemployed could be, and had plenty of time to explore Washington Heights, catching Pokémon on my phone. But I grew tired of it pretty quickly. It drained my phone’s battery like crazy and used up a lot of data (and I didn’t have an unlimited plan at the time). But, most importantly, the story elements were missing.
Maybe some of my complaints have been addressed in the last eight years. I’m sure there have been advancements, but I moved on pretty quickly and never looked back. Mobile games for your phone lost appeal to me as well, as they are mostly bird feeders that you have to attend to constantly unless you feel like spending money on something you don’t really own. While I may not be the only person who thinks this way, I am likely in the minority because Pokémon Go is still going strong, so much so that it may disrupt my life this weekend.
I live in Jersey City and have been here for about a year and a half. Yesterday was the first day I told my wife that it was starting to feel like home. That doesn’t mean it is without its issues, though. For instance, Jersey City transit gobbles big ole salty goat balls, uncooked and slathered with puss (sorry, but it really is that bad). I spent 16 years riding the NYC subways, and those aren’t perfect, but NJ Transit makes them look golden chariots powered by happy thoughts and positive vibes. Jersey will host the final match of the 2026 World Cup at MetLife Stadium, and I honestly think it will break the buses. They couldn’t even handle Shakira.
So, I was more than worried when I saw an article on Patch about NJ hosting the Pokémon Go Fest this weekend, and basically admitting that they aren’t prepared for it. “Liberty State Park will host Pokémon GO Fest from Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 8,” a statement from the state said. “This large-scale event is expected to attract thousands of attendees each day. Motorists and park visitors are advised to expect heavy traffic in and around Liberty State Park during this period, especially along Freedom Way, Phillip Street, Morris Pesin Drive, and Audrey Zapp Drive.” New Jersey is one of the most densely populated states, and the Fest will bring around 90,000 people to one location to look at their phones. Fun!
Jersey goes on to pitch public transportation as an alternative for travelers, but again, their public transportation is bad. The apps for tracking buses and trains are confusing (and often don’t work). Scheduled buses and trains will arrive much later or earlier than stated on the apps without any warning, and that’s if they show up at all. If you miss your 4:15 bus, you could be f***ed, as the next might not come for an hour. The only consistent train I’ve ridden in Jersey is the PATH, but it doesn’t go far, and I’m sure if I rode it more regularly, I would have complaints.
I am not blaming Pokémon Go players for enjoying the event or the game. Everything sucks. Find your happiness. But it was incredibly jarring to discover that something I once dabbled in was still very popular and possibly going to disrupt my life this weekend. But I’ll look at the good side as well. We are in Primary Election season in NJ. If inefficiencies in transit are highlighted this weekend, maybe people will want change and Pokémon Go to the polls! Hey, that was pretty good. Someone should say that on a national stage!
New Jersey
Dan Levy’s new Netflix comedy ‘Big Mistakes’ was filmed at these New Jersey locations
Filming Big Mistakes in New Jersey was no mistake at all.
The Netflix comedy series, which debuted earlier this month, has already hit the streaming service’s Global Top 10 English TV List, making it one of the most-watched shows out right now.
As per Netflix, the comedy series co-created, executive produced, written and starring Emmy winner Dan Levy, follows Nicky (Levy) and Morgan (Taylor Ortega), two deeply incapable siblings who are in over their heads when a misguided theft for their dying grandmother accidentally pulls them into the world of organized crime. Blackmailed into increasingly dangerous assignments, they clumsily fail upwards, sinking deeper into chaos they’re ill-equipped to handle. The dark comedy, which has only eight episodes, has a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes so far.
RECOMMENDED: Where was ‘Beef’ season 2 filmed? Behind the locations of the dark Netflix comedy
Set in the fictional New Jersey suburb of Glenview, the series was fittingly filmed primarily in numerous towns and cities in New Jersey, including Caldwell, Cranford, Franklin Lakes, Irvington, Jersey City, Union, Warren and Weehawken for a total of 40 filming locations. (The cartel storyline in Episode 7 was shot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where its coastline and architecture doubled as Miami’s waterfront, luxury estates and yacht life.)
“I’ve really enjoyed shooting in New Jersey,” location manager Mia Thompson said. “We have quite a number of recurring locations that have all just been wonderful—not only the home owners, but the business owners, the towns, the local police, the local fire departments, the town clerks. It’s been a really great experience.”
More than 300 cast and crew and 500 vendors took part in the production. Ortega, who plays Morgan, is actually a New Jersey native and was surprised to film in her backyard.
“It was surreal getting to film in my home state,” she said. “I grew up in New Jersey and was obsessed with film and television and never thought I’d be returning home for such a major project and moment in my life.”
The show filmed the scenes at Morelli’s Hardware, run by Nicky and Morgan’s mom (Laurie Metcalf), at Edison Millwork & Hardware, a more than 50-year-old, family-owned hardware store in Edison.
“It’s one of the few mom and pop hardware stores that are left anywhere, really, so it was really great to find this location that fits very perfectly with our story,” Thompson said.
The show was also filmed at Wyoming Presbyterian Church in Millburn—the backdrop for Nicky’s day job as a pastor and his living space.
“We’ve utilized every inch of space of that church inside and out,” said Thompson. “They’ve enjoyed the experience just as much as we have.”
Other spots they filmed at include Deerfield School, Essex County Airport, Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, Hatfield Swamp, Springfield Municipal Building and the Crystal Inn in Eatontown.
“One thing about New Jersey is that it’s so diverse. The various neighborhoods offer different kinds of looks and aesthetics,” said Thompson. “You have everything that you could ask for.”
See Jersey in all eight episodes, streaming now on Netflix.
New Jersey
ACLU featured at Bruce Springsteen No Kings show in New Jersey
Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band tour rehearsal in Ocean Grove
Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band March 26, 2026 Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour rehearsal at the Ocean Grove Youth Center in Ocean Grove.
There will be No Kings at the Monday, April 20 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show at the Prudential Center in Newark but the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey will be there.
The group will be the “featured organization” for the New Jersey stop of the band’s Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour.
“We’re honored to have the opportunity to work with New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen to advocate for the rights and freedoms that all people deserve,” said ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha in statement. “This moment requires all of us, and we are grateful to Bruce, who is using his platform to fight against authoritarianism and for our rights. We share a love for New Jersey and a desire to make the Garden State safer and freer for everyone who calls it home. Our team is thrilled to connect with everyone who shares our mission to protect and defend civil liberties, and who knows the power that art and music have to change the world.”
Springsteen said the American Dream is under attack by “our wannabe king and his rogue government” when he announced the tour on Feb. 17. Promotional posters for the tour features the phrase “No Kings,” a reflection of the national anti-President Donald Trump protests that have taken place in the last year.
The tour kickoff was March 31 at the Target Center in Minneapolis and it included 27 songs over three hours. The show also featured some direct talk from Springsteen on the state of the country. The setlist included the newly composed “Streets of Minneapolis,” written after the fatal shooting by federal agents of Renee Good and Alex Pretti of Minneapolis in January.
ACLU-NJ representatives will be at the Prudential Center to talk to concertgoers about its work. The American Civil Liberties Union previously released an ad with the Springsteen classic “Born in the U.S.A.” featured on the eve of the Supreme Court case where the ACLU is challenging the President Trump’s executive order attempting to overturn the current interpretation of 14th Amendment, which grants automatic citizenship to those born in the U.S. regardless of their parents’ legal status.
Visit www.aclu-nj.org for more info on the ACLU-NJ.
Subscribe to app.com for the latest on the New Jersey music scene.
Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at cjordan@app.com
New Jersey
NJ Lottery Pick-3, Pick-4, Cash 5, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for Sunday, April 19
The New Jersey Lottery offers multiple draw games for people looking to strike it rich.
Here’s a look at April 19, 2026, results for each game:
Pick-3
Midday: 8-7-3, Fireball: 9
Evening: 5-0-8, Fireball: 0
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick-4
Midday: 4-7-7-9, Fireball: 9
Evening: 5-9-7-8, Fireball: 0
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Jersey Cash 5
20-25-35-38-45, Xtra: 35
Check Jersey Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Quick Draw
Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.
Cash Pop
Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the New Jersey Lottery drawings held?
- Pick-3: 12:59 p.m. and 10:57 p.m. daily.
- Pick-4: 12:59 p.m. and 10:57 p.m. daily.
- Jersey Cash 5: 10:57 p.m. daily.
- Pick-6: 10:57 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a New Jersey Sr Breaking News Editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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