Andrew St. Clair

I got a last minute assignment from Hoboken Patch to cover Super Bowl happenings at various Hoboken bars. I didn’t have a real plan. Since Hoboken seems to have a drinking establishment on every corner… and then some, I figured ‘how hard could it be to find some action’? Now, don’t quote me on this, but a high school friend of mine who went to Stevens Institute once told me that among it’s students, the school had the highest alcohol consumption per capita in the entire United States. I mean, what else is there to do in Hoboken, right?

Anyway, I got off the PATH train and the first bar I stumbled into was Texas Arizona Bar & Grill…. which turned out to be where the ‘Steelers in Hoboken’ club resides. It was wall-to-wall enthusiastic Steelers fans in jerseys and other Steelers gear. Visually it was perfect for me, since I wanted pictures of enthusiastic bar goers. Everyone was super friendly and made me feel at home, even though I was the only person in the place not dressed in black & yellow. I took about 30 shots and headed out to other bars along the Washington Street strip.

While many of the bars were packed, the energy was subdued and not really worth shooting more than one or two photos. After about an hour or so from my start point, I got what I was required and I called my editor and told her I was wrapping up. But for some reason, I felt like I needed to go back to Texas Arizona and get more fan reaction shots of the Steelers winning… or in this case, losing as the Steelers were just a few points behind for the entirety of the game.

As the clock wound down, the mood got heavier. Some of my favorite shots of the night are of fans looking distraught. But overall, it was probably the best place to be on Super Bowl Sunday… if you were in Hoboken that is. If the Steelers make it to the big game next year and if I’m not doing anything… I think I might go back with friends! Check out my coverage for Hoboken.Patch.com here and here.