Interview with the Candidate: Rolando Lavarro

Jersey City elections are right around the corner and I wanted to offer the opportunity to get to know the candidates a little better and let people learn more about who's running to represent them.

These interviews are available to any candidate running in Jersey City and are not indicative of an endorsement or political support. If you're interested in learning more about any of the candidate's policies, please click on the links to read more.

Read on to learn more about Rolando Lavarro, running for Council At-Large, 1B with Team Fulop.

www.lavarroforjerseycity.com

www.facebook.com/rolandolavarrojr

https://twitter.com/RLavarro

What are some of the changes you've seen in Jersey City in the time that you've lived here? What changes would you like to see in the next four years?

Jersey City has changed tremendously since I was a kid.  It seems almost unbelievable now, but Downtown used to be a pretty rough area. Greenville, where I grew up, was a safe and thriving middle class neighborhood. Journal Square was once a bustling transportation hub surrounded by grand movie houses and high-end shopping.

The Mozz Boss

A few weeks ago, when Uber was running their NJ free ride promotion, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to visit an area of Jersey City I don't otherwise often go to, Greenville, and check out The Mozz Boss. That's right - I'm so dedicated, I used my free rides to get sandwiches to benefit all of you (actually, the logisitics just ended up working out well, but still).

I first saw The Mozz Boss at La Festa Italiana last summer where they had a booth, but I never ended up trying anything although I did see people walking away with delicious looking bowls of food and stuffed-to-the-brim sandwiches. A couple of months later, when I heard they'd opened up a storefront in Jersey City, I put it on my to-try list but took a while to get to it - my mistake.

Walking in, I was amazed at how much space there is. There are plenty of seats - a rare commodity for most downtown delis. It seemed like most of the cold cuts were Boar's Head brand (despite the stickers) and there were some salads and antipastis to choose from as well. I went in on a Sunday when they close early and felt like they had less available than they might otherwise.