Run these commands before starting server (only need to do once):
npm install
bower install
sass public/css/main.scss > public/css/main.css
One must also edit the settings in public/js/app.js and set the $rootScope.baseUrl to the address of the webserver This will enable the websockets to connect to the correct server.
to run server:
node app.js
point the browser to localhost:3000 to visit the site