The Ultimate Jersey City Guide
courtesy the Joelle Chilazi Group
Positioned directly across from the tip of Lower Manhattan, Jersey City is often called New York City's "sixth borough," not only for its proximity to New York but also for its metropolitan combination of history and forward-looking modernism. More than 262,000 people from all over now call Jersey City home, making it the second-largest municipality in the state after Newark. The enclave has received no shortage of accolades, including being named the 13th best city in the country for young professionals in 2022 and the 79th best city to live in in 2021, according to Niche which awarded the city an overall grade of A-. Jersey City also earns high marks for its diversity, with a population that as of this writing is 23 percent Black/African American, 25 percent Asian and 29 percent Hispanic/Latino. As of this writing Jersey City is ranked the most diverse city in the country.
Spanning 21 square miles, Jersey City offers a rich tapestry of neighborhoods, each with its own unique appeal and defining characteristics. Downtown Jersey City is the most cosmopolitan and expansive of the city's enclaves, and even it is subdivided into micro-neighborhoods and historic districts. Along the northern waterfront area, you'll find Newport's gleaming high-rises and breathtaking views, plus a convenient PATH station, the Newport Centre Mall and beautiful parks. Further south along the river, Exchange Place features another PATH station, major corporate headquarters and the revitalized Harborside development, including 71,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, outdoor areas and Jersey City's Smorgasburg outpost. Downtown's southernmost coastal district, Paulus Hook, was established in 1633 and served as an important strategic site during the Revolutionary War. Today, it's home to the now awkwardly named Manhattan Yacht Club, which relocated here from Battery Park in 2015.
Downtown's inland neighborhoods included Hamilton Park, a historic 19th century residential community surrounding a namesake square. A true neighborhood gathering spot, the popular park offers tennis courts, a dog park, playground, farmer's market and outdoor movies. The Van Vorst Park area offers a similar ambiance with historic rowhouses surrounding a centerpiece park and market. In between, the central downtown corridor buzzes with activity thanks to the Grove Street PATH station and the fantastic Newark Pedestrian Plaza lined with excellent shopping, dining and nightlife venues. On the adjacent blocks of Historic Downtown, Harsimus Cove and Liberty Harbor, you'll find a range of housing stock from modest two- and three-family houses, boutique apartments and new construction buildings. Also an area with considerable new construction development is the Village which is an area farthest from the waterfront promenade and within walking distance of the Grove Street PATH. Here you will find White Eagle Hall a a music, theatre, and events hall in a restored historic building and Cellar 335, ranked one of the best restaurants in NJ, Madame , a modern bistro and cocktail bar, and Prato Bakery.
Perched on the bluffs overlooking downtown and Hoboken is the transitioning Jersey City Heights neighborhood, more commonly known as The Heights. The geographic separation from the rest of Jersey City cultivates a tight-knit, convivial vibe among its residents, while the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, Citibike and a bus system offers seamless transportation throughout the area. Residents here also have easy walkable access to all that Hoboken has to offer with 9th Street elevator and 2nd Street steps. Along Central Avenue and Palisades Avenue, residents enjoy a wealth of locally owned shops, restaurants and services, Riverview-Fisk Park and several new development projects are slated to bring even more conveniences to the area. The single and multi-family homes here are quaint, and many offer extraordinary views from the roof and the opportunity to acquire a fixer-upper with tremendous upside potential. Served by the city's westernmost PATH station, bustling Journal Square is known for its unbeatable accessibility, thriving business district and proximity to New Jersey City University and 123-acre Lincoln Park, the oldest and largest of the Hudson County parks. Paris’s Pompidou Arts Center is slated to open a satellite location here in 2024.
In Jersey City's neighborhoods, located below Communipaw Avenue, you'll find the kinetic, urban energy giving way to a more community feel in places like West Bergen, Greenville and Bergen-Lafayette. Here, deeply invested community members and organizations are responsible for improvements that sit beside swaths of affordable homes, multi-family buildings and local businesses. Bayside Park, a 9-acre stretch of land nestled beside the Richard Street light rail station has enjoyed a multimillion restoration, including sports courts and a state-of-the-art playground, on its lower reaches, while the passive use upper park looks much as it did when it was built in the 1980s. Dr. Maya Angelou Elementary Public School was the first new public school in Jersey City in more than a decade when the modern 108,000-square-foot facility opened in 2016, and 17-acre Berry Lane Park, the largest municipal park in Jersey City, underwent a $38 million improvement project. Nearby, artsy Bergen-Lafayette offers easy access to Liberty State Park and the lightrail and is now home to the largest movie studio in the state thanks to the new Cinelease Studios complex, another giant leap for the exciting Southside. You will also find the trendy new restaurants, bars and new rental buildings such as the Roxy, Solaris Lofts, Nurish , 902 Brewing Co , Harry’s Daughter and Pinwheel Garden.
What You'll Love About It:
Unbeatable 24 Hour Transportation: Commuters enjoy a wealth of transportation options in Jersey City. New Jersey Transit buses and four different PATH stations offer direct routes to Manhattan. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line connects Jersey City to North Bergen to Bayonne and all points in between. Along the waterfront, you'll find Port Liberté, Liberty Harbor, Paulus Hook and Harborside ferry terminals offering traffic-free access to Manhattan's Brookfield Place, Midtown and Pier 11. Drivers enjoy easy access to the city via the Holland Tunnel.
Remarkable Street Art: Throughout Jersey City, colorful murals and wallscapes add extraordinary vividness to city streets. The Jersey City Mural Arts Program (JCMAP) oversees the placement and execution of many of the paintings in this beloved outdoor gallery that now includes more than 100 works of art, from The Heights to Greenville. Some of the most well-known pieces include the David Bowie mural at the Cast Iron Lofts, painted by Eduardo Kobra, one of the world's most prominent street artists. At 141-143 Christopher Columbus Dr., a mural titled "Native" juxtaposes an image of the namesake explorer with the face of a Native American. Above the Grove Street Station, "The Jersey City Wave" Shepard Fairey, known for the famous Barack Obama "Hope" poster, depicts a giant wave meant to represent the cultural renaissance sweeping through modern-day Jersey City. A fitting welcome to this vibrant, diverse metropolis. Along with the street art you will find the world-renowned Mana Contemporary Arts Center , Art Fair 14C and 150 Bay St. which occasionally will offer open studio tours.
Waterfront Open Space: Opened in 1976 to coincide with the country's bicentennial celebrations, Liberty State Park is a haven for athletes, sightseers, and science and history fans alike. Spanning 1,212 acres and surrounded by water on three sides, the park includes miles of trails, paths and waterfront promenades alongside powerful monuments to the Holocaust and 9/11. Major events like the Jersey City Jazz Festival and Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic are regularly held here, and The Liberty Science Center offers a 300,000 square-foot learning center with 12 exhibition halls and the Western Hemisphere's biggest planetarium. Nearby there are docks to take passengers to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and you will find the Liberty National Golf Club which cost over $250 million to build making it one of the most expensive golf courses in history. Also not to be missed is the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway which offers breathtaking views of the NYC skyline and connects to Harborside Plaza and Hoboken.
Historic Architecture: The Jersey City local government has led the charge toward preserving the city's gorgeous architecture with six designated historic districts and several individual landmarks. The five protected Downtown areas are the Hamilton Park, Harsimus Cove, Paulus Hook, and Van Vorst Park Historic Districts. In 2015, Jersey City added its first new district in 30 years, and the first outside the downtown area, with the West Bergen East Lincoln Park Historic District. The city's Historic Preservation Commission works to identify, record and protect buildings and places of significant historical, architectural, social and archeological value — an invaluable part of preserving this vital city's rich history while embracing its exciting future.