Jersey City

Jersey City is New Jersey's second-largest city. Jersey City sits in Hudson County in the northeastern section of the state, across the Hudson from its older and bigger cousin, New York City and south of Hoboken. It is frequently referred to as New York’s “sixth borough”.



Until the early 1600s, the area was inhabited by Lenape Indians. The Dutch then settled here as a part of the colony of New Amsterdam, it evolved into an industrial powerhouse, with railroads winding up and down the city (some of these lines are still used today). Although Jersey City lost its powerhouse status and became troubled with decline in the 1960s, the decline would begin to be reversed in the 1980s, and the city would be transformed into what it is today. Most tourists may only come in for cheap accommodation and its proximity to New York City, but Jersey City has plenty of things to offer up for the average visitor, including miles of recreational space with panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, diverse neighborhoods, and dining options that rival those found across the river.

Districts

 * Historic Downtown - This area, directly to the west of the waterfront, is characterized by rows of restored brownstones, new condominiums, and some retail (largely centered on Grove Street). This area includes the historic neighborhoods of Paulus Hook along the Morris Canal, and Hamilton Park, Harsimus Cove, and Van Vorst Park further inland.
 * Waterfront - Although considered to be part of Downtown Jersey City by most locals, this area is often categorized as a separate neighborhood because it is so different from the Historic Downtown area. Characterized by high-rise condos and office towers, it's also home to the planned community of Newport, which includes the popular Newport Mall.
 * Journal Square - Named after the Jersey Journal, whose headquarters are here, this is the commercial heart of the city. It's home to the Hudson County Community College, and to the county's courthouse and administration buildings.
 * The Heights - Situated atop the Palisades, this primarily residential neighborhood is home to some of the county's best preserved Victorian mansions. This area has unparalleled views of the Manhattan skyline, owing to its location high above downtown Jersey City and Hoboken.
 * Liberty State Park - This district includes Liberty State Park itself, Cochrane Stadium/Caven Point Athletic Complex, and the exclusive Port Liberte development, which is home to luxury townhouses and condominiums as well as the Liberty National Golf Course.
 * Bergen/Lafayette - This neighborhood of brownstones, row houses, and pre-war buildings is slowly feeling the effects of gentrification from the neighboring downtown area and the restoration of the massive Art Deco former medical center to residences and commercial space.
 * West Side - This ethnically diverse neighborhood is home to Lincoln Park, Jersey City's own Central Park, New Jersey City University, and residential developments at the Hackensack River at Droyer's Point.
 * Greenville - This area in the southern end of Jersey City is considered the roughest part of the city, but it is slowly being redeveloped.

Understand
Jersey City is the second-largest city in New Jersey, trailing Newark in population, but far surpassing Trenton, the state capital. It is on a peninsula that includes Hoboken to the north and Bayonne to the south, and is bounded by the Hudson River and Manhattan to the east and the Hackensack River to the west. An interesting geographic feature of the city is that within its borders are the only two cases in the country where a US state has exclaves that are both geographically and politically surrounded by another state: the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, both exclaves of New York in New Jersey. As a result of a 1997 federal court decision, most of Ellis Island is now within Jersey City, with New York retaining a small landlocked portion that encompasses most of the immigration building.

Jersey City shares much of its history, geography, and culture with New York City, much moreso than other parts of New Jersey. Like New York City, it was settled by the Dutch in the 1600s, and this is still evidenced today by the prevalence of Dutch place names in both cities, and the use of the Dutch tricolors in their very similar flags. As in Brooklyn, rows of brownstones and other rowhouses started being built throughout Jersey City with the arrival of the steam ferry in the 1820s and continued throughout the 19th century. Ellis Island was a large source of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and Ireland that shaped the culture of both Jersey City and New York City from the 1880s until the 1920s.

The opening of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad tunnels into Manhattan in 1908 caused another population boom, with tenements and grand apartment buildings going up in neighborhoods such as Journal Square and along Kennedy Boulevard in the 1910s and 1920s.

Once a humming center of industry, Jersey City housed the booming factories of Colgate and Dixon-Ticonderoga. It was a railroad hub, where the transcontinental rail lines of the country's great railroads (including the famed Pennsylvania Railroad) converged from all across the country. All the railroads to New York City actually ended on the Jersey side of the waterfront, where passengers transferred to ferries to go into Manhattan. Today, Jersey City is neither of these things. Decades of deindustrialization, railroad bankruptcies, government mismanagement and other disappointments had a profound effect on this once booming town. The automobile era and a fear of urban areas caused significant "white flight" to the suburbs in the middle of the 20th century; once affluent areas became centers of poverty and crime. The city lost 87,000 people, almost a third of its population, and apartment buildings and row houses became vacant lots and parking lots. Jersey City was a mirror of what was happening in New York City, although perhaps to a more significant and depressing degree.

During the 1970s, immigrants began moving to Jersey City in droves, attracted by cheap real estate and a chance at experiencing the storied American dream. Today, these immigrants have helped to shape the city into a melting pot of the world's cultures and ethnicities. Nowhere else in the state is there a city as diverse and as interesting as Jersey City in this respect.

Later, the growing popularity of New York City in the 1990s had a significant impact on Jersey City, too. Old railyards along the waterfront became the sites of gleaming new office towers and high-rise condominiums. Brownstones further inland were fixed up by people moving back into the city. Jersey City's renaissance quickly began.

The city has gone through significant transformations over the course of its lifetime. And it's not over yet. High-rises continue to sprout up along the waterfront like weeds, attracting Manhattanites priced out of the real estate market there, while offering quick commutes to jobs in Downtown Manhattan and Midtown. Office towers continue to fill up with new tenants, including the backoffice functions of many New York City-based companies, earning it the moniker "Wall Street West." (In fact, Jersey City has more Class A office space than downtown Pittsburgh or Atlanta.) New stores catering to Jersey City's new gentry continue to pop up almost weekly. It's a city in transition, and it's exciting and frightening at the same time.

By plane
Jersey City is about a 10-minute ride from Newark Liberty International Airport, which is a major hub for United Airlines, and is one of the three airports serving the New York metropolitan area. A taxi to Jersey City from EWR will set you back about $40.

If you don't have a lot of bags, consider taking the train from the airport. Catch AirTrain from your terminal to the Newark Airport train station. Take a New York-bound New Jersey Transit train one stop to Newark Penn Station, then cross the platform to catch the PATH to Jersey City. On weekdays, you can take the North Jersey Coast Line to Hoboken where you can transfer to the PATH train. The AirTrain/NJ Transit train is $8.25; PATH is $2.75. The ride takes about 45 minutes.

The two other airports in the region are LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, both in the borough of Queens in New York City. A cab from LGA or JFK to Jersey City will cost about $100. From JFK airport it is also possible to take either the A or E subway trains from Howard Beach or Jamaica respectively and transfer at World Trade Center to the PATH.

By car
Driving into Jersey City is not recommended. While driving into Jersey City is only difficult at rush hour, finding on-street parking once you are there is a hassle at all times of day. Many streets -- particularly in downtown Jersey City and Journal Square -- require parking permits to park for longer than a couple of hours. If you park in a permit zone, your car may be booted by the Parking Authority, especially if you have out-of-state plates.

Since Jersey City sits at the western end of the Holland Tunnel, your best bet is to take any highway that leads directly to it. On the New Jersey side, this includes Interstate 78 (look for signs to exits 14-14c), US 1-9, and Interstate 280. On the New York side, take the West Side Highway and Canal Street from Manhattan.

By train
The PATH metro service runs has multiple stops in Jersey City with connections to Newark, Lower Manhattan, Midtown Manhattan, and Hoboken. It costs $2.75 one-way.

PATH payment options:
 * You can use contactless payment options (eg a credit/debit card or a smartphone wallet) to pass through dedicated gates via the Total Access PATH Payment (TAPP) pilot. TAPP-enabled gates are available at every PATH station.
 * An RFID-type stored value card called Smartlink affords PATH users discounts: $26 for 10 trips; $52 for 20 trips; $104 for 40 trips. However, the card itself must be purchased ($5, $57 including 20 trips).
 * Single-ride and pay-per-ride MetroCards, compatible with the New York City subway system, can be used on the PATH. You can purchase a single-ride MetroCard from the vending machines near the turnstiles; they accept cash or credit/debit cards. Unlimited MetroCards (i.e., the 7-day and 30-day unlimited ride cards for the subway) cannot be used on PATH.

TAPP and Smartlink are separate from the New York City OMNY payment system. PATH does not accept OMNY RFID cards, and PATH trips do not contribute to the OMNY weekly fare cap.

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, operated by NJ Transit, connects the Jersey City waterfront to Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City, North Bergen and Bayonne.

From the Pavonia/Newport PATH station, Lower Manhattan is about seven minutes away, Midtown Manhattan (33rd Street) is about 15 minutes away, and Newark Penn Station is about 25 minutes away. From Newark Penn Station, you can connect to regional New Jersey Transit and interstate Amtrak trains.

The nearest locations that New Jersey Transit trains stop are in Newark-Penn Station and Hoboken -- you will have to switch to either PATH or the Light Rail to get to Jersey City from there.

By bus
NJ Transit and other operators run buses to the Journal Square Transportation Center bus terminal. Greyhound buses stop at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan and the bus terminal at Newark Penn Station. From the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, take NJ Transit Buses 125 and 119 which go directly to Journal Square (the fare is $3.10; trip takes about 30 minutes) or NJ Transit Bus 1 from Newark Penn Station.

By boat
NY Waterway operates four ferry routes connecting Jersey City to Manhattan. The routes from Port Liberté and Liberty Harbor connect to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan. The other two ferry routes leave from Exchange Place, and connect to World Financial Center and West 39th Street in Midtown. Check the NY Waterway website for schedules.

Get around
The best way to navigate within Jersey City, as a tourist, is on foot and via mass transit. As a dense urban environment Jersey City, and especially its tourist and commercial destinations, are well served by PATH, light rail, and bus service.

By taxi
Unlike in Manhattan, taxis can be difficult to come by in Jersey City. You often have to call ahead to have one pick you up, although taxis are stationed at the Exchange Place, Grove Street and Journal Square PATH stations. Taxis in Jersey City can run either metered or unmetered (flat rate); the price is generally the same either way. If you are going unmetered, ask the price before getting into the taxi (or ask the dispatcher when you call ahead). Taxis are not cheap; a cab from Grove Street to Journal Square is about $10.

App based ride share services like Lyft and Uber operate in Jersey City. Via has also partnered with the city to operate an on demand ride share system that only runs within Jersey City. The Via fleet of minivans and SUVs holds multiple passengers and offers wheelchair accessible rides. Via is a discount option with rates starting at $2 per ride but wait times at its 'virtual bus stops' are typically 15-20mins.

By transit
PATH service, in addition to offering outside connections, has four stops in Jersey City: Journal Square, Grove Street, Exchange Place, and Pavonia/Newport. Connections to the light rail can be made at the Exchange Place and Pavonia stops. The Journal Square stop offers connections to the Journal Square Transportation Center and a variety of NJ Transit bus routes.

Bus service covers all corners of Jersey City but service levels vary by route.

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail runs largely north/south through the city. It connects the downtown Jersey City waterfront to Hoboken in the north and to Bergen Lafayette, Greenville, and Bayonne to the south. Note the light rail operates on a proof-of-payment ticketing system which means digital and paper tickets must be activated prior to boarding. Paper tickets must be time stamped using validator machines located at light rail stations. Digital tickets must be activated prior to boarding and will take three minutes before they become valid.

Both the light rail and bus systems are operated by NJ Transit. Download the official NJ Transit app for route information and schedules. The in app ticketing system is especially beneficial for visitors allowing you to navigate the sometimes complex zone and fare system prior to boarding which will save you the time and hassle of trying to figure it out while boarding the bus.

By bike
Citibike provided by Lyft is the exclusive bike share system in Jersey City and has many docks around Downtown Jersey City. The docks are more spaced out the farther you go out of downtown (map). The Citibike system in Jersey City is integrated with neighboring New York City and Hoboken. Accounts, passes, and keys work across all three municipalities. Daily rates range from $3.99 for a single ride to a $15 day pass.

Due to a recent investment by the local government many streets have protected bike lanes. Off road shared use trails can be found along the Hudson River waterfront and in Liberty State Park. The East Coast Greenway, a bike path that runs from Maine to Florida, cuts through Jersey City from Newark, eastward through Lincoln Park and city streets, to the ferries and to the riverfront walkway running north. As of 2022, bike routes across the Hackensack river are limited to the Lincoln Highway Hackensack River Bridge but should be expanded with the completion of the Wittpenn Bridge and the Essex-Hudson Greenway.

Do

 * Walk along the Hudson Waterfront. Take in the breathtaking views. From most points along the waterfront, you can see (on a clear day) from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge all the way up the Hudson River to Midtown Manhattan. Just south of the Exchange Place PATH station is a waterfront pier which extends some 250 m into the Hudson River. From the pier, one will often see locals fishing, tourists taking pictures of the Manhattan skyline, and even people playing chess at one of the tables on the pier. This is one of the most popular locations to photograph the Island of Manhattan, as it is directly across from downtown and the World Trade Center.

Buy
Although Jersey City isn't known for its extensive shopping options, the City's new gentry have begun to bring with it classier and pricier shops. Nevertheless, some "old school" shops and bodegas (delis) continue to be mainstays, particularly for locals. Parts of Jersey City are in the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) program, which allows retailers to charge half the state's sales tax (3.4375%) rather than the full sales tax rate, and clothing is not taxed at all. Retailers often have stickers on their doors showing that they participate in the UEZ program.



A short walk south from the Journal Square Path, this multi vendor set-up carries a wide assortment of furniture, vintage goods, collectibles, antiques, housewares, fair trade & artisan direct merchandise, hand made, crafts, and other fineries.

Eat
One of the great things about Jersey City is the diversity of its restaurant options. From wonderfully affordable Indian and Cuban restaurants to uber-trendy hotspots to elegant dining options offering stunning views of Manhattan with dinner, Jersey City has a little something for everyone. The city is also developing its own street food culture, which is somewhat similar to New York's. Vendors are typically around Exchange Place and near other recreational areas throughout the city.

Budget




Sleep
Many budget-minded New York City tourists decide to stay in moderately-priced Jersey City hotels because of its proximity to Manhattan. Hotels along or near the waterfront are quite safe and very well-appointed. Avoid the strip of motels along US 1-9 (Tonnelle Avenue) north of Journal Square. The area is industrial, unsafe, and is a haven for prostitution and other illicit activities.

Connect
Jersey City is served by two area codes - 201 and the overlay area code, 551. This means that 10-digit dialing is required. When dialing locally (within the 201 and 551 area codes), do not dial +1 before the number. For calls to other area codes, you must dial +1 before the number you're calling. Even though New York City is just across the Hudson, it's considered to be a long-distance call. Of course, with the advent of cellphones, long-distance calling is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

As in Manhattan, internet cafes are fairly uncommon in Jersey City as Wi-Fi is becoming more readily available. Notably, Janam Indian Tea on Grove Street and the Daily Grind Coffee Lounge on Morris Street offer free Wi-Fi connections.

Stay safe
Jersey City is very safe for a major city, and its crime rate is comparable to that of New York City. However, it pays to exercise precautions. Outside of Journal Square, Historic Downtown, and the Newark Avenue pedestrian plaza, many streets are virtually deserted after midnight, making those walking alone easy targets. If you must walk alone, stick to well-lit, major streets and don't flash your wallet, cellphone, camera, or iPod.

Try to avoid the southern section of the city, bordering Bayonne, particularly the neighborhood of Greenville. In particular, Martin Luther King Drive and Ocean Avenue should be avoided. This is the most crime-ridden portion of the city and it is a primarily low-income area, which is close to Liberty Science Center, Liberty State Park, and other areas that would be of interest to tourists. Making a wrong turn near these destinations can lead visitors traveling by car into unsavory neighborhoods. The light rail stations south of Jersey Avenue are within the southern areas of the city, and exercising caution is heavily suggested after dark.

Do not leave any valuables in your car.

Go next

 * Manhattan - Some of the world's finest dining, entertainment, shopping, and nightlife are only a ten-minute train ride away. Leave your car at one of the numerous parking lots and garages around Grove Street or Journal Square PATH stations and take in all that America's greatest city has to offer.
 * Newark - Despite its reputation for high crime and race riots, Newark is undergoing a renaissance of its own. Be sure to check out a show at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), one of the best concert halls in the country. After that, hit up the vibrant Ironbound neighborhood for some amazing Brazilian food.
 * Hoboken - Reputedly, Hoboken has the most bars per square mile of any city in the United States. And it's only a PATH ride away.
 * The Gateway, or North Jersey, is surprisingly diverse.
 * Jersey Shore-a day trip to some of the finest beaches on the East Coast