Jersey City

Introduction

Jersey City sits in Hudson County, New Jersey, where it serves as the county seat and stands as the county's most populous city and largest by area. It is the second-most populous city in the state, after Newark.

The city is a place of remarkable diversity: more than 40 languages are spoken in over half of its households, and a large share of residents were born outside the United States. That mix of languages and origins shapes daily life across its neighbourhoods, making it one of the most ethnically varied cities in the country.

Before you go

Jersey City sits on a peninsula between the Hudson River and the Hackensack River, with Hoboken to the north and Bayonne to the south, and Manhattan directly across the water to the east. It shares far more of its history, geography and culture with New York City than with the rest of New Jersey: Dutch settlement in the 1600s left place names and a tricolour flag, rowhouses and brownstones went up from the 1820s onward, and Ellis Island brought generations of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and Ireland. Later waves of immigrants from around the world have made it one of the most diverse cities in the state, while the waterfront railyards have given way to office towers and high-rise condominiums, earning the city the nickname "Wall Street West." It is a place in transition, and that shows in everything from its skyline to its neighbourhoods.

Before you go, plan around how the city is laid out. Journal Square, Historic Downtown and the Newark Avenue pedestrian plaza stay lively, but outside those areas many streets are virtually deserted after midnight, so stick to well-lit major streets if you are walking alone and keep valuables out of sight. The southern section bordering Bayonne, particularly Greenville, is best avoided; Martin Luther King Drive and Ocean Avenue in particular see more crime, and a wrong turn by car near Liberty Science Center or Liberty State Park can put you in those neighbourhoods. Light rail stations south of Jersey Avenue also sit in the southern part of the city, so take care there after dark. Wherever you park, leave nothing of value in your car.

Getting there

Newark Liberty International Airport is roughly a ten-minute ride away and serves as a major hub for United Airlines, making it the most convenient of the three airports serving the New York metropolitan area. If you're travelling light, you can reach Jersey City by train in about 45 minutes: catch the 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 for the PATH train. On weekdays, the North Jersey Coast Line runs to Hoboken, where you can transfer to the PATH. LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airports sit across the city line in Queens; from JFK you can also take the A or E subway trains from Howard Beach or Jamaica and transfer at World Trade Center to the PATH.

Amtrak and NJ Transit both serve Newark Penn Station, and NJ Transit also stops in Hoboken, but in every case you'll transfer to the PATH to reach Jersey City. PATH itself serves four stations here: Exchange Place, Grove Street, Journal Square and Newport, putting Lower Manhattan about seven minutes away, Midtown about 15 and Newark about 25. NY Waterway runs four ferry routes to Manhattan, from Port Liberté and Liberty Harbor to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan, and from Exchange Place to the World Financial Center and West 39th Street in Midtown. Buses run by NJ Transit and other operators stop at the Journal Square Transportation Center; from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, routes 125 and 119 go directly to Journal Square, while route 1 does the same from the Newark Penn Station bus terminal. Driving is not recommended: parking is a hassle at all hours, many streets in downtown and around Journal Square require permits for stays beyond a couple of hours, and out-of-state plates risk being booted in permit zones. If you do drive, Jersey City sits at the western end of the Holland Tunnel, reachable via Interstate 78, US 1-9 and Interstate 280 on the New Jersey side, or the West Side Highway and Canal Street from Manhattan.

Getting around

The best way to navigate Jersey City is on foot and via public transit, so plan your journey with a mapping app that offers full navigation and real-time updates, and download the official PATH and NJ Transit apps for routes, schedules and service updates. The PATH network covers four stations in Jersey City — Exchange Place, Grove Street, Journal Square and Newport — and runs between Jersey City and New York City; connect to the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail at Exchange Place, Hoboken and Newport, and to the Journal Square Transportation Center and a variety of bus routes at Journal Square. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail runs largely north–south, linking the downtown waterfront with Hoboken to the north and Bayonne to the south, while the bus network covers all corners of the city with frequencies that vary by route.

• Fares: TAPP is the contactless fare system for PATH — tap a contactless credit, debit or prepaid card (American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, UnionPay or Visa), a smart device with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay, or a TAPP card. FARE-PAY is the equivalent for NJ Transit tram and bus lines, accepting the same cards and smart devices or a FARE-PAY card. TAPP cards do not work on the NJ Transit network, and FARE-PAY cards do not work on the PATH network.
• Taxi and ride-hailing: Taxis can be difficult to come by, so call ahead; they are stationed at the Exchange Place, Grove Street and Journal Square PATH stations. Cabs may run metered or unmetered (flat rate) at generally the same price — if going unmetered, ask the price before getting in, or ask the dispatcher when you call ahead. Lyft and Uber operate throughout the city, and Via runs an on-demand shared ride service within Jersey City only, using minivans and SUVs that hold multiple passengers and offer wheelchair-accessible rides; it is a discount option, but wait times at its virtual bus stops are typically 15–20 minutes.
• Bicycle: Citibike, provided by Lyft, is the exclusive bike-share system, with many docks around Downtown Jersey City and more spaced-out docks farther out; it is integrated with New York City and Hoboken, so accounts, passes and keys work across all three. Many streets have protected bike lanes, and off-road shared-use trails run along the Hudson River waterfront and in Liberty State Park. The East Coast Greenway cuts through Jersey City from Newark, eastward through Lincoln Park and city streets, to the ferries and the riverfront walkway running north.

Where to stay

Food & drink

Jersey City's restaurant scene reflects the diversity of its residents, ranging from affordable Indian and Cuban spots to trendy hotspots and elegant dining rooms with Manhattan views. A street food culture has taken root as well, similar in spirit to New York's, with vendors typically clustered around Exchange Place and other recreational areas.

• For a cheap breakfast, grab fresh bagels with a wide range of cream cheeses at Wonder Bagels, which also offers non-dairy and tofu options for vegans; weekend mornings can draw a line out the door.
• El Sason de Las Americas serves super cheap, super good Latin American food downtown near the Grove St PATH station — pointing at what you want works fine, and the word to know is pernil.
• Little India along Newark Avenue is the place for South Indian vegetarian cooking, and Dosa Hut offers the widest selection of dosas around.
• Little Quiapo and the Philippine Bread House serve very cheap Filipino turo-turo food and decades-old Filipino pastries such as ensaymada, halaya, and pan de sal.
• Taqueria Downtown keeps it simple with satisfying Mexican fare and tacos that make for a cheap meal.
• White Mana has been dishing up hamburgers since the 1940s.
• For mid-range meals, try Razza Pizza for some of the best pizza in the NYC area, Laico's for Italian food worth the out-of-the-way trip, Mamak House for Malaysian-Chinese fusion, Honshu Lounge for sushi, Madame Claude Cafe for a tiny piece of Paris, Cafe La Rustique for thin-crust pizza, Rasoi Cafe Bar Restaurant for its lunch buffet, Korai Kitchen for Bangladeshi cuisine, Pinwheel Garden for Southeast Asian fusion, and Ahri's Kitchen for Korean food.
• Splurge options include the Light Horse Tavern, named for "Light Horse Harry" Lee, with a good wine selection and classy ambiance; Vu and the Rooftop at Exchange Place, both offering views of New York City; plus Emmas and Lokal.
• For drinks, Barcade pairs a rotating menu of microbrews with classic arcade games.

What to see and do

Start with the waterfront, where Liberty State Park gives you sweeping views across the Hudson toward Manhattan, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Ferries to the Statue and Ellis Island leave from the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, whose early 20th-century ironwork is worth a look while you wait; reserve your ferry window online in advance. The park also holds the Empty Sky memorial to New Jersey's 9/11 casualties, and the Liberty Science Center, home to a large planetarium, exhibits on the Hudson River estuary and a display devoted to skyscrapers. On the Fourth of July, fireworks light up the water.

Inland, Jersey City's history shows in its architecture. The Romanesque revival Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse on Washington Boulevard once powered the first trans-Hudson subway, the predecessor of today's PATH. City Hall, a granite and marble building from the 1890s, faces a plaza with a bronze Civil War memorial, while the Beaux-Arts Justice William Brennan Courthouse nearby has a stained-glass dome and murals, with guided tours on weekdays. The Colgate Clock recalls the city's industrial past, and the Loew's Jersey Theatre, one of the old Loew's "Wonder Palaces," has an intricately detailed interior and still hosts live events and movie revivals. Older landmarks include the Van Vorst House, the city's oldest structure, and the Apple Tree House, where Washington and Lafayette are said to have dined.

• Liberty State Park — waterfront views, ferry access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• Liberty Science Center — planetarium, Hudson estuary and skyscraper exhibits
• Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial — tribute to New Jersey's casualties
• Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal — historic ferry departure point
• Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse — Romanesque revival industrial landmark
• Jersey City City Hall — 1890s municipal building with a Civil War memorial
• Justice William Brennan Courthouse — Beaux-Arts interiors, weekday tours
• Colgate Clock — reminder of the city's industrial era
• Loew's Jersey Theatre — restored movie palace with live events
• Lincoln Park — monuments, including the "Lincoln the Mystic" statue and a large concrete fountain
• Van Vorst House — the city's oldest structure
• Apple Tree House — colonial-era house with Wednesday tours
• Paulus Hook — brownstone row houses and views of New York
• Pershing Field — running track, pool, ice rink and war memorials
• Reservoir No 3 — wildlife viewing by online appointment

When to go

Jersey City has a humid subtropical climate, so plan around hot, humid summers and cool to cold winters. Summer brings muggy conditions and frequent rain, with July the wettest month of the year. If you visit in summer, expect to work around showers and pack for heat and humidity.

Winters are generally cool to cold with moderate snowfall. February is the driest month, though snow can still fall, so cold-weather gear is worth bringing if you travel then.

Three days in Jersey City

Day one: Start in Historic Downtown, the neighbourhood also known as Wall Street West, and walk Newark Avenue for its restaurants and street life. From there, head to Liberty State Park on the Hudson River, where you can look across the water to Manhattan and New York City, and visit the Liberty Science Center nearby. In the evening, stay in Historic Downtown or move on to Journal Square.

Day two: Take New Jersey Transit or the AirTrain from Newark Liberty International Airport if you are arriving, or use Newark Airport as your starting point. Explore Journal Square, then continue to Greenville along Martin Luther King Drive and Ocean Avenue to see a different side of the city. Later, cross to Hoboken or Bayonne, both in Hudson County, for views of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline.

Day three: Spend the morning around Liberty State Park and the waterfront, with views toward Ellis Island and the Dutch and Southern and Eastern Europe immigrant history tied to the harbour. If time allows, visit the Light and Jersey Avenue areas, or take the Hudson River to Manhattan. Wherever you end your trip, Newark and New York are close by for onward travel.