Evening on the Hudson waterfront: the Manhattan skyline lights up across the river, and on the pier just south of the Exchange Place PATH station you will find locals fishing, visitors photographing the view, and chess games at the tables. It is one of the most popular spots to photograph Manhattan, directly across from downtown and the World Trade Center.
Jersey City's nightlife is spread out rather than concentrated in a single strip, and it has grown alongside the city's arts, culture and culinary scene since the 1990s, when artists and others began moving here. It suits visitors who want a full evening within easy reach of Manhattan by PATH train, ferry or bus, and who are happy to move between a few distinct areas rather than stay on one street.
Where to go out in Jersey City
1. The Hudson waterfront and Exchange Place
The waterfront is the city's evening showpiece. From most points along it, a clear day or night gives you a view from the Verrazano Narrows Bridge up the Hudson to Midtown Manhattan, and the pier south of the Exchange Place PATH station is a gathering place in its own right.
This suits a low-key start or end to a night: a walk, a skyline photo, a look at the fishing and chess tables. The PATH train puts Exchange Place within a short ride of Manhattan, which makes it easy to combine with a night across the river.
2. Newark Avenue and the downtown bar scene
Downtown Jersey City, around Newark Avenue, is where you find the city's established drinking spots. Barcade, at 163 Newark Avenue, is an expansion of the Brooklyn destination; it serves a daily rotating menu of about two dozen microbrews and has more than 30 classic arcade systems at 25 cents per play. It is 21 and over only.
This area suits a casual, sociable night built around beer and games. Note the age rule at Barcade if anyone in your group is under 21.
3. Second Street and the local bar circuit
Lucky 7, at 322 Second Street, is described as a very popular local watering hole, with New York Magazine noting that some nights there is a DJ and some nights it is big hair and Bon Jovi.
This suits a night when you want a neighbourhood bar rather than a destination venue, and when the music policy being unpredictable is part of the appeal.
4. Liberty Harbor and the biergarten
Zeppelin Hall Biergarten and Restaurant, at 88 Liberty View Drive in the Liberty Harbor development, is a large biergarten with seating for up to 800 people, 144 taps and $10 liters of beer. It is described as one of the city's most popular hang-out spots and is family-friendly. To reach it, take the Light Rail to Jersey Ave and walk a few blocks.
This suits groups, including those with children, and anyone who wants space and a wide beer selection rather than a small bar. Check the days it opens before you build an evening around it.
5. The water taxi bar in New York Bay
The Honorable William Wall, also known as Willy Wall, sits in New York Bay; the restaurant offers a water taxi from the pier at the foot of Warren St and Marin Blvd. Its published hours are Tuesday to Friday 5:45–9:30PM and Saturday 12:15–4:30PM and 5:15–9PM.
This suits a warm-weather evening when you want the trip itself to be part of the night. Because access is by water taxi and the hours are limited, plan around them rather than assuming you can drop in.
6. Washington Boulevard and the waterfront dining rooms
Batello, at 502 Washington Blvd, and Vu, at 2 Exchange Place inside the Hyatt Regency Hotel, are among the city's evening venues named in visitor listings. Vu is reached by taking the PATH train to Exchange Place.
This suits a night that leans towards dinner and drinks in a hotel or waterfront setting, with the PATH close at hand for the trip back.
7. Liberty State Park and the harbour
Liberty State Park is a large park on the harbour, and the landing for Statue Cruises ferries to Liberty Island and Ellis Island is directly in front of the old Central Railroad of New Jersey terminal building. Most visitors catch these ferries from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan, but they also run from here.
This suits an early evening or a daytime outing tied to a later night in the city, rather than a late night in itself. Ferry services are seasonal and schedule-dependent, so confirm times before relying on them.
8. Indoor racing at Caven Point
RPM Raceway, at 99 Caven Point Rd, formerly the Pole Position Raceway, is an indoor go-kart track where you can race others at up to 45 mph.
This suits a group night that does not revolve around drinking, and it works as a first stop before dinner or drinks elsewhere. It is reached by car from exit 14b of the NJ Turnpike.
How a night out unfolds
The sources do not describe a single local rhythm for eating and going out, so treat the published hours as your guide. Among the venues named, Barcade opens at noon and runs until 2AM Sunday to Thursday and 3AM on Friday and Saturday; Zeppelin Hall opens Wednesday to Friday from 4PM until 2AM and Saturday and Sunday from noon until 1AM; The Honorable William Wall runs only in the evening on weekdays and in two sittings on Saturday; and Vu opens daily from 5:30AM to 10PM. In practice this means an evening can start early at the biergarten or the waterfront and run late at the downtown bars, but you should check current hours before setting out.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Columbus Day — October
- Halloween — October
- Daylight Saving Time ends — November
- Election Day — November
- Veterans Day — November
- Thanksgiving Day — November
- Black Friday — November
- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — December
- New Year's Eve and New Year's Day — December into January
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day — January
Frequently asked questions
What is the legal drinking age at Jersey City bars?
Barcade is listed as 21 and over only. That is the only age rule the sources state for a named venue, so assume you will be asked for identification at bars and check each venue's policy.
Do I need a car to get around at night?
Not necessarily. The PATH train serves Exchange Place, and the Light Rail reaches the Jersey Ave stop near Zeppelin Hall. Some venues, such as RPM Raceway, are best reached by car.
Can I go out in Jersey City with children?
Zeppelin Hall Biergarten and Restaurant is described as family-friendly, with seating for up to 800 people. Other venues named in the sources do not state whether children are admitted.
Is there anywhere to go out on the water?
The Honorable William Wall sits in New York Bay and offers a water taxi from the pier at the foot of Warren St and Marin Blvd, with published hours Tuesday to Friday 5:45–9:30PM and Saturday 12:15–4:30PM and 5:15–9PM.
Check the current hours and any age rules for the venues you have in mind, then plan your evening around the waterfront, downtown and the Light Rail that links them.