jersey city: my kinda town
words and photos
by carol van houten

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originally published on
november 18, 2002

Row houses, downtown Jersey City

Jersey City has been my home since 1997. If I lived in Manhattan, I would be considered a New Yorker after six months. In Jersey City, length of residence is a source of pride. Or even fightin' words. At every City Council meeting I've been to, whenever someone from the public gets up to speak, they begin their remarks by validating their credentials: not by stating their profession, or their degrees, or their affiliations... but by longevity.

Essentially, the value of your opinion is in direct proportion to your length of residency. "I've lived here ten years" is immediately countered with "Well I've lived here 20 years" followed by "I was born and raised here" or "I've lived here all my life." Sometimes the actual hospital where you were born is thrown in, and your high school might be tacked on for added credibility.

Historic Loews Theater, Journal Square

Maybe because this city has lived in the shadow of Manhattan for its entire existence, there's a lot of home town pride here. And even though we are basically an 8 minute subway ride to lower Manhattan, I'm quite certain there are plenty of people in this town who haven't bothered to cross the river in 20 years. Heck, I don't even go in that much myself.

Ferry crossing the Hudson from JC to NYC

I like this city a lot. If we could afford to buy a house in the neighborhood where we rent, we would. Jersey City has undergone a pretty amazing transformation in the last few years, and I don't just mean the waterfront. I mean the historic districts where houses have been renovated and saved from derelict status. I mean the new restaurants that are opening up around us all the time. I mean the fact that people actually know their neighbors here.

Seventh Street

I've met some great people in this town, people who are actively involved in making Jersey City a better place. People like John Gomez, president of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy. John truly cares about this city. His group works to save Jersey City historic sites from ruin. John is also the person who introduced me to the Bergen Arches, Jersey City's "rainforest."

The Powerhouse, warehouse district

Two shots of the Bergen Arches and Erie Cut: subterranean JC

Mia Scanga is another Jersey City person I admire. Don't tell Mia you can't fight City Hall! She knows how to get the word out when there's an important meeting to attend. Her website, stopbretschundler.com is a reference guide to the usually suspect, often treacherous political goings-on in this town. And her commentary is often hilarious.

Mia also hosts "Talking Politics," a TV show on channel 51, all about Jersey City.

City Hall, downtown Jersey City

Another wonderful person I've met is Sam Pesin, the president of the Friends of Liberty State Park. Sam is devoted to keeping Liberty State Park free of commercial development, in a town where everything, historically, has been for sale. Anyone who has ever visited Liberty State Park should thank Sam for his efforts. Most people have no idea how close we have come to losing that precious piece of land to developers.

Walkway at Liberty State Park

Statue of Liberty from Liberty State Park

In front of NJ Central Railroad Terminal, LSP

NJ Central Railroad Terminal, LSP

Inside the Railroad Terminal

Fireworks at Liberty State Park

So anyway this page was supposed to be just a photo essay on Jersey City, my adopted home town. But as usual, when it comes to something Jersey related, I've gotten on a rant. Here are the rest of the photos. I hope you like them. If you really aren't sure where Jersey City is, here is a frame of reference:

Jersey City waterfront, as seen from the World Trade Center site. The Goldman Sachs building, on the far left, is taller than all but five of NYC's skyscrapers.

Exchange Place, at the waterfront

This is a shot I took pretty long ago, looking north up the Hudson. This spot is all under construction now, you can't really get down to the water anymore.

The World Famous Colgate Clock

This is looking down the escalator at the Exchange Place PATH station, now closed because of the September 11th tragedy. (Editor's Update: Reopened, yeah! Nov. 2003. -cvh)

Here is a shot that illustrates the constant construction going on at the waterfront. This is the Hudson Bergen Light Rail, (this section has now been completed) surrounded by other new buildings going up

Another picture of the new Light Rail

The marina, by Liberty State Park

Jackie Robinson statue, at Journal Square

Beautiful Lincoln Park, on the western side of Jersey City

The Pulaski Skyway, (beautiful to look at, scary to drive over) spanning the Hackensack River, Jersey City's western border

Hamilton Park, in my neighborhood

Snowy alley next to the 6th Street Embankment, also my neighborhood

Main branch of the Jersey City Public Library. Here you will find the wonderful New Jersey Room, the place to learn about the history of Jersey City. Three books have been written about Jersey City by employees of this Library:

Hudson County: The Left Bank by Joan Doherty Lovero. Sun Valley, CA: American Historical Press, 1999.

Jersey City by Patrick B. Shalhoub. Images of America Series. Dover, NH: Arcadia Publishing, 1995.

Jersey City: 1940-1960 by Kenneth French. Images of America Series. Dover, NH: Arcadia Publishing, 1997.

Little known piece of Jersey City history: The American Type Founders building, on Communipaw Avenue behind Liberty Science Center. I wrote a short essay about the American Type Founders to feed my obsession with letterpress printing.

Here are the nature shots: pink trees in Spring in Jersey City. Red leaves in Autumn. Snowy brownstones in Winter.

Sunset at Liberty State Park.

--cvh

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