Jersey City: Recreation

Sightseeing

Jersey City is a city of neighborhoods, many of which contain national historic landmarks. Among its most famous communities are Paulus Hook, Van Vorst Park, Hamilton Park, Harsimus Cove, Bergen Hill, and Washington Village. The Van Vorst House, the city's oldest building, is a 1740 brownstone. The Grace Van Vorst Church reflects the early English Gothic style of architecture and was built over an 11-year period in the mid-1800s. Old Bergen Reform Church is a Greek Revival structure built in 1841. Other historic buildings include the Ionic House, built between 1835 and 1840, and Old Hudson County Courthouse, opened in 1910. Apple Tree House, now a privately owned funeral home, was the site of a Revolutionary War-era supper between General George Washington and his aide, the Marquis de Lafayette.

Perhaps the most famous of Jersey City's landmarks is the Colgate Clock, located on Hudson Street facing the bay. The gigantic timepiece boasts a dial 50 feet in diameter, with a minute hand weighing 2,200 pounds and moving 23 inches every minute. The clock was erected in 1924 and is still one of the largest clocks in the world.

Jersey City's parks are known for their historical landmarks. Liberty State Park, along New York Bay and overlooking the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, features the restored terminal of the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Liberty Walk along the waterfront offering panoramic views of Manhattan. Three major ferry lines run daily from Liberty State Park to both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The Liberty Science Center in Liberty State Park presents exhibits and activities exploring health, environment, and invention. Opened in 1993, the Center also houses what is billed as the world's largest OMNIMAX theater.

The Fourth Regiment Armory Arch decorates Pershing Field, while Lincoln Park boasts Earle Faser's statue of President Abraham Lincoln,, a sculpture known as "the mystic Lincoln." A sunken garden, playground, and fountain also adorn Lincoln Park.

Arts and Culture

In recent years, Jersey City has experienced an arts explosion. As of 2000, there are more artists living and working in Jersey City than in New York's traditional artist haven, the SoHo district. This is most likely due to the WALDO (Work And Live District Overlay) ordinance that helped create a thriving community of various artists where there had been only empty warehouses and desolate railyards. The Friends of Music and Art of Hudson County, a nonprofit vocal and instrumental music ensemble, was formed to encourage young, gifted students to continue their work. The Friends perform at the Public Library Auditorium.

The magnificently ornate, 3,000-seat Loew's Theater in downtown Journal Square, after being closed for many years and facing demolition in the mid-1980s, recently underwent a complete renovation and is now serving as a non-profit arts and entertainment center for the city. Local volunteers, from inexperienced helpers to expert craftsmen, spent countless hours on all aspects of the renovation. New Jersey City University presents dance, musical, and dramatic productions at its Margaret Williams Theatre. Dinneen Theater at Saint Peter's College offers concerts, dance groups, repertory and traveling theater and other cultural events.

The Kennedy Dancers, a contemporary traveling company, is based in Jersey City. Other local dance troupes include the Anahi Galante Dance Company, the Carol Hayes Dance Studio, The Hudson Repertory Dance Company, and the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.

The Jersey City Museum is known for its exhibits of local artist's painting and sculpture, with a good representation of the more avant garde works. The museum is also known for its Otto Coctzke gem collection, and displays items of historic relevance, especially local artifacts. Once part of the Jersey City Public Library, both financially connected and physically housed on the library's fourth floor, the museum separated fiscally from the library in 1987 and began moving to its own climate-controlled building in the 1990s. In 1993 the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency donated an ideal building in the Van Vorst Historic District for the new museum, and after an $11 million overhaul, the new museum was completed in 2000 and opened its doors to the public in 2001.

The Afro-American Historical Museum concentrates on the lives of prominent African American residents of New Jersey and contains an exhibit showing a typical African American household of the 1920s. Several organizations exist to help artists in the region, including the American Artists Professional League of New Jersey, the Cultural and Historic Affairs group, Artsgenesis, and the Artist's Association, which sponsors an annual juried art show.

Twelve artists working with eight student interns produced the Columbus Drive Mural, said to be the largest mural in the eastern United States; the mural spans 10 buildings and about 15,000 square feet on the city's Columbus Drive, just

Ellis Island National Monument stands off the shores of Jersey City, New Jersey.
Ellis Island National Monument stands off the shores of Jersey City, New Jersey.
west of the Grove St. PATH station. The panoramic mural, whose design elements were partly decided upon by residents, is about 60 feet at its highest point and 350 feet long.

Festivals and Holidays

Jersey City is alive with festivals throughout the year, reflecting its greatly diverse population. Each April, New Jersey City University hosts a four-day Jazz Week festival with entertainment by nationally known performers. The Fourth of July is celebrated with the Jersey City Cultural Arts Festival in Liberty Park, which also offers free summer concerts. Liberty Park is again the setting for the New Jersey State Ethnic Festival in mid-September. The Annual Carribean Carnival is a new addition to the celebration scene. The July festival highlights the West Indian Community's food and lively music, arts and other entertainments. All Jersey City's ethnic neighborhoods abound with celebrations throughout the year, with Asian Indian, Filipino, Irish, Korean, and Latino parades and festivals.

Sports for the Spectator

New Jersey City University (NJCU) competes in NCAA Division III sports, with men's teams in baseball, basketball, soccer, indoor and outdoor track, cross country, and volleyball, and women's teams in bowling, softball, volleyball, basketball, cross country, and indoor and outdoor track. Saint Peter's College has NCAA Division I teams in men's and women's baseball, softball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and cross country, and volleyball.

Although Jersey City does not have any professional sports team of its own, close proximity to New York City offers the full spectrum of all pro sports.

Sports for the Participant

Sports for the active participant in Jersey City center around the 70 parks and playgrounds the city maintains; its summer programs attract more than 2,000 young participants. Liberty Park is the largest recreational area, with miles of biking and running paths and its River Walk Promenade showcasing a stunning view of New York City. Lincoln Park has football fields, basketball courts, a running track, and miles of winding trails. In winter sledding and skiing can take place on the park's long hills. Pershing Field also offers tennis, track, baseball, basketball, many playground areas, and year-round indoor swimming. Two smaller parks of note are Van Vorst Park and Hamilton Park. Festivals, dance recitals, and Shakespeare in the Park programs are held in these parks, and Van Vorst hosts a Farmer's Market from June to November.

Shopping and Dining

Shoppers come to Jersey City because of the city's variety of one-of-a-kind shops and boutiques, as well as the reduced three percent sales tax available from qualified retailers in the Urban Enterprise Zones. Jersey City has 13 major shopping districts. Perhaps the most popular shopping facilities are the Hudson Mall and the Newport Mall, the latter being part of a huge waterfront development with condominiums, office buildings, and recreational facilities.

Dining in Jersey City tends to revolve around small informal eateries found in the city's many ethnic neighborhoods. Cuisines represented include those of Pakistan, India, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Germany, Italy, and Poland. One of the most popular dining spots is not in the city but on the ship Spirit of New Jersey, as it cruises New York Harbor, offering music and dancing on its decks. Some of the newer, more upscale additions to the restaurant scene are found in the waterfront developments, where diners can enjoy spectacular views of New York City's skyline with their food and drink.

Visitor Information: Hudson County Visitor Information, 583 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306; toll-free (800)542-7894