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Hoboken has some good places to eat and also has a few bars that arnt over run by frat goons. Unfortunatly it has been completley gentrified by very obnoxious yuppies. Jersey City on the other hand is a completley different feel. Even though the downtown section has gotten Hoboken and Manhattan spill over it still hasnt become the "next" whatever is cool to people now. After 6:00 though that secton of he city gets pretty quiet since its basically a commuter section. Especially the Newport section which I dont even count as JC,(its way to sterile and not JC at all) Most of the rest of JC thankfully kept its gritty charm but also has some very rough neighborhoods you should research before going to. I cant speak much about Edgewater since I rarley go tehre but as for Weehawken, its a pretty quiet town with amazing views of the city. My first impression of Weehawken was that it was more of a mature area as opposed to neighboring Hoboken. Weehawken also boarders Union City and Jersey City heights which are predomantly Spanish speaking areas.
wow thanks everyone
@tommyc_37, I'm 25, but im rather mature. the 21- 25 year old crowd can sometimes be a bit obnoxious to me. (wow now i sound snobby...) i just mean i cant tolerate the "drunk out of their minds, attention seeking" people.
@bmwguydc, you continue to impress me with your knowledge of everywhere. LOL
i'm thinking jersey city/hoboken area could be a good fun time for me. I'm also looking into weehawken and edgewater areas, pending im close enough to transportation.
I'm so excited for the potential move!!!
If you can't tolerate the drunk out of their mind, attention seeking people, then I'd suggest avoiding Hoboken. There are some great people that live there, but Thursday through Saturday (and even Sundays during football season) it seems that the entire town is swarming with hammered 24 year olds. It may not be as bad as I'm making it sound, but it's pretty visible ... I'd suggest spending a few hours around Washington Street on a Saturday night to see if you're OK with it.
Downtown Jersey City might be more your speed. Now bear in mind, when I say Downtown JC, that just doesn't refer to the modern, sleek hi-rises near the waterfront. The Downtown area is the entire area bound by the Turnpike/Route 78 extension that leads to the Holland Tunnel. The majority of the downtown area is little tree-lined blocks with brownstones and brick rowhouses. It's pretty Brooklynish. Some neighborhoods to consider are Grove Street area, Van Vorst Park, Hamilton Park, Paulus Hook, Harsimus Cove. These are historically protected brownstone neighborhoods. If luxury hi-rises are more your speed, then look into the Newport or Exchange Place neighborhoods.
Edgewater and Weehawken have nice areas, but the thing that is a negative for me is lack of good transportation late night. Hoboken and JC give you access to the PATH, which runs 24 hours into and out of Manhattan...much more convenient. Edgewater reminds me of parts of Queens, but more hilly. Weehawken has a strong latino presence, and also has a very "borough-ish" feel to it.
I've spent a lot of time in all areas of the NYC metro (NYC native, primarily grew up in NJ). People (especially NYers) allow state lines and city limits to define their perception and their "feel" of places. The towns and cities that border the Hudson River on the Jersey side really allow one to lead a life that is extremely similar to the lifestyle of the other 4 NYC boroughs. It is the further-out suburbs of NJ that have a much more suburban feel to them (think Long Island).
I live in Weehawken. A misconception exists that late night transportation between Weehawken and New York is difficult or doesn’t exist.
Getting to Weehawken between midnight and 4 am is just as easy as getting to Hoboken and Jersey City. I know this because I’ve done the late night trips to Weehawken and Hoboken dozens of times and done the Jersey City trip a few times too.
Several NJ Transit bus routes run 24/7 and the first stop is Weehawken. These buses run out of the Port Authority bus station and, during late night hours, always leave on time. In addition, private smaller buses run similar routes. The bus trip to Weehawken is quicker than the PATH trip to Hoboken and Jersey City. It takes 5 minutes (really). During late night hours, the PATH runs every 30 minutes. The buses to Weehawken run more frequently than that. What I don’t miss about late night PATH rides is waiting on the platform with a horde of 20-something drunks, then riding in a crowded train for 10-15 minutes with the same people. The bus ride is less annoying.
Weehawken lacks nightlife, although it is slowly improving. A gastropub-type place (Park Avenue Bar & Grill) recently opened on Park Avenue, and another fancy restaurant & bar (El Charro) is opening soon on Boulevard East. Several casual bars and restaurants are scattered around. The clientele is local and more mature than Hoboken.
Compared to Hoboken, Weehawken attracts fewer former frat boys and yuppies and a greater share of artsy people and young, middle class families. Weehawken has a lot of Hispanic people, but they are a minority.
Here is some additional detail getting back and forth between Weehawken and New York.
//www.city-data.com/forum/new-jersey/564805-weehawken-vs-union-city.html
^ Pretorius, I hear you, but I think the big draw about using the PATH for weekend nightlife is that the PATH goes through neighborhoods that are more suited for going out. Yeah, your bus leaves from Port Authority ... who the heck wants to go out to bars in Midtown? The PATH gives you access to West Village, Village, East Village, Flatiron/Gramercy, and LES (Path to WTC, and quick cab ride). Port Authority on Ninth Ave and 42nd is kind of out of the way of anything remotely cool. Just my 2 cents.
I know a bunch of people that live around the Grove St. Path stop, Harsimus Cove area, and it is really a great neighborhood. (nice local art scene, nice cafes & bars, a variety of restaurants, etc)
Other parts of JC that I've looked at are a lot more run down, and the commute time to NYC gets very prohibitive.
wow thanks everyone
@tommyc_37, I'm 25, but im rather mature. the 21- 25 year old crowd can sometimes be a bit obnoxious to me. (wow now i sound snobby...) i just mean i cant tolerate the "drunk out of their minds, attention seeking" people.
@bmwguydc, you continue to impress me with your knowledge of everywhere. LOL
i'm thinking jersey city/hoboken area could be a good fun time for me. I'm also looking into weehawken and edgewater areas, pending im close enough to transportation.
I'm so excited for the potential move!!!
It sounds like a good move for your situation. Edgewater and Weehawken can be good bets as well, offering a convenient means of getting to NYC; not to mention some great views from some apartments. And, you also have the option of the ferry for travel to Manhattan, not to mention the light rail to the PATH, in addition to the bus to the Port Authority.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
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