The Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theater is a story of 1920s glitz, Hollywood lore, inner city ruin and grassroots redemption. They are slowly opening their doors to the public again but here’s a look back on its history, starting at the very beginning. The Loew’s began construction in 1927 as a silent movie house but […]
Renovating in McGinley Square
Meet Jen and Kevin Burke and their sons Emmett and Logan. They’re renovating a 1800s row house in the heart of McGinley Square, an area they’ve fallen in love with. The Burkes have been Jersey City locals since 2004 when they moved into Harsimus Cove, back when their block had an escort service and a […]
Let’s Explore: The Black Tom Explosion of 1916
Meet Patrice Hannon; Jersey City native and author of the new book Black Tom: A Novel of Sabotage in New York Harbor, based around the true story of the 1916 Black Tom explosion in Jersey City. She grew up in The Heights, attended Saint Nicholas School and remembers her father’s stories about the Black Tom […]
Let’s Explore: Hamilton Park
Where is Hamilton Park? Hamilton Park sits north of Harsimus Cove beginning at 6th Street with Newport to the east, Journal Square to the west, and 10th Street as its northern border. A Brief History: Alexander Hamilton inspired more than a hip hop Broadway play… for Jersey City’s own neighborhood and park are named after […]
Let’s Explore: The History of Journal Square
Where is Journal Square? Journal Square sits north of West Side and McGinley Square, west of Hamilton Park, and south of the Heights. I spoke with Andrea Lew, Founder of the Bergen Square Historical Society, and James Dievler, member of The New JSQ Community Association Board of Trustees, and the chairperson of its History Committee […]
Let’s Explore: West Side & NJCU
Where is the West Side? West Side is a very complicated network of borders, but if we really simplify it; it’s Bergen Avenue to West Side Avenue including Lincoln Park, from Broadway to Danforth Avenue. A Brief History: I spoke with Charlene Burke, Vice President of the West Side Community Alliance (WSCA), who has lived […]
Let’s Explore: McGinley Square
Where is McGinley Square? Just south of Journal Square and less than a half square mile, the Square itself rests at the intersection of Montgomery Street and Bergen Avenue. But according to Google Maps, the larger McGinley Square area stretches north to south from Sip Avenue to Communipaw Avenue and west to east from West Side […]
Let’s Explore: Van Vorst Park
Where is Van Vorst Park? Roughly bordered by Christopher Columbus Drive, Marin Boulevard, Grand Street and Brunswick Street. Van Vorst Park is the centerpiece of the neighborhood, bordered by Jersey Avenue, Montgomery Street, Barrow Street, and York Street. I spoke with Jersey City Councilman, John Hallanan who has lived here his whole life – in […]
Let’s Explore: Bergen-Lafayette
Where is Bergen-Lafayette? Bergen-Lafayette is the amoeba of Jersey City neighborhoods. As its name implies, it’s a collection of blocks with a zig-zagging border that sits southwest of Downtown and overlaps with Greenville to the south, Lincoln Park/West Bergen to the west and McGinley Square to the north. It includes Bergen, Beacon, Bergen Hill, Communipaw, […]
Let’s Explore: The Geography of Jersey City
A few weeks ago, the Embankment Preservation Coalition organized a presentation about the geography of Jersey City at Grace Van Vorst church, headed by Luke Schray, an urban planner and board member of the coalition. When his home was flooded in Hurricane Sandy, his interest was piqued into the geography of Jersey City. But “to […]
Let’s Explore: The Powerhouse Arts District
Let’s Explore: The Powerhouse Arts District The Powerhouse Arts District (or “PAD”) is one of the smallest neighborhoods in Jersey City, but it packs a helluva punch. Primarily comprised of manufacturing buildings erected in the 1800s, turned into artist live/work spaces in the later 1990s and early 2000s (and living among the new high rises dotting Jersey City’s […]
Let’s Explore: Greenville
Greenville is one of those neighborhoods in Jersey City that a lot of people don’t know of off the bat. Its south of a lot of the action and development that JC is seeing and like a few other neighborhoods in the area, the 1970s hit it hard. But the Hudson County History Advocates partnered […]
Let’s Explore: The Heights
Continuing on our journey of Jersey City neighborhoods, let’s visit The Heights! I sat down with Roger Heitmann, Treasurer for the Riverview Neighborhood Association who was born in the Heights and has lived here for most of his life. His family lineage in the Heights goes back to 1891 and he’s a bit of a […]
Jersey City Sights by ChicpeaJC at Base
Lynn Hazan: celebrated blogger, Jersey City lover, hip-hop dance instructor…professional photographer? ChicpeaJC’s very own showcased an exhibit of original photographs from her adventures around Jersey City at Base last night as part of the Jersey City Artist & Studio Tour. From the NYC skyline to street art and famous landmarks around Jersey City, the exhibition […]
Let’s Explore: Paulus Hook
I’ve set out on a journey to learn a little more about each neighborhood in Jersey City; its history, architectural details, landmarks and any other interesting anecdotes I come across. Let’s start with Paulus Hook, shall we? When I started asking around for a good resource on the neighborhood, all signs pointed to Diane Kaese, […]
The Battle of Paulus Hook
History came alive last night at the Battle of Paulus Hook commemoration as a fife and drummer reenactment group led flag-waving celebrators, young and old, from the corner of Washington and Dudley to Paulus Hook Park, proving that the past is not dead. The march, now in its 10th year and put on by the […]
Tukulor by Naïssa
I stopped by the African-inspired fashion shop Tukulor by Naïssa this past weekend where I caught Aissatou, one of the owners, reupholstering her seat cushion in the middle of a dress alteration. “I was trying to fix this dress but I couldn’t stop thinking about how I wanted to change the fabric on this chair!” […]