Take a quick 12-minute ride from Manhattan, and you will find yourself in Jersey City, a city so unique that on most days it looks more like a small town in which everyone greets each other by name than the second largest city in the state of New Jersey. While incredibly close to NYC, this place is a world away in its offer, history, culture and community. This is where you will find local businesses and restaurant owners greeting their guests by name and thanking them for their support. Yes, Jersey City is full of a seemingly endless array of tucked-away special places and has a never-ending list of local “best kept secrets”. Therefore, your one day here is bound to be special.
Plan your trip
1. What’s the best time to visit Jersey City?
2. A few facts about Jersey City
3. One Day in Jersey City Itinerary
3.1. Start your day with a great breakfast
3.2. Go visit Reservoir 3
3.3. Ride along the Manhattan skyline
3.4. Check out the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal
3.5. Visit the Colgate Clock
3.6. Have Lunch at the Light Horse Tavern
3.7. Visit the Liberty Science Center
3.8. Enjoy Jersey City’s Mana Contemporary
3.9. Take a ferry ride along the Hudson
3.9.1. Have dinner at Edward’s Steakhouse
3.9.2. Grab a drink before bed
4. Where to stay in Jersey City, New Jersey?
5. Day trips from Jersey City, NJ
6. Extra tips for visiting Jersey City
What’s the best time to visit Jersey City?
There are wonderful reasons to visit Jersey City all year round. In spring and summer, for example, you can visit local parks. Hamilton Park and Lincoln Park are great destinations as cherries blossom and you enjoy their beauty pretty much wherever you look. Liberty State Park is a fantastic destination if you fancy a meal in the open or maybe a music festival.
The city bathes in wonderful colors in the fall, and winters here are full of Christmas spirit and joy. So, no matter when you come, you will feel more than welcome and enjoy your stay.
A few facts about Jersey City
– Ranked one of the most diverse cities in the country, each individual Jersey City neighborhood has its own unique history, culture and energy.
– Jersey City is the oldest city in New Jersey and the most diverse city in the US.
– In Jersey City, you will find the absolute best view of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and more.
– One of the first places of original settlement, you’ll find a list of incredible historical points of interest here.
One Day in Jersey City Itinerary
No matter which list we compose, it will never scratch the surface of the incredible places to eat, shop and visit in Jersey. But we sure can point you in the right direction to the most important spots.
Start your day with a great breakfast
A great cup of coffee and a good breakfast served in a beautiful setting by someone who cares you are there – that’s the best way to start your day. Choc•O•Pain is the place to visit for that, with two locations in Downtown Jersey City and Jersey City Heights. This boulangerie and café bakes all its breads in the traditional European way, using only 4 basic ingredients – flour, water, leaven, and a little bit of salt. Whether you want something sweet or something savoury, you will enjoy your every bite.
Go visit Reservoir 3
Jersey City Reservoir 3, a decommissioned reservoir atop Bergen Hill in the Heights of Jersey City, was built between 1871 and 1874 as part of the city’s waterworks system and provided drinking water until the 1980s. Since then, a mini-ecosystem has taken root behind the thick, 20-foot tall stone walls: trees, wildflowers, swans, great blue heron, peregrine falcons, and at the center a 6-acre lake. This urban wildlife preserve hosts numerous animal and plant species not otherwise found in an urban environment. It was listed on the state and the federal registers of historic places in 2012.
Ride along the Manhattan skyline
A bike ride along the Manhattan skyline to Liberty State Park is a great way to have a memorable morning and enjoy some of the most famous sights of New York City.
After that, you can go to Liberty State Park and perhaps visit Empty Sky, the official New Jersey September 11 memorial. It is located at the mouth of Hudson River across from the World Trade Center site.
Check out the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal
The terminal was built in 1889, replacing an earlier one that had been in use since 1864. It operated until April 30, 1967. The headhouse was renovated and incorporated into Liberty State Park. The station has been listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and National Register of Historic Places since September 12, 1975.
Visit the Colgate Clock
Once promoted by Colgate-Palmolive as the largest in the world, this clock sits in Jersey City and faces Lower New York Bay and Lower Manhattan. The clock, 50 feet in diameter with a minute hand weighing 2,200 pounds, was erected in 1924 to replace a smaller version from 1906 that celebrated Colgate’s centennial. In the old days, most of downtown New York City used this Jersey City landmark as a way to set their wrist watches to the correct time.
Have Lunch at the Light Horse Tavern
Named after Henry Lee III, a historical figure from the American Revolution who led the successful Battle of Paulus Hook in 1779 which helped to retain Jersey City as a stronghold for the Continental Army. Today, you will find it to be a bustling establishment, full of after-hours urban energy, although the best place to eat is a more intimate balcony that provides a great view.
But if you’re looking for a quick bite, Razza’s is ranked the second best pizza in the US.
Visit the Liberty Science Center
First opened in 1993 as New Jersey’s first major state science museum, Liberty Science Center has the largest and most technologically advanced planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, animals to meet and a rotation of science and educational exhibits to explore.
Enjoy Jersey City’s Mana Contemporary
This one million square foot facility in Jersey City is situated in a 1920s-era former manufacturing building in the city’s Marion Section. The center provides services, spaces, and programming for artists, collectors, curators, performers, students and community. It includes artist studios, exhibition spaces, and storage and is home to the Middle East Center for the Arts (MECA), the archives of the International Center of Photography and the Magnum Foundation, the dance companies of Karole Armitage and Shen Wei, and foundations established by Eileen S Kaminsky (ESKFF) and Carole Feuerman.
Take a ferry ride along the Hudson
Before going to dinner, why not relax a bit on a cruise along the Hudson River? It’s an ideal way to do a bit more sightseeing before dinner, plus you get a bit of time to smell the roses and soak everything in. And if you’re visiting the city with your significant other, this will certainly be a trip to remember.
Have dinner at Edward’s Steakhouse
Located in a renovated 1800’s historic building, Edward’s Steakhouse offers the finest in New York Style steaks, chops, and seafood in a comfortable, upscale setting. Guests are greeted by attentive and caring staff in a fully-stocked mahogany bar room that has been serving the Jersey City community since the Prohibition Era. Upstairs, a parlor level dining room offers congenial elegance.
Grab a drink before bed
Jersey City is a vibrant, diverse city, so it would be a shame not to see how it lives and breathes at night. Dull Boy and The Archer are fantastic places for that because they exude the city’s unique vibe. Treat yourself to a drink and get to know the locals just a little bit more. It will be a perfect end to a wonderful day in Jersey City.
Where to stay in Jersey City, New Jersey?
Hyatt House Jersey City
1 Exchange Place, Jersey City, NJ 07302
If you want to treat yourself to a fantastic stay, Hyatt House Jersey City is the right hotel for that. The suites are furnished in a residential style, and you can build your own omelet in the morning. There’s also a rooftop lounge bar here. Helpful staff and perfect cleanliness only enhance the fantastic impression.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Jersey City
455 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07310
Right next to the Hudson River, DoubleTree by Hilton in Jersey City offers spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline. This is an all-suite hotel, and every suite is extremely well equipped. The guests can also enjoy a great fitness centre, use a free shuttle service or hop on the Bergen Light Rail to easily get to the Statue of Liberty.
Canopy by Hilton
159 Morgan Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302
This is another hotel on the luxurious side of the spectrum because Canopy by Hilton offers exceptionally well equipped rooms with large and comfortable beds and spacious bathrooms. There is a rooftop bar available too, plus the staff is very kind and excellently trained. A wonderful stay!
The Holland Hotel
175 12th Street, Jersey City, NJ 07310
The Holland Hotel has big and clean comfortable rooms with amenities like microwave ovens or mini-fridges available in each of them. This is a great spot if you’re coming in by car because NYC is just 5 kilometers away, plus you can easily hop on a ferry to Ellis Island. As a matter of fact, the location is what this hotel’s guests praise the most. Definitely worth your money!
Day trips from Jersey City, NJ
Staying more than one day in Jersey City? Then you have time for a day trip! Here are some of the most popular destinations!
New York
Obviously, since you’re mere minutes from Manhattan, New York City is the first on the list of day trip destinations from Jersey City. Enjoy incredible sights, magnificent skyscrapers and everything else The Big Apple has to offer, and then come back to Jersey City in the evening.
Hudson Valley
A place full of unique small towns and villages, each with its own character and offering. South on Route 209, you’ll find Ulster County, where you will find Stone Ridge, High Falls, Accord, and Kerhonkson – some of the most special areas of the Hudson Valley. All this and more within an hour and a half drive from NYC and Jersey City.
Lambertville
A lovely little village near the Pennsylvania-New jersey border, Lambertville is right next to the Delaware River. This is a great place to come and relax, thanks to its laid-back artistic sce, quaint stores and excellent food. Perfect for recharging batteries!
Extra tips for visiting Jersey City
Have your Itinerary nailed down ahead of time, once you’re in here you’ll feel overwhelmed with all the options of places to visit, see and experience. But don’t forget to leave a little bit of time to roam, explore and fully experience our vibrant City.
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Keren Vered
Luxury Fashion Veteran, published writer, photographer, community builder and Finally Home founder Keren Vered (@KerenVered), has built a brand synonymous with finding a true sense of place and home, not just in your abode but with your neighborhood as a whole. Created, compiled and crafter with the knowledge that perhaps the most significant benefit of community is the opportunity to give back and to learn from others; others that have different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives than your own.