![Journal Square Jersey City November 2021 005](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Journal_Square_Jersey_City_November_2021_005.jpg)
The Hilltop is the eastern section of the
Journal Square
Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper ''Jersey Journal'' whose headquarters were located there from 1911 to 2013. The "square" itself is ...
district of
Jersey City, New Jersey. The name is a reflection of its location atop
Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson Rivers, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.
Rai ...
, the southern portion of the
Hudson Palisades
The Palisades, also called the New Jersey Palisades or the Hudson River Palisades, are a line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River in Northeastern New Jersey and Southeastern New York in the United States. The cliffs s ...
, on either side of the
cut
Cut may refer to:
Common uses
* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force
** A type of wound
** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past
** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment
** Cut (ea ...
, or excavated ravine, through which the
Port Authority Trans Hudson
Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) is a rapid transit system in the northeastern New Jersey cities of Newark, Harrison, Jersey City, and Hoboken, as well as Lower and Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is operated as a wholly owned ...
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
system travels, offering some streets views of
Downtown Jersey City
Downtown is an area of Jersey City, New Jersey, which includes the Historic Downtown and the Waterfront.
Historic Downtown
Historic Downtown was an area of mostly low-rise buildings to the west of the waterfront, but by the 2000s a number of hi ...
, the
New York Skyline
New York City, the most populous city in the United States, is home to over 7,000 completed high-rise buildings of at least , of which at least 95 are taller than . The tallest building in New York is One World Trade Center, which rises ...
, and the
Upper New York Bay
New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...
.
![Henry St JCNJ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Henry_St_JCNJ.png)
The northern part of Hilltop is located to the east of
Five Corners. The neighborhoods borders are created by other excavations, namely
Bergen Arches, the
Long Dock Tunnel
The Long Dock Tunnel is a freight rail tunnel in Jersey City, New Jersey that is part of the North Jersey Shared Assets Area and used by CSX Transportation on the National Docks Secondary. The single track (formerly dual track) tunnel runs thro ...
, and
The Depressed Highway. Soon after passing the
Hudson County Courthouse
The Hudson County Courthouse or Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Courthouse is located in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The six-story structure was originally built between 1906 and 1910 at a cost of $3,328,016.56. It is ...
,
Newark Avenue begins its descent. Rising above the avenue at the beginning of
Palisade Avenue is the national historic landmark
Jersey City High School
William L. Dickinson High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school located in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Jersey City Public S ...
. Designed by
John T. Rowland (who also designed the
Jersey City Medical Center
The Jersey City Medical Center is a hospital in Jersey City, New Jersey. The hospital has had different facilities in the city. It is currently located on a 15-acre campus at Grand Street and Jersey Avenue overlooking New York Harbor and Libe ...
and the
Labor Bank Building
26 Journal Square is a high-rise in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was originally known as the Labor Bank Building. It was completed in 1928 and has 15 floors. As of 2009, it was the 23rd tallest building in the city. ...
), it was later renamed for William L. Dickinson, the Superintendent of Schools from 1872 until his death on November 3, 1883. Newark Avenue separates the school grounds from
Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery, originally developed in the mid 19th century. Across Palisade is the 1942 Hudson Gardens Housing Project. Behind the complex is Washburn Avenue, named for Richard Charles Washburn, a member of the
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
. St Joseph's Church, built in 1873, is home to the old Catholic parish in the city.
The Island is a small enclave within the Hilltop neighborhood which takes its name from its location atop an isolated outcropping of
Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson Rivers, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.
Rai ...
formerly called Mount Pleasant which has been diminished in size by the railroads tracks which surround it. Vehicular traffic can travel along Chestnut Avenue onto the island, which is also served by a
footbridge
A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
at Waldo Avenue. The name Island was used as early as the 1960s and though unknown to many because of the small size.
South of the rail lines and east of
Bergen Square
Bergen Square, at the intersection of Bergen Avenue and Academy Street in Jersey City, is in the southwestern part of the much larger Journal Square district. A commercial residential area, it contains an eclectic array of architectural styl ...
,
Summit Avenue and Baldwin Avenue continue along the ridge of the
Palisades, passing by the
Jersey City Armory
The Jersey City Armory is located at 678 Montgomery Street near McGinley Square in Jersey City, New Jersey. In addition to being a military training and mustering facility of the New Jersey National Guard (New Jersey National Guard 2/113 Infantry ...
. Mill Road connects the neighborhood with the former
West End and is named for John Prior's Mill on Harsimus Creek. Mercer Street, one of the few that keeps its name as it rises from low-lying downtown is named for General
Hugh Mercer
Hugh Mercer (16 January 1726 – 12 January 1777) was a Scottish-born American military officer and physician who participated in the Seven Years' War and Revolutionary War. Born in Pitsligo, Scotland, he studied medicine in his home country ...
, who stayed with John Prior at his home several times. The neighborhood overlooks the Waldo Yards, originally used by the
Pennsylvania Railroad Jersey City Branch
The Pennsylvania Railroad Station was the intermodal passenger terminal for the Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) vast holdings on the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay in Jersey City, New Jersey. By the 1920s the station was called Exchange Pla ...
, and now partially used by
Port Authority Trans Hudson
Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) is a rapid transit system in the northeastern New Jersey cities of Newark, Harrison, Jersey City, and Hoboken, as well as Lower and Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is operated as a wholly owned ...
maintenance facilities. In October 1948, the
Freedom Train
Two national Freedom Trains have toured the United States: the 1947–49 special exhibit Freedom Train and the 1975–76 American Freedom Train which celebrated the United States Bicentennial. Each train had its own special red, white and blue p ...
was stationed at the yards for two days during its trip across the United States.
A proposed development between the Journal Square Transportation Center, and neighbourhood called
Journal Squared
Journal Squared, or J2, is a 3-tower retail and residential complex under construction at Journal Square in Jersey City, New Jersey Upon completion, the complex will consist of buildings of 54, 60, and 70 stories, among the tallest buildings in ...
would include the city's tallest residential buildings. In 2012, the city approved a proposal to build a 42-storey residential tower adjacent to the
Newkirk House, the oldest surviving structure in the city.
There is additional pressure to increase housing density in the neighborhood.
References
{{coord, 40.7287, -74.0564, type:adm3rd_globe:earth_region:US-NJ, display=title
Neighborhoods in Jersey City, New Jersey