The Hudson Waterfront is an urban area of northeastern New Jersey along the lower reaches of the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between Ne ...

, 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 ...

and the

Kill van Kull __NOTOC__ The Kill Van Kull is a tidal strait between Staten Island, New York and Bayonne, New Jersey in the United States. It is approximately long and wide and connects Newark Bay with Upper New York Bay. The Robbins Reef Light marks th ...

. Though the term can specifically mean the shoreline, it is often used to mean the contiguous urban area between the

Bayonne Bridge Bayonne Bridge is an arch bridge spanning the Kill Van Kull and connecting Bayonne, New Jersey with Staten Island in New York City. It carries New York State Route 440 (NY 440) and New Jersey Route 440. It is the sixth-longes ...

and the

George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee, New Jersey, with Manhattan in New York City. The bridge is named after George Washington, the first president of the United S ...

that is approximately long. Historically, the region has been known as

Bergen Neck Bergen Neck is the peninsula between the Upper New York Bay and the Newark Bay in the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Bayonne and Jersey City. Its southernmost tip, Bergen Point, is separated from Staten Island by the Kill van Kul ...

, the lower peninsula, and

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 ...

, lower

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 ...

. It has sometimes been called the Gold Coast. The municipalities comprising the Hudson Waterfront are

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Hoboken Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...

, Union City,

Weehawken Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.

West New York West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates ...

, Guttenberg and

North Bergen North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by ...

in Hudson County and Fairview, Cliffside Park, Edgewater and Fort Lee in

Bergen County Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

boroughs of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

and

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, to the south

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey b ...

, to the west

Newark Bay Newark Bay is a tidal bay at the confluence of the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers in northeastern New Jersey. It is home to the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the largest container shipping facility in Port of New York and New Jersey, ...

and the

New Jersey Meadowlands New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of ...

, and to the north the Northern Valley & Palisades Interstate Park. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, which includes sections of the

East Coast Greenway The East Coast Greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida along the East Coast of the United States. In 2020, the Greenway received over 50 million visits. The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance was created in 1991. ...

, travels along the Hudson River. During the Dutch colonial era, the area was under the jurisdiction of

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...

and known as

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, secon ...

. Jersey City and Hoboken in Hudson County are sometimes referred to as the

sixth borough The term sixth borough is used to describe any of a number of places that are not politically within the borders of any of the five boroughs of New York City but have been referred to as a metaphorical part of the city by virtue of their geogra ...

, given their proximity and connections by PATH trains.Holusha, John
"Commercial Property / The Jersey Riverfront; On the Hudson's West Bank, Optimistic Developers"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', October 11, 1998. Accessed May 25, 2007. "'That simply is out of the question in midtown,' he said, adding that some formerly fringe areas in Midtown South that had previously been available were filled up as well. Given that the buildings on the New Jersey waterfront are new and equipped with the latest technology and just a few stops on the PATH trains from Manhattan, they become an attractive alternative. 'It's the sixth borough', he said." Fort Lee, in Bergen County, opposite Upper Manhattan and connected by the

, has also been called the sixth borough.Lefkowitz, Melanie
"Bergen County's Fort Lee: Town With a View"
''The Wall Street Journal''. April 30, 2011. Accessed September 16, 2012.

Population

With a combined population of approximately 683,470 (2015 estimate) the Hudson Waterfront, if incorporated into a single city, would be the nineteenth most populous in the country with one of the smallest land areas of . Its communities have some of the highest residential densities in the United States. Of municipalities in the United States over 50,000 people, Union City is the most densely populated. Guttenberg, although one of the smallest municipalities, stretching from 68th Street to 71st Street at , is the most densely populated "town" in the country.Most liquor licenses? Bumpiest town? Local municipalities hold unusual distinctions
, '' Hudson Reporter'', August 27, 2006 Many others are on the list of most densely populated places in the United States. The region is very ethnically diverse. Jersey City is the "most diverse" city in the United States. Six municipalities are on the list of the 100 cities (with a population over 5,000) with the highest percent of foreign-born residents: West New York (65.2%), Union City (58.7%), Palisades Park (57.0%) Guttenberg (48.7%), Fairview (48.4%) and Fort Lee (44.7%). North Hudson has the second-largest Cuban American population in the United States after

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

. West New York, North Bergen, Union City, Guttenberg and Weehawken have Cuban American populations between 8.75% (Weehawken) and 19.64% (West New York). Another large immigrant group is the

Korean American Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian America ...

community, near the GWB Plaza – and represents over half of the state's entire Korean population.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics for Bergen County, New Jersey: 2000.
''

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

''. Retrieved on March 17, 2007. Nearby Palisades Park boasts the highest percentage (36.38%) and total number (6,065) of Koreans among all municipalities in the state,Korean Ancestry by City
. Retrieved on March 17, 2007. while neighboring Fort Lee has the second largest cluster (5,978) and third highest proportion (17.18%) Edgewater also has a significant Korean population. The commercial districts Palisades Park and Fort Lee, Cliffside Park, Edgewater, Fairview — collectively create a

Koreatown A Koreatown ( Korean: 코리아타운), also known as a Little Korea or Little Seoul, is a Korean-dominated ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area outside the Korean Peninsula. History Koreatowns as an East Asian ethnic enclave have ...

Many in this community attend religious services at St Michaels in Union City. India Square in 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 is home to many from the country from which it takes its name. A large Filipino community is located nearby at Five Corners. The first Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States,

St. Mark Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Accor ...

is one of many congregations in Jersey City and Bayonne. serving the growing Egyptian community. In many communities in the Hudson Waterfront, English is not the first language spoken at home.

Transportation

Rail service includes

New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bu ...

's Hoboken Division: Main Line to

Suffern Suffern is a village that was incorporated in 1796 in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York. Suffern is located 31 miles northwest of Manhattan. As of the 2010 census, Suffern's population was 10,723.MTA/

Metro-North Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority_of_the__is_a_type_of_Nonprofit_organization">nonprofit_corporation_char ...

, express service to Port Jervis),

Bergen County Line The Bergen County Line is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line loops off the Main Line between the Meadowlands and Glen Rock, with trains continuing in either dir ...

, and Pascack Valley Line, all via

Secaucus Junction Secaucus Junction (known as Secaucus Transfer during planning stages and signed simply as Secaucus) is a NJ Transit Rail Operations commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey. The $450 million, station opened on December 15, 2003, and was ded ...

(where transfer is possible to Northeast Corridor Line); Montclair-Boonton Line and Morris and Essex Lines (both via Newark Broad Street Station); North Jersey Coast Line (limited service as Waterfront Connection via

Newark Penn Station Pennsylvania Station (also known as Newark Penn Station) is an intermodal passenger station in Newark, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, Newark Penn Station is served by multiple rail and bus carriers, ...

to Long Branch and

Bay Head Bay Head is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 968,Raritan Valley Line (limited service via

). All of these services stop at

Hoboken Terminal Hoboken Terminal is a commuter-oriented intermodal passenger station in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, it is served by nine NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, one Metr ...

. The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail: serves

, Liberty State Park, Jersey City's West Side, Downtown Jersey City,

, along the foot of the Palisades in Hoboken and Weehawken waterfront, Bergenline and Tonnelle Avenues. The PATH provides 24-hour subway service from Hoboken Terminal (HOB) and Downtown Jersey City and

(JSQ) to

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildi ...

(33rd), the World Trade Center (WTC), and

(NWK). NY Waterway provides ferry service, from Jersey City, Hoboken and

Weehawken Port Imperial Port Imperial is an intermodal transit hub on the Weehawken, New Jersey, waterfront of the Hudson River across from Midtown Manhattan, served by New York Waterway ferries and buses, Hudson–Bergen Light Rail, and NJT buses. The district lies ...

and

Edgewater Landing Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a population of 11,513,/nowiki>''sic''/nowiki> Hill Road was an important route to the top ...

Battery Park City Ferry Terminal The Battery Park City Ferry Terminal, is a passenger ferry terminal in Battery Park City, Manhattan, serving ferries along the Hudson River in New York City and northeastern New Jersey. It provides slips to ferries, water taxis, and sightseein ...

and

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...

in lower Manhattan, and to

West Midtown Ferry Terminal The West Midtown Ferry Terminal is a passenger bus and ferry terminal serving ferries along the Hudson River in New York City and northeastern New Jersey. It is located at Piers 78 and 79 in Hudson River Park adjacent to the West Side Highway at ...

, where free transfer is available to a variety of "loop" buses.

Cape Liberty Cruise Port The Cape Liberty Cruise Port is one of three trans-Atlantic passenger terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is located in Bayonne, New Jersey at the north side of the long pier of the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, a former military ...

, opened in 2004, restored passenger ships service to the waterfront.

as well as private companies provide bus service.

, Exchange Place,

, and Bergenline (HBLR) Station are major origination, destination and transfer points. Manhattan-bound bus service to the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 bus ...

and George Washington Bridge Bus Station Local (and some suburban) service is identified by single or double digits: 1, 2, 22, 23, 64, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88. Manhattan (with local stops) and some suburban service is identified by triple digits: 120,

121 121 may refer to: *121 (number), a natural number *AD 121, a year in the 2nd century AD *121 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *121 (Eagle) Sqn *121 (MBTA bus) *121 (New Jersey bus) *Road 121, see list of highways numbered 121 *Russian cruiser Mosk ...

, 123, 125,

154 Year 154 ( CLIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Lateranus (or, less frequently, year 907 ''Ab urbe cond ...

, 156,

158 Year 158 ( CLVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tertullus and Sacerdos (or, less frequently, year 911 ''Ab urbe ...

, 159,

163 Year 163 ( CLXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Laelianus and Pastor (or, less frequently, year 916 ''Ab urbe condi ...

, 165,

166 Year 166 ( CLXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pudens and Pollio (or, less frequently, year 919 ''Ab urbe condita' ...

168 Year 168 ( CLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Apronianus and Paullus (or, less frequently, year 921 ''Ab urbe co ...

181 Year 181 ( CLXXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Burrus (or, less frequently, year 934 ''Ab urbe condit ...

and

188 Year 188 (CLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in the Roman Empire as the Year of the Consulship of Fuscianus and Silanus (or, less frequently, year 941 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomi ...

. Vehicle crossings and highways are the

; the

Holland Tunnel The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects the New York City neighborhood of Hudson Square in Lower Manhattan to the east with Jersey City in New Jersey to the west. The tunnel is operated by the Port Author ...

into Lower Manhattan,

Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...

, U.S. Route 1/9; the

Lincoln Tunnel The Lincoln Tunnel is an approximately tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to the west with Midtown Manhattan in New York City to the east. It carries New Jersey Route 495 on the New Jersey side and unsigned Ne ...

to Midtown Manhattan, NJ 495, Route 3, and the

to Upper Manhattan, Palisades Interstate Parkway, U.S. Route 46,

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one ...

Newark Liberty Airport (EWR) is the closest international airport in New Jersey with scheduled passenger service. LaGuardia Airport (LGA) is in

Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial and retail area, and the i ...

and

John F. Kennedy Airport John F. Kennedy International Airport (colloquially referred to as JFK Airport, Kennedy Airport, New York-JFK, or simply JFK) is the main international airport serving New York City. The airport is the busiest of the seven airports in the New ...

(JFK) is on

Jamaica Bay Jamaica Bay is an estuary on the southern portion of the western tip of Long Island, in the U.S. state of New York. The estuary is partially man-made, and partially natural. The bay connects with Lower New York Bay to the west, through Rockaw ...

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

. Teterboro Airport, in the

Hackensack Meadowlands New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of N ...

, serves private and corporate planes.

History

Before the 17th century the region was populated by the Hackensack and Tappan, phratries of the

Lenni-Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

, an Algonquian people, who maintained semi-permanent and seasonal campsites throughout the diverse landscape. They are recalled throughout the region in countless places names. In 1609,

Henry Hudson Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the northeastern United States. In 1607 and 16 ...

captained a sailing expedition for the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company ( nl, Geoctrooieerde Westindische Compagnie, ''WIC'' or ''GWC''; ; en, Chartered West India Company) was a chartered company of Dutch merchants as well as foreign investors. Among its founders was Willem Usselincx ...

which led to the establishment of the Dutch provincial colony of

New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva ...

, with its capital at

. During that exploration he laid anchor in the

and Weehawken Coves. In 1630, land along the west bank of the river which bears his name was acquired and called Pavonia. Clusters of settlements were located at

Communipaw Communipaw is a neighborhood in Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It is located west of Liberty State Park and east of Bergen Hill, and the site of one of the earliest European settlements in North America. It gives its nam ...

, Harsimus, and Paulus Hook, and later at

Hoboken Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,69 ...

, Pamrapo, Kewan/

Minkakwa Greenville is the southernmost section of Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Geography In its broadest definition, Greenville encompasses the area south of the West Side Branch of Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and north of the ...

, and Vriessendael. Some of the communities were compromised in conflicts with the indigenous population known as

Kieft's War Kieft's War (1643–1645), also known as the Wappinger War, was a conflict between the colonial province of New Netherland and the Wappinger and Lenape Indians in what is now New York and New Jersey. It is named for Director-General of New Ne ...

and the Peach Tree War. Director-General of New Netherland

Peter Stuyvesant Peter Stuyvesant (; in Dutch also ''Pieter'' and ''Petrus'' Stuyvesant, ; 1610 – August 1672)Mooney, James E. "Stuyvesant, Peter" in p.1256 was a Dutch colonial officer who served as the last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Ne ...

granted a charter in 1660 for a village at Bergen Square, considered the first autonoumous municipality in New Jersey. In 1664, four English frigates entered the

, demanded, and peacefully received, control of

Fort Amsterdam Fort Amsterdam was a fort on the southern tip of Manhattan at the confluence of the Hudson and East rivers. It was the administrative headquarters for the Dutch and then English/British rule of the colony of New Netherland and subsequently th ...

, and by extension, all of New Netherland. Bergen, New Netherland thus became part of the

Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1783. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland but came under English rule after t ...

. In 1668, a charter was granted for the "Towne and Corporation of Bergen". In 1683, East Jersey was divided into four counties, the waterfront region keeping the name given by the New Netherlanders.

encompassed the land between the North River and

Hackensack River The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the subur ...

from Bergen Point north to the ambiguous New York-New Jersey state line For much of the 18th century the villages remained essentially agricultural and fishing communities, supplying the growing city of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

across the river, using ferries including those at

, Paulus Hook, Weehawken, Bulls Ferry and Burdett's Landing. It was during the colonial period that Newark Plank Road, Hackensack Plank Road and Paterson Plank Road, thoroughfares from the waterfront across the New Jersey Meadowlands, Meadowlands, were laid, and the area of the English Neighborhood was settled. In the American Revolutionary War the New York Harbor was under British control after Washington ordered the retreat from Battle of Fort Lee, Fort Lee, though he gave instructions to "go to the Bergen heights, Weehawk, Hoebuck or other heights to observe the motions of the enemy's shipping" and gather any other possible intelligence. The attack of British garrison at Battle of Paulus Hook, Paulus Hook was seen as a victory for American forces. Urbanization of the area began in the early 19th century with Downtown Jersey City, City of Jersey and the development of

, Weehawken, and Edgewater as summer resorts. While some districts were laid out in urban grid, others developed more randomly following coach and ferry roads, or drives leading to larger estates or farms. Weehawken was the site for 18 known duels between 1700 and 1845, including that of the Burr-Hamilton duel in 1804. In 1811, John Stevens (inventor, born 1749), Colonol John Stevens' ship the ''Juliana'', began operation as the first steam-powered ferry service was between

and

, which can claim to be the Hoboken, New Jersey#Birthplace of baseball, birthplace of baseball The first officially recorded game of baseball in US history took place in Elysian Fields in 1846. New York City Railroads ca 1900

During the latter half of the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries, the area experienced intense growth. The short lived Eldorado Amusement Park and Palisades Amusement Park were both developed atop the cliffs at the turn of the 20th century. German American#19th century, German immigration to the United States after Forty-Eighters, 1848 gave the parts of the region a distinctly German flavor, particularly Hoboken which became major port for the Hamburg America Line, and North Hudson with the development of breweries and the embroidery industry. Many railroad terminals and maritime facilities built there. Many immigrants to the USA arrived, first via Castle Clinton and later via Ellis Island. The development of the ports resulted in intense shipping and industrial development along the shore, and residential development further inland. Rock blasting, Blasting of the The Palisades (Hudson River), Palisades and landfilling along the water's edge considerably changed the landscape. Rail and trolley car lines were laid, some overland, while others traversed cuts or tunnels. Before the construction, in 1910, of the Pennsylvania Railroad's North River Tunnels under the Hudson, railroads terminated on the west bank of the river, requiring passengers and cargo to travel by ferry or barge to

. That year, the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad, forerunner of the PATH system, was opened as a partially successful attempt to connect all the rail stations (as well as those in Manhattan) with a mass transit system. The only remaining station in operation is

which serves as a terminus for many

commuter trains. The restored Communipaw Terminal is a prominent waterfront landmark. NJ-GoldCoast

Upon entry to World War I the US government took the Hamburg-American Line piers in Hoboken under eminent domain, and which became the major point of embarkation for more than three million soldiers, known as "doughboys". In 1916, an act of sabotage literally and figuratively shook the region when German agents set off bombs at the munitions depot in New York Bay at Black Tom explosion, Black Tom. The fore-runner of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was established on April 30, 1921. Huge transportation projects opened between the wars: The

in 1927, The

in 1931, and The

in 1937, allowing vehicular travel between New Jersey and New York City to bypass the waterfront. Hackensack River crossings, notably the Pulaski Skyway, were also built. 125th Street Hudson River bridge never got beyond planning stages. In 1946, the baseball color line was first crossed at Roosevelt Stadium by Jackie Robinson. Among the many companies who had a presence along the waterfront were Colgate Clock (New Jersey), Colgate-Palmolive, Standard Oil, Port Johnston Coal Docks, Central Railroad of New Jersey, Lipton Tea, Maxwell House, Bethlehem Steel, Hamburg-American Line, Ford Motor Company, Lever Brothers, and Archer-Daniels-Midland The Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne opened during World War II. By the 1970s most traditional industries in the region had been abandoned and the waterfront has been being redeveloped for recreational, residential, and commercial use. After the closing of Palisades Amusement Park in 1971, large residential highrises were built to replace it. Other highrise towers were constructed throughout the area which is still characterized by one and two family homes and low-rise apartment buildings. Liberty State Park opened to coincide with the United States Bicentennial in 1776. Gentrification of

and Downtown Jersey City's 19th century districts began. NY Waterway restored ferry service across the Hudson in 1986. Begun in the 1980s. Since the 1990s the Hudson Waterfront has experienced intensive development, consisting largely of high-density residential buildings, List of tallest buildings in Jersey City, office towers, and retail centers. Some of this development is on brownfields that were once factories, warehouses, docks, and rail yards, particularly in areas along public transportation corridors. Ellis Island photo D Ramey Logan

It has been called the Gold Coast, a relatively new term coined by real estate agents, brokers, and developers in the 1980s, who realized the investment potential of the area. The name is infrequently used outside the context of real-estate sales and marketing. Other residential development is being constructed as single-family housing, multi-family apartments, and condominiums. Access to the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail has spurred much development. The yet unbuilt Northern Branch is planned for a route on the west side of the Palisades. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway has been constructed to provide contiguous public access to the water's edge with an pedestrian promenade. Development pressure hs ld to attempts to preserve the lower Palisades as a natural resource.

References

External links

1980 study
* * {{Cite report , title = River Road/Hudson Waterfront Corridor Strategy: A Phase Two Study , publisher = North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority , date = June 2013 , url = http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/documentcenter/view/1975 , access-date = October 4, 2013 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131012035356/http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/documentcenter/view/1975 , archive-date = October 12, 2013 , url-status = dead * https://ny.curbed.com/maps/new-jersey-hudson-river-development-map Geography of Bergen County, New Jersey Geography of Hudson County, New Jersey New York metropolitan area Redeveloped ports and waterfronts in the United States

Population

Transportation

History

See also

References

External links