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Discover the Top 8 Amazing Fun Facts About Jersey City You Never Knew!

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Dive into a delightful world of little-known trivia and intriguing tidbits as we uncover the fascinating fun facts about Jersey City that might just make your jaw drop!

1. Liberty and Lattes

Once upon a time, before skyscrapers soared and Starbucks owned the corner, Jersey City was hustling and bustling in the name of liberty and lattes were still a figment of our caffeinated imaginations: Established in the early 1600s, this historical gem harbored runaway slaves as a vital stop on the Underground Railroad, guiding them on their quest for freedom.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Wizard's Chess Hideout

If New Jersey could talk, it would say, "Jersey City - where we made magic happen below ground, playing hide'n'seek long before Harry Potter ever stepped foot in a basement": This last stop on the Underground Railroad in New Jersey saw brave activists secretly hide thousands of enslaved individuals, like a stunning game of Wizard's Chess, in the basement of the Holden House at 79 Clifton Place before shuffling them off to Jersey City waterfront – a gateway to freedom in Canada or New York City. To this day, the Holden House remains the sole relic of the city's enchanting past in helping fugitives escape, despite their sordid history of slave trading and ownership.
Source => njcu.libguides.com

3. Colgate Clock's Big Smile

Tick-tock, who's there? Time for a hoot in Jersey City! With arms wide open and a face that lights up the night sky, this monumental timekeeper shows its true colgate smile: This is the Colgate Clock, a 50-foot neon-faced iconic landmark on the Hudson River. Replaced in 1924, it has an enormous 1,963.5 square feet surface, 25 feet 10 inches minute hand, and a 20 feet hour hand, always staying within one minute of accurate time. This beloved historical symbol might not be the largest, but it definitely gives "clocking some serious face" a whole new meaning!
Source => atlasobscura.com

4. Superpowered Liberty State Park

Batter that park: swap long lines and tourist buzz for a leisurely stroll, skyline views, and unbeatable ferry access at Jersey City's very own superpower, Liberty State Park: Catch a fun and relaxing ferry ride from the park to Staten Island, while taking in a stunning close-up view of Lady Liberty herself – all the while avoiding Manhattan's pesky queues for an enchanting experience straight out of the Garden State.
Source => triptipedia.com

Responsibility by the Riverside

5. Responsibility by the Riverside

Rolling on the river without Tina Turner: Jersey City features an amazing 18.5 mile Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, complete with 24/7 access for walking, jogging, biking, fishing, and aquatic shenanigans like boat and kayak launching – all carefully managed by the watchful Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy. After all, with great river comes great responsibility.
Source => hudsonriverwaterfront.org

6. Reawakening a Roaring Theatrical Dream

In the roaring '20s, when flappers danced the Charleston and theaters dazzled like stars in the firmament, the Loew's Jersey Theatre held the torch as a jewel in the crown of an extravagant, rococo dream world: The storied venue, conceived by architectural titans Rapp and Rapp, was born in 1929 as one of five Loew's Wonder Theatres in the NYC area, only to slip into slumber in 1986. Fast forward to 2022, and the city of Jersey City, aided by the unflappable Friends of the Loews and Devils Arena Entertainment, have embarked on a $72 million fairy-tale kiss of a restoration project with aims to awaken the dormant diva by 2025.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Sprouted Green Paradise

Hold onto your shovels, green thumbs of Jersey City – a freshly sprouted oasis is coming your way, and it's dressed to the nines in eco-friendly finery: Coles Park, a brand new 1.5-acre public park on Coles Street, was fully paid for and constructed by the Manhattan Building Company and boasts playgrounds, dog runs, an amphitheater, and various green installations, including flood mitigation, security features, 70 trees, and a bio basin for groundwater filtration.
Source => jerseycitynj.gov

8. Chugging to Tweet-sy Sippers

When the Pennsylvanian Railroad said they'd go "chugging along" in Jersey City, they never expected to be replaced by actual "tweet-sy sippers": The Harsimus Branch and Embankment, once a vital freight way, is now an urban oasis with meadows and forests that clean the air, absorb heat, and reduce stormwater in the city's sewers, all while hosting furry friends like birds and butterflies who now call it their "choo-choo" home!
Source => embankment.org

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