New Jersey

[kprm77]

We're going to New York this November and will be staying in Secaucus, NJ. I know there are loads of threads on here about New York, and we are planning what to do over the river, but is there anything worth seeing on the NJ side?

We want to go to Ellis Island - would this be easier from Liberty State Park?

Any places recommended for chilling and looking at the Manhattan skyline?

Anywhere to avoid? From travelling on the NJ Transit buses, Union City looked rough and depressing.

We've stayed in Secaucus before several years ago, but apart from going to a Mall in Paramus, we didn't do anything on the NJ side. We've only watched the Sopranos since our last visit in 2005, so we now love watching the opening credits with Tony's journey through the Lincoln Tunnel onto the Jersey Turnpike. Excellent view of Manhattan as you go up that ramp after exiting the tunnel.

[LostCroc]

kprm77 said:

We're going to New York this November and will be staying in Secaucus, NJ. I know there are loads of threads on here about New York, and we are planning what to do over the river, but is there anything worth seeing on the NJ side?

We want to go to Ellis Island - would this be easier from Liberty State Park?

Any places recommended for chilling and looking at the Manhattan skyline?

I work opposite Giants Stadium and pass through Secaucus every day. It sounds like you have the transport all worked out which is the biggest issue with that location. I am guessing you just get the hotel shuttle from Mill Creek Mall area(?) to Secaucus station and take the train to Penn station? Its what I do if I have a Manhattan meeting and Rt 3 to the Lincoln Tunnel is a parking lot.

There is not much on the NJ side around NY metro. The countryside gets very nice as you get way west around the Delaware river valley and there are some nice places in southern NJ (e.g. Cape May or lower reaches of the Delaware). Heading north, if you had a car you could get on the Palisades Parkway go over the state line into NY State and check out the Hudson River Valley around Bear Mountain State Park (peak lookout has views of Manhattan 35 miles south). West Point Military Academy and Museum was a surprisingly interesting tour nearby and the village of Cornwall is cutesy. Further north is Newburgh which has a bad crime reputation and not recommended for visiting (car definitely needed here to get through as quick as possible) but the Ocean Country Choppers facility is located just west of the town (in a safe area) and is good for an hour. My sunday drive loop in the seven takes in much of that area, including coming back down Rt 9E on the other side of the Hudson River and crossing back on at Bear Mountain Bridge.

Ellis Island is about 1 mile straight line from my home. I am about 400-500 yards from the old NJ Train Terminus in Liberty State Park which now serves as the ticket office and ferry departue point for Ellis and Statue of Liberty. The queues for the tickets and ferry are very short. However, getting there is a pain unless you have a car. There is a sporadic NJ Transit bus service that is not that reliable. You can take the light rail from the Exchange Place PATH station but then you are left with a lengthy walk at the stopping station. You could also take the little yellow ferry from World Financial Center as it stops there but that is $10 a person each way....ouch!.

The method I have tried and tested many times for the various visitors who crash at my place is 1) buy a timed ticket through one of the double decker bus tour groups as this will save the waiting or 2)If you want to do it yourself then get to Castle Coombe at 7.45am. Line will look long but it will move very quickly plus it is at its shortest all day. Ticket office opens at 8am. You will be on the first ferry at 8.30am and will have both Ellis island and Status of Liberty to yourself.

Areas to see the skyline - I would take NJ Transit or PATH to Hoboken. Just north along the river from the station (which is at the river) is a park with great views of Manhattan. You could buy a lunch/coffee and just hang out here for the view. View is if anything better at night. Also in Hoboken along Washington St heading north away from the station is a great street of restaurants, cafes, bars, shops where you can get a nice meal. The place is safe for walking around at all hours and has a twenty-something vibe. when you are finished you can get back to the Hoboken station and just take it NJ Transit train to Secaucus station where you can shuttle to your hotel or just take a taxi for a short $5 ride.

Another option if in lower Manhattan is take any PATH train from WTC. Get off at the first stop, Exchange Place and come upstairs via the escalator. You are then on the river front. Best view point is out the front of the Hyatt hotel. There is a deli/sandwich shop just as you exit the PATH (to the right of the office building) - you could get a sandwich and make a mini picnic and sit in the park at the front of the Hyatt. This is where I go for with friends after the BBQ at my place for July 4 fireworks.

kprm77 said:

Anywhere to avoid? From travelling on the NJ Transit buses, Union City looked rough and depressing.

We've stayed in Secaucus before several years ago, but apart from going to a Mall in Paramus, we didn't do anything on the NJ side. We've only watched the Sopranos since our last visit in 2005, so we now love watching the opening credits with Tony's journey through the Lincoln Tunnel onto the Jersey Turnpike. Excellent view of Manhattan as you go up that ramp after exiting the tunnel.

Areas to avoid - and I now think Union City is ok! My no go areas unless driving through on a major road preferably in daylight are
1)western half of Jersey city which abuts Seacaucus plus runs down to Bayonne. I have had a gun pulled on me while driving on Rt 1&9 north at the same intersection twice less than 1.5 miles from your hotel in Seacaucus (no problems for me - floor the throttle and go). Seacaucus is a safe area for you but it shows how localized the bad areas can be and how sudden the transition can be.
2) Patterson (I once drove through here in the seven at night top down...I was sh$# scared!)
3) Newark and close surrounding areas
4) Camden (way down near Philadelphia so probably out of your area).

[kprm77]

LostCroc said:

I work opposite Giants Stadium and pass through Secaucus every day. It sounds like you have the transport all worked out which is the biggest issue with that location. I am guessing you just get the hotel shuttle from Mill Creek Mall area(?) to Secaucus station and take the train to Penn station? Its what I do if I have a Manhattan meeting and Rt 3 to the Lincoln Tunnel is a parking lot.

Last time we were there we used the bus (NJ Transit) which did go through the Lincoln Tunnel. Can't remember the traffic being too bad (considering it was going into NYC) but that wasn't at peak times. We'd be staying in the Plaza Drive / Plaza Park Drive area and were thinking of the bus as there's a stop very close by. Where is the train station in Secaucus? I've found Tonnelle Ave HBLR Station - is that the one?

LostCroc said:

There is not much on the NJ side around NY metro. The countryside gets very nice as you get way west around the Delaware river valley and there are some nice places in southern NJ (e.g. Cape May or lower reaches of the Delaware). Heading north, if you had a car you could get on the Palisades Parkway go over the state line into NY State and check out the Hudson River Valley around Bear Mountain State Park (peak lookout has views of Manhattan 35 miles south). West Point Military Academy and Museum was a surprisingly interesting tour nearby and the village of Cornwall is cutesy.

The Delaware river Valley, Bear Mountain State Park and the Military museum sound like they're well worth a look. Think we could do the museum and the Bear Mountain in 1 day as they're relatively close.

LostCroc said:

The method I have tried and tested many times for the various visitors who crash at my place is 1) buy a timed ticket through one of the double decker bus tour groups as this will save the waiting or 2)If you want to do it yourself then get to Castle Coombe at 7.45am. Line will look long but it will move very quickly plus it is at its shortest all day. Ticket office opens at 8am. You will be on the first ferry at 8.30am and will have both Ellis island and Status of Liberty to yourself.

Where is Castle Coombe? I've tried looking on Google Maps but can't find it (not in NJ anyway!)

Do you have to take the ferry to Ellis Island, or can you walk? Street View is very good through Liberty park - there's a jetty/bridge thing to Ellis Island, which looks well guarded, but can't see signs saying you can or can't use it. I take it this is just for deliveries, or can you walk?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Castle+Combe,+new+...

LostCroc said:

Areas to see the skyline - I would take NJ Transit or PATH to Hoboken. Just north along the river from the station (which is at the river) is a park with great views of Manhattan. You could buy a lunch/coffee and just hang out here for the view. View is if anything better at night. Also in Hoboken along Washington St heading north away from the station is a great street of restaurants, cafes, bars, shops where you can get a nice meal. The place is safe for walking around at all hours and has a twenty-something vibe. when you are finished you can get back to the Hoboken station and just take it NJ Transit train to Secaucus station where you can shuttle to your hotel or just take a taxi for a short $5 ride.

That sounds excellent - another definite for our trip.

Much appreciated for you taking the time to answer. This is the sort of stuff you cannot get just by googling.

[h0b0]

I am a Hoboken resident (hence the name) and I think it is well worth you coming to Hoboken. Great bars and food as well as the best view of the city.

Few "facts" on Hoboken......

It is the origin of the term Hobo due to the train station.

Its the birth place of Baseball. If you go to Washington Street and 12th you will find the baseball diamond making the "exact" place of the game.

Hoboken used to be used as Parks for NYC before central park became popular.

All German's that signed up to fight for America in the second world war shipped out from Hoboken hence the German influence that can be seen.

Hoboken used to have the most bars per square foot of any city in America. When you come here you will find it hard to beleive that there used to be 5 times as many bars.

Buddy The Cake Boss has his bakery in Hoboken. Queues can be insane going around the block. If you claim to be a Hoboken resident you can skip the line. I have not tried it though but I did get my wedding cake from him before he was famous and still see his family around. Also, there is a cobble street behind the store where you can see most of the store workers coming and going including all the famous ones.

Frank Sinatra was born across the road from where I live. There is no doubt Frank was involvemed with the Mafia. There are still many Soprano's style residents in the area.

I can do tours as well.............

[LostCroc]

kprm77 said:

Last time we were there we used the bus (NJ Transit) which did go through the Lincoln Tunnel. Can't remember the traffic being too bad (considering it was going into NYC) but that wasn't at peak times. We'd be staying in the Plaza Drive / Plaza Park Drive area and were thinking of the bus as there's a stop very close by. Where is the train station in Secaucus? I've found Tonnelle Ave HBLR Station - is that the one?

Where is Castle Coombe? I've tried looking on Google Maps but can't find it (not in NJ anyway!)

Do you have to take the ferry to Ellis Island, or can you walk? Street View is very good through Liberty park - there's a jetty/bridge thing to Ellis Island, which looks well guarded, but can't see signs saying you can or can't use it. I take it this is just for deliveries, or can you walk?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Castle+Combe,+new+... .

Tonnele avenue is the Light Rail station which is not Secaucus station. The Light rail will run you down to Port Imperial on the Hudson, Hoboken, Newport, Exchange Place Jersey City, etc but it quite expensive for a ride and is slow. I was referring to the NJ Transit station in Secaucus shown in this link:

http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPage...

I like it as I can park a car there safely and in 1 stop and 10 minutes be in midtown Manhattan for $4.

I now understand you are staying at Harmon Meadows. Ask your hotel about free shuttles to the Secaucus station - most of the hotels offer something like this on request. It may be a better option than a bus which can get hung up in the peak hour traffic.

and now for the oops moment! I should have said Castle Clinton. It is the old stone 1 level fort in Battery Park that is used as the ticket office for Ellis island and Statue of Liberty.

You have to take the ferry to Ellis island. The bridge is exceptionally well guarded and no one is allowed to walk across it. Only workers at the site and deliveries use the bridge.

I use Liberty State Park as my exercise run. Great park just needs years to mature the trees to give more shade. While close range views of Miss Liberty's bum are cute the views of Manhattan are very different to Hoboken as you are so much further south. It is closed at 6pm. I think Hoboken is still the winner as it is easier to get to by train plus great night life/dining options. If you had a car then I would try for Liberty state park as you can park and travel by ferry to Ellis quicker and easier midweek than the NY side.

[kprm77]

h0b0 said:

I am a Hoboken resident (hence the name) and I think it is well worth you coming to Hoboken. Great bars and food as well as the best view of the city.

Few "facts" on Hoboken......

It is the origin of the term Hobo due to the train station.

Its the birth place of Baseball. If you go to Washington Street and 12th you will find the baseball diamond making the "exact" place of the game.

Hoboken used to be used as Parks for NYC before central park became popular.

All German's that signed up to fight for America in the second world war shipped out from Hoboken hence the German influence that can be seen.

Hoboken used to have the most bars per square foot of any city in America. When you come here you will find it hard to beleive that there used to be 5 times as many bars.

Buddy The Cake Boss has his bakery in Hoboken. Queues can be insane going around the block. If you claim to be a Hoboken resident you can skip the line. I have not tried it though but I did get my wedding cake from him before he was famous and still see his family around. Also, there is a cobble street behind the store where you can see most of the store workers coming and going including all the famous ones.

Frank Sinatra was born across the road from where I live. There is no doubt Frank was involvemed with the Mafia. There are still many Soprano's style residents in the area.

I can do tours as well.............

Thanks for that - you've sold me on Hoboken. It's good to see other places that are far less touristy. When we last stayed in Secaucus, every other guest in the hotel we heard was American (Crowne Plaza).

Didn't realise that Hoboken was used for parks for New York before Central Park. Interesting to hear some of the history.

[kprm77]

LostCroc said:

Tonnele avenue is the Light Rail station which is not Secaucus station. The Light rail will run you down to Port Imperial on the Hudson, Hoboken, Newport, Exchange Place Jersey City, etc but it quite expensive for a ride and is slow. I was referring to the NJ Transit station in Secaucus shown in this link:

http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPage...

I like it as I can park a car there safely and in 1 stop and 10 minutes be in midtown Manhattan for $4.

I now understand you are staying at Harmon Meadows. Ask your hotel about free shuttles to the Secaucus station - most of the hotels offer something like this on request. It may be a better option than a bus which can get hung up in the peak hour traffic.

and now for the oops moment! I should have said Castle Clinton. It is the old stone 1 level fort in Battery Park that is used as the ticket office for Ellis island and Statue of Liberty.

You have to take the ferry to Ellis island. The bridge is exceptionally well guarded and no one is allowed to walk across it. Only workers at the site and deliveries use the bridge.

I use Liberty State Park as my exercise run. Great park just needs years to mature the trees to give more shade. While close range views of Miss Liberty's bum are cute the views of Manhattan are very different to Hoboken as you are so much further south. It is closed at 6pm. I think Hoboken is still the winner as it is easier to get to by train plus great night life/dining options. If you had a car then I would try for Liberty state park as you can park and travel by ferry to Ellis quicker and easier midweek than the NY side.

Was wondering about the Castle Coombe thing

Thanks for the clarification on the train station. Does this get busy at peak times? Just wondering if we get over to Castle Clinton for 0745hrs, we'll be on the train with commuters.

I saw what you mean about the bringe being "exceptionally well guarded ":



Can't work out why it's so well guarded. I thought it was just a museum?

Is this the ferry service from Liberty Park:

http://www.getnj.com/lsp/lspferry.shtml


[ETA - just been thinking about the security - presume it's the terrorism threat, moreso to the Statue of Liberty??]

Edited by kprm77 on Wednesday 11th January 15:30

[Allanmac]

Need to go shopping? Go to Jersey Gardens, a massive mall with loads of outlet/factory shops. As much as I can offer to this thread.

[LostCroc]

kprm77 said:

Thanks for the clarification on the train station. Does this get busy at peak times? Just wondering if we get over to Castle Clinton for 0745hrs, we'll be on the train with commuters.

Is this the ferry service from Liberty Park:

No matter how you go to Manhattan that time of the day it will be busy somewhere. Given most people in my old downtown office seemed to trudge in between 9 and 9.30 I would think you would be ok. Still I believe the train will be better than bus at that time of day.

Do not use your link for Ellis Island. It looks like a spam site. Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty are National Park operated so always go through their website:
http://www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm

I would think it is threat of terrorism that makes the security so tight, particularly for Statue of Liberty.

[h0b0]

Allanmac said:

Need to go shopping? Go to Jersey Gardens, a massive mall with loads of outlet/factory shops. As much as I can offer to this thread.

Jersey gardens is getting a bit run down now but does havce some bargains. The only suits that seem to fit me are Hugo Boss Saks Off 5th ave had an $1800 suit which I bought for $350 after all their discounts. Even my talor made comment on how good the material is.

However, if you have a car for a day I would recommend Wodbury Common. It's about an hour drive from Secaucus and is a huge out door outlet village. They have the same deals on Hugo Boss suits as well and much more. As a rule I hate outlets, but if you go to Woodbury and arrive when they open on a weekday you have the place to yourself.

[kprm77]

LostCroc said:

Do not use your link for Ellis Island. It looks like a spam site. Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty are National Park operated so always go through their website:
http://www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm

Thanks for that - I was having trouble finding a link.

[kprm77]

h0b0 said:

Jersey gardens is getting a bit run down now but does havce some bargains. The only suits that seem to fit me are Hugo Boss Saks Off 5th ave had an $1800 suit which I bought for $350 after all their discounts. Even my talor made comment on how good the material is.

However, if you have a car for a day I would recommend Wodbury Common. It's about an hour drive from Secaucus and is a huge out door outlet village. They have the same deals on Hugo Boss suits as well and much more. As a rule I hate outlets, but if you go to Woodbury and arrive when they open on a weekday you have the place to yourself.

Is the Mall at Paramus okay? We went there the last time we were over (2005) and that was fine. If not we'll try Woodbury Common.

Thanks again for everyone's comments / advice. Much appreciated

[h0b0]

kprm77 said:

Is the Mall at Paramus okay? We went there the last time we were over (2005) and that was fine. If not we'll try Woodbury Common.

Thanks again for everyone's comments / advice. Much appreciated

Paramus is just another Mall where as Woodbury is an outlet village. Also, Paramus is still under very old laws so can not open on Sundays. Bobby Flay's Burger Palace is in Paramus though so if you are familiar with the celebrity Chef (not sure if he made it to the UK) you can drop in there.

If you are going shopping I would still recomend Woodbury as it does have some genuine bargains. You can get a bus from NYC if you don't have a car.

My favourite Mall by a long way is Short Hills. It is small in comparison to most and you will not find any bargains there but it is a more up market place. This is most obvious in teh choice of cars they display in the Mall. Most display Chrysler Neons or similar, Short Hills display Bentlys.

You can also look into Livingstone Mall which is quite large and is up the road from Secaucus.

If you are into F1 you can drop into Edgwater and see the location of the NYC F1. It does not resemble a track yet as it is a cooule of main roads around a PF Changs (also good food for a chain). It is right ont he river and is the location of another ferry terminal to the city and the light rail as well. I have now rdden the "track" on my MTB

[Allanmac]

h0b0 said:

Jersey gardens is getting a bit run down now but does havce some bargains. The only suits that seem to fit me are Hugo Boss Saks Off 5th ave had an $1800 suit which I bought for $350 after all their discounts. Even my talor made comment on how good the material is.

However, if you have a car for a day I would recommend Wodbury Common. It's about an hour drive from Secaucus and is a huge out door outlet village. They have the same deals on Hugo Boss suits as well and much more. As a rule I hate outlets, but if you go to Woodbury and arrive when they open on a weekday you have the place to yourself.

I didn't think it was run down in the slightest when I was there in April, no worse than the big ones here in the UK. Its the only place I went as I was only in the area for half a day as we were in port. Guessing its quite far from everywhere else though?

[LostCroc]

Every time I go to Jersey Gardens I find it a little blah - no bargains and nothing to justify it as anything special. I would rather go to Short Hills or Garden State Mall. I do like going to Jersey Gardens as I come through the back of Jersey City and then through Prison Central Avenue (also known as Doremus Ave) and the ports area. Massively wide roads and no traffic on weekends - quite surreal and quite the place to be noisy in a Caterham!

I would second the recommendation on Woodbury Common though. It is worth the extra time to drive up there. To make it more interesting - visit Woodbury first then on the way back come through Rt 6, stop in at Bear Mountain/WestPoint/Storm King and then head back south on the Palisades Parkway.

[h0b0]

LostCroc said:

then head back south on the Palisades Parkway.

But, if you go on Palisades parkway on a week day, DO NOT SPEED! That is unless you want to meet a cop. They are everywhere on that road and are constntly pulling people over.

[kprm77]

h0b0 said:

But, if you go on Palisades parkway on a week day, DO NOT SPEED! That is unless you want to meet a cop. They are everywhere on that road and are constntly pulling people over.

I'll watch out for that. I've only ever driven in Florida in the States - can't remember seeing too many Police about on the roads down there, but I was wary nonetheless.

While I'm on the subject of cars. I don't want to stand out too much as a tourist when I'm out there (whilst at the same time getting something half decent), so wouldn't mind renting something like a Dodge Charger. Another option is a pick up as the kids like those - would something like a Chevy Silverado be too big for the New Jersey roads? I'll only be driving in New Jersey to the places I've mentioned above, and it's only for a few days so no luggage to consider.

[h0b0]

kprm77 said:

would something like a Chevy Silverado be too big for the New Jersey roads? I'll only be driving in New Jersey to the places I've mentioned above, and it's only for a few days so no luggage to consider.

Pick ups don't get rented much in this area from Avis and the like, they are more likely to come from u-haul. So, I think if you reserve one on line at avis it could appear expensive but I know the Enterprise in Hoboken was begging me to take one instead of a normal car just to get them out of the lot.

Try booking a charger and seeing what you can do at the counter. I wouldn't bother paying the upgrade to a 300 and I can say that with some authority as I have a 300 and used to have a charger. Both will be a rental car special which means it will be very slow so don't expect much. (Definately do not come back on here saying American cars are st because of it!)

Are they too big for the roads? Not really my 300 is a decent size and I have no issue with it even in the city (except when I was arrested outside Grand Central and put in jail for a previous driving offence but that is a story for another day but needless to say - pay your speeding tickets or they will come back and haunt you). At the Mall you may end up parking miles away from the entrance having taken 2 spaces but that is about it.

For complete comedy gold you could have a look at U-Haul prices for pick ups. They may be a little tatty though but I have heard of others doing it.

[kprm77]

h0b0 said:

Try booking a charger and seeing what you can do at the counter. I wouldn't bother paying the upgrade to a 300 and I can say that with some authority as I have a 300 and used to have a charger. Both will be a rental car special which means it will be very slow so don't expect much. (Definately do not come back on here saying American cars are st because of it!)

I hired a Cadillac DTS the last time I was over in 2008. Wasn't expecting much due to the slating American cars always seem to get over here, but I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. Seemed very well built to me and was perfect for the Florida roads. Here's the one I had:

h0b0 said:

For complete comedy gold you could have a look at U-Haul prices for pick ups. They may be a little tatty though but I have heard of others doing it.

Had a quick look at the U-Haul website, but the pickups are just 2 seaters. I'd need a double cab job as there will be 4 of us. Worth a try though

Edited by kprm77 on Monday 16th January 19:47

[bazking69]

If you want cheap designer shopping I'd recommend Flemington Village.