I don't think we qualify. The population of Jersey City is less than 15 percent of the urban area.

The last thing I want to do is support Trump, but I have to admit that I do remember the news reports about Paterson.

They did show a video. It may have been canned footage, but I held onto this belief for 14 years. I saw it reported as Paterson, not Jersey City.

If it was something that was later found to be unfounded, then I'm glad the truth has come out, however, I understand why Trump said it.

This was always shocking to me that people would respond this way, and I distinctly remember listening to President Bush's plea to treat Muslim Americans fairly and thinking of the video of Paterson.

I'm wondering now if they're denying they ever broadcast it because it was completely based on rumor.

What about a gondola or sky ride across the marina, like Roosevelt Island? Why not turn that spot into a destination? Link it to Liberty State Park and you've got yourself a fun weekend experience for tourists. Downtown loses out on tourism in LSP because it might as well be across the Hudson.

The view from the gondola would be amazing. I proposed a London Eye type of ferris wheel experience there long ago, long before the Staten Island announcement. I see this spot as a real opportunity for JC. Tourist would come across from the city if there was something worth seeing/doing. It worked in London. The south bank is now a real destination whereas before it was mainly ignored. And the entire reason for its development as a tourist destination was the view back over the river.

Another perspective on Prep:

I'm a counselor in an affluent suburban Essex district. Each year we have 6-10 boys who choose to go to Prep instead of the local HS which is always in the NJ Monthly Top 10. They take the train to Hoboken and then the light rail. Lots of kids from the suburbs do this.

The parents of the boys in my district speak so highly of Prep. They swear by it. They particularly like how their boys turn out after 4 years at the school.

I can vouch for that. I see them walking back from the train station once in a while. They are like different people -- so polite, poised, well-spoken. They're always so eager to tell me about the latest community service project they are working on. Some went to Haiti and other areas of the Caribbean to work with the poor.

By the way, these are people who are already paying 20k - 30k in property taxes.

I'd also recommend Dr. Vitale in Port Liberte.

Worth the extra hassle of getting over there, but Uber makes it all so much easier now.

Dr. Vitale answered my plea for help in the early morning hours one Monday many years ago when I didn't have a dentist and suddenly suffered from severe tooth pain. I've been devoted to him ever since.

He loves his work, you can tell. And everyone in his office is helpful and happy -- all the time.

Downtown JC might be one of the most diverse places in the country. I don't understand how you can argue otherwise.

My building alone is extremely diverse, and it only has 8 units. One Asian, one Arab, one Indian, one black, four white. Two are Jewish, two are gay, one unit has a couple with a baby.

If there's no weekend service on the WTC line and it ends at Journal Square, then why aren't the trains synched up to make the connection shorter for passengers?

They stick to their Newark to WTC schedule in spite of the fact that the majority of people riding the Newark to JSQ train MUST transfer to the HOB 33 street train. Then you sit there and wait.

Last week I was coming home quite late from Newark. I waited 25 minutes in Newark for the JSQ train, then waited 25 minutes in JSQ for the HOB train. That was the worst it has ever been, but when I asked the conductor why we waited so long he explained that they maintain their normal schedule in spite of the fact that their only service is to JSQ.

Thanks for posting! This is great.

It always bothers me how much power we give the state borderline ignoring the actual geography of a megalopolis like NYC. There are more than 20 million people living in this population cluster, regardless of political borders. The worst thing the British ever did was give New Jersey over to Berkeley and Carteret as a repayment for their loyalty to the crown in the English Civil War. ]

The competition this created between these two colonies, then between the states, has been incredibly counter productive. Its modern repercussion is the Port Authority of NY and NJ which is ridiculous.

Why split one of the greatest harbors in the world between 2 political entities? It just doesn't make sense.

I love this map because it puts geography above politics.

I live in Hamilton Park in a small condo building with 8 units. One is going to be rented out in May, and it's a beautiful one bedroom. It's small, but it has w/d, dishwasher, a/c and beautiful fixtures -- new bathroom with one of those fancy multiple shower head showers. Kitchen is also new.

He's asking 1800. PM me if you want more info.

I'd like to see a scaled down version of this idea for a bridge from Exchange Place to Liberty State Park. Imagine the views!

I'm glad we have as much street cleaning as we do. I notice the difference right away. I'm a walker now, but when I had a car I was always appreciative of the honking they would do to alert drivers. That saved me several times from getting a ticket.

I feel free now without a car. I hear the honking and don't have to worry. When I go to sleep at night I don't have to think about which side of the street I'm parked on.

If you're in a position to get rid of your car, I'd recommend it; it's very liberating. I also like the suggestion of parking in LSP light rail parking for a reasonable monthly fee.

I recommend the reverse commute by train if you can. I do it every day out to the Summit area from Hoboken. I tried it 5 years ago to see if I liked it and never looked back.

From Exchange Place to Newark Penn on the Path would be pretty empty, and a nice ride to Newark. But the connection to Princeton might require waiting for a train for up to 20 minutes in the morning.

The total commute time will be longer, as is the case for me by a wide margin, but I make such good use of my commute that I still prefer it to driving.

I've never taken the 62, but the bus terminal at Newark Penn Station is in the same building as the PATH and it's really well marked. You just take the escalators down to the station and look for Bus Terminal signs. There are several bus lanes on the side of the station.

Looks like taking the bus saves you $7 each way, as opposed to taking the train. I was going to say that it's much easier taking the train -- get to the Airport Station in 5 minutes, but when you add the time it takes to switch to the AirTrain and then get to the terminals, it might not be that different.

You might be onto something here.

You might like the area between Journal Square and Downtown. It seems to fit your profile a bit. The area along Magnolia and Chestnut has some interesting properties and there's some evidence that things are about to change for the better.

Also, there's an area around Astor Place and Summit Ave which has the most beautiful brownstones. I wish I had the guts to live there.

I live in Hamilton Park, and I absolutely recommend it. I think it's such a beautiful neighborhood, and the park itself is amazing.

I walk from here to the Hoboken train station every morning at about 5:30 am. I'm not sure I'd feel safe doing that in VVP.

As for the PATH stations, I don't think HP is that much farther from the PATH than VVP. If you're standing on the corner of 8th and Jersey, you're basically a ten minute walk from either Newport or HP. I realize VVP is a shorter walk, but if you're basing your decision on convenience to the station, I would never describe HP's location as inconvenient in any way. In fact, because it's not closer to Grove Street, we tend to have a quieter neighborhood and an easier time finding parking.

I find it really convenient to be close to both stations.

It boggles the mind that JC is not working on this. This could be a major boost to downtown if we could connect Exchange Place to the Park. The park itself would get so many more visitors. It could become a major destination and really unite the waterfront.

I look at the views there and it just amazes me that this is not in the works. I realize the marina is there, but so what? Make the bridge high enough and elaborate enough that it becomes a tourist attraction in and of itself. There are plenty of examples of this all over the world. A cool bridge with amazing views of NYC that leads to a beautiful park... and just like that JC becomes a destination. Get off the PATH, walk across the bridge and suddenly it is truly accessible to millions. Put a major entertainment venue like the NJPAC somewhere along the marina or farther in the park near Ellis Island, and we are looking at a world class waterfront destination.

I've lived in JC for 10 years and it has just puzzled me how this gap is not filled in. Look at the Newport bridge to Hoboken. How incredible has that connection been for Newport and Hamilton Park? The waterfront there is alive. So much so that Newport's River Market just might have a chance to make it. The same needs to be done at Jersey City's most picturesque and most historic point.

I went yesterday. Have to admit that I like the memorial. Found it very moving.

What people are saying about the view is ridiculous. I noticed that it actually brings more people down to that corner of the park than I've ever seen. People were drawn to the waterfront and after walking through the memorial, spent quite a few quiet moments gazing across to downtown NYC.

The layout is impressive, IMO. As I was walking between the walls, I was feeling trapped and claustrophobic. The height of the walls is an important part of the design.

I love the symbolism. I'm a huge fan of monuments such as these, and I don't find any aspect of it to be ugly. I do find the outside walls to be evocative of the walls of "the pit" that the WTC became. And for it to be named "Empty Sky" not only references Springsteeen's brilliant song about the tragedy, but it also acknowledges the relationship so many Jerseyans had with the towers.

A flash goes off when you get stuck in the intersection at 18th and Jersey.

I have experienced it a couple of times, but I haven't received a ticket.

Anyone here ever get a ticket from that camera?

I agree with what's been said above about the neighborhood. I've lived here for 6 years, and I love it.

I prefer Grove Street over Newport for a number of reasons, but especially because I feel like I'm home as soon as I get off the PATH.

I take Newport in the rain or extreme cold as was mentioned above, and when it's very late -- after midnight -- I get off at Grove and take a cab. The cabs are lined up outside the station.

By the way, I commute VERY early -- leaving at about 5:15 am, and my walk to the train is fine.

I live in JC and do a reverse commute to Millburn each morning. I love it! I start work at 7:00, so I leave earlier than the norm, but I rarely have traffic problems on the way there -- takes 25 minutes on 78.

When work begins a little later -- like 8:30 or 9 -- I have to leave a few more minutes earlier to account for traffic, but it's still quite easy.

I also have the option of taking the train from Hoboken, which I frequently choose to do. On those days, I take the 6:15 train and arrive in Millburn at 6:55. I prefer the train, and I'm lucky to work within walking distance from the station.

East Orange has 2 stations -- Brick Church and East Orange. I don't know if your office will be close to either station, but I'd highly recommend commuting by train. The ride from Hoboken to East Orange is roughly 20 minutes.

If this is an option for you, I'd look for an apartment in the Hamilton Park or Newport neighborhoods in JC.

For a town without a book store, you would think there would be more people taking advantage of the weekly book sale at Grace Van Vorst on Erie. It's like Downtown's best kept secret.

They have an amazing sale every Sunday from 12 to 4. I go there once every few weeks and pick up some paperbacks for my commute.

It's unbelievable to me that this place isn't more hopping on Sunday afternoons. They have a great assortment, and they always seem to have my favorite authors.

The prices cannot be beat also. Today I bought 15 books for a total of $8.50. That's basically the price of one paperback. Two of the books I bought are hardcovers and of the 13 paperback, 10 of them were like new (no folds in the binding).

Hardcovers are $1 and paperbacks are .50 cents.

I have no affiliation with the church, although the people there seem really nice.

They also accept donations every Sunday, so it's also a good place to donate your old books.

It has become such a pleasant routine for me on a Sunday afternoon that I really just wanted to share.

Here's the link to the church web site. Check out the calendar and see booksale on Sundays.

Link to Grace Van Vorst web site

I live about a block away and I have for the past 6 years.

I approach the late night walks this way. Anything before 10 pm I will walk from Grove St. After that I take Newport until about midnight. After midnight I take the path to Grove and take a cab. The ride from the station costs about 4 bucks but I scare easily, so I figure it's worth it.

Incidentally, I leave EARLY in the morning. I walk to the train at 5:30 am, and I've done so for 3 years, but I've never had a problem. Knocking wood also.

I'd recommend the neighborhood to anyone who commutes to the city. It's so close to everything but much more civilized than Hoboken. You can even park your car pretty easily if you have one.

Good Luck!

I agree, Bogart. I have been bothered by the Welcome to NJ signs also. I found it ridiculous that I would drive west on 78 every morning to go to work and pass signs on the turnpike welcoming me to NJ, after I paid the toll of course.

I think the state needs to do a better job with this at all the border crossings. Good for the city for stepping up.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give them a call.

I live in an 8 unit building in Hamilton Park and the unit owners have all been discussing the possibility of turnin our fire escape into a multilevel deck.

We see that there are some buildings nearby that have exactly what we want -- about 24 x 8 deck at each level with a separate staircase.

Anyone know where we would begin? Does anyone know someone who could give us an estimate? Any isight into city permits for this?

Thanks.

New boss is coming to live in US and he wants something in Jersey City or Hoboken. He's Greek and has been living in major cities all over Europe. He has a wife and a couple of kids.

They need a 2+ bedroom luxury apartment.

He saw a pic of 70 Greene Street and thought it was ideal, though he wasn't sure of the neighborhood.

They need to move in by April 1st and will only stay for 2 or 3 months.

Anyone have any idea?

Thanks!

Glad to hear that this will now be open in the morning. The security guard who opened it each morning at 6 for the first couple of weeks was really very prompt each morning and even opened it a little early a couple of days which allowed me to catch the 6:02 train.

Then, on Thursday (9/17), a different guard opened the Jersey City gate but didn't unlock the Hoboken gate. Not knowing this, I walked along the walkway to catch my train only to find a locked gate in my way. So there I was climbing along the railing to get around the gate with my butt hanging out over the Hudson with suit and ties, dress shoes, briefcase, etc.

Friday morning, the Jersey City gate was gone and the Hoboken gate was wide open at 5:45 am.

There is no longer a gate on the Jersey City side, so I'm hoping it stays open for good.

It was locked this morning at 5:55 am. I need to make a 6:22 train, so I couldn't wait to see if they actually arrive at 6 am to open it. It didn't seem like they do. There was no one in sight.

It's so frustrating to have to walk around or take the light rail when there's no good reason to lock this thing.

Tomorrow I will wait there until 6 am to see if it actually opens on time.

The bridge was open this afternoon when I got off the train at 4:30 pm. Not sure if it's official or if someone just took out the fence. They did a great job with the walkway. It's so nice just to be able to walk home from the train.

I have been away for a few weeks. Anyone know the status on this bridge?