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Follow this link to read the 1979 Village Guide which was published to promote The Village Resurgence (?Risorgimento?) Program.
It contains a nice history of the Italian Village section of the city.

http://www.jcvillage.org/101/1970s/the-village-guide-1979/

The term "The Village" is far from new.

(I am not high jacking this thread but need to clear something up about my Siperstein post above, it is interesting DTJC history anyway)

Just to clear something up about Siperstein Paints. They started on Grove St. and then moved to 369 Montgomery Street. If you look at the picture in this link www.siperstein.com/history.html and then do a Google ?street view? of 369 Montgomery Street you will see a ?then? and ?now?. WOW! Kind of cool (excuse my old-timer excitement)

A tree is blocking that cool old building with the big windows in the ?now? picture. And I read that the store at 369 burned down hence the empty space. After the fire they moved up to 415 Montgomery across from Ferris HS. Which is now the Hospital's ambulance garage and Garfield furniture that used to be on Rt. 440 by Home Depot.

Here is the piece I found about Sip?s from 1977? (sorry about the format)

Sipersteins ?

Paint The Town
Nearly seven decades ago, a
small paint store was opened in
Jersey City by a young Russian
immigrant. Today, the sons and
grandsons of that man are
preparing for the formal
opening of two new stores
bringing the total number of
operating units to an even dozen
in a multi-million dollar chain.
Even more amazing than the
three generations of the Siperstein
family in the paint and wall
covering business in Jersey City
is the fact that Mrs. Lottie Siperstein,
widow of the late Nathan
Siperstein, founder of the
business is "still the boss."
The name Siperstein has been
associated with paint and painting
for even longer than its 69
years in Jersey City,
When Nathan Siperstein
arrived in downtown Jersey City
as a 21-year-old immigrant in
1904, he was himself, the third
generation of painters. Orphaned
at 13, he decided there
was no future in his native land,
and later came to the U.S. to
seek his fortune. He had
managed to save 550 from his
meagre pay as a soldier of the
czar.

His first job was as a painter.
A year after he arrived here, he
married Lottie Levine, of Warsaw,
Poland, the niece of his first
employer. Their first son,
Morris, was born in 1906.
Three years after his marriage,
Siperstein took his first step into
business, opening a paint store
on Grove Street. In 1915, the
property located at 369 Montgomery
St. was purchased from
the Van Vorst family as the first
"big step" toward building
today's paint empire which now
grosses several million dollars
annually.

As the years passed, three
more sons were born to the
family, Harry, Oscar and Herbert.
The family also expanded
Its building, and in 1927, gave up
contracting painting and concentrated
on selling paints and wall
coverings. As an adjunct, they
also sell painters supplies and
sundry items associated with the
craft.

As ihe sons graduated from
high school and college, they
came into the business. Morris,
the oldest, an attorney, abandoned
his practice to join the
business in 1937.
Two years after the return of
Oscar, Herbert and Morris from
military duty during World War
II, an additional extension to the
building was made and by 1954,
property at 404 York Street was
added. To accommodate expansion,
a warehouse facility was
opened at 415 Montgomery
Street.

By this time other Siperstein
units were being opened, including
a Union City Branch.
Still located in the Downtown
section of Jersey City, the store
operation was moved to the 415
Montgomery Street location
following a disastrous fire which
destroyed the original store.
Although intended to be a temporary
switch, the family
decided to reverse their locations

(I remember going to the one on at 369 Montgomery Street yes that looks familiar, but I also thought I went to the Grove St one ?the bus ride seemed longer and deeper into DTJC then just a quick ride down Montgomery. Maybe they kept both open..I will need to look into that and report back here)

(Also yes Vigilante maybe the Sabrett warehouse was on Grand. We use to get like 50 dogs strung together wrapped in brown paper)

The Village

http://www.jcvillage.org/

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I remember a Sabrett's warehouse near Grand Street?

I remember as a kid going Downtown every couple of weeks with my grandmother or mother. My grandmother would go to the Village and get fresh killed chickens. They would kill them almost right in front of you. Talk about fresh! Good thing I didn?t take a liking to the blood, I could have been a JC mass murderer.

We would get our red meats from a section of Newark Ave which is now India Square. There were two great old-time butchers within that one stretch of Newark Avenue. They were Goody?s and Hilger?s(?). I remember the big freezers and the saw dust on the wooden floors.

The other bus trip Downtown would be to get paint/wallpaper at Siperstein?s over on Grove Street. Check out the link below for a cool old picture of the store on Grove. I was probably on that bus in the picture.

http://www.siperstein.com/history.html


I think we also got our Sabrett Hot Dogs for the week Downtown somewhere in a big warehouse. Does anyone recall it?

I live in the Village and all of the JC old-timers I know in the neighborhood (people who themselves were born and raised in JC, and many whose parents also were) call it the Village. I don't think they've just recently started doing that to be hip or to follow what brokers want them to do.

There's a Knights of Columbus (I think, one of those clubs) on the corner of 1st and Brunswick and the gentlemen there can tell great stories about the old days when it was Jersey City's Little Italy (or, as they call it, the Italian Village). What I wouldn't give to have a great butcher and a cheese truck (yes, a man in a truck selling delicious cheese) back in the neighborhood!

I'm also a woman and frequently walk to and from the PATH, including after dark, and walk my dog at night. I've never had a problem and feel safe (as others have said, as safe as you ever feel in a city). If it's after about 11pm or midnight, I'll take a cab from the PATH (less than $5), just b/c it gets a little empty at night.

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The definitive source has been revealed!

I lived on 1st and Brunswick for 8 years and never once called it the village, this is something new and silly... when I first came to the area back in the early 90's it was known as "Little Italy" but to answer your question its Jersey City no where is 100% safe just watch your back.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Village,_Jersey_City

the only village I've ever heard of in JC is Country Village (lived in JC all my life until recently)

If you want to get fancy and tout your JC roots, why not just call it the Horseshoe?

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I am pretty sure I indicated that I might be ignorant about the issue. To me, it sounded like developer-speak...a way to spin a recently gentrified neighborhood. I find the history of this city quite fascinating actually.

One thing that I do know about this history of this city is that it has been a place that people have moved to for centuries. It has been full of transplants for centuries--this is not a new phenomenon. That's what makes it such a diverse and interesting place to live. I love it here and plan on staying here for a very long time.

I'll do my best to learn every possible thing about the history of this city if you do your best not to be a complete douchebag. Deal?

Quote:. The only new thing is some transplants that move into the area and don't give a dam about the history of this city.

Pardon my ignorance.... For the past 12 years, I've lived mere blocks from the area you are describing and never once heard it described as the 'village.' Is this a new thing?

I walk to and from the PATH to village section every day and have never had a problem or felt unsafe. Of course, with any city living, be aware of your surroundings. I'll mention that I often get home from work late and happen to be 8 months pregnant. The only thing that makes me feel unsafe sometimes is the traffic!

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Scratch the bakery theory, I guess it won't help when they're not open especially when it's dark out. But compared to other parts of J.C that are questionable the Village seems quiet and safe. What I am trying to say is not being from the Village I am not as alarmed as I would be else where in J.C. It's safe however don't let your guard down.

From Grove the walk up Newark is okay, but I still have a whistle and pepper spray in my purse.
You can also go through the Mall from the Newport stop, it's quieter along 8th street past Hamilton Park.
That bakery is only open for breakfast and lunch so I don't know what that Heights guy means, it's not like it's Carlo's or anything. Just be smart, lock your doors/windows and keep aware of your surroundings

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I live on 5th between Monmouth and Brunswick, and pretty much agree with all of the above. Never had an issue walking home late at night or anything of that nature.

Not being from the area, (Heights guy here); I never even blink an eye. Usually you become complacent to a decedent area when you have lived there for such a long time. It could seem shady under the Turnpike near the ball field but with the new condominiums, it has a residential population to make you feel more comfortable. That area also houses the Second Street Bakery so you will have a turnover of people that will make the area less desolate.

The Village neighborhood is very safe. Everything East of the Turnpike is safe. Other safe areas: Lincoln Park, St Peters area, Heights, Droyers Point, JSQ, Hilltop...

I would say the area near Waldo is better than any area near Monmouth

Yeah, you should be fine. In years of walking through there to and from bars I've never had a problem.

Seemed like the village area (around 4th and monmouth) was a mixed bag of new renovations and older buildings, but seemed pretty safe to me. Excepting the normal precautions of being aware and the fact that crime can happen anywhere, is it a pretty safe area to walk back from the grove street path at night? How about around 2nd street and the Waldo lofts? Thanks for any input.