Home Best of Guides Your Ultimate 2019 Hudson County Bucket List

Your Ultimate 2019 Hudson County Bucket List

by Jennifer Tripucka
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As the Hoboken/Jersey City area grows and expands, Hudson County is rapidly turning into a tourist attraction in itself. If you’re lucky enough to be here on a regular basis, then you know it’s time to get exploring. To help you out, we’ve compiled the ultimate Hudson County Bucket List for 2019 — AKA the coolest things to do, places to see, and historical spots to visit in Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken, and the rest {with some foodie picks mixed in of course}. They don’t call it the “Gold Coast” just for kicks, that’s for sure. Here’s your {ever-growing} list of things to do in Hudson County:

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Bayonne

Go to the Brennan Fire Museum, located inside the former 47th Street Firehouse, which is part of the National Register of Historic Places — with artifacts sharing the history of firefighting in Hudson County.

Hello Hydration Sidebar

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Hobbs Inc

Snap a pic of the Bayonne Bridge, connecting Bayonne with Staten Island, and is one of the longest arched steel bridges in the world.

Walk near the Robbins Reef Light Station, built in 1839 — a lighthouse that can only seen from far away {as it’s not open to the public}.

Dine at a variety of top-notch off-the-beaten-path haunts, including Casa Lupita {delish Mexican} and Paesano’s Pizza {pizza and dessert that’s T-D-F}.

yoga renew hoboken
Head to Harbor View Park in Bayonne and see the “Tear of Grief” monument. The park also offers direct views of the Manhattan Skyline and the Statue of Liberty.

Harrison/Kearny

Attend a soccer game at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, home of the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. Click here for a Red Bulls game recap.

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Eat at Tops Diner, a legend in East Newark — known its long wait and absolutely delectable diner food. Tip: Opt for the Stuffed French Toast; you won’t regret it.

Read More: 10 Diners in North Jersey You Need to Visit

Enzo’s Deli is another must-stop sandwich shop, and Vinnie’s neighborhood bar has some Portuguese-meets-American dishes that you’ll probably write home about.


Hoboken

Get the roast beef special on Thursdays or Saturdays at the world-famous Fiore’s Italian Deli.

Go cannoli tasting at all the local joints — including Carlo’s, Giorgio’s, Luca Brasi’s {and even Otto Strada does an excellent cannoli cone}. Yum.

Taste the area’s best mutz at the Annual Hoboken Mutz Fest which happens in late January/early Feb.

Eat zeppoles and fried oreos at St. Ann’s Feast in Hoboken in late July.

Taste test your palate away at one of Hoboken’s newest restaurants: Orale {Mexican}, Saku {Sushi}, Seven Valleys {Persian}, Barbes {Moroccan-French}, and more.

Ride the NY Waterway Ferry to NYC and back and be a total {photo-loving} tourist for the morning or afternoon.

Visit the Hoboken Historical Museum‘s latest exhibit.

Take the Frank Sinatra self-guided walking tour around the Mile Square.

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Grab a hard-to-score reservation at Augustino’s and wine and dine yourself in this cozy uptown Italian spot.

Go kayaking {for free!} on the Hudson River with the Hoboken Cove Boathouse in the summer.

Eat a 48-oz. ribeye and listen to live piano at Dino and Harry’s on a Friday night. Order the Snowboken for dessert, obviously.

Rent an igloo for a winter evening at Pilsener Haus Biergarten and spend the night drinking some of their top-notch ales and IPAs.

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Visit the food trucks at Pier 13 and have an evening of sweet sangria and views on the waterfront.

Peek inside the OLG {Our Lady of Grace} church, a Gothic-style church at 4th and Willow. While you’re at it, check out all of the other historical church sites in town. There are several!

Watch a show at the Mile Square Theatre on Clinton Street, the area’s performing arts center and theatre.

Enjoy a milkshake and/or doughnut {because two is better than one} at Schackenberg’s Luncheonette, which stays true to its roots as “Schnackies” — a sweets shop from the mid-1900s — reopened by local restauranteurs {complete with servers in old-school uniforms}.

Climb a wall at Gravity Vault, Hoboken’s 25,000-square-foot rock climbing center, which opened in late 2017.

Sit on the waterfront on Pier C, the manmade pier that juts out over the waterfront offering views of both the Empire State Building and the Freedom Tower.

Watch your favorite flicks at “Movies Under the Stars” at Pier A every Wednesday each summer.

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Head to Elysian Park, the spot where the first baseball game was ever played in America.

Add a few “Fitness in the Park” events to your summer night rotation — free local classes offered by local fitness studios. The list comes out in May!

Stroll down Washington Street and shop and eat to your heart’s content.

See More: 10 Things to Do for Your Next Hoboken Staycation


Jersey City

Have a picnic in Liberty State Park.

Visit the Empty Sky 911 Memorial.

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Enjoy Miami Vices on the water in at Surf City and watch the boats in the harbor go by.

Have a game night at Barcade.

Do a ‘speakeasy’ tour of Jersey City — hitting up all of the local ‘underground’ spots {including PS Wine Bar, Dullboy, and The Archer to name a few}.

Visit the Zeppelin Hall Biergarten and Restaurant — a European-style space and imbibe all the beer your heart {and liver} could ever desire. Stop at Hudson Hall if you’re wanting to Biergarten-hop, Hudson Hall is a newer spot that is worth a quick trip.

Enjoy a cocktail at The Ashford, the newest 17,000-square-foot club/bar/lounge to hit Jersey City.

Stroll along Newark Avenue and pop into various eateries and bars. The pedestrian walkway that has had quite the transformation in the last few years.

Head to the Landmark Loew’s Jersey City Theater and take in the majestic theater in all its historical glory. If you’re lucky, snag a ticket to the yearly film festival or try your hand at attending a monthly screening of classic movies. They also recently hosted a TedX there.

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Nerd out at the Liberty Science Center — and bring out your inner 4th grader {if you grew up in NJ, you know what that means}. Also make sure to put the LSC After Dark events, offered monthly, on your calendar. They’re 21 and over and quite a fun time.

Walk along the Hudson River Walkway, the path that connects Hoboken and Jersey City {and pass by the Urban Beach while you’re at it}.

Chow down on a late-night burger at White Mana, the 1939 World’s Fair building which is a historical landmark. White Star bar is another burger must, as is Left Bank Burger Bar.

Head to the Riverview Farmer’s Market the last Sunday in October for the Dia De Los Muertos festival — complete with a puppet parade and mariachi band. It’s a beautiful community celebration this is enjoyed by many.

Spend a summer evening at Groove on Grove and listen to some live music while enjoying some cocktails.

Take in the skyline at Lutze Biergarten and enjoy a beer while viewing one of Jersey City’s best spots for a view. Rooftop XP is a {higher, physically} close second.

hudson county bucket list 2019

Visit the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse, also known as the JC Powerhouse {which assisted the subway system between NJ and NYC} — cited by Preservation New Jersey as one of the state’s ten most endangered historic sites.

Eat an authentic Italian dinner at Laico’s Restaurant — way off the beaten path {it almost looks like a house}. You won’t be disappointed.

15 Fox Place is another must-visit Italian spot in JC, which has served locals for years and is actually inside a house. There’s no set menu, chef’s choice, and it feels like Grandma’s.

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Grab the most delicious custard cups from Neptune Bakery on JFK Boulevard — open 24 hours to boot.

Try your hand at paddleboarding at the Liberty Landing Marina.

Take a quick day trip to Ellis Island Immigration Museum from Liberty State Park {we know it’s not technically “Hudson County,” but it is a hop skip and a jump from Liberty State Park}.

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Spend a night at the Mana Contemporary Art Museum at 888 Newark Avenue. 5 floors of art exhibitions are sure to keep you occupied for a few hours, minimum.

Partake in the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour {JCAST} which happens annually in October.

Tour the Historic CRRNJ Terminal, which underwent a lot of turmoil after Hurricane Sandy, but still is quite the sight to see {and is now open after extensive renovations}. Beautiful Manhattan skyline views in the evenings!

Eat a scoop of Torico’s Ice Cream, the delicious downtown ice cream locale known for its sweet treats.

Bowl a strike {soon!} at the Barrow Mansion, one of the only examples of 19th century bowling left in the country — which is being historically restored for public use.

Enjoy the All About Downtown Street Fair in September — over 30,000 attended last year, and tons of local vendors to enjoy.

See More: 10 Things to Do for Your Next Jersey City Staycation 


Union City/Weehawken

Visit the Union City Historical Museum and view the extensive collection of photos, library memorabilia, and building architecture from the past 100 years.

Walk along Boulevard East in Weehawken and say hello to killer views of NYC, day or night {see exhibit a, below}.

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Visit the Dueling Grounds — the spot where Alexander Hamilton was killed in his infamous duel with Aaron Burr.

Order seafood at the Chart House {and make sure your reservations are by the window on the water}.

Take a peek at NYC from Hamilton Park at night. You’ll be blown away.



West New York/North Bergen/Secaucus

Trek to Snake Hill, an igneous rock intrusion jutting up from the floor of the Meadowlands at a bend in the Hackensack River.

Enjoy an evening on the water dining at Waterside Restaurant, complete with world-class NYC views.


 


Those are, ya know, just a few of our favorites to do in Hudson County when the mood strikes — based on some of the coolest historical spots in the area {and some foodie musts, too}. Literally just the tip of the iceberg here, and we know it’s not 100% comprehensive, as it’s an ever-growing list that we’ve been compiling, so feel free to add anything we missed in the comments section.

Happy exploring, everyone!

RMA

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