Landmarks of Hoboken, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Hoboken, New Jersey
is home to many parks, historical landmarks, and other places of interest.
reality television
series Cake Boss
. It is located on Washington Street, across from City Hall.
Castle Point is the highest point in Hoboken. The name is a corruption of "Castille Point", due to its supposed resemblance to the Castilian coast in Spain. To early navigators, the high serpentine crag jutting over the river reminded them of a miniature Rock of Gibraltar (although the Rock of Gibraltar is actually in Andalusia, not Castile which has no coast). The land was bought at public auction
in 1804 by Col. John Stevens
, who built his estate there. After his death, his son Edwin Augustus Stevens took responsibility of the estate and in 1853 built a 40-room mansion, the "Stevens Castle", on land adjacent to the point. It was acquired by Stevens Institute of Technology
in 1910 and served as an administrative and residential building until 1959. Castle Point is still part of the Stevens campus. On the side of Castle Point is historic Sybil's Cave, which is now bricked up.
Castle Point also includes the surrounding area and streets such as the yellow brick Castle Point Terrace. Castle Point Park and Castle Point Skate Park are at the base of Castle Point, next to the Hudson River
.
The Clam Broth House attracted more attention than usual, because of the giant hand-shaped signs. There were two giant hand-shaped signs, one hanging on the outside of the Clam Broth House that pointed downward towards the entrance, and one on a neighboring building (which is the only sign still there today). In addition, there was a third, smaller hand-shaped sign. The Clam Broth House opened in 1899.
There were cracks and bulges in the building's facade prior to the building's destruction, and the facade also buckled in May 2003, causing it to be shut down.
The Clam Broth House reopened in 2010.
has created a station near the Projects to connect it with other parts of Hudson County residents are prevented direct access from the projects and must walk one block south and then again one block north to gain access.
is a promenade along the Hudson River
The Hudson Tea Building apartment complex (1500 Washington and 1500 Hudson Streets) was the former site of a major Lipton Tea plant. The part of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
which opened in 2004 forms a "C" shape around the west, north and east sides of buildings at the Hudson Weehawken Cove Although places are farther north and east than the northeasternmost point in Hoboken is found here. It is the home of former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine
, and was used as a residence by actress Mischa Barton
when she filmed the 2009 film Assassination of a High School President
in nearby Bayonne
.
apparently opened one of its eyes on its own. Before July 29, its eyes were shut. The statue is a part of a shrine at the corner of Jackson Street and Third Street that is taken care of by Julio Dones, a partially blind man who says he noticed one of its eyes was open while he was cleaning it. He claims that it is a miracle, while others believe it was a hoax. Some believe that there were already eyes in the statue, and that eyelids were glued on and one of them fell off. Regardless of how it happened, the incident gained publicity quickly. On July 29, 2005 two local news stations, ABC
and UPN
, came to the shrine to report it live and interview people. It has since been called "The Miracle Statue". The statue was found in a Jersey City garbage bin in 2004.
, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, My Chemical Romance
, Fugazi, They Might Be Giants
and Nirvana
have all played Maxwell's
. Except for a small break in the 1990s, Maxwell's has been a vital a part of the indie music community ever since.
As well as having two 25-story buildings, the Marineview Plaza complex also has 3 smaller buildings, one of which (Marineview Plaza five) once housed Hoboken's only movie theater, which has since closed and been replaced by a bank.
Sybil's Cave is a cave with a water spring, that is now buried at the bottom of the Stevens Institute of Technology hill, near the Castle Point Skate Park. The cave was a major attraction in Hoboken in the 19th century. It has inspired many legends and stories for more than 100 years.
The cave opened in 1832, was shut in the 1880s due to Health Department concerns about its water, and was filled with dirt and concrete
during the 1930s. The former mayor of Hoboken, David Roberts
, has reopened the gate and had a new arch
built at the entrance. Underground explorers were the first to visit the cave when it reopened on Wednesday October 22, 2008. The cave extends 17 feet back, it contains four pillars and a
cistern for spring water. The city of Hoboken is planning to test the water to see if it is
potable. A historic marker explaining the cave's history is also planned. 5, 13
Edgar Allan Poe
used a real event (the murder of Mary Rogers
) that occurred in 1841 at Sybil's Cave as a basis for the detective story "The Mystery of Marie Roget
"6.
Weehawken Cove is a small cove
that extends westward from the Hudson River
. The cove straddles the boundary between Hoboken
to the south and Weehawken
to the north. Explorer Henry Hudson
anchored his ship there on October 2, 1609, His first mate writing that Castle Point looked as if it contain silver mines.
, the United Synagogue of Hoboken is among the oldest synagogue building
s in New Jersey.
Within the park is the Castle Point Skate Park, Hoboken's only designated skateboarding area. It features many ramps: one small half-pipe
, one large half-pipe, one quarter pipe
, and one 45º ramp, as well as several smaller ramps.
The park has a firefighters memorial, consisting of a statue of a fireman, in the western part of the park and a veterans memorial, consisting of a statue of an eagle and a flagpole, in the eastern part. Included in the veterans memorial is a stone bas-relief tribute to The Four Chaplains
topped by a bas-relief tribute to radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi
. There is a gazebo
in the center of the park, where weekly outdoor concerts are held in the summer and fall. The playground
and swings are slightly southeast of the gazebo, and there are also 4 fields (formerly 6), a dog run, and many bushes. Recently, "no ball playing" signs have been put up in the fields, apparently to keep the grass in good shape.
In 1994, the wooden playground that had been in place for a long time was destroyed and replaced with a safer, more packaged playground. The newer playground has been in the park for 11 years and has remained practically unchanged since it was built in the mid-90's.
In 2005, a memorial grove, containing trees dedicated to a fire victim, was relocated to a less attractive part of the park to make way for a toddler playground, despite public opposition. Questions were raised about the toddler playground's necessity, and those opposed to the project argued that there was no need for it since there were already 3 playgrounds within Church Square Park. They also argued that the new toddler playground was an eyesore and had replaced too much open space (at the time, 6 major fields were reduced to 5). In March 2005, the oldest tree in Church Square Park was killed because it was in the way of the construction of the toddler playground. Despite the toddler playground's controversial status and public disapproval, it was finished in April, 2005.
In the spring of 2007, three very old trees in Church Square Park, including 2 London plane
trees, were killed when construction began on the small park's fifth playground, removing more open space; it has been heavily criticized by local citizens who say that the poor planning caused the deaths of the trees and that the new playground was not needed. Mayor David Roberts
said his decision to build the playground was influenced by the schools and parents. Efforts have been made to dismantle the playground, which lies near the Hoboken Public Library, but all have failed so far. In July 2007, construction began on the park's sixth playground without warning.
in the September 11 Terrorist Attacks. Because of the new playground's memorial status, the original playground will probably never be re-built. The original playground was made up of 3 sections: the first section contained a complex of chains for climbing, 3 platforms, and a very tall slide made of plastic (probably the tallest in Hoboken), which curved and could be seen over 6 blocks away. The second section was a large castle-like structure with a slide, two entrances and a pole for sliding. The third section was a series of unusual and unique space-like metal domes, which kids could crawl through and create echos. All of this equipment was disrespectfully trashed and thrown out in 2002. The new playground has only one section, and is considered by most to be unoriginal compared to the first playground. No photos are known to exist of the original playground.
There is also a separate memorial dedicated to John A. Sacci, a Hoboken High School teacher, who was shot in 1997. To this day, the word "remembrance" is misspelled on the marble monument.
There is a statue of Christopher Columbus in the center of the park. The park is the only county park in Hoboken.
, connected by a bridge to Pier A
's gazebo, honoring the September 11, 2001 victims. The park was among many designs submitted to create a Hoboken 9/11 memorial. The "Hoboken Island" concept by the FLOW group was chosen in September 2004. When the park is constructed, a beam of light is planned to be in the center. There are 57 victims recognized in the project. Currently, there is a temporary memorial already on Pier A
, in the form of a tear drop.
, who was born in Hoboken. Sinatra Park has a curved flat area that faces the former site
of the World Trade Center
. Attractions include a soccer field and café.
On August 24, 2004, CNN
broadcast live episodes of Inside Politics and Crossfire
from the park.
and also cleaned up nearby Jackson Street. The park itself has trees, grass, and a bird feeder. There is an official sign at the park that says "Your Park", although it does not say "Gateway Park" yet. The park, triangle-shaped and about the size of a gas station, is Hoboken's smallest park.
Gateway Park is on the southwest corner of Hoboken, bordered to the south by the train tracks that separate Hoboken from Jersey City
. To the east is an abandoned building (the Windsor Wax Company). The park also borders Newark Street and is at the intersection of Newark Street and Jackson Street. On two of the three sides the park is lined with pine trees.
. The slide and trellis were destroyed in December 2006 to make way for park "renovation". The original playground is still visible on Google Earth
.
Pier A was originally used as a pier for ships and was recrafted as a park in 1999. It extends from the southern end of Hoboken (just north of the Hoboken Terminal
) east into the Hudson River
, with a view of the entire Manhattan
skyline. At this point, the Hudson River starts to be affected by the tides in New York Bay
. Pier A has a water-jet fountain, bike paths, rows of trees (some of them transplanted in maturity), a big field, a fishing area (with water pumps and cutting boards) and a gazebo at its eastern extremity. It is an example of good civic design, particularly the grass field which is firm and natural-looking though its sod is layered atop concrete.
Since Pier A is the nearest park to downtown Hoboken, at lunchtime on weekdays, many office workers take the time to stroll on the pier. On hot, summer weekends, the grassy field is swarming with sun worshippers. In warm weather, movies are shown on the pier at night, the blazing Manhattan skyline rising behind the screen. On one Saturday during the summer, a town fair is held on Pier A, including music, craft shops and rides for the kids. Hoboken also has its Fourth of July celebrations on Pier A.
Many people witnessed the September 11, 2001 Attacks
from Pier A because it had good views of the World Trade Center
. On March 11, 2002 a memorial service was held on Pier A. On September 11, 2003 a section of land was created as a memorial for the September 11, 2001 victims (by planting trees). Currently, there is a temporary memorial to victims in the form of a tear drop. A permanent memorial, called Hoboken Island, is planned to be built.
.
Within Allens Park is a large playground and one of the few unique playgrounds left in Hoboken.
Other one-of-a-kind playgrounds that have since been destroyed include the very tall playground in Columbus Park, destroyed in 2002, and the wooden playground in Church Square Park, destroyed in 1994.
There is also a very rare exposed section of serpentine rock in the southern portion of the park, which has been eroded away over the years by people stepping on it. In the central section of the park is a dog run, which is smaller than the one in Church Square Park, and as a result, the park area surrounding the dog run is cleaner. Also, in the western part of the park are two cannons facing west towards the St. Peter & Paul Church's cafeteria. A scientist found ancient writings on a stone when he was studying the park.
. Bounded on the west by Hudson Street, and the north and east by Sinatra Drive, Elysian Park has two play areas, a basketball court, a sprinkler, a dog run and rest rooms. The northern end of prestigious Castle Point Terrace ends at the park.
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
is home to many parks, historical landmarks, and other places of interest.
Carlo's Bakery
A famous bakery and setting for the TLCTLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series Cake Boss
Cake Boss
Cake Boss is an American reality television series, airing on the cable television network TLC. Set at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, the show mainly follows Buddy Valastro, his mother, four sisters, and three brothers-in-law, as they operate their business, with a focus on how they make...
. It is located on Washington Street, across from City Hall.
Castle Point
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
in 1804 by Col. John Stevens
John Stevens (inventor)
Col. John Stevens, III was an American lawyer, engineer and an inventor.-Life and career:Born the son of John Stevens , a prominent New Jersey politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, and Elizabeth Alexander, daughter of New York lawyer and statesman James Alexander. His...
, who built his estate there. After his death, his son Edwin Augustus Stevens took responsibility of the estate and in 1853 built a 40-room mansion, the "Stevens Castle", on land adjacent to the point. It was acquired by Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a technological university located on a campus in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA – founded in 1870 with an 1868 bequest from Edwin A. Stevens. It is known for its engineering, science, and technological management curricula.The institute has produced leading...
in 1910 and served as an administrative and residential building until 1959. Castle Point is still part of the Stevens campus. On the side of Castle Point is historic Sybil's Cave, which is now bricked up.
Castle Point also includes the surrounding area and streets such as the yellow brick Castle Point Terrace. Castle Point Park and Castle Point Skate Park are at the base of Castle Point, next to the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
Clam Broth House
The Clam Broth House (1899–2004), was a landmark building which was condemned by city officials because of structural failures caused by construction workers, and destroyed in 2004.The Clam Broth House attracted more attention than usual, because of the giant hand-shaped signs. There were two giant hand-shaped signs, one hanging on the outside of the Clam Broth House that pointed downward towards the entrance, and one on a neighboring building (which is the only sign still there today). In addition, there was a third, smaller hand-shaped sign. The Clam Broth House opened in 1899.
There were cracks and bulges in the building's facade prior to the building's destruction, and the facade also buckled in May 2003, causing it to be shut down.
The Clam Broth House reopened in 2010.
DeBaun Auditorium
In Edwin A. Stevens Hall on 5th Street opposite Stevens Park.Hoboken Free Public Library
At Church Square Park, the library contains a collection of historical photos and publications related to the history and culture of Hoboken.Hoboken Historical Museum
The Hoboken Historical Museum was founded in 1986 and moved into its current location at 1301 Hudson St. in 2001. It presents displays on the city's history as well as exhibits of local artists' work. Its current location was once the W. & A. Fletcher Co. machine shop, a hub of the city's 19th century shipbuilding and repair industry.Hoboken Projects
The Hoboken Projects are a complex of low-income apartments on the western side of Hoboken. Though the Hudson-Bergen Light RailHudson-Bergen Light Rail
The Hudson–Bergen Light Rail is a light rail system in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Owned by New Jersey Transit and operated by the 21st Century Rail Corporation, it connects the communities of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City , and North Bergen.The system began...
has created a station near the Projects to connect it with other parts of Hudson County residents are prevented direct access from the projects and must walk one block south and then again one block north to gain access.
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal, at the city's southeast corner, is a major transportation hub and a national historic landmark was built in 1908.Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
The Hudson River Waterfront WalkwayHudson River Waterfront Walkway
The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, also known as the Hudson River Walkway, is an ongoing and incomplete project located on Kill van Kull and the western shore of Upper New York Bay and the Hudson River, implemented as part of a New Jersey state-mandated master plan to connect the municipalities...
is a promenade along the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
Hudson Tea Building
Hudson River Waterfront Walkway
The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, also known as the Hudson River Walkway, is an ongoing and incomplete project located on Kill van Kull and the western shore of Upper New York Bay and the Hudson River, implemented as part of a New Jersey state-mandated master plan to connect the municipalities...
which opened in 2004 forms a "C" shape around the west, north and east sides of buildings at the Hudson Weehawken Cove Although places are farther north and east than the northeasternmost point in Hoboken is found here. It is the home of former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
, and was used as a residence by actress Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
when she filmed the 2009 film Assassination of a High School President
Assassination of a High School President
Assassination of a High School President is a 2008 American neo noir comedy film, directed by Brett Simon, written by Tim Calpin and Kevin Jakubowski, and starring Reece Thompson, Bruce Willis, Mischa Barton and Michael Rapaport...
in nearby Bayonne
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
.
The miracle statue
On July 29, 2005, the Projects gained publicity throughout the New York metro area when a miniature statue of JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
apparently opened one of its eyes on its own. Before July 29, its eyes were shut. The statue is a part of a shrine at the corner of Jackson Street and Third Street that is taken care of by Julio Dones, a partially blind man who says he noticed one of its eyes was open while he was cleaning it. He claims that it is a miracle, while others believe it was a hoax. Some believe that there were already eyes in the statue, and that eyelids were glued on and one of them fell off. Regardless of how it happened, the incident gained publicity quickly. On July 29, 2005 two local news stations, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
, came to the shrine to report it live and interview people. It has since been called "The Miracle Statue". The statue was found in a Jersey City garbage bin in 2004.
Maxwell's
In the early 1980s after his family bought the uptown Hoboken building, Steve Fallon began booking bands into what had been the ground floor tavern's back dining room. Bands like R.E.M., Sonic YouthSonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
, Fugazi, They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
and Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
have all played Maxwell's
Maxwell's
Maxwell's is a music club in Hoboken, New Jersey that also has a restaurant. The intimate venue often attracts a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river.-History:...
. Except for a small break in the 1990s, Maxwell's has been a vital a part of the indie music community ever since.
Marineview Plaza
Marineview Plaza is a building complex made up of two 25-story buildings, built in Brutalist style. The Marineview buildings are the tallest buildings in Hoboken, New Jersey. Marineview Plaza One is the northernmost and Marineview Plaza Two is the southernmost. Both buildings are residential, and are bordered on the west by Hudson Street, on the north by 4th Street, on the east by River Street and on the south by 3rd Street. In 2001 many floors' views of the New York skyline were blocked by the 333 River Street complex. Even so, they are still visible from Manhattan.8 9As well as having two 25-story buildings, the Marineview Plaza complex also has 3 smaller buildings, one of which (Marineview Plaza five) once housed Hoboken's only movie theater, which has since closed and been replaced by a bank.
Stevens Institute of Technology
The university is situated overlooking the Hudson.Sybil's Cave
The cave opened in 1832, was shut in the 1880s due to Health Department concerns about its water, and was filled with dirt and concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
during the 1930s. The former mayor of Hoboken, David Roberts
David Roberts (mayor)
David Roberts was the 36th mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, serving from 2001 to 2009. Roberts declined to seek re-election in 2009, retiring from a political career of 25 years.-Early life:...
, has reopened the gate and had a new arch
built at the entrance. Underground explorers were the first to visit the cave when it reopened on Wednesday October 22, 2008. The cave extends 17 feet back, it contains four pillars and a
cistern for spring water. The city of Hoboken is planning to test the water to see if it is
potable. A historic marker explaining the cave's history is also planned. 5, 13
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
used a real event (the murder of Mary Rogers
Mary Rogers
Mary Cecilia Rogers , also known as the "Beautiful Cigar Girl", was a 19th-century murder victim whose story became a national sensation in the United States...
) that occurred in 1841 at Sybil's Cave as a basis for the detective story "The Mystery of Marie Roget
The Mystery of Marie Roget
"The Mystery of Marie Rogêt", often subtitled A Sequel to "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe written in 1842. This is the first murder mystery based on the details of a real crime. It first appeared in Snowden's Ladies' Companion in three installments, November and...
"6.
Weehawken Cove
Cove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often inside a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves...
that extends westward from the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. The cove straddles the boundary between Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
to the south and Weehawken
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...
to the north. Explorer Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
anchored his ship there on October 2, 1609, His first mate writing that Castle Point looked as if it contain silver mines.
United Synagogue of Hoboken
Listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, the United Synagogue of Hoboken is among the oldest synagogue building
Oldest synagogues in the United States
The designation of the oldest synagogue in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...
s in New Jersey.
Castle Point Park
Castle Point Park is a public park consisting of a walkway along the Hudson river, offering scenic views of Manhattan. Stretching north along the river from Frank Sinatra Park, it terminates near 10th Street, with Sinatra Drive following along its length. Castle Point Park runs past the bottom of Castle Point, home to the Stevens Institute of Technology. Historic Sybil's Cave is also visible from the park.Within the park is the Castle Point Skate Park, Hoboken's only designated skateboarding area. It features many ramps: one small half-pipe
Half-pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, and inline skating. The structure is wood, concrete, metal, earth, or snow. It resembles a cross section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramps , topped by copings and...
, one large half-pipe, one quarter pipe
Quarter pipe
A Quarter pipe is a ramp used in extreme sports which resembles a quarter of the cross section of a pipe. They are most commonly found in skateparks and a skiing/snowboarding terrain park, although the trained eye of an extreme sports fan can find them in modern day architecture...
, and one 45º ramp, as well as several smaller ramps.
Church Square Park
Church Square Park is bordered on the west by Willow Avenue, the east by Garden Street, the north by 5th Street and the south by 4th Street. Park Avenue is blocked by the park. Church Square park is surrounded by famous landmarks, such as the OLG church, the Hoboken Public Library (in top-left corner of picture), the Demarest School Building and Hoboken University Medical Center.The park has a firefighters memorial, consisting of a statue of a fireman, in the western part of the park and a veterans memorial, consisting of a statue of an eagle and a flagpole, in the eastern part. Included in the veterans memorial is a stone bas-relief tribute to The Four Chaplains
Four Chaplains
The Four Chaplains, also sometimes referred to as the "Immortal Chaplains," were four United States Army chaplains who gave their lives to save other civilian and military personnel during the sinking of the troop ship USAT Dorchester during World War II. They helped other soldiers board lifeboats...
topped by a bas-relief tribute to radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand...
. There is a gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
in the center of the park, where weekly outdoor concerts are held in the summer and fall. The playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
and swings are slightly southeast of the gazebo, and there are also 4 fields (formerly 6), a dog run, and many bushes. Recently, "no ball playing" signs have been put up in the fields, apparently to keep the grass in good shape.
In 1994, the wooden playground that had been in place for a long time was destroyed and replaced with a safer, more packaged playground. The newer playground has been in the park for 11 years and has remained practically unchanged since it was built in the mid-90's.
In 2005, a memorial grove, containing trees dedicated to a fire victim, was relocated to a less attractive part of the park to make way for a toddler playground, despite public opposition. Questions were raised about the toddler playground's necessity, and those opposed to the project argued that there was no need for it since there were already 3 playgrounds within Church Square Park. They also argued that the new toddler playground was an eyesore and had replaced too much open space (at the time, 6 major fields were reduced to 5). In March 2005, the oldest tree in Church Square Park was killed because it was in the way of the construction of the toddler playground. Despite the toddler playground's controversial status and public disapproval, it was finished in April, 2005.
In the spring of 2007, three very old trees in Church Square Park, including 2 London plane
London Plane
Platanus × acerifolia, the London plane, London planetree, or hybrid plane, is a tree in the genus Platanus. It is usually thought to be a hybrid of Platanus orientalis and the Platanus occidentalis . Some authorities think that it may be a cultivar of P...
trees, were killed when construction began on the small park's fifth playground, removing more open space; it has been heavily criticized by local citizens who say that the poor planning caused the deaths of the trees and that the new playground was not needed. Mayor David Roberts
David Roberts (mayor)
David Roberts was the 36th mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, serving from 2001 to 2009. Roberts declined to seek re-election in 2009, retiring from a political career of 25 years.-Early life:...
said his decision to build the playground was influenced by the schools and parents. Efforts have been made to dismantle the playground, which lies near the Hoboken Public Library, but all have failed so far. In July 2007, construction began on the park's sixth playground without warning.
Columbus Park
Columbus Park is a park near Hoboken High School at the corner of 9th Street and Clinton Street. There was originally a one-of-a-kind playground, tall as a three story building with unusual equipment. It was destroyed in October 2002 to make way for a more normal, packaged (and safer) playground, in the name of Deborah Lynn Williams, a woman who was killed in the World Trade CenterWorld Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
in the September 11 Terrorist Attacks. Because of the new playground's memorial status, the original playground will probably never be re-built. The original playground was made up of 3 sections: the first section contained a complex of chains for climbing, 3 platforms, and a very tall slide made of plastic (probably the tallest in Hoboken), which curved and could be seen over 6 blocks away. The second section was a large castle-like structure with a slide, two entrances and a pole for sliding. The third section was a series of unusual and unique space-like metal domes, which kids could crawl through and create echos. All of this equipment was disrespectfully trashed and thrown out in 2002. The new playground has only one section, and is considered by most to be unoriginal compared to the first playground. No photos are known to exist of the original playground.
There is also a separate memorial dedicated to John A. Sacci, a Hoboken High School teacher, who was shot in 1997. To this day, the word "remembrance" is misspelled on the marble monument.
There is a statue of Christopher Columbus in the center of the park. The park is the only county park in Hoboken.
Hoboken Island
Hoboken Island is a planned park7 in Hoboken, New JerseyHoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, connected by a bridge to Pier A
Pier A
Pier A may refer to:*Pier A, Hoboken*City Pier A in Battery Park, New York City...
's gazebo, honoring the September 11, 2001 victims. The park was among many designs submitted to create a Hoboken 9/11 memorial. The "Hoboken Island" concept by the FLOW group was chosen in September 2004. When the park is constructed, a beam of light is planned to be in the center. There are 57 victims recognized in the project. Currently, there is a temporary memorial already on Pier A
Pier A
Pier A may refer to:*Pier A, Hoboken*City Pier A in Battery Park, New York City...
, in the form of a tear drop.
Frank Sinatra Park
Frank Sinatra Park is a park near Pier A, offering views of Manhattan. Built around 1998, it honors Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, who was born in Hoboken. Sinatra Park has a curved flat area that faces the former site
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. Attractions include a soccer field and café.
On August 24, 2004, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
broadcast live episodes of Inside Politics and Crossfire
Crossfire (TV series)
Crossfire was a current events debate television program that aired from 1982 to 2005 on CNN. Its format was designed to present and challenge the opinions of a politically liberal pundit and a conservative pundit.-Format:...
from the park.
Gateway Park
Gateway Park is an official yet secluded park that was created in 2000 to help make the neighborhood more scenic. In 2002 Troop 146 cleaned up Gateway Park for Earth DayEarth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
and also cleaned up nearby Jackson Street. The park itself has trees, grass, and a bird feeder. There is an official sign at the park that says "Your Park", although it does not say "Gateway Park" yet. The park, triangle-shaped and about the size of a gas station, is Hoboken's smallest park.
Gateway Park is on the southwest corner of Hoboken, bordered to the south by the train tracks that separate Hoboken from Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. To the east is an abandoned building (the Windsor Wax Company). The park also borders Newark Street and is at the intersection of Newark Street and Jackson Street. On two of the three sides the park is lined with pine trees.
Jackson Street Park
Jackson Street Park is a park on Jackson Street near 1st street. Like Legion Park in Hoboken, Jackson Street Park is surrounded on 3 sides by buildings and does not have a ceiling. It has a playground and a rock climbing wall. Most of the ground is gravel.Madison Park
Madison Park (also called Madison Street Park) is at the corner of 3rd Street and Madison Street. There's a large abstract painting on the building that faces it. The original playground since the park's founding in 1991 contained a metal slide and a community trellisTrellis
Trellis may refer to:* Trellis Drainage System* Trellis , an architectural structure often used to support plants* Trellis , a special kind of graph, often used in coding...
. The slide and trellis were destroyed in December 2006 to make way for park "renovation". The original playground is still visible on Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
.
Pier A
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
) east into the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, with a view of the entire Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
skyline. At this point, the Hudson River starts to be affected by the tides in New York Bay
New York Bay
New York Bay is the collective term for the marine areas surrounding the entrance of the Hudson River into the Atlantic Ocean. Its two largest components are Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay, which are connected by The Narrows...
. Pier A has a water-jet fountain, bike paths, rows of trees (some of them transplanted in maturity), a big field, a fishing area (with water pumps and cutting boards) and a gazebo at its eastern extremity. It is an example of good civic design, particularly the grass field which is firm and natural-looking though its sod is layered atop concrete.
Since Pier A is the nearest park to downtown Hoboken, at lunchtime on weekdays, many office workers take the time to stroll on the pier. On hot, summer weekends, the grassy field is swarming with sun worshippers. In warm weather, movies are shown on the pier at night, the blazing Manhattan skyline rising behind the screen. On one Saturday during the summer, a town fair is held on Pier A, including music, craft shops and rides for the kids. Hoboken also has its Fourth of July celebrations on Pier A.
Many people witnessed the September 11, 2001 Attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
from Pier A because it had good views of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. On March 11, 2002 a memorial service was held on Pier A. On September 11, 2003 a section of land was created as a memorial for the September 11, 2001 victims (by planting trees). Currently, there is a temporary memorial to victims in the form of a tear drop. A permanent memorial, called Hoboken Island, is planned to be built.
Allens Park
Allens Park is bordered on the west by St. Peter & Paul Church, on the south by the Marineview Plaza complex, on the east by the Hoboken Little League Field, and on the North by buildings of the Stevens Institute of TechnologyStevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a technological university located on a campus in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA – founded in 1870 with an 1868 bequest from Edwin A. Stevens. It is known for its engineering, science, and technological management curricula.The institute has produced leading...
.
Within Allens Park is a large playground and one of the few unique playgrounds left in Hoboken.
Other one-of-a-kind playgrounds that have since been destroyed include the very tall playground in Columbus Park, destroyed in 2002, and the wooden playground in Church Square Park, destroyed in 1994.
There is also a very rare exposed section of serpentine rock in the southern portion of the park, which has been eroded away over the years by people stepping on it. In the central section of the park is a dog run, which is smaller than the one in Church Square Park, and as a result, the park area surrounding the dog run is cleaner. Also, in the western part of the park are two cannons facing west towards the St. Peter & Paul Church's cafeteria. A scientist found ancient writings on a stone when he was studying the park.
Elysian Park
Elysian Park is a small park in Hoboken, New Jersey that is the last remnant of the Elysian FieldsElysian Fields, Hoboken, New Jersey
Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey is believed to be the site of the first organized baseball game, giving Hoboken a strong claim to be the birthplace of baseball....
. Bounded on the west by Hudson Street, and the north and east by Sinatra Drive, Elysian Park has two play areas, a basketball court, a sprinkler, a dog run and rest rooms. The northern end of prestigious Castle Point Terrace ends at the park.
External links
- http://www.hobokennj.org/html/eservices/espvr.html City of Hoboken, NJ
- Hoboken's Clam Broth House Could Disappear
- Cracked clam
- Frank Sinatra's Hoboken: Walking Tour
- Seattle Times article: "Famed New Jersey clam joint losing its shell" (requires registration)
- Hoboken Reporter: Sybil's Cave
- Fulltext of The Mystery of Marie Roget at Wikisource
- http://www.hoboken911.com/html/fg1.htm
- Marineview Plaza One at Skyscrapers.com
- Marineview Plaza Two at Skyscrapers.com
- On our way to 'New York, New York'
- Maxwell's
- New York Times: ‘Open Sesame’ Just Won’t Do: Hoboken Tries to Unlock Its Cave