Bergen Section, Jersey City
Encyclopedia
The Bergen Section of Jersey City, New Jersey
is the neighborhood on either side of Kennedy Boulevard between Saint Peter's College/ McGinley Square
and Communipaw Avenue
in the Bergen-Lafayette
section of the city. The name Bergen, used throughout Hudson County, is taken from the original Bergen
, New Netherland
settlement at Bergen Square
.
While there was discussion of building a county long road as early as the 1870s, the Boulevard was officially opened in 1896. Bergen Avenue is a major north-south thoroughfare in the city running south from Journal Square
along the ridge of the diminishing Hudson Palisades known as Bergen Hill
. Monticello Avenue, which takes its name from mid 19th "suburban" development, is a shopping district lined with many turn-of-the-century buildings with storefronts being brought back into use. As its name suggests West Bergen overlaps this neighborhood.
The section retains much of the character that at one time made it the premiere 20th century residential district of the city.
A variety of architectural styles can be found along the Boulevard, Bergen Avenue, and sidestreets including 19th-century rowhouses, Victorian
and Edwardian mansions. Many of the multi-family buildings were built during the period of expansive growth in the 1920s and 1930s in pre-war
and Art Deco
style. including The Hague, residence of one of the city's best-known mayor, Frank Hague
. Among the many landmarks in the area are the Fairmount Apartments, Temple Beth-El
, and the former Jersey City YMCA
. Lincoln the Mystic, a statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln
by James Earle Fraser is situated at the entrance to the park which bears the president's name. and is one of the Hudson County's largest public green spaces.
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...
is the neighborhood on either side of Kennedy Boulevard between Saint Peter's College/ McGinley Square
McGinley Square
McGinley Square is in Jersey City, New Jersey, located near the middle of the city, south of Journal Square. The square itself is at the intersection of two of the city's major thoroughfares, Montgomery Street , and Bergen Avenue .The area was named after Monsignor Roger...
and Communipaw Avenue
Communipaw
Communipaw is a section of Jersey City, New Jersey west of Liberty State Park and east of Bergen Hill, and site of one the earliest European settlements in North America. It gives its name to the historic avenue which runs from its eastern end near LSP Station through the neighborhoods of...
in the Bergen-Lafayette
Bergen-Lafayette, Jersey City
Bergen-Lafayette is a section of Jersey City, New Jersey.As its name implies, Bergen-Lafayette is made of different neighborhoods. It lies west-southwest of Downtown and Liberty State Park...
section of the city. The name Bergen, used throughout Hudson County, is taken from the original Bergen
Bergen, New Netherland
Bergen was a part of the 17th century province of New Netherland, in the area in northeastern New Jersey along the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers that would become contemporary Hudson and Bergen Counties...
, New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
settlement at Bergen Square
Bergen Square
Bergen Square, at the intersection of Bergen Avenue and Academy Street in Jersey City, is in the southwestern part of the much larger Journal Square district...
.
While there was discussion of building a county long road as early as the 1870s, the Boulevard was officially opened in 1896. Bergen Avenue is a major north-south thoroughfare in the city running south from Journal Square
Journal Square
Journal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues...
along the ridge of the diminishing Hudson Palisades known as Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, USA, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson River, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.-Rail:...
. Monticello Avenue, which takes its name from mid 19th "suburban" development, is a shopping district lined with many turn-of-the-century buildings with storefronts being brought back into use. As its name suggests West Bergen overlaps this neighborhood.
The section retains much of the character that at one time made it the premiere 20th century residential district of the city.
A variety of architectural styles can be found along the Boulevard, Bergen Avenue, and sidestreets including 19th-century rowhouses, Victorian
Victorian America
The Victorian Era is a name for the period from 1837 to 1901, the length of the rule of Britain's Queen Victoria. American Victorianism was an offshoot of this period and lifestyle that occurred in the United States, chiefly in heavily populated regions such as New England and the Deep South...
and Edwardian mansions. Many of the multi-family buildings were built during the period of expansive growth in the 1920s and 1930s in pre-war
Pre-war
The term pre-war or prewar is usually applied to the most recent or significant war in a culture's history.Antebellum is most often used to denote the period before the American Civil War while pre-war typically refers to the period before WWII.In real estate the term refers to buildings from the...
and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style. including The Hague, residence of one of the city's best-known mayor, Frank Hague
Frank Hague
Frank Hague was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from 1917 to 1947, Democratic National Committeeman from New Jersey from 1922 until 1949, and Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1924 until 1949.Hague has a widely-known...
. Among the many landmarks in the area are the Fairmount Apartments, Temple Beth-El
Temple Beth-El (Jersey City, New Jersey)
Temple Beth-El is a Reform synagogue in Jersey City, New Jersey. located on Kennedy Boulevard in the Bergen Section.-History:At end of the Civil War , a group of Jews in Jersey City began to meet in study and prayer in downtown at 96 Montgomery Street, or nearby on York St...
, and the former Jersey City YMCA
Jersey City YMCA
The Jersey City YMCA, is located in Bergen Section of Jersey City, New Jersey. The YMCA building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1999. The building is an example of an early twentieth century Renaissance Revival style...
. Lincoln the Mystic, a statue of a seated Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
by James Earle Fraser is situated at the entrance to the park which bears the president's name. and is one of the Hudson County's largest public green spaces.
Transporation
Bus service is available along the each of the north-south corridors in the section:- Monticello:NJT 87 south bound to GreenvilleGreenville, Jersey CityGreenville is the southernmost section of Jersey City, New Jersey.In its broadest definition Greenville encompasses the area south of the West Side Branch of Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and north of the city line with Bayonne, between the Upper New York Bay and the Newark Bay, and corresponds to the...
and northbound to Journal SquareJournal SquareJournal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues...
and Hudson Place (Hoboken)Hudson Place (Hoboken)Hudson Place, designated Hudson County Route 736, is a 0.05 mile long street in Hoboken, New Jersey that runs along the north side of Hoboken Terminal, providing the only automobile access to the major transportation hub... - Bergen Avenue local southbound to GreenvilleGreenville, Jersey CityGreenville is the southernmost section of Jersey City, New Jersey.In its broadest definition Greenville encompasses the area south of the West Side Branch of Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and north of the city line with Bayonne, between the Upper New York Bay and the Newark Bay, and corresponds to the...
and northbound to Journal SquareJournal SquareJournal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues... - Boulevard:R&T 10/99s, 99X southbound to BayonneBayonne, New JerseyBayonne 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...
and northbound to Journal SquareJournal SquareJournal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues...
with continuing service to Jersey City Heights and Port Authority Bus TerminalPort Authority Bus TerminalThe Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City... - West Side AvenueWest Side, Jersey CityThe West Side of Jersey City is a made of several diverse neighborhoods on either side of West Side Avenue, one of the city's main shopping streets...
: A&C busA&C Bus CorporationThe A&C Bus Corporation, also known as the Montgomery & Westside Bus Owners Association, is a bus company in Jersey City, New Jersey. All buses operated by A&C are known for their solid red line on the side of the bus and the phrase "use the bus card on this bus" on the front of the...
southbound to Droyer's PointDroyer's PointDroyer's Point is a section of Jersey City, New Jersey at Newark Bay.-Geography:In the southwestern part of the of the city, Droyer's Point is located on the Newark Bay. Its eastern perimeter is New Jersey Route 440. The point is entered from the highway's intersection with Danforth Avenue...
and Hudson Mall and north bound to Journal SquareJournal SquareJournal Square is a business district, residential area, and transportation hub in Jersey City, New Jersey, which takes its name from the newspaper Jersey Journal whose headquarters are located there. The "square" itself is at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Avenues...
. - Crosstown service along West Side Avenue and Montgomery Street to McGinley SquareMcGinley SquareMcGinley Square is in Jersey City, New Jersey, located near the middle of the city, south of Journal Square. The square itself is at the intersection of two of the city's major thoroughfares, Montgomery Street , and Bergen Avenue .The area was named after Monsignor Roger...
and Exchange Place