From across the Hudson, New Jersey seems to be doing very well for itself. A thicket of new buildings has gone up in each of the cities on the west bank of the river. The New York Times includes Hoboken and Jersey City in its discussions of who lives where and how big their apartments are. Rumors of snazzy light rail line “over there” abound. So what should we make of it?

Well, the so-called Gold Coast is doing very well for itself. There really has been an explosion of high-end construction, and the light rail line lives up to the rumors of snazziness. There’s something deeper, too. In its transformation from heavy industry to offices and apartments, this area is an exemplar of the shift from manufacturing to high-tech services that has made the U.S. so prosperous in the last several decades.

Here, I present my attempt to come to my own understanding of a small bit of New Jersey by venturing through it myself. The journey was long. The transfers were many. But all you have to do is look at photos and read text.

Click on the map below to begin.

My swashbuckling New Jersey adventure took me from the comforts of Manhattan to the wilds of the Garden State.

Begin in Jersey City →

Jon Bruner

Product lead at Lumafield

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