"Birthplace of Baseball and Frank Sinatra " a Hoboken Travel Page by tayloretc

"They're opening an office in Hoboken, and I'm going to be there for a few weeks."
"HOboken? Why?"

Hoboken isn't where I ever imagined I'd be, but it's actually pretty nice. There's a little pocket that still "needs" gentrification, but for the most part it's newly quaint, with cafes, pubs, restaurants, some upscale services, and parks for the kids. An easy 20 minute Path commute via the west village to 33rd street and easy access to major highways, with views of lower Manhattan. And it seems clean and cared-for for a city. Okay, the views are for the lucky few, and they're mostly over the railway lines, and prices are very high for what you get, but still. I'm not a city person at all, but I could probably live here.

If Hoboken has a main street Washington Street is it - although since the entire town is 1 square mile "main" is relative. Washington St. appears to have more retail space versus residential space than most of the rest of town. In any case, most of the restaurants and flashier bars are within a block or so of Washington St. There are also boutique-type stores mixed in with the standard CVS-Radio Shack-Johnny Rockets stores there. Some of those are (or will eventually be) listed in my tips.

Current census shows nearly 40,000 inhabitants in that 1 square mile, although you wouldn't feel it from walking around. Yes, there are always people (and there is ALWAYS a line at the CVS), but it doesn't feel crowded. No idea how that happens.

Hoboken is also a city of dogs and their owners, and it seems like all of them are friendly and well-behaved. (The dogs at least.) It does mean you should watch where you step, even though there are strict rules about owner responsibility, and a neighborhood watch that'll nail you if you don't pick up after your pet. I saw it happen, and it scared me, and I don't even have a dog here.

As you might notice in the picture, there are way too many cars for 1 mile square. If you're coming here, leave the car somewhere else. Preferably 50+ miles away. It's a pain to get here by car, and there's nowhere to park if you do manage to drive in without ending up in Manhattan or Jersey City a few times first. (Hint - if you end up in either place, call ahead, you'll be days getting back out.)

Even the not-quaint parts of town show signs of becoming newly quaint. Many of the old warehouses are being renovated into lofts and office space.