The Hoboken Tour was certainly worth the wait! As it turned out, I was the only one on the tour; wintertime is apparently much slower for tours. The tour guide first drove me to Jersey City via the Lincoln Tunnel. This tunnel is 1.5 miles long and 97 feet below the river’s surface and was opened in 1937. The only other tunnel for cars between New Jersey and NYC is the Holland Tunnel – this gives access to Lower Manhattan while the Lincoln Tunnel allows access between New Jersey and Midtown.
The first stop was Liberty State Park, which is extremely close to Liberty Island, where Lady Liberty stands. In fact, Mildred, my tour guide, told me that the New York – New Jersey state line is underwater and that the Statue of Liberty is actually in New Jersey.
The monument pictured here, in Liberty State Park, is dedicated to America’s role in preserving freedom and rescuing the oppressed. This monument depicts a World War II soldier carrying a concentration camp survivor.
The tour guide, quite cleverly, took photos of me “holding hands” with the survivor and “touching” the tip of Lady Liberty.
I also learned about the “Black Tom Explosion,” a story I don’t recall ever learning about at school. Black Tom was originally an island between Jersey City and Liberty Island; however, it became a peninsula when the railroad added a landfill. During World War I, this island became a munitions depot; it was the largest munitions depot in the country, supplying the Allied forces. On July 30, 1916, the depot exploded, rocking New York Harbor and damaging the Statue of Liberty. After 17 years of investigation, it was determined that German spies were blamed, that they retaliated against the British naval blockade of munitions to Germany. Four people were killed, and property damages were estimated at $20M in 1916, equating to $498M in 2021 dollars.
There is also a 9/11 Memorial in Liberty State Park. The two structures are made of stainless steel with a path between the two walls with a view of Ground Zero. It is dedicated to all the people from New Jersey who were killed on 9/11/2001 in the two towers. It is very thoughtful and beautifully designed. The names of all those who died at the World Trade Center are inscribed on the bottom third of the walls (touching distance), leaving the upper two-thirds blank to memorialize family members and loved ones left behind. The Memorial is named “Empty Sky,” and a 6dedication was made on September 11, 2011, ten years after the attack. The name was taken from Bruce Springsteen’s song about the empty sky where the towers once stood. There is also a beam from the World Trade Center in front of the two structures.
The Reclining Liberty (pictured below) was relocated from Harlem to Liberty State Park during the spring of 2022. The artist, Zaq Landsberg, is asking the question, is liberty taking a rest? It is in a prime location by being so close to the Statue of Liberty. A bit eye-opening, isn’t it? I feel as though the world is topsy-turvy, especially right here in America.
This terminal (pictured below) is also at Liberty State Park. It was constructed in 1889 due to the opening of the Immigration Station on Ellis Island. Two-thirds of the immigrants were processed through New Jersey. By the early 1900s, 30- to 50,000 people would go through here, per day, via 128 ferry runs and 300 trains. This terminal stopped operating in 1967 and is now a museum.
After this little adventure, we hopped back in the van, and the tour guide took me to Hoboken in New Jersey and directly to Carlo’s Bake Shop. Here I had my first cannoli, and it was absolutely delicious!
Buddy Valastro, the owner of Carlo’s Bake Shop, is the 4th generation baker in this family-owned bakery. He is also a NY Times best-selling author and originator of the TLC TV show “Cake Boss.” The business has been in this location since 1988. Today there was no one in the shop, but apparently, during warmer weather, the line goes out and around the corner. What is more remarkable is that this bakery has no seating, so you’re standing in line to buy and move on.
My impetus for going on this tour was, of course, Frank Sinatra. I have been a huge fan for decades. I loved his songs and have been infatuated with his life. Marty (my brother) and I would spend hours talking about him. In fact, one time, Marty and I drove to Vegas just to watch a mock Rat Pack show on the Strip.
I was most excited about our next stop: Frank Sinatra Memorial Park. A portion of this park is called a “floating island,” as seen in the photo below, and is directly across Midtown; I can only imagine the view at night. The statue of Frank Sinatra was far from disappointing, and the beauty at the park was amazing.
The next time I venture to New Jersey, I will have to have a meal at the Blue Eyes Restaurant. It is an absolute “must” since the view of the NYC skyscrapers has to be phenomenal from the restaurant! Especially at night.
From the Frank Sinatra Memorial Park, we drove to Weehawken and Hamilton Park. Hamilton Park is where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueled on July 11, 1804. In the photos below, you will see a rock (behind the statue) where Hamilton rested until he was taken back to New York City; he died the following day. This is also where Hamilton’s son, Peter, met his death in a duel three years before. They couldn’t have just had a fistfight?
The view, again, is incredible and is the view the people who live in these homes across the street (pictured below) see every day.
The Hudson between New Jersey and NYC is where “Sully” (Chesley Sullenberger) landed the plane after a flock of geese damaged both engines on January 15, 2009. Everyone was saved, 155 in total.
This was a great tour – I learned so much, including:
1) New Jersey is unlike New York – everyone drives in New Jersey, so there are few pedestrians.
2) Living in New Jersey was affordable at one time, but the housing market took off during and after COVID.
3) No one is allowed to pump their own gas in New Jersey; it is against the law. When you need to fill up in New Jersey, it is FULL service. Why? The job market; this role allows for more available jobs. Not a bad idea, is it?