Three Reasons Why You Should Move to Jersey City Now 

If you ask a commuter in the morning speed-walking through Exchange Place at 7:30 a.m. why they live in Jersey City, you’ll most likely hear, “I work in The City, and it’s cheaper to live here.” That’s all well and good, but there has to be more appeal to moving to Jersey City than the ease of commute, right? Jersey City is as much about play as it is about work, with a thriving community of culture, food, and art apparent down every street you turn. Here are three other reasons why people move to Jersey City!

 

Accepting LGBTQ+ Community

Jersey City Pride, Photo by @josescritters

Everybody say love! With Pride bigger than ever, the 2019 Pride Festival in Jersey City was a spectacle of love and togetherness, complete with plenty of rainbows, dancing, and Governor Phil Murphy himself kicking off the festivities with a speech about equality and NJ’s efforts towards LGBTQ+ acceptance and equality (ending with a jubilant “yass queen” from the audience). But it’s one thing to throw a great party in the name of Pride and another to actually celebrate the community year-round, and that’s where Jersey City really puts its money where its mouth is. For five consecutive years under Mayor Fulop, JC has received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, consistently ranks in the top 10 most LGBTQ+-friendly cities in the entire country, and is first in the state for healthcare coverage for transgender public employees. Can we get an amen?!

 

Jersey City Mural Art, Photo by @jerzyboy908

Artists’ Haven

The city itself is a work of art…literally. As of July 2019, there were 140 murals in Jersey City, with more added seemingly daily thanks to the Mural Arts Program promoting the work of local and international artists through the public art program started six years ago. Since its inception, miles of the city have been turned into public art, attracting art lovers to visit and make JC their home. Of the most famous pieces, the towering 180-ft David Bowie mural completed by international artist Eduardo Kobra in 2016 has quickly become a symbol for the city and one of the most recognizable attraction to visitors to the greater NYC area. In August 2019, world-renowned pop artist Ron English completed a mural, located near the intersection of Erie and 16th streets, depicting his characters Elefanka and Mousezilla. Visit https://www.jcmap.org/, created by the Jersey City Mural Arts Program with the mission to captivate and inspire the city through public art, for an interactive map for an easy self-guided tour of the City’s amazing murals.

 

Food and Drink Scene Is On FIRE

Photo by @ventifoodtruck

There’s no reason to leave town for a good meal. Jersey City rivals the rest of New Jersey and even NYC in diversity, with every kind of food imaginable made here by someone’s grandma who makes THE BEST whatever-your-heart-desires all in easy walking or Light Rail distance away from home. Even Pete Wells agrees that our pizza is unbeatable, evidenced by the infamous New York Times article, “Is New York’s Best Pizza in New Jersey?” from September 2017 proclaiming Jersey City’s Razza as the best pizza in NYC. Cellar 335 has won a permanent seat on New Jersey Monthly’s yearly best restaurants lists, and Ani Ramen has even been proclaimed as a “restaurant you need to eat at before you die” by NJ.com. And no, that’s not an extreme declaration – from to-die-for ramen, empanadas, pizza, brunch, bao, patties, subs, and more, Jersey City is the place to find those once-in-a-lifetime meals that make you want to pack up and move here. Discover Jersey City restaurants, eateries and shops in our listings. There are also so many delivery options for those residents who want to enjoy the amazing scene from the comfort of their couches – just download Uber Eats, Seamless, Grub Hub, Drizzly…you never have to leave your home again to eat like a king.