Ring in Spring This Week in JC
Some say spotting the first cardinal of the season is the surest sign that spring has arrived in Jersey City. For us, we know it’s officially time to say goodbye to winter when we hear the sweet song of Mister Softee making the rounds again.
Though the weather hasn’t yet gotten the hint, it’s time to celebrate by hanging up our poofy coats and enjoying the great outdoors. Here are a few ways to get into the spring spirit this week:
Beautify Your Stoop
Whether you have a yard or a stoop, add some color with spring perennials. Adding native NJ plants – like chrysanthemum, poppies, goldenrod, bee balm, butterfly weed, etc. – to your outdoor space is a great way to help pollinators spread well-adapted flowers and plants throughout JC, not only beautifying your home but the city around you.
Where to shop:
- Family-owned 14th Street Garden Center: 793 Jersey Ave
- Home Depot Garden Center: 180 12th St ; 440 NJ-440
- Lowes Garden Center: 727 NJ-440
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Discover Liberty State Park
We wouldn’t exactly call Liberty State Park a hidden gem, but there’s a lot more to do at our beloved 1,212-acre public park than just taking a walk to gaze out at Lady Liberty.
What to do in LSP:
- Explore the Historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal and check out the old train routes that ran until 1954.
- Take the Ferry out for an up-close and personal view of Ellis Island or Hard Hat Tour of the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital Complex.
- Pay your respects at the Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial.
- Snap a selfie with the 25-foot-long Reclining Liberty sculpture on the waterfront.
- Check out the Nature Center at Liberty State Park for exhibits focusing on the natural history and ecology of the Hudson River Estuary.
- Grab a pole and fish for bluefish, shad, striped bass and blue claw crabs.
- Bring your binoculars and try to spot one of the 239 species of birds identified at the park
- Take a two-mile jog down Liberty Walk with a sweeping view of NYC.
- Relax with a picnic among the cherry blossoms and take in the incredible views.
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Visit a Community Garden
If you don’t have a yard, don’t sweat it: there’s a community garden near you that would love some TLC. There are currently 23 community gardens in Jersey City scattered throughout the Wards of different purposes and sizes that could use your support. Community gardens are a great way to grow food, enjoy nature, and teach little ones about the importance of being green.
Get involved in a public plot or just explore the unique and ecologically empowering elements these gardens provide, like the native pollinator gardens and Monarch Waystation of Canco Park or the certified wildlife habitat and rain garden of Hope Garden.
Click here to learn more about how to get involved and find your neighborhood garden.
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Take a Cherry Blossoms Day Trip
April means it’s also officially cherry blossom season, and the park with the largest and most varied display of them in the U.S. happens to be our neighbor. Pack a lunch and take a quick trip over to Branch Brook Park in Newark to check out 5,200 Japanese flowering cherry blossom trees in 18 varieties, now on “bloom watch” through Bloomfest on Sunday, April 16.
Just take the PATH to Newark, then jump on the Penn Station Light Rail to Park Avenue to walk out right into the park. Don’t wait too long, though: unlike the warm weather, cherry blossoms only stick around for a few weeks, so catch them while you can!
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