Jersey City is the New Gayborhood
Since the sad sad demise of Chelsea, and the West Village before it, as the uber Gayborhood of the North East in the past couple of years, Manhattan has yet to really establish a new Gayborhood. It seems the Gays have just spread out all over to places like Brooklyn, Washington Hights, and Long Island City, and now it's hard to say if there really is, or ever will be a new Gayborgood in Gotham. Sorry boys, but Hell's Kitchen just never could fit the bill. Way too many tourists and frankly not much of interest unless you're a theater queen.
That is until I recently discovered Jersey City, in of all places New Jersey! Yup, right across the river on a 10 minute Path train ride, there is what they call the Gold Coast of New Jersey. I guess because it's directly across from the West side of Manhattan and features stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. Jersey City is incredibly accessible to Manhattan, much more so than Brooklyn or Queens. Most New Yorkers have an innate and completely unfounded disdain for New Jersey. There's no real reason, it just is. So for many New Yorkers, NJ is never a consideration as a destination or a home.
But in Jersey City I discovered really nice neighborhoods (Hamilton Park) which resemble the West Village or Park Slope, just on a slightly smaller scale. Brownstones and Townhouses galore, plus many many new constructions and developments, lofts, high-rises, mid-rises, you name it they are building it. And imagine all this at real estate prices half of what you'd pay for in Manhattan. Simply amazing!
But what excited me even more was that there are tons of Gays over in Jersey City, I mean TONS. Contrary to popular belief and serious misconception, most Gays do not have tons of money to squander on $4500 rents or $1.5 million dollar condos. In fact most everyone I know is very middle-class and struggles (OK maybe not struggle but certainly cannot afford these million dollar condos going up every 10 inches across Manhattan) to pay their rent and bills. So I guess Jersey City is a blessing for us low-to-middle class homos.
So yes folks, here you have me, a genuine born & bred native New Yorker who is actually telling you that Jersey City is becomming the new Gayborhood of NYC. I've seen it, I've smelt it, I've experienced it. It be real. It's the future.
That is until I recently discovered Jersey City, in of all places New Jersey! Yup, right across the river on a 10 minute Path train ride, there is what they call the Gold Coast of New Jersey. I guess because it's directly across from the West side of Manhattan and features stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. Jersey City is incredibly accessible to Manhattan, much more so than Brooklyn or Queens. Most New Yorkers have an innate and completely unfounded disdain for New Jersey. There's no real reason, it just is. So for many New Yorkers, NJ is never a consideration as a destination or a home.But in Jersey City I discovered really nice neighborhoods (Hamilton Park) which resemble the West Village or Park Slope, just on a slightly smaller scale. Brownstones and Townhouses galore, plus many many new constructions and developments, lofts, high-rises, mid-rises, you name it they are building it. And imagine all this at real estate prices half of what you'd pay for in Manhattan. Simply amazing!
But what excited me even more was that there are tons of Gays over in Jersey City, I mean TONS. Contrary to popular belief and serious misconception, most Gays do not have tons of money to squander on $4500 rents or $1.5 million dollar condos. In fact most everyone I know is very middle-class and struggles (OK maybe not struggle but certainly cannot afford these million dollar condos going up every 10 inches across Manhattan) to pay their rent and bills. So I guess Jersey City is a blessing for us low-to-middle class homos.
So yes folks, here you have me, a genuine born & bred native New Yorker who is actually telling you that Jersey City is becomming the new Gayborhood of NYC. I've seen it, I've smelt it, I've experienced it. It be real. It's the future.
ΒΆ 12:07 PM |
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