New Jersey's Walkable Neighborhood Is An Up-And-Coming Area With Local Hotspots And Lush Parks

If you're looking for a less obvious stop to spend the day walking around in the New York City area, consider a quick PATH trip across the Hudson River to the neighborhood of Bergen-Lafayette. It's an enclave of Jersey City, the thriving Hudson River city with delicious cuisine, and is one of the least-dense neighborhoods of the city, as Statistical Atlas shows. Its relative calm, combined with a high walking score of 81 given to the neighborhood by Apartments.com, makes Bergen-Lafayette especially suitable for exploring its relaxed, historic streets on foot at an unrushed pace.

Though it's perhaps less well-known than other parts of Jersey City, like the trendy Waterfront neighborhood with iconic Manhattan views, the city (and New Jersey) owes much to Bergen-Lafayette. It was the first permanent settlement by Europeans in the state, founded by the Dutch in the 1660s. Though you won't find much remaining of the original Dutch settlement, the neighborhood is full of homes from the 18th and 19th centuries that lend it a historic character. In between its residential streets, there's plenty of green space, including Berry Lane Park, the largest city-owned park in Jersey City.

The park, which opened in 2016, is just one of the more recent developments in Bergen-Lafayette. Another big development (still not completed, as of this writing) is set to open apartments and retail spaces on Communipaw Avenue, Jersey Digs reported, replacing former industrial lots. Areas near the Liberty Park Light Rail Station have been revitalized, too, making the neighborhood more and more appealing for incoming residents and visitors alike.

At every turn in Bergen-Lafayette, you'll see a mix of historic buildings interspersed with newer developments. One of its oldest sites is the Old Bergen Church, a relic of the original Dutch settlement that was first founded in the 1660s (though the current structure dates to 1842). It's also a good point of reference to start exploring the neighborhood, being close to the Journal Square PATH train station. From Herald Square in Manhattan, you could take the PATH for about 25 minutes, then walk 10 minutes to reach the church and arrive in the neighborhood.

About a 10-minute walk from the church is one of the neighborhood's top-rated cafés, Alyce. In 2021, NJ.com ranked it the third-best restaurant in all of New Jersey, highlighting its brunch offerings. Crispy bacon fried rice, French toast made from chocolate croissants, and a hearty bulgogi beef breakfast skillet are some of the standouts of Alyce's menu.

Further south in the neighborhood, about a 20- to 25-minute walk from where Alyce is located, you'll reach Communipaw, a smaller section within Bergen-Lafayette. The area is near the Liberty Science Center, a top-rated museum in Jersey City with a 4.1-star average on Tripadvisor. It has lots of interactive exhibits, from dinosaur bone digging to a sensory machine that produces sounds and scents, making it a great option for families. The museum is open daily with varying hours and offers discounted tickets for children.

Bergen-Lafayette has several public parks and has added new green space as recently as 2023 — that's when Fairmount Park was opened, a small community park with a playground on the north side of the neighborhood. Arlington Park is a larger space in the neighborhood, covering about 3.5 acres. Two blocks from Arlington Park is Berry Lane Park, which has lots of recreational facilities, including a skate park, tennis court, and basketball court. It also has an amphitheatre that stages the Berry Lane Music Fest, a series of live concerts every Thursday in the summer months.

Just along Bergen-Lafayette's eastern edge is the largest park in the area, Liberty State Park, spanning over 1,200 acres, which is bigger than NYC's Central Park. If you're visiting the Liberty Science Center, you're already squarely within the park, and it's free to walk around and enjoy sweeping Manhattan views. Among some of its amenities are waterfront footpaths, picnic areas, and a solemn 9/11 memorial. The park faces Liberty and Ellis Islands, two pretty, historic islands in the New York Harbor, and it serves as New Jersey's only ferry departure point to the islands.