The
North Hudson waterfront is located north of
Weehawken Cove on a long narrow strip of land between the
Hudson River and
Hudson Palisades. On April 18, 1670 the government of the
Province of New Jersey confirmed a grant to Maryn Adriaensen for a parcel of land called Wiehacken in the jurisdiction of Bergen on Hobooken Creek, 50 morgen Dutch measure originally given on May 11, 1647. Sporadic ferry service began and in 1700 a royal patent was given by
Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont[4] which led to the naming of
Weehawken Street at the landing across the river in today's
West Village. Later called Slough's Meadow, the waterfront has in the last centuries been transformed from a
tidal marsh[5] to an extensive rail and shipping port and, since the 1980s, redeveloped for commercial, residential, recreational, and transportation uses. Many duels, including the nation's most famous between
Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804, took place on a site later obliterated by rail infrastructure of the
West Shore Railroad (also used by the
New York, Ontario and Western and the
Erie Railroad).[6][7]
The restoration of rail and ferry services is of a much smaller scale. In 1981
Arthur Edward Imperatore, Sr.,
trucking magnate, purchased a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) length of the
Weehawken Yard from the bankrupt
Penn Central for $7.5 million, his surname an inspiration for Port Imperial.
New York Waterway was established in 1986.[13] Service was originally provided from a converted ferry moored at the shore next to the marina south of the current terminal.[14][15] New Jersey Transit contracted the extensive renovation and waterproofing of the
Weehawken Tunnel under
Bergen Hill which had been built in 1881.[16][17][18] The new ferry terminal, built and owned by
New Jersey Transit and leased by
NY Waterway,[19] opened in May 2006.[3][20] The HBLR station opened for weekend service in November 2005[21] and full-time service on October 29, 2006.[22] The construction and maintenance of stairways from atop the cliffs at
Boulevard East to the station and the bridge from the station to the
ferry slips have been a source of contention and controversy. The area, still under development,[23] is considered to be too oriented to automobiles, rather than pedestrians.[24] While there has been some integration in the wider public transportation system, some transportation is geared within the development site, including parking lots.[25][26][27]
The district along the
Hudson Waterfront has expanded to become a residential, commercial, and recreational neighborhood.[30] In June 2011, ground was broken on 850-space garage and retail space building, across from the ferry terminal.[31][32] In October 2011, the hub was announced as the site of the
Port Imperial Street Circuit, a
motorsport venue hosting the
Grand Prix of America, a round of the
Formula One World Championship.[33] The start-finish line and pit facilities for the event were supposed to be directly opposite the ferry terminal, and the area was to be further redeveloped for the race, however the event never materialized.[34] In June 2013, a long-awaited bridge connecting the ferry terminal and light rail station was opened.[35][36] In recent years, there has been many residential buildings built up in the area centered on luxury high rises.
NY Waterway offers two shuttle bus routes serving
River Road[40][41] and three intra-site routes serving the Port Imperial district.[42][43] Buses operate rush hours only and at no cost.
Weehawken Township also operates a shuttle bus on weekdays.[44] In May 2013 NY Waterway initiated afternoon bus service along the
NJT bus routes 158, and 159R, which travel north to
Fort Lee, and 156R, with continuing service to
Englewood Cliffs.[45][46]
NJ Transit Bus routes
23,
156,
158,
159 stop adjacent to the rail station in the southbound direction and outside the ferry terminal in the northbound direction.[47][48][49][50]
Light rail
In June 2012, NJT and NY Waterway began a fare-sharing program for riders transferring between the light rail and ferries for ten-trip and monthly tickets holders,[51] in a program called Surf and Turf.[52]
^Carroll, Timothy J. (October 11, 2009).
"20 years crossing the Hudson". The Jersey City Reporter. Hoboken: Hudson Reporter. pp. 7 & 16. Archived from
the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
^Sullivan, Al (November 29, 2018).
"Push for driver's licenses". Hoboken Reporter.
Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
^Diaz, Lana Rose (April 25, 2010).
"Don't try this at home". Hudson Reporter. Archived from
the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.