Weehawken Real Estate The Civilized Commute
About Weehawken NJ
Weehawken is located at the southern end of the 180-foot-high cliffs known as the Palisades. While its earlier residential and commercial growth took place atop the cliffs, the last decade has brought much new development on the waterfront, providing current and new residents many choices of where to live in its 1.4 square miles.
Weehawken has several distinct neighborhoods: King’s Bluff, at the edge of the cliffs; Uptown, with the main commercial strip along Park Avenue; the Heights, above the Lincoln Tunnel entrance, with many two- and three-family houses; and the Shades, on the southern waterfront, where new housing has been built and older homes are getting a face-lift.
Weehawken is a “microcosm of the metropolitan area,” said Mayor Richard F. Turner, with new buyers flocking to the high-end waterfront developments, and second- and third-generation families defining the heart of this historic town. The diverse populations can be found in the town’s schools, library, recreation programs, and multiple parks, including: two dog parks, Hamilton Park, Waterfront Park, Weehawken Stadium, and Reservoir Park. The 9/11 memorial on the northern waterfront commemorates the town’s role as a receiving station for 60,000 evacuees from Lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001.
The biggest benefit for those investing in Weehawken is the recent tax reduction. Weehawken Township recently announced a reduction in its property taxes, lowering the rate from 2.23% to just 1.49%, making it one of the lowest among the New Jersey Gold Coast.
Why Weehawken
Hamilton Park is a beautiful park if you want to see Manhattan, and is often filled with people taking photos before weddings and proms. This was also the spot where Alexander Hamilton died in a duel in 1804. A bust of Hamilton now stands in the park. This park also has a large gazebo, a basketball court, a children’s playground, and tennis court.
Weehawken has been named the “hottest real estate market in New Jersey,” twice. Weehawken stands out from its neighboring towns because of its lack of high rise buildings. Most locals agree that Weehawken benefits from the low-density approach to development. The New York Times reported in the 1980s, “Residents have long opposed high-rise buildings. Last year, the town’s Planning Board blocked Arcorp – a development company that owns 158 acres of the waterfront – from constructing four 40-story office buildings that would have towered above the edge of the Palisades.”
Despite the private waterfront development, all buildings must make way for public walkways in order to not cut the public off from the water. Therefore, the waterfront provides a quiet setting compared to most urban areas while at the same time offers great commuter convenience to New York City.
Commuting to NYC
From the Lincoln Tunnel, driving into NYC takes less than 10 minutes when the traffic is light. Residents can also take the New York Waterway ferry (with terminals at Port Imperial and Lincoln Harbor), New Jersey Transit bus No. 128 or the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Line (with two stops in Weehawken).
Learn More
- Official Weehawken Website: Check out the official Weehawken website to learn more information about the government and community
- Weehawken Library: The library is a great source for events and has tons of free classes
- Lifestyle: Stay up-to-date about events, local business deals, what new businesses are opening, and community happenings