A personal perspective of life in Jersey City Heights with kids.

Written by Mollie O’ Connor

A few years ago, my husband and I were living a cramped, converted-two bedroom in Dixon Mills with our very active toddler. We absolutely loved the Historic Downtown neighborhood of Jersey City and the amazing community that we had become ingrained in, but we were ready for more space and to own some real estate of our own. While we felt the call of the suburbs, we just weren’t ready to leave this amazing area and all of the conveniences it has to offer. 

Priced out of downtown Jersey City, we moved our search to the Heights neighborhood, where we found we could get more for our money without losing the walkability factor and access to great restaurants, things to do, and, maybe most importantly, our friends. 

Now, two years, an additional bedroom and another child later, we’re happy to say that it was the perfect move for us. We’ve loved exploring the northern end of the Heights (closest to where we live) and are thrilled that new things seem to be popping up in this neighborhood regularly. Here are our family’s top picks for things to do and eat in the Heights:

Weekend Morning with the Family

It’s become our Sunday family ritual to stroll (some of us scoot) down the beautiful, historic, tree-lined Ogden Avenue to the weekly pop-up farmer’s market in Riverview Park. Sometimes we stop to grab a latte or iced Americano at ModCup Coffee across the street first where regulars are always milling about, catching up. Top that off with a sugar donut from Alstede Farm’s stand and we’re fine managing the chaos of the adjoining kid’s play area after gathering our shopping haul. It doesn’t hurt that the park offers sweeping panoramic views of New York City as a backdrop. 

Date Night

If my husband and I have a sitter and just aren’t in the mood to schlep into the city, we’ll grab a bottle of red and walk down to Corto, an intimate, elevated Italian spot on Palisade with charming décor and great service. We start with a plate of creamy Fior di Latte before sharing a pasta and a main. For a night cap, we head to Lo-Fi down the road for a cocktail and craft beer. If we have one too many, we may end the night with one of their Detroit-style pizzas.

Something Sweet

If we’re visiting friends or just need an afternoon pick-me-up, I’ll hit up Argentine bakery Dulce de Leche on Central Ave., the Heights’ main shopping strip. While they have a great full menu of breakfast and lunch items, as well as gorgeous cakes, I come here for the small, inexpensive pastries. As one would assume, the options with dulce de leche are particularly delicious. If the kids are with me, we may head to the newly-opened Milk Sugar Love on Palisade for a scoop of one of their exclusive Heights-only flavors. They love the “walk-up” window too, which allows us to order without needing to take off the scooter helmet and sit down.

Local Flavors

When the Pampita Meat Shop opened on Central Ave shortly after we moved here, we were thrilled. A great butcher was something downtown Jersey City was lacking then and this filled that void. While we love a great streak, we are pretty clueless when it comes to what to buy and how to cook it. The guys behind the counter here give great recommendations and give us the confidence to at least feel like we know what we’re doing. The house-made empanada’s and chimichurri are also worth a try.