The bustle of big-city life and a series of vibrant waterfront districts combine with plenty of chances to get out on the water and some of the state’s biggest marinas. Boaters here can cruise around the historic immigrant gateway of Ellis Island and get up close to Liberty Island, home to the famous statue that dominates New York Harbor. Alternatively, you can sail up and down the Hudson River, explore Newark Bay in your runabout or even head out beyond the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge to fish offshore in the briny Atlantic. With its proximity to the Empire City this town is well-stocked with popular marinas and an urbane yachting culture that welcomes boaters from across America and beyond.
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The waters around Jersey City are some of the busiest in the nation, thronged with commuter ferries, ships, barges and, of course, recreational watercraft. If you like to dock close to the heart of the action then check out Liberty Landing Marina, a huge facility situated on an inlet wedged between Downtown and Liberty State Park with 520 wet-slips for vessels up to 170-feet in length, and one of the most sought-after docking locations for boating visitors in and around New York City. Just across the inlet is the Manhattan Yacht Club, an exclusive marina founded in 1987 that shares real estate with the Hudson Point Marina, a family-run 45-slip destination ideal for those who wish to explore Jersey City on foot. Also located on the Hudson is the Newport Yacht Club & Marina, an upscale facility equipped for megayachts up to 200-feet in length and home to a well-regarded on-site restaurant with waterfront views.
Moving south towards Bayonne you will likely be sharing the water with oil liners and giant container ships, though local insiders will point you to the Atlas Yacht Club, a hidden members-operated marina with a homespun feel and dozens of slips. There’s also a few marinas on the Hackensack River that runs along the western border of Jersey City, including the Robbins Reef Yacht Club and the Elco Fisherman’s Marina, with a combined 235 slips between them. Head further north into Hoboken, meanwhile, and you will discover the Shipyard Marina, where 50 wet-slips enjoy superb views of New York’s Hudson Yards skyscraper district.
There’s plenty of boating events held year-round in Jersey City, with the Liberty Cup Regatta and the John LaGrassa Memorial Regatta among the most well-known.
