An Afternoon By The Waterfront

Frank Sinatra Drive. Situated on the eastern side of the small city of Hoboken in New Jersey, this road is only less than half a mile long but provides one with impressive views of the Manhattan skyline.

The following is a map of Hoboken and it shows Frank Sinatra Drive running along the city's eastern coast line by the Hudson River. (Source: Wikipedia)


The following is a shot of the walkway by the Hudson. This walkway is one of the features and attractions of the Frank Sinatra Park complex. This small park, built and opened in 1998, was dedicated to the memory of the late crooner who the citizens of Hoboken consider as one of their city's "greatest gifts to the world".


I was facing south when I took the following shot and from this vantage point, one can see parts of both the skylines of downtown Manhattan (buildings to the left of the Hudson River) and of Jersey City (buildings to the right). In the distance you will also see a suspension bridge quite similar in style to San Francisco's famed Golden Gate Bridge. That bridge is called the Verrazano Narrows Bridge that connects the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island.


The photo below shows one of the best attractions of the park. This gazebo sits right on the water and is quite a popular spot because it gives one a closer view of the Manhattan skyline. In addition, it is also a popular spot for recreational fishers such as the gentlemen shown on the photo. On one end of the pier, one can clearly see their fishing rods extending out into the waters.


I walked up the walkway and past the above gazebo to take the following shot of Manhattan:


The following two photos show more shots of Manhattan this time taken from the gazebo I showed two pictures up.



Oh look! There's a little buoy in the water! (Pardon this lame attempt at humor.)


Unfortunately, this photo shoot ended on quite a sad note. I got so caught up taking pictures of the scenery that I didn't realize I had bumped into some of the park's railings and as a result, I inadvertently caused quite a bit of damage. As you can see from the following photo, my carelessness caused some sections of the railings to collapse with one of them hanging precariously by the water.


Luckily, there were no witnesses and thus I was able to hop back into my car and make a quick escape from the scene. Hehehe

Seriously, the above photo shows a section of the park that remains closed to the public. A portion of the park was used as a parking lot by the faculty and staff of the Stevens Institute of Technology whose campus is located across the street. An accident occurred in October 2007 when a portion of the parking lot collapsed causing one car to fall into the water.

Hoboken, like its neighboring city to the south, Jersey City, was a rough-and-tumble town for most of the 20th Century. While New York City was predominantly white collar, New Jersey's cities by the Hudson were blue collar towns and home to longshoremen and factory workers, mostly European immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. For many years, Hoboken, like the other cities on the New Jersey side, was not a safe city to be in. That period included Mr. Sinatra's years there. Bar brawls, crime, mob activity and prostitution were rampant. The 1954 movie "On The Waterfront" that starred Marlon Brando was filmed on location in Hoboken and showed the rough life of dock workers.

Redevelopment and gentrification started some time in the 1980s and picked up steam during the early 1990s. Its proximity to Manhattan and convenient access to subway stations and buses made it attractive to young, urban professionals who worked for Wall Street firms. Thus, in contrast to its previous reputation as an unsavory town, Hoboken is now what one would call a "hip" place to be. Jersey City now boasts of a modern skyline and Hoboken is following suit.

A close friend first took me to this city back in early 1995. The city's main drag, Washington Street, is home to a number of fine restaurants and shops. What I love about this place is that since it is quite a small city, one can pretty much walk to any spot or place within it. One can live in the town without ever having the need for a car. Although a few blocks within the city are not that desirable to live in, Hoboken, for the most part, is a pretty safe place.

Many five-story brownstones that used to be home to the longshoremen and factory workers are still there. However, a great number of them have been renovated and are now home to the urban professionals who have helped revive the town. Though these brownstones may look old from the outside, their interiors boast of the latest technological conveniences.

But Frank Sinatra Park and the stretch of road named after him have clearly become my favorite spots in this city. There are park benches where one can just sit and relax, read a good book, enjoy the view, and be alone with one's thoughts. It is a quiet stretch of road popular to walkers, joggers, and skateboarders. There's always a nice breeze coming in from the Atlantic that makes the experience quite enjoyable.

So if you ever find yourself by this neck of the woods someday, consider stopping by Hoboken to enjoy not just the park above but also the other attractions (restaurants and shops) this little city has to offer. (I feel like a realtor doing a sales pitch with this closing sentence. Sigh.)