Great foliage views can be found up and down the palisades throughout New York and New Jersey’s sprawling territory, but there are few towns that can boast of cliffside views coupled with history, stately homes, and unique enclaves the way Weehawken can.
While sometimes lost in the shuffle of the Big Apple, the town sports both a topography and aesthetic that one would be hard pressed to find elsewhere in the region.
The town’s waterfront does admittedly get a bit of attention due to the omnipresence of modern condominiums and recreation facilities that dot the coastline, but adventure awaits those willing to hike stairs along the palisades. Weehawken has several sets of them including a stairway near the Hudson Bergen Light Rail in Port Imperial that leads to a view from the top that has few peers.
Parks atop the cliff along Boulevard East provide some sprawling views, while tree-lined blocks include a selection of Victorian and historic homes that represented some of America’s first “suburbs” when they were first built.
A section of Weehawken dubbed The Bluffs features homes that rival the nicest in the region, including a few that look straight out of the West Coast.
More than a few restoration efforts are underway at existing homes, most of which are thankfully honoring the history of the properties.
You can’t talk about Weehawken without mentioning Alexander Hamilton, who had his famous duel with Aaron Burr in the town. Weehawken has two monuments to the founding father; one where the duel took place on the cliffside and another more recent honoring along the waterfront.
While the vibe is somewhat suburban near the cliffside, Weehawken’s Park Avenue corridor has much more in common with neighboring Union City in terms of density and scale. The stretch features restaurants, shops, and more hidden gems.
A 175-foot water tower is still holding strong in Weehawken despite first being built in 1883. The stately brick structure was designed to hold approximately 150,000 gallons of water that once serviced the town.
Another respite from the hustle and bustle is Reservoir Park, a restored 14-acre oasis with a walking path that spans just under a mile. It provides a respite and offers yet more NYC views along with a closer look at the Weehawken landscape.
Still a different aesthetic within the same town can be found in Weehawken Heights, which spans also along the cliffside but along the Union City border. This neighborhood blends urbanism with single-family homes and includes Shippen Street, a double-hairpin “horsehoe” road boasting cobblestones.
The street is named after William K. Shippen, who was a civil engineer and served as president of the Hoboken Land and Improvement Company. It was placed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1997 and could be considered the East Coast answer to San Francisco’s Lombard Street.
As if Weehawken’s landscape wasn’t diverse and admittedly fragmented enough, a section called The Shades near the Hoboken border also offers something different. This small stretch of land tucked underneath the palisades has a “don’t look up” feel, as homes and massive high-rises are situated directly on top of this unique enclave.
So if a little urbanism to go along with foliage is your thing, catch these Weehawken views in the next few weeks before the winter months send them away for the season.
