A space along the Jersey City waterfront that has been shuttered since COVID-19 will be springing to life under new ownership as The District aims to enhance the nightlife scene in Exchange Place.
On September 18, The District will be launching their new cocktail menu inside a street-facing storefront at 210 Hudson Street. The address, within the larger Harborside complex, was occupied by Manny’s District Lounge but the lights have been out at the spot for years.
Taking over the space is a new ownership group led by Corporate Executive Chef Cedric Gayon. His experience includes founding Five Tastes catering along with previous stops at New York City’s Eleven Madison Park and Guy Savoy Las Vegas, among others.
The District still keeps the decidedly lounge vibe intact complete with pool tables and seating areas plus a full bar. But the new business aims to be much more of a true restaurant than has ever occupied the space, with a lunch menu heavy on sandwiches, pizza options, and full sushi rolls.
The dinner service at The District includes a full raw bar plus small plates along with heartier entrees like a double district burger with Taylor ham onion jam or truffle mushroom risotto. Other food-forward dishes like Faroe Island salmon or a spicy rigatoni dish with Calabrian chile breadcrumbs can be found on the menu.
The District will officially be rolling out their cocktail menu later today and hopes are high based on the restaurant group’s pedigree. The group behind Morristown’s acclaimed 1776 restaurant are behind the District and they have additionally signed on to bring two or three new dining concepts to Harborside in the coming years.
The new restaurant will offer daily happy hour deals from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. and is now open weekdays for lunch and dinner from 11:00 am – 10:00 pm, staying open until 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday nights. Weekend service includes dinner hours on Saturday and lunch on Sunday, with weekend brunch service slated to be rolled on in the coming weeks.
The District can be followed on Instagram at the handle @thedistrictjc. The re-opening of the space should be a sign of things to come for the Harborside property, which was purchased by 601W Companies in 2022 for $420 million.
The complex is home to notable tenants in the office portion of the building like Morgan Stanley and Whole Foods, and 601W has hired internationally renowned firm Gensler to overhaul the amenities at Harborside with plans to refresh the central atrium, add a fitness center, and create a new conference center.
