Is Jersey City Still Jersey or Just Expensive? A Deep Dive into N.J.’s ‘6th Borough’ (Yuck)

Jersey City was once squarely in the shadow of Hoboken, its mile square neighbor to the northeast. In the past decade-plus, Chilltown has gone from afterthought to cultural epicenter. But not all the change has been good. The resurgence has also brought soaring rents — at one point, the city had the highest rent in the country — which has threatened to dilute one of America’s most diverse cities. Yes, the 2010s put Jersey City back on the map. But it’s no secret the city’s vibe and feel have shifted distinctly. Has this ruined what made the city great in the first place? Jeremy is joined by Jersey City native John Erbach to discuss what it was like growing up in the city in the ‘90s (3:23), how the city has changed (10:18), why Jersey City isn’t New York’s “sixth borough” (19:02) and what has remained the same in town (21:22). Then John runs through the Garden State Gauntlet, Jersey City edition (38:36)! Email us! [e-mail]  Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices