(Visited 06/27/2025 FR @ 5:00pm and 06/28/2025 SA @ 2:00pm): I loved an historic cemetery any time…read moreof day or night! In my quest to explore the various cuisine scenes and things to do throughout Jersey City and specifically the Heights, I made my way to Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery where the 2025 Goatchella Music Festival was being held. If you knew me, I loved the lore and mystique of an old cemetery, especially one that had some history tied to it. I've walked by this place numerous times on my way to downtown Jersey City but never had the urge enough to venture in. Finally, it took a local fundraising music festival to grab my attention. How would this historic cemetery in Jersey City compare to others I've visited!? PURCHASE (N/A): Nothing to spend money on that directly affected the cemetery - 'nuff said. EXPERIENCE On these dreaded humid sunny days, I made my way to the cemetery gates, went inside and gravely read the stones of all these people and those lives as I wondered where they were now. With the utmost respect https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=72&select=aVeSAJGD1OPhiQV9u7m0ug for the dead, I slowly made my way along each barely-managed uneven pathway https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=48&select=zhtA3qcW7tIauEGDOUraDQ as I solemnly gave appreciation to each person whose spirit has since passed. The oldest dates I saw were from the mid-1800s to recent times, the ethnicities/nationalities ranged from predominantly Caucasian (older) to Hispanic (newer). I roamed about as much as allowed, and I could see myself packed with a lunch as I sat on a bench. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=48&select=CzJLdWFXj88A0NGa-C_gkQ SERVICE Once I passed through the check-in table for the Goatchella Music Festival, I was left to my own devices to explore the grounds at my leisure. Other than the staffing who was mainly associated with the music festival, I dealt with no one directly with the cemetery which was perfectly fine. Sure, I would've loved to have a docent guide me through since I didn't see any literature anywhere to read, it was completely fine to casually walk among the many sections and rows. Apparently, it was a volunteer staff that managed and took care of the place. All was good! PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance) Generally speaking, this was an easy flat-to-downhill 20-minute walk from my friend's place. Otherwise, there appeared to be plenty of spots (no known private lot) along the main drag of Newark Ave. and all surrounding roads - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A sprawling ramshackle spooky-esque undulating field of tall grass and weeds pocketed with headstones https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=48&select=pJ_P5tcVC32zuxDdAYy2mQ of all shapes and sizes reminiscent of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. During the daytime, the place was harmless enough, but once nighttime came, I imagined this place turned into a spookier ground of souls and spirits. It was a very no-nonsense cemetery placed in the middle of an urban wasteland. Plenty of natural lighting since you were completely outside while the only electric lights I saw were the ones along the street. There were noTVs while the only background noise was the whirls and whiz of the passing vehicles. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=72&select=TnalYkQ5N7Pa9RbUw9pCVA ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Historic Jersey City & Harsimus Cemetery was pretty cool, and I felt it was a nice place to spend an hour or two to relax, get some retrospection, and escape from the world for a bit. It wasn't very decorative (e.g. fountains, monuments, murals), but at the end of the day it was a place for loved ones to pay their respects to those who have gone before them. It needed a ton of TLC (hence, the goats, which will be covered in my next review), and more historical marketing. And, I always loved supporting small businesses whenever possible. I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience between the two visits was around $0.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, unless they accepted online donations to help with the upkeep, I wasn't aware whether or not they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 4.0 STARS

What a beauty to go there! If yoire looking for an outdoor museum basically...this is it! Pay your…read morerespects, help volunteer on a tuesday or saturday, or donate tools and water if you can't physically offer some hours of help abd time. I know landscaping is hard on the body but you'll get to help a historical site , get steps in, and learn a new skill! The femetary employs goats in the summer, so we got to see them today, and sheep, ...and a groundhog, and butterflies! Cardinals here too lol. Tombs dates back to early 1700. The other one nearby at old bergen, is 1600s.

Naturally I'm a fan. My family has a long history with the National Audubon Society. Many of my…read moreclosest friends are avid bird watchers and conservationists. When I came across the artwork one day as I was walking through Washington Heights, I was ecstatic! If you live or work nearby take a look. If you're visiting Manhattan and enjoy birds and art check it out. It's a cool neighborhood. If they're adding new works of art I sure do need to return! These photos were taken a couple years ago.

At first, I just saw a mural of a bunch of birds, but then you see it's a five-story-high…read moreSwallow-tailed Kite that is used to show twelve birds that, like the kite, are threatened by climate change. You would not know it but this is Minnie's Land, the farm, Broadway and 155th Street, that was home to Audubon from May 1842 until his death in January 1851 So it's a perfect spot for this mural.  Audubon Society commissioned this mural and other bird murals in the area. Some cover storm gates on stops and some on building sidewalls but none stand out as this one does because it's on the corner of a busy intersection. But because it is uptown and visions of the farm that stood here are long gone the bird murals are mostly unnoticed by tourist and the like. The gas station that sits beneath the mural was more than a century and a half ago some flat part of their farm that had an orchard of more than forty fruit trees. it was on a lot that covered present-day 155th and 156th Streets, Broadway, and Amsterdam. I am not a history or art scholar but my daughter has a degree from SVA and once worked at MoMA so I get educated at home all the time about art and history. I hope if you are uptown and near buy to take a look at this fantastic mural.

Great hidden gem on the Brooklyn Waterfront in Red Hook. Two floors of exhibitions opened on the…read moreweekends runned mostly by volunteers. If you're a Brooklyn artist you should check out joining this group to keep it's mission statement alive. Exhibitions change about every 2 months. Public transport is by bus. Street parking is hit or mission. Lots of other activities around this location to make this an exciting day trip. Say hi to the Statue of Liberty at the end of the street.

Unfortunately BWAC was the victim of a fire. In better days you can see lots of great artwork here…read more As an artist you can become a member for a hefty fee combined with some volunteer work. You can also apply to participate in curated shows. There are always great musical artists performing. You can purchase snacks, beer and wine and enjoy this beautiful location along with plenty of great food.

Open Source is a welcoming community art space, and it's so much more than a gallery. I first…read morediscovered Open Source when a friend invited me to their monthly storytelling event, How to Build a Fire. HTBAF is a great opportunity to hear interesting stories, get to know warm, funny people, and share laughter and wine in a cozy, charming place. I returned to Open Source for cHURCH of Monika, a monthly artist's talk that happens on Sunday mornings. Then I discovered the Soapbox race in the summer! I had so much fun cheering for the different groups of kids. It was great seeing so many neighbors out on the block having fund together. Open Source has so much to offer: art installations, arts education for kids, storytelling, community dinners, and more. I think it should be called Open HEART. When you're there, you're welcomed in, you're treated like family. It's a wonderful addition to the community.

Great shows at Open Source Gallery. Always thoughtful and well curated. I just stopped by to view…read moretheir Nicholas Galanin show (around the time he was invited to 2019 Whitney Biennial) and was struck by how well his work looked in this unique space.

For the year 2026, this is my first funeral for the year and it happens that they were getting…read morehurried at the Evergreen Cemetery located in Brooklyn. It is my first time actually having a Chinatown funeral and going to a cemetery in New York. This cemetery did seem quite peaceful and the burial plot was overlooking the city across the way. I thought it was nice and also that even in the burials there was already a community of people with all their English names with their Chinese names as well. This cemetery is big so there were a lot of plots and many gravestones. We spent quite a while here but time actually felt like it went by so quickly. It is a great resting place.

Thee most gorgeous gothic-looking cemetery entrance in a beautifully maintained park down in…read moreBrooklyn? I think. I've been told 5+ McMullens are buried beneath this one internment stone. It's on the "poor Irish side", which has grassy hills and more space than the fancy fancies anyway. I spent a sunny afternoon trying to figure out where my peeps were then I hung around with them and asked to be shown 1/10 of their creative talents. Xo McMullens

Local gem and creative events…read more Visited with some family going to see some of the local history. Staff were super welcoming and I was blown away by the photos of the Inwood/Washington Heights before the subway was introduced uptown. The vast swath of farm land and this farmhouse is one place to see how it looks in that bucolic time period. The backyard had a hessian hut of what the military groups used during the historical time period. It is fascinating to think about so much history that took place across the last four centuries in Manhattan and previous to the European arrivals. Thank you for having a local spot for people to learn about history. Great value.

Went to a festival, they had music, poems, puppets and a variety of acts. Its such a lovely house…read moreand the grounds are beautiful. Had a chance to see tomatoes and eggplants growing. They also had face painting, tarot readings and braids were being made. Had a nice time.

The New York Society for Ethical Culture has a school and entertainment program. There's so much…read moreother activities available here for New Yorkers I'm not getting into. Ethical Culture is an ethical, educational, and religious movement established in 1877 by the academic Felix Adler. I'm using the term Ethical Culture but it goes by many different terms such as humanist. I'm definitely not an intellectual so I enjoy the programs particularly music. It's been years since I thought about going to the New York City campus. I saw a poster about Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and thought I would share this show in March 2025 at Adler Hall with you. I also found my photos from my last visit sorry to say it was July 11, 2016. You can research if you want additional shows or Society program information. Enjoy!

Really nice staff to plan an event. Great spaces. Great pricing too. Antonio is the best!read more

I've grown to appreciate venues that are kind of tucked away from the standard giant venues you…read morefind in the midtown area, and Ars Nova is a great example of that. It's a small venue, with tables set up by the front of the stage, and then tiered seating towards the back. The bar is in the rear. I paid $10 for a puppet show featuring a full band. It sounds a bit silly, but it was awesome. In addition to entertainment, Ars Nova offered a free shot if I signed up for their newsletter. After that, beers were $3. Cheap entertainment, even cheaper beer. Really hard to find any fault with this place. If a band or artist you like is performing here, I'd definitely recommend making the trek to see them.. You can't get more intimate that this..unless you invite them to play in your living room.

Nice performing arts space with some fine experimental shows. The current show, Transparent…read moreFalsehoods, however, is excruciating in its boredom and puerile jokes.