Greenville
By Alexandra Antonucci, Maria Mendez and Loretta Graceffo
Where is it?:
Greenville is located in the south of Jersey City. It is bounded by the Hackensack Riverfront, West Side, Bayonee, Bergen-Lafayette and Liberty Park.
History of Greenville:
According to New Jersey City University: Jersey City Past and Present, originally Greenville was known as Pamrapo or Mingakwe by the Lenni Lenape tribe. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the area was colonized by Dutch and German farmers who settled on modern-day Academy Street and Bergen Avenue. In 1838, Old Jersey City became independent. By 1868, Greenville was created as an independent township. In 1873, the township of Greenville voted to merge with Jersey City.
Neighborhood makeup:
According to data from Statistical Atlas, a website that uses information from the US Census Bureau and the American Community Survey to create in-depth data and analysis, Greenville has the following population:
Race: 11.50% White, 18.20% Hispanic, 51.40% Black, 15.80% Asian, 1.70% Mixed, 1.30% Other
Transportation:
Greenville lacks the amount of access to public transportation that other parts of the city may have, but there are several options.
You can use an app created by the city in collaboration with Via to hail a bus when you need to travel somewhere else in the city. Via runs 14 buses in Greenville and the Heights.
There are 50 Citi Bike stations throughout Jersey City that you can use with membership.
The Richard Street Light Rail Station is also available for use.
Shopping:
Martin Luther King Drive in Greenville is known for it’s shopping area, where visitors can shop at a variety of grocery stores. Many of these markets are also Kosher, to accommodate the neighborhoods Satmar Jewish population.
The Ocean Avenue shopping district, which stretches from Bergen-Lafayette through Greenville, is also a popular shopping destination.
Landmarks:
Bayview-New York Bay Cemetery (321 Garfield Avenue) was established in 1848, and is most recognizable by its Romanesque-Revival granite arches and iron gates. Many prominent figures, such as former New Jersey Governor and U.S. Senator Edward I. Edwards and Jersey City Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham are buried here. The cemetery also contains a section that served as an early Jewish burial ground, which is unique to Hudson County. The earliest readable marker is for Moses Hirsch, who died in 1857.
Since 1972, Laico’s (67 Terhune Avenue) has established itself as a classic Italian restaurant, situated on a residential block. Although they’ve been around for over 50 years, their menu has remained fairly the same. Run by the Laico family, the restaurant and bar’s cozy atmosphere makes visitors feel as if they’re eating dinner at their parents house; which makes sense since Laico’s is inside a house.
Political Representation:
Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley was first elected to Jersey City Council in 2017, but has been engaged in city politics since 2013. She serves on the school board for Marist High School and is also a member of the Jersey City Public Safety Review Board.
Councilman-At-Large Rolando Lavarro, Jr. may represent the whole city, but his roots are in Greenville, where he was raised and is currently raising a family of his own. The son of Filipino immigrants, Lavarro prioritizes crime and public safety, as well as “implementing a city budget that prioritizes the needs of Jersey City residents, businesses and stakeholders,” according to his website.
Michelle Massey serves as the Chair for the I Love Greenville Community Partnership (GCP), which is a subcommittee of the Garden State Episcopal Community Development Corporation (GSECDC). GCP was formed in 2011 to improve the issues plaguing the Greenville area and is made up of residents, business owners, nonprofit organizations and faith leaders.
Sandra Lovely serves as the Executive Director for the Greenville Neighborhood Alliance (GNA), which serves as a platform for Greenville residents (both renters and homeowners) to focus on quality of life issues that affect the neighborhood, such as safety, development, traffic, parking and education.
The South Greenville Neighborhood Association (SGNA) works to improve the quality of life among Greenville citizens. Their Facebook group is public and is meant to share information and ideas.