Hoboken's Downtown Named Best in Northern Jersey

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-NJ) has named Hoboken a winner in the 2014 People’s Choice Awards for Great Downtowns in New Jersey. A panel of planning professionals had selected the contestants from nominations submitted by the public in July, and the competition was determined by the 11,421 online ballots cast by the public over the past five weeks. Hoboken competed against Downtown Morristown, Historic Downtown Jersey City and Montclair Center to receive the top honors in Northern New Jersey.

“Hoboken is a great place to live, work, learn, and visit, and we’re honored to be voted the best downtown in Northern New Jersey,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “We thank everyone who voted for Hoboken and invite visitors to shop, dine, stroll our parks, explore our preserved historic architecture, and see why our vibrant community is the fastest growing city in the state.”

“Great places happen because they are planned for and implemented by people who set high marks for themselves and their communities,” said APA-NJ President Charles Latini, Jr., AICP. “They take hard work, planning and re-planning as time stretches across political tenure, but all of them are places their citizens take pride in. The interest in voting reveals this pride.”

“What better way to pick the top downtowns than to hear from the people who know them?” said Linda E. Wills, AICP, APA-NJ Great Places Chair. “All of these downtowns offer inspiration to communities looking to make their own downtowns great. They have overcome many obstacles, and today, they reap the benefits from forging effective public and private partnerships and securing the investments needed to attract, retain and grow businesses.”