Welcome To Jersey City Patch, The Place For Local News

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Hey Jersey City, welcome to Patch! I'm your field editor, Samantha Mercado, and I'd like to introduce myself and Patch to you.

I live in Bergen-Laffayette and have a deep love for Jersey City as a resident, and I'm excited to grow a deeper understanding of the city as a journalist. I've worked in local news for about four years throughout the Northeast. Starting as a TV news producer covering New York, New Jersey and Long Island, I hopped between mediums and freelanced in the Hudson Valley (where I grew up) for magazines and online publications before landing at Patch.

My start at Patch came in Massachusetts where I covered the suburbs west of Boston, but don't worry, I never rooted for the Red Sox!

At home in Jersey City, I'm usually huddled on the couch with either my rabbit or roommate's dog. On warm days you might spot me rollerblading through Liberty State Park or working from my laptop in a sunny spot on the field. I find new things to love in Jersey City every day but lately the Grove Street Record Riots have caught my eye — if you catch me digging through a crate one weekend, say hi and give me your record recommendations.

As your local editor, I plan to cover the city from all angles and do my best to show what makes Jersey City so great. There's no shortage of local government and business stories in Jersey City, but I'd like to hear how they affect you and tell the stories of my neighbors as well. My inbox is always open, drop me a tip or introduce yourself just to chat, I'm happy to answer both: samantha.mercado@patch.com.

There's always something going on in Jersey City, so if you have an event you want to tell neighbors about you can post it right here on Patch. To stay in the loop on all things Jersey City, sign up for our newsletter.

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