Village Neighborhood Association

Village Neighborhood Association Neighborhood Association representing the historic Italian Village section of downtown Jersey City Men played bocci on side lots. Times have changed.

The Italian Village section of downtown Jersey City, once known as “Italian Town” and “Little Italy”, has paid witness to many social and cultural changes throughout its more than 100 year history.

“At the turn of the century, the Village pulsed with life. Mamas called out open widows to children. Brunswick Street, the main shopping street, was nicknamed “Bushel Avenue” because of it’s many pushc

art peddlers and outdoor produce stands. People came from all over the city to buy fresh, high quality goods at low prices and the sidewalks were often so crowded that strollers were forced into the streets.” The Village Guide, published 1979

From the 1880’s through the early Twentieth Century, Jersey City’s population burgeoned due to the economic strength and influx of immigrants arriving through Port Jersey. Germans, Polish, Irish and Italians immigrants came straight from Ellis Island to work on the many railroads and factories that prospered during the height of the Industrial Age. Many Italian immigrants settled downtown under the shadow of the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company smoke stacks. As their roots in this country deepened, many defined their American Dream by opening small businesses in the many store fronts that lined The Italian Village streets. Following the Second World War, many urban neighborhoods, The Village among them, began to lose their residents to the hope of a better life in suburbia. One by one, stores closed and the old Italian family’s moved away. From the late 1950’s through the early 1970s, the Italian Village suffered its greatest period of decline. Many buildings were destroyed by fire and general decay. Complete blocks of the Village neighborhood were all but erased leaving behind empty lots of rubble. By the late 1970s, despite a valiant energetic revitalization effort entitled “Risorgimento” by the VITA (Village Italians Take Action) organization, The Village became a sleepy enclave throughout the 1980s and 1990s. A mere shadow of its former self. The Village, like other Downtown Jersey City residential districts, is undergoing a real estate and cultural renaissance. The Village Neighborhood Association, a non-profit corporation formed by Village residents in late 2007, has become the steward of its quality of life issues. The VNA is determined to reinvent The Village neighborhood and continue its ongoing rebirth.

The DCNA holiday party is December 4 - all Villagers welcome to attend and get to know their neighbors in Van Vorst Park...
11/18/2025

The DCNA holiday party is December 4 - all Villagers welcome to attend and get to know their neighbors in Van Vorst Park, Hamilton Park, Harsimus Cove, Paulus Hook and the Powerhouse Arts District! Bring a dessert to share!

Community meeting tomorrow, 10/24, at 7:30pm. Join us in person at Casa Colombo or via Zoom (register using the link in ...
10/23/2022

Community meeting tomorrow, 10/24, at 7:30pm. Join us in person at Casa Colombo or via Zoom (register using the link in our profile)!

Meeting tonight!Join us for a blisteringly packed agenda at our March Community meeting, Tuesday March 22 at 7:30pm.We a...
03/22/2022

Meeting tonight!

Join us for a blisteringly packed agenda at our March Community meeting, Tuesday March 22 at 7:30pm.

We are pleased to welcome Councilperson James Solomon and to invite you to listen and engage with him on the topics that move you.

Also on the docket are 2 presentations: a usage variance request at 361 Second Street and we hope to also welcome the development team for 270 Newark Avenue (pending confirmation).

You don't want to miss this one!

AGENDA
1. JC & General Updates (we don't talk about COVID, no, no, no!)
2. Councilperson James Solomon: Open Forum Q&A
3. 361 Second Street Variance Request
4. Board Elections
5. 270 Newark Avenue Development Presentation (to be confirmed)
6. Open Forum

Zoom link for March 22, 2022 :
https://zoom.us/j/91252335585?pwd=Skd2VURjTXBsaHZMLzNtNHhxcEdrdz09

Meeting ID: 912 5233 5585
Passcode: 373595
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,91252335585 #,,,,*373595 #

The meeting will be recorded and posted on our YouTube Channel

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Virtual Village Community Meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Welcome to the neighborhood!
11/26/2021

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Save the date - in person and virtual
10/15/2021

Save the date - in person and virtual

09/03/2021

Boil water advisory through Saturday (at least)

09/02/2021

for your Ida damaged debris

09/02/2021

We all know that our neighborhood floods with much less rain - if you need help, here are some instructions:

05/31/2021

Eileen Markenstein died on August 17, 2020. She embodied the true meaning … Laura Skolar-Gamarello needs your support for The Eileen Markenstein Memorial Fund

is Thursday! A day to support and celebrate the area's nonprofits and all of the amazing work they do - please donate ...
05/12/2021

is Thursday! A day to support and celebrate the area's nonprofits and all of the amazing work they do - please donate to your favorite cause or charity, whether it's the arts, animals, kids, healthcare, homelessness or the work done by any of 81 local nonprofits.

Join me and give back!

05/03/2021

Address

365 2nd Street
Jersey City, NJ
07302

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