McGarvey’s Words

You are bargain hunters, at least some of you, and so you've been emailing me with questions about how to use Jersey City to beat the high cost of travel to New York City. Here's my firm position: anybody who can do simple arithmetic and who is paying with his/her own money (or from a sharply limited t&e fund, and aren't they all today?), will look at the numbers and stay in Jersey City, about one and one-half miles from lower Manhattan, perhaps 20 minutes on the PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson trains that cost $1.50 per ticket, a half buck less than the NYC subway). The beauty of the PATH is that, no fuss, no hassle, it offers six Manhattan stops, from West 33rd street to the World Trade Center (no misprint. The station there was closed for two years; it re-opened a few months ago).

Do the math: how long does it take to get from the Upper Westside, Central Park, etc. to Wall Street? That's right. If you are going anywhere near Wall Street or Greenwich Village or Chelsea, PATH is the odds on favorite to get you there pronto.

Do the math: New York City hotel rooms are subject to a discordant medley of taxes that amount to about 15.25 percent on top of already stratospheric room rates. In Jersey City, the various taxes add up to about eight (8) percent -- a tad over half the NYC tax.

Do the math: In Jersey City, business travelers have a choice of four suitable hotels -- Doubletree, Hyatt, Courtyard, Candlewood Suites. Rates range from perhaps $100 per night up to $300 but that high rate rarely is charged. Figure well under $200 most nights -- and you know the kind of dump $200/night buys in Manhattan. In Jersey City, that buys a room in a clean, new hotel that is a very short walk from the PATH, five to ten minutes away on foot, max. Parking might nick you another $10/night. High-speed Internet is available -- charges might be $10/night. Do the math: for under $250/night, taxes included, you have a big room, with Internet access and parking. You'd be pressed to match that deal for $375 in Manhattan.

Oh...and the Jersey City hotels all offer spectacular views of the Hudson River and lower Manhattan. From the Empire State to the island's tip, you'll see the entire shoreline. No extra charge. Just ask for a river view room. When was the last time you had a Manhattan room that offered a view of anything besides dumpsters in an alley?

Do the math: the Jersey City hotels are in a special sales tax zone where most purchases are taxed just 3% (as opposed to 8+% in NYC). Pop into Staples or the UPS Store (both conveniently in the area) and you pay just 3% tax. Way cool.

Do the math: dinner for two in Jersey City eateries rarely costs over $100, wine and tip included, and believe this: you have tasty choices. Like what? A personal favorite is Pronto Cena, maybe five minutes on foot from the Hyatt (10 from the Doubletree). Chef-owner Charles Moschini says he delivers "a taste of Tuscany" and, for sure, he serves up creative, flavorful dishes, from wild boar risotto to fresh fish and pizza. Whenever I cross the Hudson to eat in Manhattan Italian eateries, I kick myself because Pronto Cena is better at half the price.

Craving sushi? Stop by Komegashi, with two locations in Jersey City's weaterfront district. Both serve up sushi, sashimi, Japanese beer, and observant service.

Want hipper? Head to Marco and Pepe, across from City Hall in the trendy downtown area. Still only about a 10 to 20 minute walk from the hotels, this eatery is in a section of the city that is rebounding after generations of neglect. Several Indian restaurants are also downtown, but cool Marco and Pepe is winning the rave reviews. Prices are extraordinary. Good steak frites for $15. A knockout marcaroni and cheese for $17. And we even found a drinkable wine on the list for $20.

Want still different? Right on Washington Bl's "restaurant row," minutes from the Courtyard and the Doubletree, are Irish, (Dorrian's), Indian (Cafe Spice), pizza (Bertucci's), Chinese (Confucius), Mexican (Ole) A little further afield is Edward's Steak House -- but get there via the convenient light rail, which will pick you up at within a few feet of any of the hotels and deposit you within a football field of Edward's. Folks at the Hyatt also can use light rail to be deposited within feet of "restaurant row."

Do the math: on a two night business trip to New York, with stays in Jersey City, you'd be hard pressed to spend $500, all inclusive. Remember, too, that Jersey City is just a few miles from Newark Airport and, conveniently, PATH has inauguarated new service that links the airport with the PATH. Land at Newark and well before 60 minutes tick away you'll be snug in your hotel room along the Hudson in Jersey City.

Is there anything else to do in Jersey City? You bet. The Statue of Liberty is a couple hundred yards off the coast and it will be re-opening soon. Ellis Island, which I see from my office windows (and, in a delicious irony, that is where my fatther's parents first touched US soil, in 1900 and 1904), is open for visitors who want to know more about the immigrant past. But for me, the greatest activity in Jersey City is walking -- and a recent study just named it as one of the nation's best walking towns. Walk along the waterfront -- there's a nice path that runs for a mile or two -- and the Manhattan view is splendid. It's all the more splendid because this is free for you, but how much are the folks on the other side of the river paying to look at you?

Oh, by the way, Jersey City even has the imprimatur of New York's Village Voice -- read the story here. The New York Times also has nice things to say about Jersey City, which, for the record, is the state's second largest city but is the strong favorite to be the biggest in the 2010 census.

And big news for smokers (Graydon Carter, are you listening) -- smoking is legal in Jersey City bars and restaurants. A few (Marco and Pepe, for instance) banish puffers to the sidewalk, but most set aside a smoking section. Annoying? As a non-smoker for all of four years (and a two pack a day man for decades before I quit), I cannot say the smokers bother me in the slightest. Suck it in, lads and lassies!

Bottomline: Your CFO says your company cannot afford to send you on a trip to NYC? Just send him a link to this column and advise him to do the math. Jersey City is Manhattan at a discount -- and everybody who comes to New York of course wants a deal. Only chumps pay full price. And now you know where to score your discount. Do the math.

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About Robert McGarvey

Author of How to Dotcom (Entrepreneur Press), and a onetime columnist for BizTravel.com, Jersey City-based McGarvey is a frequent contributor to dozens of magazines, ranging from Selling Power to American Way, and Rutgers. He has also contributed to Harvard Business Review. For the past five years, he has served as "The Ombudsman" for PORTHOLE Cruise Magazine. Still curious about McGarvey? Read up on him here.

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