Sprawling along the Hackensack River, Hackensack is a lively New Jersey city that serves as the seat of Bergen County. The area was originally home to the Lenni Lenape people before being settled by the Dutch West Indian Company in the 1630s. Hackensack is famously the birthplace of Wally Schirra, a former NASA astronaut who flew in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.
Things to do in Hackensack
On the west bank of the Hackensack River is Foschini Park, a public recreational space named after a dedicated public servant, Paul J. Foschini. It features grassy lawns and a handful of diamonds that regularly host baseball and softball games. You can stretch your legs and enjoy a cycle on the paved trail or let the kids run loose in the children’s playground.
North of Hackensack is The Shops at Riverside, a two-level shopping mall known for its high-end retail stores. In addition to Bloomingdale’s, Louis Vuitton and Williams-Sonoma, the mall is home to Sephora, Ann Taylor and Pottery Barn. The latest Hollywood films are screened at the mall’s upscale movie theatre, while dining options range from the Oceanaire Seafood Room to the Cheesecake Factory.
Travelling with kids? They’ll love spending an afternoon at the Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park where they can participate in jump classes or play dodgeball. On the other side of Hackensack is iFLY Indoor Skydiving, which replicates the experience of free falling from 14,000 feet in the safety of a vertical wind tunnel.
Getting around Hackensack
Hackensack is around 30 minutes’ drive from Newark and Newark Liberty International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Regular trains connect to the Essex Street and Anderson Street railway stations while buses travel throughout the city, connecting most of its attractions.