Constable Hook - Bayonne, NJ Area Guide

The area surrounding Kill Van Kull, one of the oldest European settlements in New Jersey, dates back to the year 1649. The cape was originally sold by the Dutch West India Company to a constable, Mr. Jacob Jacobson Roy, providing the source of the neighborhood's name. During the War of 1812, Constable Hook was a powerful industrial force providing gunpowder to the American Navy and aiding in the defense of the region. Railroad tracks were constructed through the area and the Port Johnston Coal Docks were built, turning Constable Hook into the largest and most important coal dock in the world at that time. During the World Wars, Constable's Hook became an industrial center. Home to a branch of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, the small town brought the surrounding area into relative prosperity.

Constable's Hook features a wide variety of food options, with lots of local restaurants in the area that offer unique and visionary takes on many types of cuisine, including Japanese, Thai, Italian, Greek, Chinese, and Mexican, in addition to the wealth of well-known chain options found in the Broadway district.

Volcano, a cutting-edge Asian restaurant on Broadway, provides the classic tableside hibachi spectacle, as well as a relaxed sushi bar experience. You can watch skilled chefs deftly mince vegetables, conquer smoking grills, and attempt edible acrobatics right before your eyes. If you find yourself at its opposite end, coolly sample some of the 80+ unique varieties of sushi rolls and sashimi.

A night-time hot-spot, Lot 13 Long Bar & Restaurant on Avenue E has recently started serving lunch and dinner. It's the place to go in Constable's Hook for craft beer, exotic liquors, live music, and bar food that goes above and beyond the call of duty. Prioritizing complex flavors, deco, and a selection of food that makes you think "Williamsburg," Lot 13 uses locally procured, grass-fed beef in the construction of its dishes and supports local New Jersey farmers. The Gouda mac and cheese from here remains a local favorite.

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system is the easiest way to get around Constable Hook, Bayonne, and its surrounding areas. You can find the main station at E 34th St & Ave E, with convenient stops along Avenue E at 45th, 22nd, and 8th. The HBLR gives you quick rail access to most of Bayonne, Hoboken, and Jersey City and the Hoboken Station transfer option allows you to easily access York City, northern New Jersey, southern New Jersey, and Staten Island. NJ Transit also runs a number of inter-city bus routes throughout Bayonne such as the Broadway Bus Line and the 119 and 120 lines, giving locals easy access to all other parks of the neighborhood.

Constable Hook, made up of a simple grid of intersecting, suburban streets, encourages bike travel and foot traffic to take it all in. If you need wheels, though, there are numerous cab routes in and around the area, and all the way up into Jersey City, so finding one when you need it won't prove difficult.

At the southern tip of Kill Van Kull you can find the Bayonne Bridge which cuts across the Newark Bay into Staten Island. It's the busiest through-way in the area carrying about 20,000 vehicles across it per day. Probably the most important road in the area because it quickly connects this region of New Jersey with New York, living close by makes it easy to get in and out of the city.

The 8-mile Hackensack Riverwalk runs across the contour of the Hackensack River and Newark Bay. Tourists are welcomed with open arms to walk along the waterfront and the system of well-tended verdant paths. Constable Hook itself has a great history, and spending time near the water at Newark Bay is a great way to feel connected to the pioneering early Dutch settlers of the land. The Robbins Reef Light is a must-see, an impressive radiating structure that still serves to guide harbor traffic.

Locals love Dennis P. Collins Park, located right on the water at the southern end of Constable Hook. Armed with ample parking facilities and free for all parkgoers, this park features basketball courts, tennis courts, bocce courts, and baseball fields, splash ponds and numerous playgrounds for little ones, as well as miles of walking distance and a fishing dock. In love with your canine companion? Take him/her down to the attached Sirius Dog Park. Well-loved by all mammals, the small foot park is located right under the Bayonne Bridge and provides a great time for dogs, their owners, and non-owners alike.

Adventure with the children in your family to nearby Liberty Science Center to make unforgettable memories together. The center makes science awe-inspiring and hands-on, and learning and fun go hand-in-hand here. The Liberty Science Center features a constantly rotating schedule of events and exhibits all year-round, so there's always something new to check out, bask in, touch, or play with.

Every year, the Richard L. Korpi Ice Rink opens to residents of Bayonne, encouraging you to skate the winter blues away.

Though living near the Newark Bay and Staten Island can be costly, one-bedroom apartments in Constable Hook can be rented at around $1,575 per month. The gas prices in and around Bayonne typically run 2 percent lower than the national average.

Traveling around the neighborhood on a local bus route costs $1.65 for a ride, and one-way tickets on the HBLR are $2.10. Getting across the Bayonne Bridge to the heart of culture that is NYC in a single vehicle costs you $14. When it comes to relaxation in the cape, a pint of beer can be had for as low as $3, but you're going to have to pay closer to $7 to sample some of the neighborhood's unique craft options.

You'll find Constable Hook's shopping district centralized around Broadway on the west side of town. Up and down the length of the streets there you can find restaurants, banks, pharmacies, pet stores and small, casual men's wear like Herbert's Army & Navy. Just strolling around this easily walkable boulevard might inspire you to buy something new and unexpected. When it comes to snacks, grab some freshly-baked Italian pastries on the corner of Broadway and Andrew Street at Paulanto Bakery, and after you think you've exhausted the possibilities of the variety of shops, get revitalized again at Perk Up Cafe. When locals are looking for fresh, organic groceries they head to the Bayonne Farmer's Market on West 21st Street. With healthier options and friendlier staff than in some chain supermarkets, people head here for healthy shopping and healthy eating. On the northeast edge of Constable Hook, near the greens of the Bayonne Golf Club, you can find the South Cove Commons - a convenient outdoor mall. Featuring well-known, trusted and popular brand names, the South Cove Commons mini-mall has all of the suburban mainstays - Stop & Shop for groceries, Staples for computer and office supplies, TJ Maxx, cell-service providers, tanning salons, convenient laundromats, and a smattering of restaurants, as well as Frank Theatres South Cove Stadium 12, a small, homey neighborhood movie theater.