The Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City, N.J., has undergone a renaissance—especially in the last decade with the completion of such major structures as the Goldman Sachs tower at 30 Hudson Street. Dubbed "Wall Street West" due to the number of financial institutions that line the river across from lower Manhattan, the area was expected to help lead the way for major redevelopment in the rest of the city. While this has not happened to the degree expected, locals say there are signs that development might be starting to spread.
At Saint Peter's University, located about 2 miles uphill from the river, construction is under way on a six-story, 87,800-sq-ft student center with majestic top-floor views of the Hudson to the east and Newark Bay to the west. The hope is that the center—like the 140-year-old university itself, which until last August was a college—will serve as a catalyst for further development beyond the school's borders.