Jersey City, New Jersey although it is actually considered part of the New York metropolitan area. Jersey City is situated between the Upper New York Bay and Newark Bay, the Hudson River and the Hackensack River. Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County in New Jersey State. Based on the Census of the year 2010, the population of Jersey City was 247,597. It ranked as the 2nd biggest city in the state of New Jersey.
Jersey City is an important transportation terminus serving as a port of entry with significant rail connections and 18km or 11 miles of waterfront. Jersey City also serves as a manufacturing and distribution hub for the main ports of New Jersey and the Port of New York. Jersey City has developed to become among the country's biggest downtown areas because several service businesses have played a major role in the redevelopment of the waterfront real estate.
Jersey City is in an area which was initially explored by Henry Hudson in the year 1609. Henry Hudson was an English navigator who was funded by the Dutch East India Company. During 1630, a permanent settlement was pioneered there by an agent of the Dutch West India Company called Michael Pauw. Even today, the city maintains its early influence with an abundance of streets with Dutch names all around Jersey City.
Initially, the area was referred to as Paulus Hook, named after Michael Paulusen, amongst the first governors. During 1820, the city became incorporated as Jersey City, while it was still a part of the township known as Bergen. During the year 1838, it was reincorporated and during that time, the city became independent and given its current name of Jersey City. The population grew tremendously between 1860 and 1870, more than four times. The economic strength of the region was because of the consolidation of various municipalities into the city in addition to the emerging factories.
In 1916, a major event took place when German saboteurs exploded railway cars loaded with ammunition into the city's Black Tom Island. These explosions caused loss of property projected in the millions. Jersey City had reached a healthy level of prosperity since it offered a great alternative for those businesses looking to escape the exorbitant business costs connected with New York City.
There are a lot of shopping districts in Jersey City. A lot of these shopping areas are comprised of the traditional major streets for their respective neighborhoods like for example West Side, Danforth and Central avenues. The main commercial district is considered to be Journal Square and the regional shopping area is Newport Mall. In these locations, employment is encouraged within the Zone and individuals who shop can take advantage of a lessened tax rate. Like for instance, in the Zone, the sales tax is lessened to 3.5% rather than the regular 7% which is the standard charged across New Jersey state.
There are a few business headquarters within Jersey City such as Lord Abbett, a privately held money management company, and Verisk Analytics. Other businesses have operations in the city like for instance ADP, Computershare, ICAP and Fidelity Investments, along with others.