Sarah Griesbach 
At only four-blocks-wide Guttenberg, New Jersey, is the teeny tiniest of municipalities. Nestled between West New York to the south and both North Bergen and Edgewater to the north, this neighborhood packs a seriously high number of residents. Read on to learn all about this small but mighty Hudson River hometown.
What’s in a Name?
The Wikipedia page for Guttenberg erroneously translates the name of the municipality to “good town.” Town, however, is burg in German. Berg actually translates to mountain, and that works for our local Guttenberg as the Palisades cliffs define the landscape of the mini-township. That same Wikipedia site suggests that the place name could have been chosen to honor Johannes Gutenberg, famous for his printing press. The discrepancy in T’s should be overlooked as 15th-century spelling — along with all spelling before the 20th-century — was inconsistent. The local pronunciation of Guttenberg uses a soft /ǔ/ like “uh” as in “follow your gut.”
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Small but Mighty
Place name trivia aside, Guttenberg, NJ’s origin story starts in 1853 with a William Cooper selling his farm to the New York real estate investors who ran the Weehawken Land and Ferry Association.. At the time, township demographics were heavily German. In the 2020 Census, Guttenberg was revealed to be the most densely populated municipality in the US. The mostly vertical town is actually one of the most densely populated municipalities worldwide. Only four blocks wide north to south, much of the Guttenberg’s population is located in the massive Galaxy Towers Condominium complex.
The Galaxy of Guttenberg
Three octagonal 44-story towers and two 16-story buildings rise up and through the Palisades cliffs from the Hudson River. These are the Galaxy Tower, home to more than 1,000 Galaxy condo units. The Galaxy Mall is located at the heart of the complex and serves as something of a community center for all of Guttenberg. The Town of Guttenberg Resource Center, lodged at the Galaxy Mall’s core, shares space with a public library that has computer access, work space, as wells as youth, adult, and senior programs plus with all the essentials our libraries provide us.
Sublime Dance Company | 7000 Kennedy Boulevard
Nestled in the Galaxy Mall is a darling dance studio where children and adults get their groove on. Laughter and big smiles are a natural byproduct of Sublime Dance and fitness classes. Instructor Alexis Gonzalez provides everything from wedding dance workshops to Zumba to kids’ ballet to competitive dance instruction.
Galaxy Shoe Repair | 7000 Kennedy Boulevard
Finding an old-school brick-and-mortar shoe repair shop is no small feat. Galaxy Shoe Repair in Guttenberg’s Galaxy Mall is not only old-school but old-world. The repair shop is run by supremely capable craftsmen whose services are provided at utterly affordable prices. Those in the know have no excuse for discarding their well-loved kicks until they’ve undergone at least a few rounds of sole and seam replacement.
Café Overdose | 7000 Kennedy Boulevard
The Galaxy Mall’s Café Overdose serves up a wild array of sweets and savories. The menu is a scrumptious smorgasbord of delights derived from several cultural cuisines. Typical pizza toppings are served alongside a Lebanese-style thin crust pizza topped with labneh and mozzarella cheese glazed with honey and pecans and a Tikka Masala pizza with topping choices that include shrimp and paneer. The entrees are numerous and as varied, and the drinks menu runs the gamut of nonalcoholic beverages ranging from dragon fruit boba to Turkish coffee and Affogato. This menu is a trip. A delicious trip.
Guttenberg Arts | 6903 Jackson Street
Guttenberg Arts is a nonprofit art space with a big heart. This welcoming interdisciplinary arts center organizes residencies, workshops, and classes with a capacity for printmaking, ceramics, painting, drawing, sculpture, and even a community Guttengarden. They host regular exhibition openings and a plethora of other special events, so be sure to consult the calendar when in the area.
Rumba Cubana + Las Chicas | 6909 Kennedy Boulevard
Just outside and across the street from the Galaxy Mall sit two restaurants with sought-after fare accompanied by a fab Manhattan view. Rumba Cubana is a family-owned, local chain eatery. Touting an expansive authentic Cuban menu and valet parking, a reservation is recommended. Next door, Las Chicas Bakery is another family-owned local chain, celebrating traditional Uruguayan and Armenian cuisine.
Lotus Thai Cuisine | 7007-09 Park Avenue
Lotus Thai on Park Avenue — the Main Street of Guttenberg — does standard Thai dishes well. Some of their less frequently seen menu items include a martini glass of crispy shrimp, crispy chive cakes, vegetable curry puffs, several duck dishes, and a variety of seafood entrees.
Lau’s Wine Bar | 6913 Park Avenue
Datenight cosy calls for dinner and drinks at Lau’s Wine Bar. Warm lighting and well-worn wood make this spot feel familiar from the first visit. It’s a “where everybody knows your name” kind of place with an extensive menu featuring specialty tapas like ceviche, garlic parmesan yuca, and tostones. The large plate entrees pack a punch, like thr seafood jambalaya and heavy meat menu. The bar fare is equally generous and generally does not disappoint.
In Bloom Floral Design | 6900 Park Avenue
In October, Elena Eresko will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of her pretty flower shop, In Bloom Floral Design. During that decade, Elena has watched new buildings go up and many positive changes that make her happy about her choice to set up business in Guttenberg. She’s happy to see city improvements in the area but finds that fewer customers come by randomly relative to those who find her cheery store by word-of-mouth recommendations.
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A View-Centered Town
A visitor to Guttenberg would be hard-pressed to find a city block without a view. From the waterfront community at the town’s bottom to the top of the Palisades, every place is a good spot for catching dramatic vistas of the Hudson River and the NYC skyline.
