Moving to Hoboken? The First Things to Do ASAP, According to the HG Team

Shh, don’t tell our other brands, but Hoboken might just be the best place to live in New Jersey. From endless restaurants boasting flavors from around the world to one-of-a-kind boutiques on every corner to social groups galore for every interest, everything you could ever need is provided in just one square mile. If you’re planning on moving to Hoboken, we’ve got a whole list of everything you need to know. Read on for a list of things to do ASAP when moving to Hoboken, New Jersey.

The Essentials

1. Get a Hoboken Public Library card.
2. Get to know your local grocery stores early. Trader Joe’s, Acme, and ShopRite can get packed later in the day, especially on Sundays + Mondays.
3. Learn about local farmers’ markets in the area if it’s in season.
4. Buy a wheeled cart for groceries.
5. Download the Hop Fastpass app to get free shuttle service around Hoboken and avoid the regular bus + Uber fares.
6. Make friends with the workers at your nearest deli.
7. Find someone you trust to leave a spare key with (you’ll thank yourself later).
8. See if your property is located in a FEMA flood zone and what to do if so.
9. Before you move in — over a month ahead if you can — try to figure out the parking pass situation. Also, register your car at your Hoboken address. It will make your life so much easier when parking, with two sides of the street as a parking option, instead of just one (Residential + Permit).
10. Figure out which airport will be your home base.
11. Utilize local home organizers. We recommend Sorted by Snow.
12. Find people for the beauty trifecta (nails, hair, + eyebrows).
13. Find your medical professionals before you need them.
14. Explore the local transit options — PATH, bus, ferry, light rail — and see where they take you. There are often cheaper and more sustainable ways to get around beyond Uber/Lyft.
15. If you’re old enough, consider taking advantage of senior fares on the MTA, museums in Manhattan, and other attractions.
16. Stay up-to-date on all the local happenings in the area (on the HG events calendar).
17. Sign up for Nixle alerts.
18. Connect with local officials and get to know who your leaders are. Knowing voting locations, where City Hall is, or how to contact council people are all helpful to find out before you officially need that information.
19. Learn the street cleaning schedule if you are doing resident street parking. The schedule can be found here. P.S.: If you ever forget which street you parked your car on, Apple Maps has a feature that shows you where you parked.
20. Sign up for The Hoboken Girl newsletter and follow on socials, of course.

Read More: 40 Annual Events That All Hoboken + Jersey City Residents Should Know About

Social Activities

1. Find your go-to takeout spot — something like a fitness spot, coffee shop, and/or bar hangout —and the vibe you enjoy.
2. Find local content creators who have the same interests as you and see where they practice your favorite hobbies.
3. Look at the calendars of events for the Hoboken Historical Museum, Symposia, Little City Books, the free Fitness in the Park program, and Liberty State Park in Jersey City to pack your first few months with free activities where you can meet your new neighbors and future friends.
4. Stroll along the Hudson River and revel in the fact that no one on the other side has our iconic view. 
5. Consider taking the ferry at least once a week, especially if you live somewhere where ferry travel is a humdrum norm.
6. Schedule regular day trips out of our exciting urban density and into nature, where you can discover beautiful beaches and tranquil forests within an hour’s car/train ride.
7. Live like a tourist for the first few weeks: try the trendy spots, soak in the views, and relish the newness of this incredible place.
8. Finding your third space/community can be so powerful. We have such an incredible community around here, from the Sober-Curious community to places like YogaRenew and Project Sculpt, and we even have incredible co-working spaces like AndCo in Jersey City.
9. Find a go-to local restaurant + coffee shop where you can start to feel recognized by the staff.
10. Walk the entire Hoboken waterfront. It’s a great way to get your bearings in the community and realize that Hoboken has the best views of New York City.
11. Many fitness studios and activities have introductory deals to get you started. Try out a ton before committing, since there is so much to do. The HG team used to try one new studio every few months to figure out what we liked.
12. Even if you don’t drink or care about football, there is something about the energy of the first Sunday of football in Hoboken. Go for a walk or grab some wings, and you’ll see TVs outside and people cheering. It feels like the unofficial welcome back to Hoboken party after the summer. Early September is also peak-perfect weather.
13. Get involved in the community, whether that’s through intramural sports, community service, book clubs, run clubs —anything that interests you. Even though Hoboken is geographically small, there are endless possibilities when it comes to being an active member of the community.
14. Hoboken has a lot of DIY/hobby-centered businesses (pottery, dance studio, etc.). Trying one of these is a great way to meet new people.

For Parents

1. Plan to visit your child’s new school and meet with teachers. Meet other parents in your child’s class and join the WhatsApp parents chat.
2. Find local activities and programs for kids. Join Facebook groups for Hoboken parents. (We recommended the HG Facebook group, of course.)
3. Find your favorite parks + splash pads around town.
4. Visit the Hoboken Historical Museum, meet the staff, and learn about kid-friendly events.

See More: Moving to Montclair? Here is Everything You Need to Know

Follow @thehobokengirl on Instagram + TikTok for the latest Hoboken and Jersey City updates, sign up for our weekly newsletter here that shares everything you missed each week, and check out our events calendar, which has over 100+ events weekly to peruse.