Secaucus - 4th of July bike ride

Published 2025-07-06

tag(s): #pic #bike-rides

This Friday the weather went from "scorching hot" to "tolerable summer heat", and Juan and I took the chance to have a bike ride together.
The Secaucus greenway is a 1.6 mile trail that borders the Hackensack river, going over the marsh in a boardwalk, and passing through a few small parks. The trail ended and we rode some more on the streets, and then head back home. Probably 4-5 miles total.
A far cry from the longest rides we did in Denver (25 miles or so). It was nice to ride together again, we'll get there.

After we came back, I wanted to go some more, and left to Laurel Hill Park, on the other side of town. All the pictures below are from the solo ride.

Riding through the warehouse side of Secaucus, through closed office buildings and empty parking lots, wide streets with no trucks, was slightly eerie. And fun.

A train yard seen from
    a distance.
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Maybe it is obvious to all locals, but ever since moving to the New York metro area I've been surprised by how many industrial areas there are. One time Juan and I went to Coney Island[1], part of the way by bus because of F train track maintenance, and Brooklyn had so many places that looked like the area I grew up in: tons of mechanical shops, for cars and industrial machines.
If you think about it, it is obvious: the city can't be only financial stuff and Broadway. At least not in the 1900s to the 50s.
Another angle of this is also that the NY/NJ harbor complex is huge, and of course you gotta move those goods. There's a ton of cargo train tracks, everywhere.

New Jersey turnpike bridge, over the Hackensack river.
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Probably the only cool thing about Jersey City (my experience, of course) was seeing so many cool bridges crossing the river. Lots of iron structures.
In comparison, this NJ Turnpike crossing is pretty bland. Although the cool old-timey tracks below it make up for it. It will be converted to a pedestrian trail crossing, which sounds super cool.

The Hackensack river with some high voltage towers in the background.
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In the foreground some tree branches, the Upper Hack Lift crossing in the background.
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The bridge in the background is the Upper Hack Lift.

Some geese in the middle of a tree-lined road, a high tension tower in the background.
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Passenger train tracks, heading into the Secaucus Junction station.
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These are all the train tracks heading into Secaucus Junction. Behind these signs, the tracks divide, one going into the Upper Hack Lift pictured above (I rode almost to the bridge) and the other heading to a different line.
I plan to go train watching here with the kiddo :D

Footnotes
  1. In the middle of the winter. Just because we wanted to visit two of the stations. I guess we are...peculiar :)

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