Exchange Place is a station on Jersey City’s waterfront and is the first/last station before entering Lower Manhattan. Located on the waterfront, the view of the Manhattan skyline is rather beautiful, and you also have an HBLR connection! Neat! Let’s look at this station.
The HBLR platform is rather basic but functional, with a ticketing machine, countdown clocks that are questionably accurate, and signage. It also get very busy during rush hour (I was unfortunately here during the PM peak). There’s also benches and whatnot, so there’s that. Lastly, one of the tracks has a platform on both sides, which is pretty nice and presumably helps with passenger throughput. Overall, not a bad station. There’s also buses outside on Christopher Columbus Drive.
The PATH station, while rather deep and with dubious air quality, is pretty modern otherwise. You have your countdown clocks, TAPP gates, station staff, elevators, and all that. Overall, nothing too special. But, I do like how the headhouse uses the entire first level of an office building, while remaining accessible. Maybe a few stations in Midtown can take notes. Going down to platform level, you do have two tunnels that exist. It’s deep. And the air quality absolutely blows. Like, despite the fact that (to my knowledge) no diesel trains run through here, it still was hazy as hell. Maybe that could be up to the fact it was a hot and stinky summer afternoon? Who knows. Either way, I’m surprised it didn’t set the fire alarm off.
The good: It serves a rather dense area of Jersey City – as well as the waterfront! The area in general is kinda beautiful (I wonder what it’s like now that about a foot and a half of snow has since been dumped as of the writing of this blog post). There’s also buses! Also, it’s accessible!
The bad: The air quality in the PATH station kinda sucks. The HBLR platforms are also prone to rather severe overcrowding during rush hour.
Nearby points of interest: Exchange Place itself, the Colgate Clock is close by (but Essex St. is much closer on the HBLR), and a lot of high rises. There’s also a 9/11 memorial nearby.
Transit connections:
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
PATH (Red/Newark-WTC, Green/Hoboken-WTC)
NJT bus (1, 63, 64, 68, 80, 81, 82)
Overall, it’s not a bad station. Just, one that’s REALLY, REALLY POLLUTED for PATH and gives Tracks 5/7 a run for its money.
Rating: 7/10
