Mind the gap! The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway still has a few detours left

Golf, said Mark Twain, is a good walk spoiled.

The same might be said about the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.

It's a good walk spoiled, to be specific, by seven gaps that still interrupt its 15½ mile length as it meanders from the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee to Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

So announced the Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy July 1 in its progress report on the 40-year ongoing project to reclaim one of the most stunning parts of the Jersey landscape for pedestrians: the riverfront with its breathtaking views of Manhattan.

More: We covered the waterfront: A trip down NJ's 18-mile walkway

"People who live in Manhattan don't realize it's better to live in New Jersey and look at the city," said Don Stitzenberg, spokesman and past president of the conservancy. "If you're looking to combine beauty in the form of the New York City skyline, with exercise and outdoor energy and all the benefits of a waterfront and combine them all into one experience, that's the Walkway."

Right of way

There are so many things to see on the Walkway: parks, soccer fields, the famous Colgate Clock in Jersey City, an entire outdoor gymnasium in Edgewater, views of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. And not least, the old crumbling docks and piers that are the lonely ghosts of Jersey's past.

The ultimate goal of the conservancy, founded in 1984, is to have an unobstructed 15-plus mile promenade for walkers, bikers, joggers and scooter-riders to enjoy, without ever having to leave sight of the river and that amazing skyline.

The problem is that the Walkway wanders through eight municipalities: Fort Lee, Edgewater, North Bergen, Guttenberg, West New York, Weehawken, Hoboken and Jersey City (a ninth, Bayonne, will eventually be added to the mix).

And sometimes, it wanders over private property. Private, as in, "No Trespassing."

Through a mix of negotiations and lawsuits, the conservancy has been winnowing down the breaks in the esplanade. Since the last time we caught up with them, in 2019 , they have reduced the number from about 14 to half that.

Remaining obstacles

Pedestrians will still find themselves making detours in seven places:

• Liberty Harbor North, in Jersey City, contains a half-mile gap that has to be walked around. This is expected to be fixed when residential buildings at the shoreline are completed, around 2030.
• Union Dry Dock, in Hoboken, is a crumbling remnant of city's old shipping industry (as seen in the 1954 film "On the Waterfront"). It, too, is expected to be brought into compliance within six years. In the meantime, the several hundred yards can be bypassed by using Sinatra Drive.
• Weehawken Park contains a gap of 100 yards, due to be bridged within the next two years. Pedestrians can use Port Imperial Boulevard to go around it.
• Riverview Residential, in North Bergen, is the construction site of a future housing complex. It includes a 200-yard gap, closed to the public. The conservancy has brought suit against the developer. Until that's settled, you can use River Road as a detour.

• The Quanta Superfund Site in Edgewater is place you might prefer not to stroll though — even if it were permitted. A temporary walkway is planned to help pedestrians through the 200 yards in question (the site has been declared void of human health risks by the EPA). That could be completed in 2026. Meanwhile, use River Road.
• The site of the former Hess Oil Tank Farm in Edgewater, at 615 River Road, has a several hundred yard gap that is off-limits. The conservancy has brought suit against the developer. For the time being, promenaders can use River Road as an alternate.
• The Admiral's Walk Condominiums in Edgewater have several hundred yards of waterfront that are open only to residents and registered guests. A lawsuit, brought against Admiral's Walk, has been settled in the conservancy's favor; a permanent public walkway is expected to be built by 2025. Meanwhile, use River Road.

If all goes well, Stitzenberg said, the Walkway should be cleared of all gaps and obstructions by about 2030. The key part of it, anyway.

There is a final 3 miles, south of Jersey City, that is more daunting. It's open to pedestrians only in certain spots.

"The remaining piece, the city of Bayonne, still has active facilities on the waterfront, ports and tank farms and so on," Stitzenberg said. "We might be looking at 45, 50 or 100 years before that's completed."

Easy access points for the Walkway

Technically, the Hudson River Walkway can be accessed anywhere along its 18-mile length. But some places are easier than others — and there is also the issue of parking. For the uninitiated, Stitzenberg suggests a couple of easy access points.

• Edgewater Commons Shopping Center : 555 New River Road, Edgewater.
• Edgewater Harbor Shopping Center : 15 Somerset Lane, Edgewater. Walk south along the newest area of the Walkway.
• Port Imperial, Weehawken : 4800 Avenue at Port Imperial, Weehawken. This is about mid-point on the route; walk south to the Weehawken 9/11 memorial.
• River Street, Hoboken : 333 River St., Hoboken. Visit the parks on Pier A and C; walk south on the Walkway through Hoboken Train Station into Jersey City.
• Exchange Place, Jersey City : 10 Exchange Place, Jersey City. Best place to view the World Trade Center, also a short distance south to Veteran's Park and the Colgate Clock.
• Liberty State Park, Jersey City : 200 Morris Pesin Drive, Jersey City. This is the place to see the New Jersey 9/11 Memorial, the Liberty Science Center, and get good views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Mind the gap! The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway still has a few detours left