Fun Facts;
Get to Know the Real Meadowlands
Fun Fact 1: Over 280 Species of Birds reside in the Meadowlands with the Egret as the official mascot.
More than 280 bird species have been reported in the Meadowlands over the years. Because the 19,500-acre district sits along the Atlantic Flyway, it serves as a critical stopover for hundreds of migratory and wintering birds, alongside dozens of native species that breed in the wetlands
Fun Fact 2: The Statue of Liberty actually resides in NJ waters.
Geographically, the Statue of Liberty is situated in the waters of New Jersey. New Jersey retains the riparian rights to the submerged lands and surrounding waters. Because the statue is only about 2,000 feet off the coast of Jersey City, New Jersey offers some of the closest and most spectacular views of the monument.
Fun Fact 3: The New Jersey Meadowlands are called that because they originated as a vast, coastal wetland ecosystem.
Early Dutch settlers drained parts of the tidal marshes and built dikes to clear out cedar forests and grow salt hay for their livestock, literally turning the swamps into usable “meadows.”
Fun Fact 4: In the American Revolution, Historic New Bridge Landing was the site of a bridge crossing by General George Washington leading his troops in retreat on November 20, 1776.
Due to its strategic location on the narrows of the Hackensack River, New Bridge was the only river crossing for miles and functioned as a bustling commercial hub for farmers, merchants, and stagecoaches. During the American Revolution, the site served as an encampment, battleground, intelligence-gathering post, and fort in every year of the war.
Fun Fact 5: Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus, NJ, is home to “Snake Hill,” an imposing 150-foot rock formation widely celebrated in local lore as the inspirational rock behind the Prudential “Rock” Insurance Company logo.
In the 1890s, an advertising executive reportedly passed the rugged, 203-foot outcrop on a train and used its imposing silhouette as the foundation for the corporate symbol.
Fun Fact 6: Fort Lee, NJ was the birthplace of the American motion picture industry.
Fort Lee was the center of American cinema, housing major studios such as Universal, Fox, and Solax. Between 1909 and the 1920s, Fort Lee was the go-to location for filmmakers. Because early movie production was heavily concentrated in New York City, companies quickly crossed the river to take advantage of Fort Lee’s expansive backlots and dramatic natural landscapes, like the cliffs of the Palisades.
Fun Fact 7: Kearny, NJ was the birthplace of Soccer. (Known as “Soccer Town, USA,” Kearny, New Jersey is the cradle of American soccer.)
The sport was introduced to the area in the mid-1870s by Scottish and Irish immigrants who were brought to the region to work in the local thread and linen mills. These immigrant communities organized some of the first true competitive soccer clubs in the United States.
Fun Fact 8: Baseball originated in Hoboken, NJ.
Baseball’s modern rules and first recorded match originated in Hoboken, New Jersey. On June 19, 1846, the Knickerbocker BaseBall Club played the New York Nine at the Elysian Fields. You can still visit the historical area today. Permanent bronze plaques and base markers noting where the original Elysian Fields sat are located near the intersection of Washington Street and 11th Street.
Fun Fact 9: In 1976, The Meadowlands Sports Complex was developed with the opening of the Meadowlands Racetrack and a month later, Giants Stadium.
The complex, located in East Rutherford, NJ, replaced marshland to lure professional sports teams across the river. The Meadowlands Sports Complex was built in stages, with the concept originating in 1971. The complex was expanded with the addition of the Brendan Byrne Arena in 1981 and the current MetLife Stadium, which replaced Giants Stadium in 2010.
Fun Fact 10: In July of 1981, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band opened the Brendan Byrne Arena with 6 historic shows.
Opened on July 2, 1981 the Arena, was originally built to accommodate the New Jersey Nets basketball team. The NJ Nets played there for 29 years.
Fun Fact 11: Union City, NJ is known as the Embroidery Capital of the World.
Union City earned this moniker due to its booming lace and textile manufacturing industry from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Driven by German and Swiss artisans who brought over massive, heavy-duty embroidery machines, the industry thrived because Union City’s solid bedrock could anchor the vibrating equipment.
Fun Fact 12: The very first Shopping Mall in NJ was Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, opened as an outdoor strip mall in 1957.
Developed by R.H. Macy & Co., it originally featured open-air sidewalks and a Bamberger’s anchor. Over the decades, it evolved into an enclosed, 2.1 million-square-foot mega-mall.
Fun Fact 13: Rutherford, NJ nicknamed, “borough of Trees” was named after US Senator, John Rutherfurd.
Senator John Rutherfurd, famously mapped out Manhattan’s original street grid. A prominent U.S. Senator representing New Jersey in the late 1700s, he owned extensive land in the town. The town’s spelling was slightly altered to “Rutherford” during the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes.
Fun Fact 14: The Meadowlands is home to five (5) traditional Diners on New Jersey’s 41 greatest diners list.
Colonial Diner, Lyndhurst, Arlington Diner, North Arlington, Tick Tock Diner, Clifton
Chit Chat Diner, Hackensack, White Manna, Hackensack