Just west of Jersey City, where Liberty State Park kisses the Upper Bay of the Atlantic and the Statue of Liberty looks over the city, Kearny is an industrial town. The center of town is intersected by Interstate 95 and Interstate 280, and several highways also overlap through this crossroads. With so many major arteries, Kearny has become a viable option for residents who commute to New York City, less than 10 miles away, or Newark, right next door. "It's a transportation hub," says Jan Kwapniewski, a Kearny local and Broker at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Coccia with 40 years of experience in real estate. "It attracts people who want to be close to friends and family in a convenient location next to Jersey City and Newark."
While residences and retail make up the western side of town, warehouses and industrial spaces make up the east side. Industry came to Kearny in 1875 when Scottish thread mills and linoleum factories set up shop, bringing with them an influx of Scottish and Irish immigrants. Due to this demographic’s known love for European football, Kearny has gone by its nickname, Soccer Town USA. Industry continued to thrive through the early 1900s. Kearny Works, a Western Electric manufacturing plant known for the creation of the Bell System, employed more than half of the town’s residents. More recently, Kearny has been a filming site for hit shows and movies, including 1982’s “Annie,” scenes from “The Sopranos,” and the 2022 horror flick, “Smile.” Today, this Hudson County town is home to around 42,000 residents. "Kearny is a culturally diverse town with a lot of second-generation families from different backgrounds," Kwapniewski says. "It's definitely a working-class, middle-class community."
Kearny is named for former resident and Civil War Veteran, General Philip Kearny.
Kearny Town Hall was built in 1909 and is a gorgeous centerpiece in Arlington.
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Colonial-style and contemporary homes on Kearny's west side
All of Kearny’s residences are situated on the western side of town, where homes are cozied up tightly together along gridded, sidewalk-lined streets. Most single-family homes come in Colonial-influenced styles built in the early 20th century. There are also newer contemporary tri-level homes that offer New York City skyline views. The median price for a home in Kearny is $550,000, compared to about $525,000 in the state of New Jersey and around $850,000 in New York City. Residential properties typically stay on the market for an average of 37 days. "There are a lot of multi-family properties that are owner-occupied," Kwapniewski adds. "It's a big draw for entry-level landlords."
The homes in Arlington, NJ, combine modernity with suburban charm.
Arlington's picturesque streets are lined with lovely homes.
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Pubs, boutiques and eateries along Kearny Avenue
Along with homes, retail and dining are also congregated on the west side of Kearny. Kearny Plaza Shopping Center includes Target, grocery stores, fitness studios and several chain restaurants. A couple of blocks east of this shopping plaza, Kearny Avenue features a few pubs, boutiques and a variety of locally adored eateries. Scots American Pub is the spot to watch soccer. Tops Diner is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Q-tal is an upscale establishment that serves seafood and cocktails. Where Kearny Avenue meets Harrison Avenue on the south side, Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church stands tall, featuring an interior adorned with an ornate cathedral-style ceiling and stained-glass windows.
Kearny’s western neighbor, downtown Newark, offers more retail and nightlife options. Also in Newark, University Hospital is an academic medical center with a Level I Trauma Center.
Passaic Avenue Farmer's Market is a local favorite for quality and affordability.
There is usually a lunch crowd at Arcos Pastry in Manor Section .
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Major roadways intersect in the center of Kearny
Miles of major roadways pass and intersect through the center of Kearny, including interstates 95 and 280 (also called the Essex Freeway) and routes 17 and 7 (also called Belleville Turnpike). This crossroads of highways helps residents on their 10-mile commute into New York City. The NJ Transit bus system services the town, with routes to Newark. On the east side of Kearny, there is a large railyard that acts as the main maintenance facility for NJ Transit trains. There are no passenger lines in town, but the NJ Transit light rail picks up at the Riverfront Stadium and Broad Street stations in nearby Newark. In 2024, New Jersey received $444 million in federal grants to improve the railroad infrastructure that runs through the state, which will help to develop more passenger rails and improve commutes for residents. The nearest airport, Newark Liberty International, is less than 10 miles south from the heart of Kearny.
Outdoor green spaces throughout western Kearny
There are several small pocket parks with playgrounds peppered throughout Kearny, along with a few larger, more popular green spaces on the west side of town. Kearny Riverbank Park sits on the Passaic River, offering an off-leash dog park and an archery range that doubles as a sledding hill in the winter. Close by, West Hudson Park has 46 acres of athletic courts, a playground, a splash park and walking trails. Gunnell Oval Complex features athletic facilities, a recently renovated playground and a skatepark. Located in the heart of town on Kearny Avenue, Kearny Public Library is one of New Jersey’s remaining Carnegie libraries. Inside, there is a museum that explores the history of Kearny.
Kearny Riverbank Park is the perfect spot for a stroll.
West Hudson Park offers guests beautiful views of the water and a bridge overlook.
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Kearny School District and Kearny Christian Academy
Kearny School District, which receives a B-minus from Niche, serves students living in town. The district is comprised of five elementary schools that feed into Lincoln Middle and then Kearny High. Kearny Christian Academy is a kindergarten through twelfth-grade private school with a B-plus rating.
Nearby, Berkeley College’s Newark campus specializes in healthcare and business programs, and Rutgers University’s Newark campus is dedicated to social justice.
Kearny Christian Academy is a private school serving students in Harrison, Kearny NJ.
Kearny High School gets an overall grade of B- from Niche.
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Kearny Scots and Paisley Athletic Football Club
Kearny’s historic love for soccer is kept alive through semi-professional leagues. Kearny Scots is one of the oldest soccer clubs in the country, playing in the Eastern Premier Soccer League at Harvey Field. Paisley Athletic Football Club is a women’s soccer club that plays in the United States Women’s Soccer League, with games held at the Kearny High School Stadium. For a quieter change of pace, The Newark Museum of Art is located just west of Kearny. A $10 admission allows visitors to peruse the interactive art galleries and planetarium. In 2025, plans were made to add an art center with residential units, public street art and gardens to the museum’s campus.
Highly anticipated community events in Kearny include the 4th of July Celebration, complete with live music during the day and a fireworks show at night. The Halloween Parade travels through town along Kearny Avenue, and Town Hall Park is the site of festive live music and a meet-and-greet with Santa during the holiday season.
Kearny’s Mayor joins the Halloween Parade on Kearny Avenue for a spooky celebration!
From vintage finds to collectibles, Kearny's market has it all.
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Kearny's weather patterns and crime rate
Kearny experiences all four seasons, with peak summers seeing an average daily temperature of about 75 degrees and temperatures in the winter dropping to an average daily temperature of about 45 degrees. February sees the most snowfall, with an average of around 7 inches.
According to data submitted to the FBI, the crime rate in Kearny is generally on par with the New Jersey crime rate, though the city has seen a steady increase in crimes related to theft and burglary. These crimes in Kearny have a significantly higher rate than the national average.
On average, homes in Kearny, NJ sell after 41 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Kearny, NJ over the last 12 months is $540,000, up 13% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
With only 2 years of experience in Real Estate, Blanca has had already 3 listings, this is impressive considering most agents don't have any transactions in their first year, and has sold more than $ 3.5 Millions in Real Estate. Two of the houses were sold within one week and at above asking price. Blanca does Mega Open Houses to attract the most amount of buyers for the properties.
Blanca Peereboom graduated as a Chemical Engineer from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and has a Certificate in Business Analytics from East Carolina University. She has lived in Florida, North Carolina and New Jersey. Prior to working in Real Estate, Blanca worked in the printing industry, The Netherlands Embassy and Healthcare in different roles that have required great customer service, excellent attention to detail, and negotiation skills. Those experiences have helped her as a Real Estate agent as she enjoys being of service to other people. Having personally bought and sold many homes of her own in different states gives her a particular insight that not every agent has. She enjoys helping sellers staging their houses to get top dollar for their properties. Blanca is also a HUD-registered Selling Agent.
When she is not helping customers selling or buying houses, you will find Blanca and her husband visiting museums in NYC or at the Jersey shore. She has 2 lovely daughters who study at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
