Orlando City hits the road this weekend to face off against one of the leagues most recognizable teams, the New York Red Bulls. Don’t be fooled by their name though, the Red Bulls don’t actually play in the Empire State, but rather across the river in New Jersey.
The Venue
Located in Harrison, New Jersey, Red Bull Arena is a soccer-specific stadium that can seat up to 25,000 people. Set on the waterfront, the arena is just across the Passaic River from Newark. The facility features a translucent partial roof that allowed natural light to illuminate the field during the day.
Red Bull Arena is easily accessible via mass transit. The Harrison PATH station is just three short blocks from the Arena and offers fast and convenient service to New York City and numerous locations in New Jersey. Estimated travel times are as follows:
- World Trade Center to Harrison – 20 min
- Hoboken to Harrison (Transfer at Journal Square) – 25 min
- 33rd Street to Harrison (Transfer at Journal Square) – 40 min.
Sights to See
Hoboken River Waterfront Walkway
Hoboken's waterfront is the jewel of New Jersey's "Gold Coast," which ostensibly runs from the George Washington Bridge to the Bayonne Bridge. Almost completely accessible to the public, it offers parks, playgrounds and piers and breathtaking views of Manhattan. A few parks worth mentioning: Pier A Park offers breathtaking post card worthy views of downtown Manhattan. Maxwell Place Park, also a prime waterfront location has access to a rocky beach (no swimming allowed though – as if you needed a reminder not to take a dip in the Hudson). And scenic Frank Sinatra Park features an outdoor amphitheater and is named after Hoboken’s favorite son, Ol’ Blue Eyes himself.
Elysian Fields
Only a small part of the original Elysian Fields, thought to be the site of the first organized baseball game in 1846, remains. But at the intersection of Washington and 11th streets, each of the four street corners is marked like a baseball diamond with bronze numbers and a plaque. From here, look west on 11th and you'll be staring at Hoboken as it was 100 years ago, a long block of neatly kept brownstones lining either side of a median filled with hedges and flowers.
Hoboken Historical Museum
Established in 1986, the Hoboken Historical Museum is located in what the residents call today The Shipyard, one of the celebrated old buildings on Hoboken's colorful waterfront. The building used to be the machine shop for Bethlehem Steel. The Museum is dedicated to collecting, displaying, preserving, and interpreting artifacts and oral histories both modern and historic, which reflect the city and its inhabitants. And, admission is only $4!
Restaurants and Bars
Mulligans (Hoboken)
Tailgating can be a bit tough if you don’t have a car, but since it’s Soccer Sunday why not hit up the Pub to drink Heineken and catch some other matches from around the league. A classic Irish pub, Mulligans is the best spot to pre-game before kickoff.
Old German Bakery.
Take the tourist route and pay a visit to Carlo’s Bake Shop (which is not a bad choice) or you can stray from the path and make your way to the Old German Bakery. Delight yourself with strudel, chocolate cream cake and even some coffee. Now am I an expert in German baked goods? Nein, but you need somewhere to get breakfast on game day.
Fiore Deli of Hoboken
The deli, at 414 Adams Street between Fourth and Fifth streets, has long been renown for its fresh "mutz.” Both the roast beef and the mozzarella are house-made, and the sandwich, once featured (though not by name) in the "Sandwich Day" episode of "30 Rock," is available only on Thursdays and Saturdays.
