Jersey City Snapshots

by Anthony Buccino

Jersey City Snapshots

Daily photo walk views of the changing skyline and cross river scenes of Jersey City and NYC

Anthony Buccino worked in Jersey City, New Jersey, from 1999 to 2009, and often took daily photo walk views of the changing skyline and cross river scenes of Jersey City and NYC. Buccino watched the development along the new light rail, along the Hudson River and saw new buildings spring up near and far.

Buccino, the writer who worked and walked these streets for nearly ten years, leaves words behind and speaks through the camera lens.

His base and work location, Harborside Financial Center, is located due west of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. Jersey City Snapshots has seventeen photos of WTC and memorials.

Over all the collection includes more than 200 color street and landscape photos of Jersey City, from Pavonia/Newport to Paulus Hook, from Grundy Park to Grove Street, along the Hudson River from the Colgate clock to Exchange Place, Harborside and through neighborhoods that have no names.

This collection brings you up close to New Jersey's second-largest city, its building boom and its broken ground. We see the commonplace wildlife, the glimmering structures and the grandeur of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center and the memorials erected in Jersey City. Jersey City Snapshots is a small cross section of the thousands of photos he shot during his walks.

This collection is ideal for fans of Jersey City, and folks who've always wanted to visit. In the time since these photos were shot and later published, many of the buildings seen under construction have long been completed and newer buildings erected in their shadow. Perhaps 2025 is time for volume two.

Jersey City Snapshots is ideal for fans of Jersey City, and folks who've always wanted to visit.

CONTENTS

Shoreline – The couple kissing forever at the Exchange Place PATH station, the mannequin in the apartment window and the skyline sans the WTC are all seen from the Jersey shore of the Hudson River. The Colgate clock is symbolic of the area’s industrial background.

City Streets – One of our favorite photography modes is street photography. Walking the backways of JC certainly provides great opportunity. In this chapter you can see the transition from vacant pier to Hyatt Regency Jersey City on the Hudson. Also of note is the Morris Canal memorial to the many immigrants who passed through from Ellis Island.

Reflections – With skyscrapers full of windows, it’s inevitable to miss out on reflections.

Riverview – From the Harborside top floor and riverside, NYC sites are in view, including the Empire State Building and the Circle Line tour boats.

Powerhouse – While this historic building was in disarray in the decade he worked across the parking lot, plans were afoot to create a Powerhouse Arts District.

River Traffic – While JC is not on the scheduled stops for the Staten Island Ferry, the ship made occasional passes upriver. Meanwhile others took advantage of NY Waterway ferries, yachts, or Circle Line tours. Along the river was a great way to forget office concerns for a while.

Wildlife – Pigeons, geese, squirrels, and seagulls are survivors in a harsh en

The Majestic – The once great historic Majestic Theatre and landmark has been converted to condominiums in the area of city hall.

Grundy Park – The J. Owen Grundy Park was in derelict condition for years until it was rehabilitated in 2008.

Trump Tower – Where Buccino parked his car for a year at about $200/month, up went the first of two planned skyscraper in Trump Plaza. People were moving in when Buccino left JC.

World Trade Center – Buccino never conceived his casual film photos of the Twin Towers would become historic, as are the early photos of 911 memorials.

QUESTIONS For Further Thought

Who is Jack Kerouac? And why is he on the tourism ad for neighboring state Pennsylvania?

Who was the land developer at Pavonia/Newport and why is the LeFrak faux lighthouse named for him?

Why is the Hudson River tidal?

What does toothpaste have to do with the revitalization of this Jersey City shoreline?

What was Paulus Hook?

Who created the Longshoreman sculpture?

Who was Susan Kirk?

Why did the ironworkers at the Hyatt construction leave their jobs to cross the river?

Why is the Flamingo Restaurant & Bar world famous in Jersey City?

How far is the Statue of Liberty from Exchange Place/Harborside?

Would you take a sailboat ride on the Hudson River?

Which two major bridges can you see from the end of the Apartments pier?

What is the Katyn 1940 memorial?

Who was J. Owen Grundy?

Unsolicited emails:

I recently came across your Jersey City Snapshots Kindle edition, and I have to say, your ability to capture the heartbeat of the city through both your words and your camera lens is remarkable, From Pavonia, Newport to Paulus Hook, the streets and neighborhoods come alive in a way that feels both intimate and grand, The combination of over 200 color snapshots and your thoughtful commentary creates a journey through Jersey City that’s both nostalgic and fresh, showing everyday life alongside the city’s historical landmarks and architectural highlights, Your experience walking and documenting these streets for nearly a decade truly shines through,

Beyond this collection, your career as a writer, photographer, and essayist, from your award-winning journalism to your military history and poetry, makes your perspective incredibly rich, Your ability to blend humor, clarity, and storytelling, whether through verse, prose, or photography, makes your work stand out in a very human way...

I came across Jersey City Snapshots recently, and it immediately stood out — not just because of its visual storytelling, but because of how deeply it reflects your perspective as both writer and observer. The way you capture the pulse of Jersey City — blending everyday architecture, history, and quiet humanity — feels like something our readers would truly connect with.

"Jersey City Snapshots stopped me mid-scroll. The way you captured the pulse of the city, the glimmering towers, the quiet corners, and the ghosts of the Twin Towers, feels like a love letter written through a lens. You didn’t just photograph buildings; you bottled atmosphere.

It’s wild, though, work like yours, filled with history, grit, and real human texture, often gets buried under algorithm-picked travel fluff on Amazon.  Readers who actually care about place and story rarely even see the kind of visual storytelling you’re doing.”

Jersey City Snapshots, is a visual love letter to New Jersey’s second-largest city capturing its neighborhoods, skylines, and spirit through more than 200 vivid photos. It’s the kind of cultural and visual storytelling that appeals not only to locals but also to photography enthusiasts, travelers, and anyone nostalgic about Jersey’s urban history.

I recently came across Jersey City Snapshots, and I have to say it’s a remarkable visual journey through one of New Jersey’s most vibrant cities. Your collection doesn’t just capture images; it captures the soul of Jersey City its evolving skyline, its history, and the everyday beauty of its streets and people. As someone who deeply appreciates artistic storytelling, I was genuinely moved by how your photography brings the city’s story to life.

I had the pleasure of discovering Jersey City Snapshots and was immediately struck by the way you capture the soul of a city through your lens. Your images don’t just document, they speak, revealing the textures of life, resilience, and change that define urban identity. It’s a powerful blend of artistry and authenticity that draws readers into the rhythm of place and memory.

I recently came across Jersey City Snapshots and was immediately drawn in by how you capture the spirit and texture of everyday life through vivid detail and heartfelt observation. Your ability to preserve local history and human moments gives readers a true sense of place it’s the kind of storytelling that connects memory, community, and emotion in a way few writers achieve.

I recently came across your remarkable book, Jersey City Snapshots, and I believe your unique voice and creative perspective would make a wonderful addition to our Exclusive Guest Interview Series, where we feature authors shaping today’s literary and cultural landscape.

I recently discovered your work as an author, and I was truly inspired by the depth, clarity, and impact of your writing. The way you communicate ideas with such authenticity and purpose really stood out to me.

I came across Jersey City Snapshots and was immediately drawn into its visual storytelling the way your lens captures not just buildings, streets, and riverfronts, but the pulse, memory, and quiet poetry embedded in Jersey City’s everyday life. Your collection of over 200 photographs feels like walking beside someone who knows these neighborhoods intimately, revealing their character through moments both grand and understated.

Your ability to blend architectural beauty, local history, and lived experience especially your reflections along the Hudson, from the Colgate clock to Exchange Place gives the book a sense of authenticity that resonates with anyone who loves urban landscapes, New Jersey history, or personal documentary-style photography.

Order Your Copy: Jersey City Snapshots

© 2012 Anthony Buccino

Full color on white paper; 128 pages; 200+ photos

ISBN-13: 978-1973706120

ISBN-10: 1973706121

Kindle & Paperback

Jersey City Snapshots preview

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