Union City: Parks, Culture and Cuban Cuisine

Union City connects a ridge in the lower Palisades with parks, cultural venues and Cuban cuisine. As you plan your stay, you can choose between nature and outdoor activities, museums and theater, or culinary discoveries. These different aspects give you concrete starting points when searching for a vacation rental in Union City.

Parks and Views

Weehawken and Union City Reservoir Park encompasses a 14-acre reservoir on the Palisades. From the reservoir, you can enjoy views of the New York City skyline. The park is also well suited to morning jogs and walks. It brings together water, a striking view and opportunities for outdoor activity in one place.

Washington Park, shared by Union City and Jersey City, has a different character. Shady, winding paths are part of its appeal, as are 3.8 miles of trails for jogging or cycling. If you’d like to include exercise in your stay, you can consider this route as a park option; the trails offer space for both running and cycling.

Juan Pablo Duarte Park adds a large splash pad and playgrounds to the selection of parks. For families who want to include these amenities in their daily plans, it’s another concrete option to consider.

Museums, Theater and Local History

The William V. Musto Cultural Center brings together several forms of culture: it houses an art museum, a history museum, an art gallery and a concert hall. The art museum has a permanent exhibition featuring works by well-known regional artists as well as works by the historical artist Enid Bell. The art gallery hosts art exhibitions.

The history museum at the William V. Musto Cultural Center documents Union City from its early years as a township through the city’s establishment in 1925 and up to the present day. The Union City Performing Arts Center has a different focus: the 960-seat theater opened in 2009. Together, local history and the performing arts offer two distinct ways to shape the cultural part of your stay.

Celia Cruz Park also connects a named place with cultural memory. It was dedicated in 2004 in honor of the legendary entertainer Celia Cruz. The park also honors Latin American stars with a star on Union City's Walk of Fame. The Union City International Film Festival showcases work by independent filmmakers from around the world and includes 60 films per year. The cultural selection thus ranges from local history and art to theater, film and tributes to Latin American stars.

Cuban Cuisine and Local Traditions

El Artesano is a family-run Cuban restaurant in central Union City. Its menu features traditional dishes such as ropa vieja, lechón asado and picadillo, as well as homemade desserts. El Unico de Elena is another restaurant in Union City; its offerings include pan con mantequilla, café con leche, lechón asado, rabo encendido and Cuban sandwiches. These dishes offer a concrete sense of the range of Cuban cuisine to consider when choosing a culinary focus for your stay.

La Gran Vía Bakery is also part of the local food culture. The bakery has Cuban roots, has served the Union City community since 1981 and offers freshly baked pastries. Restaurant dishes and baked goods thus add a culinary dimension to the cultural and park offerings available during your stay.

Which Vacation Rental Is Right for Your Stay?

When looking for a vacation rental in Union City, you can start by considering which experiences you want to shape your stay: time in the parks, art and history, theater and film, or Cuban cuisine. Each of the places and offerings mentioned has its own focus.

Discover More Places

More destinations: Secaucus, Bayonne, North Bergen, Harrison, Hoboken, Weehawken and Jersey City.

Go to the main travel overview: Hudson.