New London, Connecticut
You might say that New London’s modern era began in the 1970s, when a group of protesters rallied in front of the historic downtown train station (designed by Henry H. Richardson) and stood down a city wrecking crew. That victory led to the city’s present-day status as, in the words of a community activist, “one of the last places with this much waterfront and this much potential.”

Like many historic coastal communities, New London struggles with competing visions of revitalization. Just a few years ago, it was at the center of the controversial Supreme Court decision allowing municipalities to use eminent domain to seize land for private development. But the furor over that decision led to the formation of a new political party—now with two seats on the city council—that’s determined to put the brakes on eminent domain and save what makes New London unique.

There’s no shortage of history here, or housing stock to go with it. Wander a few blocks off State Street, downtown’s main drag, and you’ll pass block after block of 18th- and 19th-century buildings. None of them are far from Ocean Beach (a seaside park with a boardwalk and pavilion) and the venerable Dutch Tavern, where Eugene O’Neill used to take his libations. Nearby, on the grounds of old Fort Trumbull, which once guarded a harbor forested with the masts of whaling ships, the U.S. Coast Guard is building its new museum.

And that old gem of a train station? It’s in fine shape, standing alongside a lovely waterfront park. Best of all, trains actually stop there! Amtrak’s Acela Express will get you to Boston or New York in about two hours.

what the locals know
Richard Humphreville, a New London furniture maker who has played a leading role in the city’s revitalization, is especially proud of the lively local art scene. One of his favorite galleries is the Hygienic, a onetime luncheonette whose looks are deceiving—the front room still has the original counter, stools, and coffee urns. “In the winter, the Hygienic Art Show is a major event,” says Richard, “and there are shows in the garden in summer.”

Population: 26,000
Median Home Price: $250,000
For More Info: ci.new-london.ct.us

Jersey City, New Jersey
Until recently, anyone caught using the words “Gold Coast” and “Jersey City” in the same sentence was relegated to the ranks of the seriously confused. By the 1970s, New Jersey’s second-largest city (after Newark) looked like a place that had a lot more past than future.

Today, Jersey City is all about the future, thanks largely to a simple calculation on the part of financial service titans. Peering from their Manhattan offices at the forlorn landscape across the tidal Hudson River, Wall Street’s planners did the real-estate math, and the “Gold Coast” became a reality. Out of a landscape of warehouses, riverfront factories, and abandoned rail yards grew a new urban center with office towers, retail space, and thousands of housing units located in handsome old structures and brand new buildings. It’s all practically in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, at the point where the Hudson meets Upper New York Bay.

While the renaissance in residential property recently has spread inland from Jersey City’s shoreline—even the city’s gargantuan former Medical Center, near the less attractive West Side, is being converted to luxury condos—the poshest neighborhoods are along the river and bay. Developments such as Newport and Liberty Harbor offer waterfront town houses and high-rise condos, while the under-construction Trump Plaza Jersey City is expected to contain the tallest luxury residential towers in the state. All are an easy hop from lower Manhattan via Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) subways, ferries, and (for die-hard drivers) the Holland Tunnel. Newark Liberty International Airport is only nine miles away.

Commuting convenience isn’t Jersey City’s only amenity. The new, private Liberty National golf course carpets a former waste site and features an 18th hole less than 1,000 yards from Lady Liberty’s sandals. Nearby, the Liberty Science Center (OK, the statue has exerted a numbing influence on local nomenclature) is set to reopen this July following a 100,000-square-foot expansion. And the American Podiatric Medical Association named Jersey City one of the “Best Walking Cities” in America.

All this, plus something no New York City address can offer: a view across the Hudson of New York City.

what the locals know
Joan Mara, who grew up in Jersey City and works for a prominent developer on the revitalized waterfront, advises newcomers to sample the community’s phenomenal ethnic diversity. “Check out the short stretch of Newark Avenue between Kennedy Boulevard and Tonnelle Avenue,” she says. “It’s Jersey City’s Little India—within the space of a block, you can dine alongside Indian families, order a custom-made sari, buy Indian wedding jewelry, or get a henna application.”

Population: 240,055
Median Home Price: $385,000
For More Info: cityofjerseycity.com

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