Union City, New Jersey
After living in Union City for over eight years, I realized there was always something to notice if I slowed down a bit.
This collection came from walking around the neighborhood, sketchbook in hand, and getting curious about the places I passed all the time. Old theaters turned into markets. Churches tucked into busy streets. Storefronts, signs, lamps, food trucks, and building details that quietly add to the character of the city.
A lot of these sketches started with a walk, then turned into a little research, an old photo, or a conversation with someone local. Together, they became a way for me to learn more about the place I called home for years.
Just off Union City’s busy main streets, little surprises like this are easy to find. These colorful apartments on 38th Street bring so much personality to the block, with each one adding its own bit of charm.
They add a little brightness to the block, the kind you might miss if you’re rushing past.
Colorful Apartments on 38th Street
38th Street, Union City, NJ
This old 1906 building near 38th Street and Kennedy Blvd has the kind of details that make you stop and wonder. The year is still right there on the facade, but the building itself keeps most of its story pretty quiet.
A local once told me it may have been a small pottery factory back in the 80s, though I’m not totally sure what it’s used for now. Even without knowing the full story, the date on the facade gives the whole building a little mystery.
1906 Building near 38th Street and Kennedy Blvd
38th Street and Kennedy Blvd
I found a vintage photo of this same corner at 32nd Street and Bergenline Ave from the 1940s, and had to sketch it from the same angle.
Some things have changed. The streetcar is gone, the storefronts are different, and the street feels a little busier now. But that beautiful corner building is still there, and somehow, so is the old liquor sign.
I love how much has changed here, and how much still feels familiar once you compare the two views.
Bergenline Ave and 32nd Street
32nd Street and Bergenline Ave
Before it became City Fresh Market, this building on 32nd Street was home to the Lincoln Theatre. It opened in 1916 and once seated more than 1,700 people, which is pretty wild to imagine now.
The theater closed in the early 1970s, and today the space has taken on a completely different life, with a grocery store on the ground floor and a restaurant and event space above. The building has changed a lot, but that upper facade still gives away a bit of its old theater life.
The Old Lincoln Theatre
518 32nd Street, Union City
Before it became Mercado de Las Americas, this Bergenline Avenue building had a whole other life as a neighborhood theater. It first opened in 1926 as the Temple Theatre, then later became the Cinema Theatre before eventually turning into the flea market it is today.
The old marquee is gone, but the building still carries some of its theater charm, especially along the upper facade.
The Old Cinema Theatre
4534 Bergenline Ave
Cortaditos quickly became one of my favorite coffee spots in the neighborhood. Opened on Park Avenue, it brought a fresh little Cuban coffee and eatery space to Union City, with good coffee, sweet treats, and a warm neighborhood feel.
Not every place has to be old to feel worth sketching. Some just have a good energy from the start.
Cortaditos Union City
4501 Park Avenue
This building is one of the last visible pieces of the old Daniel Bermes Boulevard Brewery, which operated in Union City from the 1850s to the late 1890s. At its height, the brewery took up a full city block near 45th Street and Park Avenue, back when the area was home to a growing German immigrant community.
Today, most of the brewery is gone, but this red brick building still remains, clock tower and all. The missing clock almost makes the tower more interesting, like the building is still holding onto part of its old job.
The Old Daniel Bermes Boulevard Brewery
4407 Park Avenue
Holy Family Catholic Church has been part of Union City’s skyline since 1887, back when 35th Street was still known as Jefferson Street. Built in the Gothic Revival style with local Palisade bluestone and brownstone trim, it’s the kind of building that still makes you look up.
The church, rectory, Columbus Hall, and Holy Family School are all close by too, giving this corner that old neighborhood feel. With its tall steeple and stone details, it still has a strong presence on the block without needing much explanation.
Holy Family Catholic Church
530 35th Street
Looking south along Bergenline Avenue from 34th Street, you can still feel how this stretch has always been a busy part of Union City life.
The old photo shows the area around 1900, back when Bergenline was still known as Spring Street and 33rd Street was Kossuth Street. The storefronts have changed, and the old theater marquee is long gone, but the street still has that same everyday energy, lined with shops, small businesses, and people passing through.
Bergenline Ave and 34th Street
Looking south along Bergenline Ave
This busy corner of Bergenline Ave and 35th Street was once part of A. Holthausen, a well-known department store in Union City. A lot has changed since then. The old sign is gone, Burger King and other shops have moved in, and the top of the building looks different now.
But those three arches are still there, which makes the building easy to spot if you know what you’re looking for. Those arches do a lot of quiet work. They’re easy to miss, but once you notice them, the building feels a little more layered.
Old A. Holthausen Buildings on Bergenline Ave
Bergenline Ave and 35th Street
If you look up while walking along Bergenline Ave, you’ll spot little architectural details that are easy to miss from the sidewalk. This carrying post sits high on a building near 46th Street, right around the entrance into Union City.
I’m not sure exactly when the building was built, but it still has a mix of apartments and local shops, with this weathered little figure holding its place above it all. I probably would’ve missed it too if I hadn’t been looking up.
Carrying Post on Bergenline Ave
Near Bergenline Ave and 46th Street
These street lamps show up all along Union City, especially down Bergenline Ave. Some have the UC initials worked into the design, and some don’t, which makes them fun to notice once you start paying attention.
They’re not the kind of thing most people stop for, but they add a lot to the feel of the street. A small detail, but definitely part of Bergenline’s everyday character.
Street Lamps Along Bergenline Ave
Bergenline Ave