Hoboken in Hudson County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
On the Waterfront:
Holland America, Boat Clubs & The Movie
Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 20, 2022
1. On the Waterfront wayside
Floating clubhouses for boat clubs and a floating public bath lined the waterfront in the late 1800s. The Valencia was on of the larger, more impressive buildings. Except for one, all were gone by the early 1900s as the waterfront industrialized.
Holland America Line made Hoboken its American homeport from 1882 to 1963. Located at the Fifth Street Pier, the ocean liners Nieuw Amsterdam, Statendam & Rotterdam were some of the most stylish ocean liners ever to cross the Atlantic.
The film On the Waterfront brought fame to Hoboken where it was filmed in 1952-1953. Released in 1954, it won 8 Academy Awards in 1955, including Best Picture, Best Director for Elia Kazan, and the Best Actor Oscar for star Marlon Brando. Its main locations were right here at Pier C and the Holland America Fifth Street Pier, plus the last surviving floating boathouse. Many Hoboken longshoremen were cast as extras in the scenes filmed around the docks.
Erected by Hoboken Historical Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.
Location. 40° 44.443′ N, 74° 1.595′ W. Marker is in Hoboken, New Jersey, in Hudson County. It is on Sinatra Drive near Fourth Street, in the median. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, Hoboken NJ 07030, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New Jersey’s North Jersey, in Greater Newark, and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hoboken World War II Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Sergeant William Fesken Memorial Field (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Southern Piers: (about 500 feet away); Civil War Monument (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Southern Piers: (approx. 0.2 miles away); Stevens Institute of Technology (approx. 0.2 miles away); Hoboken 9/11 Memorial (approx. Ό mile away); Stephen Foster House (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hoboken.
Another marker is no longer nearby. World War II Memorial (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . .
1. Holland-America Line. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on February 29, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. On the Waterfront: A History of the Iconic Movie Made in Hoboken. Hoboken Girl website
Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 20, 2022
2. On the Waterfront wayside location
Reverse side showing area map
via Hoboken Public Library
3. B+W photo of the Valencia Boat Club at the foot of 5th St. & the Hudson River, ca. 1880-1890.
via Hoboken Historical Museum
4. B+W photo of Holland America Line pier 5 & boat clubhouses near 4th St., Hoboken, n.d., c. 1902-1910
via H Lifestyle Magazine
5. Filming "On the Waterfront"
Credits. This page was last revised on June 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 29, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 298 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 29, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.
