New Jersey's Nerdiest Neighborhood Might Be In Jersey City

JERSEY CITY, NJ — When Carrie Vu opened her science fiction bookstore, Dungeon Books, in Jersey City in August of 2024, she didn't realize a video arcade, board game store, and other "quirky" shops would coalesce around her.

In a happy coincidence, a vintage furniture store and a few mom-and-pop eateries opened as well.

People began calling a few streets in that section of downtown Jersey City — away from the pricier waterfront — "Nerd Alley."

Perhaps it was the price, perhaps it was the location, but niche shops proliferated.

"We've heard names from "Nerd Alley" to "Gygax Alley" to "Gamers Row," Vu said in an interview. "It's cool to hear people coming up with names that capture the energy for our street. And some people have suggested getting our street officially renamed."

'Nerdy Neighborhood Walk' Held

Gary Gygax was the creator of Dungeons & Dragons. More than one local shop owner told Patch that people have used the name. The game's memorabilia are visible throughout Vu's store.

"We were pleasantly surprised to learn all these quirky shops were opening around the same time!" Vu said. "We were not expecting that at all."

This month, it was time for the nerds to celebrate their camaraderie.

On the first Saturday in September, the "nerdy" shops in the area of Brunswick and Second streets came together for a "Nerdy Neighborhood Walk," organized by the owner of Pixel Labs.

The Pixel Lab — a video game venue where patrons can play for an hour or a day for one price — was among nine independently owned shops to feature their wares on the day.

The owner of The Pixel Lab, Joe, said he lives in Hoboken, as do some of the other shop owners. But when he was thinking of opening an arcade, he looked at rents as high as $30,000 per month in his home city. Opening in Jersey City made more sense.

"This isn't that kind of business," he said.

On Sept. 6, customers flocked to Brunswick Street to enjoy sidewalk sales, live music, and other lures.

The owners of a just-opened coffee shop on Second Street, Call Me Mia, hired a pianist to play outside, which drew customers who said they were there for the first time.

And if you thought a coffee shop couldn't be nerdy, you'd be wrong.

'Vintage' Decor

Hoboken residents Giovanni and Dominique Bove were visiting Italy with their young daughter a few years ago when the restaurant owner noticed them struggling to keep the toddler busy. He pushed aside a drape, and voila — a play area, so mom and dad could eat in peace.

The couple was amazed. And they decided to open a similar shop in the United States.

Over the summer, they opened Call Me Mia, which offers coffee and chai drinks and European pastries in front. There's a play area for kids in the back. The vintage decor includes a TV playing classic shows.

There's also an entrance to a hair salon, as the pair had extra space to rent out.

Around the corner from Call Me Mia, shoppers browsed at a sidewalk sale and looked at lists of events in the windows of Victory Point, the board game shop, as well as the book store.

Participating shops included: Into the Void Antiques, Zero Kid NJ, Subculture, The Pixel Lab, Call Me Mia, No Forks Given, Victory Point, Dungeon Books, and Chique Collective.

Are you bringing a nerdy store to the area or just doing something geeky? Let Patch know.

And you can find out more about the Nerdy Walk and shops here.