In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Give Paterson half a day for the Great Falls, then leave: 12 miles from Manhattan, thin on hotels, and most crime sits in specific wards.
Paterson is New Jersey's third-largest city and the first planned industrial city in the United States, built in 1791 around a 77-foot waterfall that once powered silk mills. The Great Falls and its historic district are the reason to come; the rest of the city is a working, diverse place with strong Peruvian, Arab, Dominican and Italian food streets. Most visitors see it as a half-day stop from New York or a base-free day trip, because hotels are scarce and the safer visitor zones are small.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Paterson, New Jersey
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, ice on paths), Jul–Aug (humid)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $40–70 excl. bed · Mid $70–120 excl. bed · High $120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · NJ Poison Control 800-222-1222 · NJ Transit customer service 973-275-5555
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $2–5 |
| Falafel or gyro sandwich, South Paterson | $6–12 |
| Ceviche or chifa plate, Market Street | $12–22 |
| Beer at a bar | $5–9 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi or rideshare3.1 mi (5 km) taxi or rideshare | $12–20 |
| NJ Transit local bus ride | $2–4 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EWR · Newark Liberty International
- About 30–40 min by car via I-80/I-280; NJ Transit rail plus bus or taxi for the last leg.
- JFK · John F. Kennedy International
- About 1–1.5 h by car; longer in rush hour.
- LGA · LaGuardia
- About 45–75 min by car.
Typical fares
- NJ Transit bus, Port Authority to Paterson
- about $8 one way, 45–70 min
- Main Line train, Paterson to Hoboken
- about $6 one way
- Taxi or rideshare, Paterson to EWR
- $45–70
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The city is only about 21 km² (8 sq mi) but holds over 145,000 people, so buses are frequent and a car helps for the edges. NJ Transit Main Line stops at Paterson station on Market St (toward Hoboken or Suffern, NY). NJ Transit buses 161, 190 and 171 run to New York City; route 72 goes to Newark Penn Station; local routes 74, 702–704, 707, 712, 722, 744, 746 and 748 cover the city. Dollar vans run along Main St and Broadway toward Clifton, Passaic, Union City and Upper Manhattan. Parking near the falls can be scarce — allow extra time.The city is only about 8 sq mi (21 km²) but holds over 145,000 people, so buses are frequent and a car helps for the edges. NJ Transit Main Line stops at Paterson station on Market St (toward Hoboken or Suffern, NY). NJ Transit buses 161, 190 and 171 run to New York City; route 72 goes to Newark Penn Station; local routes 74, 702–704, 707, 712, 722, 744, 746 and 748 cover the city. Dollar vans run along Main St and Broadway toward Clifton, Passaic, Union City and Upper Manhattan. Parking near the falls can be scarce — allow extra time.
See and do
Known for
- Great Falls of the Passaic River
- First planned US industrial city (1791)
- Silk City heritage and mill buildings
- Little Lima on Market Street
- Little Ramallah in South Paterson
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne, New Jersey | NJ Transit bus or about 15 min by car via Route 80 | About 30–45 min |
| Passaic, New Jersey | NJ Transit Main Line train or local bus south | About 20–30 min |
| Clifton, New Jersey | NJ Transit bus or about 10–15 min by car | About 20–30 min |
| New York City | NJ Transit bus 161/190/171 from Paterson, or Main Line train to Hoboken plus PATH | About 1–1.5 h |
Sleep
- Downtown Paterson
- Train station on Market St and the bus station on Broadway; commercial core with City Hall and Little Lima. Few visitor hotels — check availability before committing.
- Great Falls District
- Closest to the falls and the Paterson Museum, just west of downtown near I-80. Daytime area; little lodging.
- Eastside Park and Manor Section
- Quiet, tree-lined streets with the city's historic mansions; the calmest residential feel for a walk.
- Wayne or Totowa (outside the city)
- Chain hotels and motels 10–20 min by car; the practical base if you want a normal hotel bed.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me | Excuse meik-SKYOOZ mee |
| Thank you | Thank youTHANK yoo |
| How much is it? | How much is it?how much iz it |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card?kan eye pay by kard |
| Where is the train station? | Where is the train station?wair iz thuh trayn STAY-shun |
| I need help | I need helpeye need help |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Most crime is concentrated in Wrigley Park (4th Ward), the North Side and parts of Riverside, Totowa Section and Sandy Hill; avoid drug corners there, especially after dark.
- Downtown, Eastside Park, the Manor Section and the Falls District see little crime, but keep normal city caution and call 911 if threatened.
- Some nightclubs operate illegally; stick to established venues in Downtown Paterson.
- Lambert Castle and its grounds have been closed for renovation — check before going.
- Prices in the US are shown before sales tax; tip 18–22% at sit-down restaurants.
Paterson has a rough reputation but the visitor zones — Downtown, the Falls District, Eastside Park and the Manor Section — are calm in daylight. Avoid Wrigley Park (4th Ward) and the North Side, don't walk alone at night, and keep the same city caution you would use anywhere.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Paterson yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Great Falls of the Passaic River
- First planned US industrial city (1791)
- Silk City heritage and mill buildings
- Little Lima on Market Street
- Little Ramallah in South Paterson
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Paterson — official site: www.patersonnj.gov/
- National Park Service — Paterson Great Falls: www.nps.gov/pagr/index.htm
- NJ Transit: www.njtransit.com/
- Wikivoyage: Paterson, revision 5157263 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5157263
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
PatersonPaterson, New Jersey
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- NJ Poison Control800-222-1222
- NJ Transit customer service973-275-5555
No embassies in Paterson; consulates and embassies are in New York City and Washington, DC. Check your country's list before you travel.
English is the working language; Spanish and Arabic are widely spoken in the neighborhoods.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/paterson). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.